Is That All There Is?

July 26, 2016 by Carl Muller

"Meaningless, meaningless!" says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" Ecclesiastes 1:2

These words were written 3,000 years ago. Yet they are as up-to-date as today’s newspaper. The Teacher looked at life apart from God and concluded that life was meaningless. Contemporary philosophers have said the same thing. They too have looked at life. They have said that God is dead, or at least, irrelevant, and they too have concluded that life is meaningless and without purpose. There is no rhyme or reason to our existence, they tell us.

In the words of the inimitable 'Lou Grant' of the old Mary Tyler Moore show, "You’re born; you die; and everything in-between is just filler". What a dreadfully pessimistic view of life. The point is, however, that the Biblical perspective is that this is an accurate assessment of existence without God!

Let us get back to the Teacher. He was probably King Solomon, and the book of Ecclesiastes, from which our opening words are taken, is his inspired reflection on life. Ecclesiastes is one of the most fascinating books in the Holy Bible! Solomon devoted himself to study and to explore all that is under heaven. He devoted himself to understanding what life is all about.

"I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the days of their lives", he says (Ecclesiastes 2:3).

We began with his conclusions. Let us see how he arrived at them.

INTELLECT

"I devoted myself to study", says Solomon (1:13). He explored wisdom and knowledge. I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone before me....I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge" (1:16). He was not unlike those today who live for an academic career and the accumulation of a veritable alphabet after their names. Degrees are the thing, they say! And this is what they live for.

What is Solomon’s conclusion?

"Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." (1:17,18)

Isn’t that the way it is? Does a "PhD" really bring happiness or contentment? Hardly! Perhaps you are able to articulate your misery more eloquently, but education brings no lasting peace.

PLEASURE

Next, Solomon turns to pleasure. In fact he says:

"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure!" (2:10)

He built gardens and parks. He amassed silver and gold. He acquired men and women singers. He also gathered a harem and gave himself over to the pleasures of the flesh (2:4-8). And what is his conclusion?

"Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after wind, nothing was gained under the sun." (2:11)

Can we not say the same? Have celebrities and rock stars not said the same? Having given themselves over to pleasure, have they not also found it to be an empty thing?

WORK

Now what about work? Solomon turns to work and again he finds the same thing:

"What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labours under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest!"(2:22-23).

(How well we know that!!) And what happens to all that you get? What happens to that great business empire you build?

"I hated all the things I toiled for under the sun", says Solomon, "because I must leave them to the one who comes after me; and who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool" (2:17-19a).

So, intellectual pursuits, pleasure and work are explored and everything is meaningless, says the Word of God!

ADVANCEMENT

Climbing to the top of the corporate ladder. Ah! There is a worthwhile pursuit! Not so, says Solomon.

"I saw that all who live and walk under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor!" (4:15).

The wisest man in all the world says that there is always someone who will do a better job, or offer a better service and is prepared to take you place. In the flash of an eye your white collar, executive position can become redundant, and you are left scrambling. All of this "getting ahead" is meaningless, says Solomon.

RICHES

"I’ve been rich, and I’ve been poor; and believe me, rich is better!" The words of Sophie Tucker strike a responsive chord in many hearts! Rich is better, by far, and so in pursuit of the Almighty Dollar we work long hours, neglect our families, burn ourselves out, and break our backs for money that we have no time to spend. We need the money for the children, for the Jacuzzi, for the BMW; and we must have more! Solomon says:

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." (5:10)

Truer words were never spoken.

This, then, is Solomon’s view. The wisest man other than Jesus Christ Himself concludes that life without God is meaningless.

The history of man is littered with wrecks of men who testify to the emptiness of all things. Though dead, they still speak and their lives cry out to us of the meaningless of life without God. Howard Hughes, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Napolean, Neitzsche. Brilliant, talented, creative, even revolutionary lives, yet empty without God.

Our own lives speak to us also, though we usually attempt to drown the sound in the deafening roar of furious activity. Yet in the rare quiet moments, perhaps in the lonely hours of the night, we wonder: Is that all there is? Is there nothing more? Perhaps we have achieved much of what we sought, but the anticipation far exceeded the actual event, and we have been left with a nagging emptiness. Is that all there is? Is there nothing to satisfy the soul?

The great theologian Augustine knew all about this. He says to God: You made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you! The Son of God Himself speaks to the issue: What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul (Mark 8:36)?

THAT IS NOT ALL THERE IS!

The Bible brings us good news. Solomon says that the conclusion of the matter is this: "Fear God and keep His commandments" (12:13). Return to God. Seek the forgiveness of God. Seek to know and serve God in reverence and love.

How may I know God, you may rightly ask! The Biblical answer is clear and unequivocal: Jesus Christ! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:7). He is the Saviour of the world! He is the Son of God who came to die for sinners, and He is able to save them from their sin; and it is sin that is at the root of our trouble! It is rebellion against God that is at the bottom of our turmoil. It is because of sin that we are separated from God. And it is our wickedness that is going to bring the wrath of God upon our heads if we do not flee to Christ.

Friends, we urge you to listen to the words of God:

Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, And to our God, for He will freely pardon! Isaiah 55:6,7

Listen also to the words of the Lord Jesus:

Come unto Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28,29

May God bless His Holy Word to your souls.

Additional reading material is available free of charge. Please request John Blanchard's excellent booklet "Ultimate Questions"

William Wilberforce

October 4, 2010 by Carl Muller

A remarkable moment in a remarkable life occurred on Sunday, October 28, 1787 when William Wilberforce penned these words in his diary: 'God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.'  Indeed, the Lord had set before him two great goals and these goals were to provide the impetus for a life of intense activity - however it is vital to understand that the man who in these words articulates what would be his life's work wrote as a man fully and fervently committed to Jesus Christ. If this was a defining moment in his life, his conversion to Christ was the great turning point. This man's faith was a faith that worked (James 2:1-18).

After his death the York Herald of August 3, 1833 said: 'His warfare is accomplished, his cause is finished, he kept the faith. Those who regarded him merely as a philanthropist, in the worldly sense of that abused term, know but little of his character.' He was, in a very real sense, God's Politician.

EARLY LIFE

William Wilberforce was born on August 24, 1759, the only son of Robert (a very successful businessman) and Elizabeth (who enjoyed society). Of William's three sisters, only one, Sarah, would reach maturity. Williams father died when he was only nine years old and as a result of the inheritance he received (along with a bestowment from his uncle William) Wilberforce was independently wealthy throughout his life. However, despite being rich in this present age William was not haughty, nor did he trust in uncertain riches. In fact, he would epitomize the apostolic injunction to do good…be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share (I Timothy 6:17-19). He would, in later years, regularly give a quarter of his annual income to the poor.

A year after the death of his father William was sent to live with his uncle and aunt, William and Hannah Wilberforce. Whilst in that home the young lad was exposed to the preaching of George Whitefield and John Newton and was particularly enthralled by the latter's sermons' His mother, thoroughly opposed to evangelical religion (what she considered was little less than poison), spirited him away from London in order to rescue him from the enthusiasts. Years later Williams sons would comment on a rare and pleasing character of piety that marked him during his twelfth year, but whatever religious concerns he had were throttled by his mother and his friends who spared no pains to stifle them As a result, as he grew into young manhood, he gave himself to the theatre, balls, great suppers and card parties.

At age seventeen Wilberforce entered Cambridge University. His academic career was less than sterling. The Wilberforce of Cambridge and of his early years in politics was a feckless, frivolous, fun-loving young man. I used to play cards and nothing else, he would say later. His gregarious nature, his talents, his wit, his kindness, his social powers…and his love of society (made him) the centre of attraction to all the clever and idle of his own college (St. John's). At Cambridge Wilberforce met and became a lifelong friend of William Pitt, the future prime minister of England (in 1783 at the age of 23). Pitt described Wilberforce as one who possessed the greatest natural eloquence of all the men I ever met. This was no mean compliment from a man of Pitt's extraordinary oratorical skills. Both men were amply endowed with the requisite talents for the parry and thrust of parliamentary debate, and it seemed inevitable that they would enter politics. And so it was that Pitt was elected to represent the borough of Appleby, and Wilberforce, at the tender age of 21, was elected to represent his hometown of Hull. Later William would become the representative for the powerful region of Yorkshire, and would serve his nation in Parliament for the next 45 years. William's early days of service were by no means exemplary. The first years I was in Parliament I did nothing – nothing that was to any purpose. My own distinction was my darling object.

CONVERSION

That self-deprecating reference aside, in 1784-5 Wilberforce was at a pinnacle of achievement. At twenty-four, he had won an unassailable position both in politics and society. Office could not long be delayed and the future was bright with opportunities. At this point in his life, God laid hold of him. He would admit that, at the time, in the true sense of the word, he was no Christian. He would also insist that evangelical views were held only by vulgar or at least uninformed enthusiastic persons. However two vacation trips to the continent in the company of Isaac Milner, an evangelical Christian, would prove to be the decisive turning point in Wilberforce's life. In the course of their holidays the two would read and discuss Philip Doddridge's The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul, as well as study the Greek New Testament. Profound conviction of his great sinfulness in having so long neglected the unspeakable mercies of my God and Saviour would follow until finally the gloom lifted on Easter 1786. The change is evident in his diary. Instead of darkness, coldness, weakness and wretched we begin to read about peace and hope. The absence of old prejudices indicate the radical nature of the change God had wrought: Expect to hear myself now universally given out as a Methodist: may God grant it may be said in truth!

It was at this point that John Newton was of immense help to Wilberforce. The fashionable world looked upon evangelicals like Newton with contempt and suspicion and consequently Wilberforce had ten thousand doubts about making contact with him. Eventually he plucked up the courage and visited the erstwhile slave trader. He was not disappointed. He describes the impact of the visit: When I came away I found my mind in a calm and tranquil state; he found in Newton something very pleasing and unaffected, still humorous and quaint, yet with the marks of sainthood. The salient point in the guidance offered by Newton was in the area of Wilberforce's involvement in politics. William had become increasingly convinced that if he were to serve God he would have to withdraw from the world. Newton disagreed. Words that he would write to Wilberforce two years later are actually a pithy summary of what was said on that first visit: It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His Church and for the good of the nation. Pitt would offer the same advice, and so the old Africa blasphemer and the future prime minister were instrumental in thrusting Wilberforce back into the arena where his life's work would be performed.

CALLING

There is an oak tree that still stands on the Holwood Estate (Pitt's home) in Kent, which bears the plaque: Wilberforce Oak. It was there that William sat with Pitt (by then resident at 10 Downing Street) and a future prime minister, William Grenville, when those two gave Wilberforce a providential push in the direction of his great work. Wilberforce, said Pitt, why don't you give notice of a motion on the subject of the Slave Trade.

There were several other factors that influenced Wilberforce: Sir Charles Middleton, one of only two publicly known evangelicals in the House of Commons at the time of Wilberforce's conversion (there would be about 100 when he died), brought pressure to bear upon Wilberforce to take up the cause; Thomas Clarke's book Slavery and Commerce in the Human Species and frequent visits by the author to Wilberforce played a significant part; the continued influence, friendship and advice of John Newton. In these and other ways God brought William Wilberforce to the point where he would write: God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.

CAREER

REFORMATION OF MANNERS

As is clear from Wilberforce's mission statement the cause of the slaves was not his only concern. He is known for the former, but there was more to his agenda. By the reformation of manners Wilberforce meant morals. He would seek to change the face of the nation and address the profligacy of the upper classes and the suffering of the lower classes. Wilberforce's gospel was not a social one – he understood clearly the need for a saving relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ as the root of true reformation of life – yet nonetheless he and his associates exerted an increasingly strong moral pressure on the political arena of the day in an effort to clean up society's blights. Though England was flourishing in many ways, and though the 18th Century may have been no more vice-ridden than many others, it was nonetheless true that no other age has ever paraded its weaknesses quite so openly or excessively.

John Stott quotes J. Wesley Bready's scathing indictment of 18th Century England – Bready describes the deep savagery of much of the 18th Century, which was characterized by the wanton torture of animals for sport, the bestial drunkenness of the populace (even Pitt did not hesitate to show up drunk in the House of Commons), the inhuman traffic in African Negroes, the kidnapping of fellow-countrymen for exportation and sale as slaves, the mortality of parish children, the universal gambling obsession, the savagery of the prison system and the penal code (it was said that there was no country in the world that had so many actions which were punishable by death), the welter of immorality, the prostitution of the theatre…political bribery and corruption…such manifestations suggest that the British people were then perhaps as deeply degraded and debauched as any people in Christendom. Bready goes on to argue that then things began to change. And in the 19th Century slavery and the slave trade were abolished, the prison system was humanized, conditions in factory and mine were improved, education became available to the poor, etc. etc. Whence, then, this pronounced humanity? – this passion for social justice, and sensitivity to human wrongs? There is but one answer commensurate with the stubborn historical truth. It derived from a new social conscience. And if that conscience, admittedly, was the offspring of more than one progenitor, it nonetheless was mothered and nurtured by the Evangelical Revival of vital, practical Christianity… The Evangelical Revival did more to transfigure the moral character of the general populace than any other movement British history can record. In that movement, William Wilberforce played no small part. While he recognized that regulating the outward conduct did not change the hearts of men, he enthusiastically used the political means that were at his disposal to regulate that conduct and make goodness fashionable again. Ever the evangelist, Wilberforce was nonetheless a politician whose passion it was to alleviate suffering and expunge immorality wherever he found it.

To that end the first thing he did was to encourage the King, George III, to reissue the Proclamation for the Encouragement of Piety and Virtue and for the Preventing of Vice, Profaneness and Immorality. To give teeth to the proclamation Wilberforce set up societies to promote virtues at a local level, and addressed issues such as justice, drunkenness, lewdness, literature, and the like; enlisted the aid of the movers and shakers of his day (not all of whom were overtly religious) to promote the movement; gave direction to the many thousands whose lives had been transformed by the preaching of Whitefield and Wesley and enabled them to get involved in the campaign to clean up and reshape the nation.

It should be noted that Wilberforce led by example. His involvement in philanthropic endeavours was monumental. It was said that factories did not spring up more rapidly in Leeds and Manchester than schemes of benevolence beneath his roof. John Pollock's chapter entitled Prisoners and the Poor provides a dizzying survey of Wilberforce's multitudinous activities. He was: involved in prison reform along with Jeremy Bentham and Elizabeth Fry; governor of St. Bartholomew's Hospital; involved in the training of men for the ministry (in the Church of England); involved in the education of the poor and the Sunday school movement; involved in the education of the deaf; generous to a fault and before his marriage he regularly gave away one quarter of his annual income (he also gave an annuity to Charles Wesley's widow from 1792 until her death in 1822).

Wilberforce was founder of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He fought the cause of chimney sweeps (boys sent naked up chimneys to clean them), and single mothers. He sought the welfare of soldiers and sailors…he established orphanages for criminal poor children He helped form the British and Foreign Bible Society (1803), and assisted in the launching of the Church Missionary Society (1798). He was involved in sending missionaries to Tahiti and regularly supported William Carey's Baptist Mission in India. He was involved in the founding of the Society for the Education of Africans and involved too in the founding of the Society for the Relief of Debtors (which over a five year period obtained the release of 14,000 people from debtor's prisons). He was president, vice-president or committee man of no less than sixty-nine societies.

Two hundred years ago Britain was the world's largest slave trading nation. This execrable villainy involved purchasing human beings (for beads and the like), transporting them to the West Indies and the Americas (a trip characterized by unspeakable suffering and during which approximately ten percent of the slaves perished), and upon arriving at the destination, selling these human beings into a life of servitude (strong men for forty pounds each, while the sick and injured were lumped together with women and children and sold off at a discount).

Opposition to the abolition of the slave trade was considerable. This was so for at least two reasons. First, the trade was profitable. The profit was often over 100% of the initial outlay. The trade constituted 4.4% of British exports. Furthermore, 18,000 people in England were involved in making goods to trade for slaves, and upwards of 5500 sailors manned 160 ships. A second argument was the matter of national security. The trade provided training ground for British seamen. Furthermore, were the British to cease to carry slaves, her continental rivals would merely wax rich on her restraint. How much wickedness is justified in the cause of profit and self-interest.

Many had already raised their voice against the slave trade, but the efforts at abolition would be galvanized under the leadership of Wilberforce. The battleground would be the British parliament. The movement had found its champion in the member from York, and he would lead the charge by doggedly introducing bills for abolition into parliament year after year – the first coming in May of 1789.

Though Wilberforce and his companions were on the front lines, they knew that they needed the good will of the English people to give teeth to their efforts. It is on the general impression and feeling of the nation we must rely…so let the flame be fanned. This they did in a variety of ways. The print of Clarke's model of a slave ship and its tragic cargo was widely circulated; a cameo was produced by Josiah Wedgwood which put this plaintive question into the mouth of a slave, Am I not a Man and a Brother?; a boycott was organized against slave-grown sugar; a total of 519 petitions, signed by thousands of British subjects, was presented in the House of Commons; thousands of pamphlets were produced and distributed. John Pollock makes the telling observation that Wilberforce was a proof that a man may change his times, though he cannot do it alone. Indeed he did not. Henry Thornton, Granville Sharp, John Venn, Hannah More, James Stephen, Thomas Clarkson, and Zachary Macaulay were Williams gifted and godly co-labourers in the cause. Under the gracious, diplomatic and deeply spiritual leadership of Wilberforce, these varied personalities and talents were blended to form a formidable force for good to their generation. No prime minister had such a cabinet as Wilberforce could summon to his assistance, opines one writer. It was a unique phenomenon – this brotherhood of Christian politicians. There has never been anything like it since in British public life, writes another. A sad commentary indeed on the English political scene.

The final push in the campaign came on January 2, 1807 when a bill was read in the House of Commons which provided that, after May 1, the African slave trade and all manner of dealing and trading in the purchase of slaves or their transport from Africa to the West Indies or any other territory is utterly abolished, prohibited and declared to be unlawful. The bill passed with a tremendous majority – 283-16. Applause rained down upon Wilberforce as he sat, head in hands, tears streaming down his face. Well, Henry, what shall we abolish next, he would later say to Thornton. The lottery, I think, was the humourless reply.

The last eighteen years of Wilberforce's life would be a sustained effort to bring about the total emancipation of existing slaves. Tracts would be distributed, Wilberforce would write, Thomas Foxwell Buxton would be brought in to take over from the aging and infirm Wilberforce to spearhead the movement. Finally, three months before he died, an ailing Wilberforce was persuaded to present a last petition for abolition before the House of Commons. I had never thought to appear in public again, but it shall never be said that William Wilberforce is silent while the slaves require his help! On July 29, 1833, just three days after the bill for the total abolition of slavery was passed, William Wilberforce, the Washington of Humanity, died

HIS CHARACTER

A Christian Man

Wilberforce was, above all, a Christian man. The fruit of the Spirit was abundantly evident in his life. He was a humble man. He was able to take criticism and also sought to avoid taking credit. He considered himself unworthy of a title. Throughout his life he saw the need to cooperate with other men, realizing he could not do it alone. He was humble enough to see the need to "network". How often zealous pastors fail here. He was a prayerful man. The morning hours were particularly precious to him as he considered them seasons of unusual importance for communing with God.

He was a joyful man, and people enjoyed being around him. He was described as both the most religious man in England as well as the wittiest. He was a man of great faith. He laboured faithfully and fervently and left the results with God. His faith was resilient because it was not a faith in himself, but in God. As he said after one of his defeats, God, has given the very small increase there has been thus far and must give all if there be more. That faith was nurtured by his favourite authors, Philip Doddridge, Richard Baxter, John Owen, John Flavel, John Howe and Jonathan Edwards.

Wilberforce was a man of endurance. In 1791 John Wesley, from his death bed, warned him in a letter: Unless the Divine Power has raised you up to be a "Athanasius against the world", I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing this execrable villainy…Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of god and devils. And face opposition he would. He was slandered in the press – if all that was published about me was true, nothing but a special providence can have prevented my being hanged thirty years ago. He was accused of beating his wife (while he was still single!). Lord Nelson called him a hypocrite and others accused him of inciting insurrection in the West Indies.

A WEAK VESSEL

In addition to persecution Wilberforce had to deal with tremendous health difficulties, and among other things, because of curvature of the spine, had to wear a steel frame for support during the last fifteen to eighteen years of his life. One shoulder began to slope; his head fell forward, a little more each year until it rested on his chest unless lifted by conscious movement…he was obliged to wear a steel girdle cased in leather and an additional support for the arms. Regarding his steel frame he wrote: How gracious is God in giving us such mitigations and helps for our infirmities.

A ZEALOUS EVANGELIST

He was a man of evangelistic zeal. After he died a sheet was found amongst his papers. It was entitled: Friends Paper. It was a list of thirty of his friends, and beside each name were thoughts of how to best press the gospel home to each. Wilberforce spent a good deal of time trying to come up with what he called launchers – ways in which to turn the conversation in a spiritual direction and bring the claims of Christ to bear upon those with whom he was speaking. Here indeed was a Christian man.

A FAMILY MAN

In an age when marital infidelity amongst politicians was frequent and appalling, it is encouraging to read about the Wilberforce home. A whirlwind romance with Barbara Ann Spooner led to a wedding in 1797 and a marriage that was pleasant and happy. Hannah More said that she had never seen an honest gentleman more desperately in love. Wilberforce was an exemplary father who resigned his Yorkshire seat for a seat in the smaller borough of Bramber so that he might spend more time with his growing family. What an example and rebuke to every Christian father too busy to care for his own children. Above all he was concerned for the souls of his offspring. He wrote with much tenderness to his son Samuel: I would be willing to walk barefoot from this place to Sandgate to see clear proof of the great change being begun in my dear Saml at the end of the journey. Nonetheless, while he could say that the spiritual interests of my children is my first object, he also loved playing with them and closed one letter by saying, I am irresistibly summoned to a game of marbles.

LESSONS

Surely the life of Wilberforce should stir the souls of Christian politicians to attempt great things and to remain faithful to God in the often sordid world of politics. God never changes and h is still able to use weak men to accomplish great things. Where are the men of faith who will labour for the good of the Church and the good of the nation?

Let us seek to encourage and support Christians in politics. How vital was the ministry of Newton in giving direction to the newly converted politician. How encouraging must have been a letter from an esteemed man of God such as Wesley. Surely we should seek educate our people as to the legitimacy of involvement in politics, the necessity of maintaining integrity once in politics, and of the need to remain faithful to Biblical principles in the face of the onslaught of secular philosophy and practice. And how we ought to encourage Christians to pray for all who are in places of governmental authority (I Timothy 2:1-3). Too often invective if found more readily upon our lips than intercession.

The slavery issue of our day must be vigorously addressed. The grotesque violence of slavery is matched by the vile, wholesale slaughter of the unborn in our own day. If Wilberforce could not be silent while the slaves needed him, surely our mouths must not be silent for those who cannot speak for themselves. Shame on evangelicals who waffle on this issue, or who, while they wag their tongues, will not lift a finger in the fight.

We ought to be thankful for the long and well documented history of Christian philanthropy. The work of the Christian Church has so richly benefited society. Let us be quick to set the record straight when the uninformed speak of the withering impact of hypocritical Christians upon the world. No. Christians have indeed been light and salt in every generation.

Let Christian leaders follow in the footsteps of this man. Let them humbly and enthusiastically work together, esteeming the gifts of others and eschewing a lone ranger mentality; let them press on in the face of opposition and persecution, disappointment and even disaster; let them seek glory for God and not a name for themselves; let them be inflamed with a love for all God's people and a desire to do good to all; let them throw themselves into their life's work with passion and with faith. It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His Church and the good of this nation.

Praying for Politicians

January 11, 2006 by Carl Muller

Joseph Stalin, who killed millions of his fellow Russians because of his paranoid obsession with power, scoffed at a colleague who warned that the Pope was likely to denounce one of Stalin's barbaric plans. "The pope," he sneered, "How many divisions does he have?"(1) This is an example of how many people see religion in general and Christianity in particular. The church is irrelevant. The church has no influence. The church has no impact on the world. Whatever impact it might have is negative. The church is not among the movers and shakers of this world – and, according to Stalin, that is because it has no army. But now consider the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1,2:

'Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.'

Paul implies that the church can have a tremendous impact upon the world.

'Restraining prayer we cease to fight; prayer makes the Christian's armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.' (Cowper)

The church can have a tremendous impact upon the world but notice what we must do: we must look beyond the halls of power here on earth and go directly to the throne room of the universe and there offer our petitions on behalf of our nation and our world. Go directly to the King of Kings to pray for your king, Paul says to the believer. Praying for politicians is the subject we want to consider in this article.

THE CONTEXT OF PRAYER FOR POLITICIANS

Paul's exhortation that we pray for politicians is not the sum total of what the Scripture has to say to us concerning our relationship with those in authority over us. What does the Scripture have to say then about the place of prayer for politicians in the larger scheme of the Christian life?

PRAYER IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTION

Paul makes it very clear that we are to be like the Lord Jesus. He is described as One who preeminently went about doing good (Acts 10:38). Lepers, bereaved widows, blind men and hungry crowds were happy to be around Him for He did them good. Go, and do likewise, we are told (Luke 10:37). In fact, as we have opportunity, we are to do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). In this sin sick and suffering world Christians are to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with (their) God (Micah 6:8). In light of such texts we are not simply to pray for politicians but we are to be actively involved in doing good in society. This "doing good" will take a myriad of forms. Christians will be involved in the political realm itself as politicians and seek to promote justice and good in that way. We will be involved in philanthropic efforts – so many benevolent and beneficial institutions have been founded by Christians. Schools, universities, orphanages, and prison ministries – the list goes on and on. Philanthropic endeavours Christians ought to initiate and support would include crisis pregnancy centers and adoption agencies. It is one thing to decry the evil of abortion; it is another to put time, money, and volunteer hours, into the fine work of such ministries. Furthermore, Christians in Canada ought to avail themselves of the opportunity to let their voices be known through letter writing campaigns and various avenues of protest. Bills are before Parliament that fly in the face of Biblical revelation and flagrantly dismiss the claims and commands of God. Let Christians arise and cry aloud. Pray we must! But in this country we still have freedom to speak and write and protest (unlike many of our brethren throughout the world). Let us avail ourselves of these freedoms and speak out against forces that would promote the abomination of homosexuality and destroy the traditional family. The point is this: to say that Christian ought to pray is not to say that they ought not to do things that will promote the good and the just in society. Did Mr. Trudeau desire a "just society"? So do we. And we will work for it.

PRAYER GOES HAND IN HAND WITH SUBMISSION AND RESPECT

Do you recall some of the salient points in Paul's exhortations in Romans 13:1-7? Obey the government because God put them in authority over you (verses 1-5). Pay your taxes and import duties, for the same reason (verse 6,7). Be respectful and give honour to those in governmental authority. Do you recall what Peter said? Submit to those who in authority over you (I Peter 2:13). Show respect for everyone and show respect for the king (2:17). It is beyond the scope of this study to deal with the implications of these texts for the notions of revolutions and coups, but we can think about our own conduct. How do I measure up in light of these clear commands? As they observe my attitude toward the rules of the road, is it apparent to my children that I have respect for the government and that I am submissive to their regulations? Do my business practices and the way I fill out my income tax similarly reflect a respectful and submissive attitude? Does the way I speak about our Prime Minister and the Members of Parliament show that my conversation is influenced by these texts? Remember, God places them there in authority just as surely as He placed Nero in his position as emperor in Paul's day. I suspect that we are as disobedient to the laws of the land and disrespectful of the rulers of the land as we are negligent to pray for those same people. I believe there is a connection.

PRAYER INDICATES THE CONVICTION THAT SOCIETY MUST BE CHANGED FROM THE INSIDE OUT

What is the best thing we can do for the leaders of our land? We can pray for them. What is the best thing we can do for our country? We can pray for them. How forgetful Christians can be of that fundamental truth. In 1985, after Congress had failed to pass his legislative agenda, a prominent New Right leader declared: 'The only way to have a genuine spiritual revival is to have legislative reform…I think we have just been legislated out of the possibility of a spiritual revival.'(2) This is wrong-headed and un-biblical. If society is going to change it must be changed from the insider out. People must be converted, politicians must be saved, and sinners must be won to Christ. The historian J. Wesley Bready, in a book entitled England before and after Wesley: The Evangelical Revival and Social Reform, described the "deep savagery of much of 18th Century England" and says that the "evangelical revival did more to transfigure the moral character of the general populace than any other movement British history can record"(3) Wesley and the leaders of the revival "restored to a nation its soul". Examples like this could be multiplied. But the point is this: whatever involvement individual Christians might have in the politics of our day, the church must ever be faithful to its primary task, that of preaching the gospel to all the world and seeking to make all men disciples of Christ. And, the church must be faithful to pray for that kind of turn-around. No wonder Paul speaks with urgency: Therefore I exhort first of all – do you see the passion? I exhort and I urge you to do this. Now first of all, in terms of priority, you must pray for these people. This is terribly important. And no wonder, since the face of a nation can be changed only when the heart of a nation is changed. And God alone can do that. So, pray!

PRAYER INDICATES CONFIDENCE THAT GOD IS ABLE TO DO MIGHTY THINGS

Paul encourages prayer because he is convinced that God is almighty and thus able to bring about radical change. When we pray for kings we remember that God is King of Kings. When we pray for powerful men we remember that to God the 'nations are as a drop in the bucket, and are counted as small dust on the scales; look He lifts up the isles as a very little thing' (Isaiah 40:15). He puts presidents in power and He brings prime ministers down. Our Lord said to Pilate, You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above (John 19:11). While wars and rumours of wars whirl about us how comforting to remember that God causes wars to cease throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear in two; He burns the shield with fire (Psalm 46:9). We remember that the oft quoted be still and know that I am God is not spoken in the context of a beautiful pastoral scene but rather amidst the clash and clang of sabre rattling nations who are being told to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Almighty God. God can and will do His will in the world. This is our God! The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge (verse 11).

THE CONTENT OF PRAYER FOR POLITICIANS

PRAY FOR ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY LEADERS

Paul tells us that we ought to pray for all types of men. We ought to pray for men in all kinds of groups and for all men without distinction. But in particular we ought to pray for those who are in positions of authority in government. Paul prayed for the king. We are to pray for city councilors, mayors, provincial and federal members of parliament, premiers and prime ministers. Leaders who have the opportunity to display their folly on the world stage ought especially to be on the hearts of God's people. We ought to pray for leaders of countries where the church is persecuted. Being informed about such countries is the first step. Then fervent prayer about such situations must follow.

We might be tempted to leave out of our prayers leaders we consider to be vile. It is sobering to remember that the "king" to whom Paul referred was Nero. Now Nero, while he may not have 'fiddled' while Rome burned, did greet the news about the fire with some glee. He was not averse to 'eliminating' his own family members and was the first emperor to persecute the family of God. Pray for this man, Paul tells these people. Years later, as Paul is about to be beheaded in Nero's Rome, do you think he would have backtracked on this instruction? I think not! He would, in all likelihood, have called all the more urgently for fervent prayer for the soul of this man. Sadly, Nero, as far as we know, died in his sin, lamenting the fact that in him the world was losing a great actor. We ought to pray for leaders of our day before they too die in their sin. No matter the wickedness of the particular politician, we ought to pray that God would save him or her. When you watch the mayor of Toronto frolicking with degenerates on the streets of Toronto in a homosexual parade, what is your response? If it is not to pray for him (and them), then your response is less than Biblical. Remember that Jesus, standing before a great and wicked city, His heart full of love and compassion, lamented: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing (Matthew 23:37). They killed and stoned those whom Jesus had sent to them. But love and compassion for poor sinners evokes this heart-wrenching lament. Love for sinners, even the most vile of politicians, must drive us to our knees, remembering that "the vilest of sinners who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives". Has it occurred to you that it is possible that one day Saddam Hussein (article written before Hussein's execution), George W. Bush, Osama Bin Laden and Tony Blair may all sit down at the wedding feast of the Lamb? If it has not, perhaps it is because you have not been praying for them.

PRAY FOR THE DESPERATE NEED

The word translated 'supplication' especially emphasizes the idea of 'need, lack'. You come and you ask because of a need you have or a need someone else has. What need there is in this world! With the winds of war blowing hot and controversy swirling around his administration's handling of the matter of Iraq's "weapons of mass destruction", U.S. President, George W. Bush, met with several preachers on February 13, 2003. Among the ministers was Max Lucado who asked the President how he could seem so calm and peaceful in the midst of such stress. The President's reply was: "I'm feeling stronger now than I've ever been in my life. And the reason is because every person in America is praying for me. When I stay on my knees, that's when I have power". He was then asked how he would like the ministers to pray for him and Mr. Bush asked that they pray for 'clarity of mind for himself so that he might make wise decisions' and also for his wife and daughters, as he is concerned about their safety. How refreshing, and even startling to see a politician who understands the need for prayer and the need for others to pray for him. For the most part, however, politicians do not see the need and it is thus incumbent upon Christians to do so. Let us survey our national scene. We see an aggressive and militant homosexual lobby and their appalling efforts to destroy a Judeo-Christian concept of the family. We observe rampant immorality on every level. We find that the breakdown of the family has reached epidemic proportions and we grieve over the fact that 55% of children born in Quebec are born out of wedlock.(4) The stunning reality is brought home again to our minds that we live in a country that has no law regarding abortion, and that the slaughter of the unborn continues unabated. Pragmatism and political correctness guide decision making at every level, and knowledge of God and Biblical wisdom are not only rare in society, they are not considered worth pursuing. Amidst all these concerns, the crying need is surely for politicians to be won to Christ. We need to pray not only for wisdom and understanding for politicians but for conversion. Luther was reputed to have said: "I would rather be governed by a competent Turk than an incompetent Christian". We will pray for competence but we want much more. We want to see conversions. This is God's concern. This is what God desires. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth(verses 3,4). Oh that government officials might indeed be God's ministers to you for good (Romans 13:4). But the deeper longing of our hearts is to see them become monuments to His saving grace.

In light of this we should pray for politicians who are Christians, that God would endow them with wisdom, shrewdness, understanding and competence beyond their natural abilities. We should pray that God would grant them boldness and courage in their witness, preserve them unspotted in the often sleazy world of politics and keep their eye true in the murky processes of political wrangling. Further, we should pray for churches and individual Christians who have contact with politicians at every level that they would not simply seek to promote good legislation but that they would promote the kingdom amongst these needy folk.

PRAY FOR SPECIFIC PEOPLE AND ITEMS

The word "supplications" in verse one means "the petitions for the fulfillment of certain definite needs'. Particular needs and particular requests are in view here. We should be particular whenever we pray and especially when we pray for politicians and the political world. Perhaps you know are personally acquainted with individuals in politics – pray faithfully for them! We all know of particular people on the provincial and national scene – pray for them by name. Do we at times succumb to the notion that people like Mr. Chretien are beyond the pale of God's saving grace? God forbid! Does not the conversion of Richard Nixon's hatchet man, Charles Colson, remind us that god can save anybody? Read his book Born Again and be reminded that the hallowed halls of political power are not beyond the reach of God's mighty hand. More significant than that is God's gracious dealings with the most powerful man in the world during the heyday of the Babylonian empire. Read Daniel 4 and see God bringing the great Nebuchadnezzar to his knees and, I believe, to Himself. Or consider Jonah 3 and observe the King of Nineveh as he rises from his throne, lays aside his robe, covers himself with sackcloth and ashes and turns to God. Surely this stirs us to pray for particular people and pray with confidence that God is able to do it.

PRAY WITH THANKSGIVING

We are to bring supplications, prayers and intercessions to God with thanksgiving (verse 2). I recall arriving in Canada many years ago having, in the providence of God, escaped the seething cauldron of racial hatred and violence in South Africa. I recall profound thankfulness sweeping over me when, as a young man, I became a citizen of this great country. Folk like us felt deeply grateful for the privilege of the vote, for the freedom to walk into any public washroom and not look for a colour sign. I was not a believer then and didn't really know whom to thank. But we do, do we not? Are we thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in this country? Are we thankful for the liberty to voice our displeasure? Are we thankful for the prosperity with which we can serve God and promote the kingdom? For many years Canada has been recognized as one of the most desirable places in the world to live. Thank the Lord for what you have here.

PRAY FOR A QUIET AND PEACEFUL LIFE

We ought to pray for politicians, Paul says, in order that we may lead a "quiet and peaceable life" (verse 2). The two words he uses probably suggest the following: peace on the outside (freedom from turmoil brought upon us); peace on the inside (freedom from inner turmoil). And this would be so that the people of God may grow and mature and live a life characterized by all "godliness and reverence" (verse 2). Thank God that, for the most part, we do live a quiet and peaceable life here in Canada. Let us pray that that might continue. We do see disturbing signs of the erosion of these liberties. We have in recent times heard of a Christian couple having their children taken away from them simply because they sought to follow the Biblical admonitions regarding discipline. We have witnessed a Christian school teacher persecuted by authorities because he spoke out against homosexuality, despite his doing so in the most circumspect manner.

End Notes:
1 Charles Colson, Kingdoms in Conflict, (US, Zondervan, 1987), p. 194.
2 Ibid., p. 234.
3 John Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today (Basingstoke, UK, Marshalls Paperbacks, 1984), p. 3.
4 According to University of Montreal research, as reported in the Montreal Gazette.

Doctrines of Grace - Total Depravity

July 1, 1996 by William Payne

Its importance:

Our understanding of the problem will govern our understanding of the treatment needed. If we fail to understand the Biblical teaching on this doctrine our understanding of all the doctrines related to salvation will be faulty. To have a right understanding in this matter is therefore crucial.

To what does the expression refer?

The expression "total depravity" describes the condition of man as he is now in sin, as a result of the "fall" in Adam. It does not indicate man's original state when first created.

What it does not mean:

It does not mean that every man is as evil as he possibly could be. It does not mean that man is incapable of things considered good and noble from a human viewpoint.

What it does mean:

Basically it means that sin has affected every aspect of a man's being. It means that in and of himself, man in the state of sin is unable to do anything which is spiritually good or which will contribute toward his return to and reconciliation with God. Broadly speaking we may view "man" as comprised of mind (intellect, that part of us which thinks and understands); affections (that part of us which "feels", either attracting us to something or repelling us from it); and will (the volitional part which chooses and acts).

How has sin affected these basic elements of man's being?

1. The mind has become darkened with respect to spiritual things: Romans 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14 ( especially vs. 14 ); 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 4:17,18; Colossians 1:21

2. The affections have been corrupted by sin. John 3:19; Job 15:14-16; Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Isaiah 53:2

3. The will is in bondage to sin.
   
   It is important to appreciate that the will is controlled by the nature; what we do is determined by what we are; the fruit depends on the nature of the tree. The will is not an independent principle, but is always governed by other elements of the nature.
   
   Consider a sheep and a vulture in a field of grass in which there is the carcass of a dead dog. The sheep eat the grass; the vulture eats the dog. Why? Simply because their choice is governed by their nature.
   
   Will man then, with darkened mind and corrupted affections choose Christ and the way of holiness if left to his own free will? No! The faculty of choice is still his, and no one coerces him, but governed by his sinful nature he always makes the wrong choice in spiritual matters if left to himself. John 5:40,43,44; 6:44 (Compare Genesis 37:4). Job 14:4; Jeremiah 13:23. Note especially Romans 3:10-18.
   
   Man is invited and indeed commanded to repent and believe the gospel. It is his responsibility and duty to do so; he cannot be saved unless he repents of sin and exercises faith in Jesus Christ. Yet because of his sinful state he is, of himself, unable to do so. This is the alarming condition of a sinner. His need is a supernatural divine work in his soul. This is how the Bible does explain the reception of Christ by some. See John 1:12,13.

The Bible clearly states what man (by his own will or power) cannot do:

He cannot see the Kingdom of God                                                      John 3.3
He cannot please God                                                                           Romans 8:8
He cannot know the things of God                                                       1 Corinthians 2:14
He cannot say Jesus is Lord (i.e. as being real and genuine to him)    1 Corinthians 12:3
He cannot come to Christ                                                                     John 6:44

The figures by which the Bible describes the work of salvation emphasize the Divine initiative and Divine sovereignty:

It is a resurrection ( i.e. a spiritual resurrection )                                  Ephesians 2:5,6
It is a new creation                                                                                2 Corinthians 5:17
It is regeneration ( being born again )                                                   John 3:3-8
It is a shining of light into darkness                                                      2 Corinthians 4:6
It is a taking away the stony heart and the giving of a new heart and new spirit Ezekiel 36:26,27

Man is indeed totally depraved. Lost in every terrible sense of the word. His desperate need is a supernatural work of God's grace in his soul, to enlighten his mind, re-order his affections and liberate his will, so that he might understand the gospel and desire and choose Jesus Christ.

Doctrines of Grace - Unconditional Election

June 24, 1996 by William Payne

The Fact of Election

What do we mean by the doctrine of election? We mean that out of the ruined mass of fallen humanity God Almighty has chosen a people, a great innumerable company, which He intends to bring to salvation in and through Jesus Christ. It is one of the most prominent doctrines of scripture. The whole Old Testament is based upon the fact of election - God chose the nation of Israel for His own and passed by other nations. In the New Testament words indicating this doctrine are used continually (e.g. elect, chosen, ordained etc.)

The election taught in the Bible is seen to be:

a. Personal                   2 Thessalonians 2:13; Colossians 3:12; John 15:16; 2 Peter 1:10
b. Sovereign                Ephesians 1:5,11; Romans 9:15,16; Matthew 11:25,26
c. Unconditional         Acts 13:48; John 6:37; 10:26
d. Eternal                    Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; Jeremiah 31:3
e. In Christ                  Ephesians 1:4

The Background to Election

It is vital that we see election against the background of the Fall. It is because this is overlooked or not understood that election is often thought of as "unfair". God is not now dealing with a race of innocents, but a race of rebels and sinners, all of whom deserve eternal damnation. God would be perfectly just to punish all with eternal damnation. He has however decided to save some out of the fallen race that His grace and mercy might be displayed in them. God is not obliged to save any. Rather than being criticized for not saving all, He is to be adored for saving any at all! To think that more people would be in heaven were it not for the decree of election is to totally misunderstand Biblical teaching. The fact is that none would be in heaven were it not for God's election.

Total Depravity (brought about by man's own sin) has rendered humanity in such a condition (see previous page) that when left to themselves men spurn the invitation of the gospel. Were it not for the intervention of sovereign grace all would perish, and all would deserve to perish.

When seen in this light election becomes a precious truth, a cause for praise. The root cause of a man's salvation is the electing grace of God (Romans 9:16). The root cause of a man's damnation is his own sin (Ezekiel 18:20).

The Results of Election

Sometimes human reaction is "if this is true then why preach the gospel; why exhort people to repent and believe?" This is seen to be invalid when we understand that God has not merely chosen people to salvation, but He has ordained that they should be saved through the gospel, through repentance, faith, obedience and holiness.

1 Peter 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14; Ephesians 1:4.

No one has grounds for claiming to be saved unless they have exercised repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and have begun to walk in the path of discipleship. Paul said that he knew that the Thessalonians were elect (1 Thessalonians 1:4) but notice how he knew it, compare verses 5-10.

Observe that Romans 9 with its strong teaching on the sovereignty of Divine election is followed by Romans 10 with its free offer of the gospel, note verse 13. No one who has truly repented of their sins, trusted in Christ for salvation, and who is now endeavouring by God's grace to live a life of obedience to Him need fear that they are not elect. The fact that these fruits are in the life is the evidence that they are elect. On the other hand let no one boast that they are the Lord's and elect of God if these fruits are not evident in the life.

The Effects of Election

When a Christian rightly understands this truth it will produce:

Great brokenness and humility before God.A quickening of his love and adoration of God.Encouragement in the service of God (see Acts 10:9,10)

Is Election a Discouragement to Those Who Wish to Be Saved?

It should not be; it need not be.

This doctrine does not contradict or cancel the invitations of the gospel. God always keeps His promises - Acts 16:31; John 6:37; Matthew 11:28f; John 3:36.The warrant of faith is not a knowledge of our personal election, but the invitations and commands of God to come to Christ - Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 John 3:23The invitations of the gospel are expressed in such a way that no person need feel excluded - John 3:16; Romans 10:13.Where there is a desire to be saved, there is evidence that God is at work. But don't let it stop there!

Additional Note

Some feel that election must be explained by the word "foreknowledge" as used in Romans 8:29 and 1 Peter 1:2. The idea being that God elected those whom He knew would respond to the gospel when it was offered to them. A little thought however will reveal that we would then not have a doctrine of election but a doctrine of "ratification" i.e. God choosing those who chose themselves. Furthermore, the "foreknowledge" cannot be interpreted that way because:

It is contrary to the rest of scripture which clearly states that believing is a result of election - Acts 13:48; John 6:37.The two verses appealed to in Romans and 1 Peter do not speak of "what" He foreknew (i.e. something about them; what they did), but "whom" He foreknew. That is God does something with respect to them.Repentance and faith are spoken of in the scriptures as God's gift to His people - Ephesians 2:8; Acts 11:13.The word "know" is used in the Bible of loving (Genesis 4:1; Amos 3:2; Matthew 7:23). To foreknow therefore in these verses (Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 1:2) means to "love beforehand".

Doctrines of Grace - Effectual Calling

June 17, 1996 by William Payne

This doctrine has to do with the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. While the salvation of God's elect had been secured and purchased by the blood of Christ it was necessary for this salvation to be applied to them, so that they might come into personal possession of that salvation. Bringing the elect to a reception of those blessings in Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit.

DEFINITION

The historical definition of effectual calling is given in the Westminster Shorter Catechism as follows:

"Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our wills, He persuades and enables us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel."

THE GENERAL CALL AND THE EFFECTUAL CALL

Scripture distinguishes between what has been termed the "general" or "universal" call of the gospel and the "effectual" call.

The general call of the gospel can be rejected and indeed is rejected by men and women because of their sinful state. This call is seen in verses such as Isaiah 45:22; Matthew 11:28; Isaiah 55:1. This call is genuine and real and is to be issued by God's servants to all mankind. However, the response to this call is illustrated in the parable of Matthew 22:1-6.

But there is in Scripture an effectual call: that is a call which not only invites and summons but which also carries with it the power to ensure the desired response. The effectual call not only invites sinners to salvation but actually brings them to it. In this call the Holy Spirit makes the general call effectual; it comes through the gospel message to the elect of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. Compare 1 Thessalonians 1:4,5.

It is the effectual call to which the Bible refers most often when it speaks of "call", "called", and "calling". Compare Romans 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 1:23-27; Hebrews 9:15.

The Bible uses the word "called" to describe Christians. Compare Romans 1:6,7; 1 Corinthians 1:9, Jude 1.

The effectual call is the result of God's purpose. The "purpose" of Romans 8:28 is obviously God's purpose of election referred to in Romans 9:11. The Bible says that God's purposes will most certainly come to pass. Compare Daniel 4:35; Isaiah 46:10,11; Job 23:13,14.

To speak of God "trying" to convert people; the Holy Spirit vainly struggling to achieve a goal he longs for but being frustrated and defeated by the unwillingness of men is to present a pathetic and pitiable God unknown in the Bible.

The Bible clearly teaches that all those given to Christ in the will and purpose of the Father will be brought to Him in salvation. Compare John 6:37,39; 17:2; Hebrews 2:13. The Holy Spirit works in accordance with the purpose of the Father and the purchase of the son in applying salvation to His people.

The faith by which the sinner is joined to Christ and justified before God,
is God's gift to the sinner and is inwrought by the grace of the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:8,9; Acts 18:27; Philippians 1:29.

Note that the same thing is also said about repentance - Acts 11:18; 5:31; 2 Timothy 2:25. This does not mean that God repents and believes for the sinner. The sinner is the one who must repent and believe; but it simply explains to us that the sinner does this "through grace". The Spirit of God operating within that sinner enables him and gives him the ability to repent and believe (He persuades and enables us...see definition). This is part of the work of effectual calling.

IN EFFECTUAL CALLING THE HOLY SPIRIT REVERSES THE TERRIBLE EFFECTS OF THE FALL.

1. He enlightens the mind                      2 Corinthians 4:6
2. He re-orders the affections                Deuteronomy 30:6
3. He liberates the will                           Psalms 110:3

In doing these things and giving the grace of repentance and faith, the Holy Spirit brings the sinner to a willing and joyful acceptance of Christ. The Holy Spirit does not deal with sinners as robots but as human beings. His work in them is always in harmony with their human "make up". He does not force and coerce; He causes them to be willing. This calling of the Spirit is a holy calling (2 Timothy 1:9)

1. It is a calling unto holiness                                  1 Thessalonians 4:7
2. It is a calling out of darkness into light               1 Peter 2:9
3. It is a calling to be saints                                     Romans 1:7
4. It is a calling into the fellowship of Christ          1 Corinthians 1:9
5. It is a calling to follow Christ's example             1 Peter 1:21

Doctrines of Grace - Particular Redemption

June 17, 1996 by William Payne

This third distinctive of Calvinism teaches that Christ offered Himself on the cross not for every person without exception, but specifically for the elect given to Him by the Father. It might be put this way: did Christ die to make the salvation of all merely possible, or did He die to render the salvation of His elect certain? It clarifies the issue to put the focus not on the extent of the atonement (for how many?) but on the intent (for what purpose?).  Those who believe that Christ died redemptively for all without exception believe in "universal redemption"those who believe that Christ died redemptively only for the elect believe in "particular redemption" or "limited atonement".

SOME DIFFICULTIES POSED BY "UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION"

It presents a redemption which doesn't really redeem; an atonement which doesn't atone; a ransom which doesn't actually set free.It presents Christ's work on the cross as a partial failure; for if Christ died with the intent and purpose of saving every person without exception then he has manifestly failed.It doesn't do justice to the Word of God, that the Bible doesn't present Christ?s atonement as something which merely makes salvation possible, but as something which actually saves.It does a disservice to the justice of God, for it suggests that Christ has been punished for the sins of those who are in hell and who are therefore being punished for their sins. God therefore exacts punishment for their sins twice - first in Christ and then in them.

Scriptures which indicate a "limit" on those for whom Christ died:

Isaiah 53:11,12; Matthew 20:28; 26:28; Hebrews 9:28. These verses speak of Christ dying for "many".

Scriptures which indicate that the "many" are a definite group:

John 10:11,15 note v 26; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25; Matthew 1:21

Scriptures which indicate the purpose of Christ's coming and death:

Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Peter 3:18. He came to save.

Scriptures which indicate what Christ's death actually accomplished:

Romans 5:10; Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 9:12

These verses indicate that Christ came not just to make the salvation of sinners possible but to actually save them. Not just to make sinners "redeemable" but to actually redeem them. Not just to make them "reconcilable" but to actually reconcile them. That this is not the state of all people would indicate that not all were the objects of Christ?s atoning work, unless we are prepared to accept that His mission was less than successful. The faith by which a sinner becomes a partaker of Christ's salvation is itself the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8,9). It is part of the salvation purchased by Christ for His people. That is why the Bible can speak in terms of a real, definite atonement; an atonement which actually atones, a redemption which actually redeems, a ransom which actually sets the prisoner free. For when Christ died He purchased all that was necessary to "bring to God" all those for whom He died. This included the grace of repentance and faith and the gift of the Spirit.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TERMS USED OF CHRIST'S ATONEMENT

1. Redemption This means the delivery from captivity and misery by the intervention of a price or ransom. Matthew 20:28
2. Reconciliation This means the renewing of friendship between parties previously hostile. Colossians 1:21,22.
3. Propitiation This means the turning away of wrath by means of an offering. To appease, pacify and reconcile Good in respect to His aversion to sin. 1 John 4:10.
4. "Dying for us" The Greek prepositions "huper" and "anti" (usually translated "for") clearly imply substitution. Romans 5:8; Galatians 1:4; Titus 2:14; Matthew 20:28.

At the heart of the Biblical doctrine of the atonement is the idea of substitution: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities...the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5,6).

"Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood,
Sealed my pardon with His blood; Hallelujah, what a Saviour"

True substitution and universal redemption cannot exist together. One or the other has to go!

As stated by John Owen, either Christ died for:

All the sins of some men, some of the sins of all men or all the sins of all men.

But does not the Bible speak of Christ dying for "all" and for "the world"? It does indeed; but the following needs to be remembered: "world" is frequently used in the Bible to speak of large numbers e.g. John 12:19; 1 John 5:19. It is also used of "Christian universalism" as opposed to "Jewish nationalism". e.g. John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; compare John 11:50-52.

WHAT IS THE PRACTICAL RELEVANCE OF THIS DOCTRINE?

It magnifies the work of Christ.It gives hope in evangelism.It ministers gloriously to a believer's assurance.It deepens the believer's love for His Lord.It enables us to offer to sinners a truly finished work.

"All" is often used to speak of all without distinction rather than all without exception. e.g. John 12;32; 1 John 2:2; 1 Timothy 2:6

Doctrines of Grace - Perseverance of the Saints

June 10, 1996 by William Payne

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THIS DOCTRINE?

"Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit and given the precious faith of His elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved..." (Baptist Confession of Faith, 1689).

Once having brought a person to walk the path of life in Christ, the path of faith, love, obedience and holiness, God will ensure that that person continues in that way until He takes him home to glory.

THE NECESSITY OF PERSEVERANCE

1. Perseverance in the faith is the acid test of Christian profession John 8:31; Hebrews 3:6-14
2. Jesus declared that only those who persevered to the end would be saved. Matthew 24:13
3. Perseverance is that which distinguishes the genuine believer from the false professor. 1 John 2:19.

There is such a thing as apostasy (Hebrews 6:1-9). In the light of what we shall consider below such people cannot have been truly in Christ in the first place. Remarkable religious experiences are not the real test of Christian profession. There is such a thing as false (temporary) faith (Matthew 13:20,21).

BUT TRUE SAINTS WILL PERSEVERE, AND FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

The purpose of GodThe salvation of any person comes about ultimately because of the purpose of God. His election is according to God's purpose (Romans 9:11); effectual calling is according is according to God's purpose (Romans 8:28). If a man's salvation is purposed therefore by God (compare Acts 13:48) that salvation will be effected, for God always fulfills His purposes. Isaiah 46:10,11; Daniel 4:35.

The power of God:  in John 10 Jesus links the believers security with both the purpose and the power of God, John 10:29. The Bible declares God to be Almighty (Genesis 17:1); we speak of Him as the omnipotent God. His power extends over things animate and inanimate. Because of the power of God nothing can separate the believer from the love of God, Romans 8:35-39.

The promises of God:  God has promised that His people shall have everlasting life. He has promised that they will be "kept" and brought before His throne. Notice John 10:28; 5:24; 6:39; Matthew 28:20; Titus 1:1,2. God cannot go back on His promises and He declares them to be "yea and amen" in Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 1:20.

The prayers of Christ:  the present ministry of Christ is that of intercession, Romans 8:34. Christ"s prayers are always granted by the Father, John 11:41,42. What is Christ praying for now? See John 17:24. Notice also Hebrews 7:25. This verse is of great significance. It is not enough that we merely begin the Christian life, we must "persevere or perish" (Spurgeon). We must be "saved to the uttermost"; and that comes about through the intercession of the living Christ.Christ is praying that supplies of grace be given to His people, that they might persevere. He is praying that their faith shall not fail (see Luke 22:32). His prayer will be answered!

The permanence of the Spirit's indwelling:  the Spirit of God is given to every believer to be in him and to be with him forever, John 14:16,17. Compare also Ephesians 4:30. None who are the temples of the Holy Spirit will end up in hell.

BUT NOTE WHAT THIS DOCTRINE DOES NOT MEAN

It does not mean that so long as a person has "asked Jesus to come into his heart", that he is therefore saved even though his life is not in the least changed. We must understand that true faith always reveals itself by works and spiritual fruit. James 2:14ff; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 7:21-23; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 1:6; 2:3,4; 3:9,14,24; 5:2-4.It does not mean that a true Christian may not experience periods of backsliding and spiritual decline. Compare Luke 22:31ff.It does not mean that a Christian sits back and does nothing but is nevertheless kept by God. Notice the "conflict" terminology of the New Testament, Ephesians 6:11-20; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 etc.

Those who are careless and indifferent to spiritual things and disobedient to the Lord Jesus Christ can take no comfort from this doctrine. It speaks of the perseverance (i.e. the ongoing walk in faith, love, obedience and holiness) of the saints (i.e. those who are separated or committed to Christ). The expression "once saved always saved" is true only AS LONG AS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF "SAVED" IS BIBLICAL. If it is not then the popular expression can be highly dangerous and even fatal. Our forefathers were wiser in their terminology!

But this doctrine is both a stimulus (they must persevere) and a comfort (they shall be preserved) to all true believers. Grace shall keep them, protect them, enable them, strengthen them, preserve them and ultimately bring them home to glory.

"Through many dangers toils and snares
I have already come;
Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home"
(John Newton.)

Doctrines of Grace - Regeneration

June 3, 1996 by William Payne

DEFINITION:

Regeneration is that act of God by which the principle of the new life is implanted in man, and the governing disposition of the soul is made holy, and the first exercise of this new disposition is secured. (L. Berkhof).

THE NEED FOR REGENERATION

Jesus said "you must be born again" (John 3:7). "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Why is this? Because of our condition "by nature": by nature we are - DEAD in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Compare Colossians 2:13. Note how this spiritual deadness expresses itself - Ephesians 2:2,3.

WHAT IS A SPIRITUALLY DEAD MAN INCAPABLE OF DOING?

1. He cannot receive the things of the Spirit                                  1 Corinthians 2:14
2. He cannot love and serve God                                                    Romans 8:7,8
3. He cannot come to Christ                                                           John 6:44
4. He is the slave of sin, under its domination and power              Romans 6:16-23; John 8:34

These expressions do not mean that every person is debauched and wallowing in gross and flagrant sin. We may be cultured, well-mannered, educated and outwardly decent from a human perspective and yet be utterly dead spiritually and indifferent to the gospel. Hostility to God is often cloaked - sometimes even by religion! What a dead person needs is life!!

WHAT DOES GOD DO IN REGENERATION?

He implants a new, living, holy principle within the soul.

New - it wasn't there before.  Living - so that it will make its presence felt.  Holy - it will operate counter to sin and incline us to holiness and God

Regeneration is a work of God in the soul unobserved by human eyes; it is known by its results, its effects. God describes this work as the giving of a new heart and a new spirit Ezekiel 36:25-27. The results:

1. Recognition of our sinfulness and a humbling of ourselves           Ezekiel 36:31
2. A receptivity and sensitivity to the things of God                          Ezekiel 36:26
3. Obedience to God (including positive response to the gospel)      Ezekiel 36:27
4. A new relationship with God                                                          Ezekiel 36:28

WHO IS THE AGENT IN REGENERATION?

The Holy Spirit of God John 3:5. We cannot regenerate ourselves! Remember that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. He is not a force, but a person. Note:

1. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as "He"                                  John 14:16,17
2. He expresses Himself in scripture                                         Hebrews 3:7ff
3. He may be grieved and resisted                                             Ephesians 4:30, Acts 7:51
4. He loves                                                                                 Romans 15:30
5. He may be lied against                                                          Acts 5:3

The reference "water" in John 3:5 is not a reference to baptism but undoubtedly refers back to Ezekiel 36 passage and has reference to purification and cleansing which is part of the work of regeneration. In the illustration of John 3:8 Jesus intimates 2 things:

There is a mystery connected with the work of the SpiritThere is sovereignty in the work of the Spirit.

He works as He wills. This is true of regeneration: He may quicken one yet not another.

WHAT IS THE INSTRUMENT IN REGENERATION?

The truth which makes us free John 8:32. The Holy Spirit and the Word are like the surgeon and the instrument. You must have both for a successful operation.

WHAT IS THE RESULT OF REGENERATION?

Remember what was said about Ezekiel 36. We may also observe the following:

1. Faith in Christ                                                                         1 John 5:1
2. Love of the Christian brothers                                                1 John 5:1
3. Not practicing a sinful lifestyle                                              1 John 3:9
4. Overcoming the world                                                            1 John 5:4

Regeneration is the fountainhead from which the stream of sanctification flows. In regeneration there is the implanting of the spiritual life: in sanctification the developing and strengthening of it.

BEWARE OF ERROR IN THIS MATTER

Baptism cannot regenerate. No church ritual can regenerate. A human "decision" cannot regenerate. Responding to an altar-call cannot regenerate.

One may be religious yet unregenerate; emotional yet unregenerate; knowledgeable yet unregenerate.

Regeneration is a radical work. It affects the "heart", the "control centre" of the life.

"You must be born again".

Doctrines of Grace - Justification

May 27, 1996 by William Payne

Justification is one of the most important doctrines in the Word of God. It was at the heart of the great Protestant Reformation. If we do not understand this doctrine we do not really understand the Biblical Gospel.

DEFINITION

"Justification is an act of God's free grace wherein He pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone." (Westminster Shorter Catechism)

Justification is concerned with our legal status; our standing before God. The Greek word used in the New Testament is from the language of the law courts. It refers to a declaration that a person is just, free from guilt and exposure to punishment.

It is sometimes said that justification is a declarative act of God, i.e. it refers not to God doing something within a sinner (making him actually holy), but declaring something about the sinner, namely that he is accounted righteous.

Note: Deuteronomy 25:1; Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:23; Luke 7:29; 16:15.

THERE ARE TWO ELEMENTS IN JUSTIFICATION:

Remission (pardon)Restoration to favour (accounted righteous)

Note how these two elements are symbolically presented in Zechariah 3:1-5.

God - The One Who Justifies

See Romans 8:33. This is important for God is "the supreme court" so to speak; there is no appeal from His judgement. His word is final and authoritative.

THE SUBJECTS OF JUSTIFICATION

The same people are described in a number of ways:

a. God's elect                                 Romans 8:33
b. Sinners                                      Romans 5:8,9
c. The ungodly                              Romans 4:5
d. All who believe                        Acts 13:38,39; Romans 4:5; 5:1; Galatians 2:16

THE GROUND OR BASIS OF JUSTIFICATION

The blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ is the basis of the sinner's justification (this is sometimes referred to as the "obedience" of Christ). God is able to declare the believing sinner to be righteous because He imputes (see below) the obedience of Christ to the believer. It is on account of that imputed obedience that God can declare a sinner to be righteous. Romans 3:24,25; 5:8,9; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Romans 5:16-19.

To impute means to reckon, to credit, to put to someone's account. Romans 4:6-8 speaks of a "non-imputation" of sin and the imputation of righteousness. The gospel is a message about "provided righteousness". Compare Romans 1:17; 3:21,22. Jesus Christ is "The Lord our Righteousness" - Jeremiah 23:6.

THE MEANS OF JUSTIFICATION

Faith (in Christ) alone. Compare Galatians 3:8; 2:16; Romans 4:5; 5:1; 3:28. Note: Faith is not meritorious; its value lies in the fact that it lays hold of Christ. Faith is the instrument by which the sinner receives and applies Christ and His righteousness to himself. It is not faith which saves him, but Christ made his through faith.

THE EVIDENCE OF JUSTIFICATION

Good works, compare James 2:14-24; Ephesians 2:9-10. James and Paul are not in opposition to each other in the question of justification; they are dealing with different enemies. Paul is dealing with the person who insists that he may be justified by the works of the law. James is dealing with the man who claims he has justifying faith but whose life is devoid of the fruits of it, namely good works.

THE RESULTS OF JUSTIFICATION

1. Freedom from condemnation                    Romans 8:1,33
2. Peace with God                                         Romans 5:1
3. Access to God                                           Romans 5:2
4. Acceptance of our persons                        Romans 8:33,34
5. Title to eternal inheritance                        Titus 3:5-7
6. Eventual glorification                               Romans 8:30

There are no degrees in justification: no believer is more justified than any other. Justification is irreversible, unalterable, immediate (upon the sinner believing on Christ), forever. All believers share this common blessing.

The difference between justification and sanctification will be noted in the next study, as also the connection between them.

THE PRACTICAL VALUE OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION

It tells us how we may have peace with God. It is the foundation of all assurance. It is the foundation of true, spiritual, Christian unity. It moves the heart with admiration for God and with love and praise for such a great salvation.

Doctrines of Grace - Sanctification

May 20, 1996 by William Payne

DEFINITIONS

"Sanctification is the work of God's free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness." (Westminster Shorter Catechism)

"Sanctification is that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit by which the holy disposition imparted in regeneration is maintained and strengthened." A.H.Strong.

In justification the believer is declared by God to be righteous (see notes on justification); in sanctification the believer is actually made to be holy by God. We may say then that while justification has to do with our standing in the sight of God, sanctification has to do with our actual state.

SANCTIFICATION - JUSTIFICATION - REGENERATION

These three vital elements of the great work of salvation are vitally related. We may view justification as the foundation of the Christian life, and sanctification as the superstructure. You cannot think of one without the other. Sanctification is the evidence of justification. To claim to justified without giving evidence of sanctification is a delusion.

We may say that regeneration is foundational to both the other two, in that there could be no justification without regeneration for faith (through which we are justified) is the action of the new heart given in regeneration. Likewise there could be no sanctification without regeneration because sanctification is but the strengthening and increasing of that holy principle imparted to the soul at regeneration. You cannot be sanctified (holy) in the Biblical sense therefore without being born again. You may well be moral or religious without regeneration but not holy.

THE AUTHOR OF SANCTIFICATION

God Himself                                           1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 17:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13
In particular God the Holy Spirit           Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:18

THE STANDARD OF SANCTIFICATION

This may be expressed in a variety of ways:

God Himself                                                          Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15,16
The Lord Jesus Christ                                            Romans 8:29
The revealed will of God in scripture                    Romans 12:1,2

The fact that perfection cannot be attained in this life ought not to keep us from making perfection our constant aim.

THE MEANS OF SANCTIFICATION

1. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ                            Acts 15:9
2. The Word of God                                               John 17:17; Acts 20:32
3. Prayer                                                                 Psalms 51:10; Jude v.20
4. Christian fellowship                                           Hebrews 10:24,25; Proverbs 13:20
5. Providential experiences                                    Psalms 119:67,71

THE NECESSITY OF SANCTIFICATION

1. Without it no man shall see the Lord                 Hebrews 12:14
2. By it we bring glory to God                               Matthew 5:16
3. By it we are a witness to others                         Philippians 2:12-16; Titus 3:8

THE CHRISTIAN'S RESPONSIBILITY IN SANCTIFICATION

Though sanctification is a work of God, yet He involves the Christian in it. The Christian is not passive but active in this great work. Compare Philippians 2:12,13

He is to exercise discipline over himself               1 Corinthians 9:25-27
He is to put forth effort                                          2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14
He is to fight                                                          1 Timothy 6:12
He is to run the race                                               Hebrews 12:1

We must recognize of course that our effort is not to be in the energy of the flesh, not in self-confidence, but in complete dependence on God - Romans 8;13; Philippians 4:13

SANCTIFICATION IS INCOMPLETE IN THIS LIFE

Though it effects every part of out life - 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - yet it is not complete - Philippians 3:12-15; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2,3

SANCTIFICATION IS PROGRESSIVE IN NATURE

Biblical figures of speech indicate this: e.g. development from babyhood to adulthood - Hebrews 5:12-14; 1 Peter 2:1,2; Ephesians 4:14,15Biblical exhortations indicate this: 2 Peter 3:18; 1:5-8The prayers of Paul for his converts indicate this: Colossians 1:9,11; Philippians 1:9-11.The general teaching of the New Testament indicates this: 2 Corinthians 7:1; 3:18; Romans 12:2

SOME ATTEMPTED SUBSTITUTES FOR SANCTIFICATION

Morality

Religious ritualism

Hypocrisy

Doctrines of Grace - Adoption

May 6, 1996 by William Payne

DEFINITION

"Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of God" (Westminster Shorter Catechism)

Dr. Packer calls adoption "the highest privilege the gospel offers". A little thought will confirm this statement. It is one thing to be forgiven of our sins and acquitted at the bar of the Great Judge, that is wonderful in itself; but it is even more wonderful to be made a member of God's family, established as a son or daughter and given all the privileges of God's children.

THE CAUSE OF OUR ADOPTION FROM THE DIVINE PERSPECTIVE

The predestinating purpose of God                     Ephesians 1:5
It is by Jesus Christ                                                                                                                          It is according to the good pleasure of His will                                                                               It is to the praise of the glory of His grace          (v6a)

The wonderful love of God                                 1 John 3:1,2

THE CAUSE OF OUR ADOPTION FROM THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ                              John 1:12,13; Galatians 3:26

THE GREAT INITIAL BLESSING OF ADOPTION

The gift of the Holy Spirit                                   Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15

Note that the Holy Spirit produces in the Christian the consciousness of God as Father. This is the great revelation that Christ and the New Testament gives us. In the Old Testament the emphasis is on God as Creator, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy and Just One. These emphases remain in the New Testament but to them is added the new and wonderful dimension that God is the Father of His people (Matthew 6:9). This was the name most frequently on the lips of our Lord; it is the distinctive Christian name for God.

All that the name "Father" implies in the way of love, affection, tenderness, care, provision, fellowship and guidance is to be understood in that wonderful name.

FURTHER BLESSINGS OF ADOPTION

a. Adopted sons are led by the Spirit                                                Romans 8:14
b. They are free from bondage and fear                                            Romans 8:15
c. They are assured of ultimate complete conformity to Christ        1 John 3:2; Romans 8:29

RAMIFICATIONS OF OUR ADOPTION

a. We must seek to imitate the Heavenly Father                             Matthew 5:43-48
b. We must be over comers                                                             Revelation 21:7
c. We must not partake of the world's defilement                           2 Corinthians 6:14-18
d. We must expect the Father's discipline                                       Hebrews 12:4-11

THE EXTRAORDINARY PRIVILEGE OF OUR ADOPTION

a. We are made heirs of God!      Romans 8:17. Compare Hebrews 1:2 and 1 Corinthians 3:21-23
b. We are given an inheritance    Ephesians 1:11 Compare 1 Peter 1:3f

THE PRACTICAL EFFECTS OF THIS DOCTRINE OF ADOPTION

a. It gives us a powerful view of the depths of God's love and grace and should therefore produce love, praise and gratitude in us.
b. It should challenge us to live as children of the King.
c. It should give us confidence in our dealings with God.
d. It gives us encouragement in times of suffering.
e. It breaks down barriers among Christians.
f. It gives us hope and assurance for the future.

Once we are members of God's family by grace we can never cease to be members of that family. We may lose the Father's favour through our sin and unfaithfulness, and we may lose the joy and blessing of fellowship with Him, but we remain children of God in Christ. He will chastise us for our sins in order to renew us to fellowship, but He will not disown His children. But it should ever be the aim of God's children to please the Father and to know the blessing of unbroken fellowship with Him.

A CLOSING WORD ON ADOPTION

"For the sake of His only Son, Jesus Christ, God has been pleased to make all justified persons sharers in the grace of adoption, by means of which they are numbered with, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of children of God. Furthermore God's name is put upon them, they receive the Spirit of adoption, and they are enabled to come boldly to the throne of grace and cry "Abba Father". They are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by God as by a Father. He never casts them off, but as they remain sealed to the day of redemption, they inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation."

(A Faith to Confess: the 1689 Confession in Modern English)

Doctrines of Grace - Glorification

April 29, 1996 by William Payne

Glorification is the ultimate goal of salvation - Romans 8:30,17. Notice how Paul speaks of it as though it were already accomplished. The glorification of believers will be brought about at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ - 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10. The second coming of Christ is certain - John 14:3; Matthew 24:30, 25:31

IT WILL BE:

a. Personal                            1 Thessalonians 4:16
b. Visible                              Revelation 1:7
c. Glorious                            Mark 13:26

It will catch many by surprise                                                 1 Thessalonians 5:2,3.

It will mark the end of time and usher in the eternal state      2 Peter 3.

A NUMBER OF ELEMENTS MAY BE CONSIDERED AS BELONGING TO THE BELIEVERS' GLORIFICATION:

Resurrection

This refers to the raising up of the dead and the transforming of their bodies. This stupendous truth is insisted on by the Lord Jesus and the New Testament writers - John 5:28-30; 6:39,40. Paul insists that the resurrection of believers is the inevitable outcome of Christ's resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:20-22. Compare 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16. Believers who are living at the time of Christ's return will not see death, but shall be transformed - 1 Corinthians 15:51,52.

The resurrection body will be glorious indeed. It will be:

a. Not subject to death, decay or corruption                  1 Corinthians 15:42,43,52,53
b. A perfect vehicle for the perfected spirit                   1 Corinthians 15:44
c. Fitted for eternity                                                       1 Thessalonians 4:17
d. Possessed of powers and abilities very different from our present body (Compare the activity of Christ after His resurrection.)
e. Conformed to Christ's glorious resurrection body     1 Corinthians 15:49; Philippians 3:21

The beholding of our beloved Lord and Saviour.

Isaiah. 33:17; Job 19:25-27; 1 John 3:1,2

Face to face with Christ my Saviour
Face to face what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me
(C.E. Breck)

The bride eyes not her garments
But her dear bridegroom's face;
I will not look on glory
But on my King of grace;
Not on the crown He giveth,
But on His pierced hands,
The Lamb is all the glory
In Immanuel's land.
(Anne R. Cousins)

Of all the things the saints long for they long for most to see Jesus and to behold His glory - John 17:24.

Total Perfection

a. Freedom from all sin                       Romans 8:29 Word, thought and deed
b. "We shall be like Him"                   1 John 3:2 Compare Revelation 11:22-27 . What a thought!
c. Freedom from all sorrow and pain  Revelation 21:4 Compare Psalms 16:11
d. Confirmation in holiness for ever   Revelation 22:11

Unending and unbroken fellowship with God

Revelation 21:1-3; 22:3-5

The acknowledgement of believers as the children of God

Hebrews 11:16; 2:10-13; Matthew 10:32

Then will He own my worthless name
Before His Father's face,
And in the New Jerusalem
Appoint my soul a place.
(Isaac Watts)

The enjoyment of an environment suited to a glorified state

2 Peter 3:13

APPLICATORY THOUGHTS

How magnificent is God's purpose in salvation!

What a future the Christian has to look forward to!

What madness it is to turn away from such blessings!

Here is a truth to give us songs in the night.

Reflections: My Neighbour the Catholic

October 6, 1985 by Carl Muller

"You shall love your neighbour as yourself!" Mark 12:31

THE FACES IN THE CROWD

As I reflect on Catholicism I realize that faces come to mind, not a system, not a monolithic structure, not a demonic institution. I remember people who were very, very nice.

To be sure, this is my own personal experience, but it is true nonetheless and I suspect it reflects the experience of many others. When my elder sister died, they were very kind to me. When I was an unmannerly and disobedient brat at school the Mother Superior attempted to discipline me and show me a better way. When my family arrived in a new and strange land (California) the nuns befriended us, fed us, connected us with others who could help us, invited us to a New Years Day dinner, and in the cosy confines of the convent introduced our family to the unsettling phenomenon of North American football. A Catholic family provided us with a house and more tokens of kindness than I could possibly relate.

Catholics have touched my life in ways that I shall never forget and always appreciate. That is why it is so sad to see them caught up in a system and in the grip of a religion that is so far from true Biblical Christianity. That is also why it is so sad when Protestants are strident and unkind in their efforts to win Catholics to Christ. "Let your speech be always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one," said Paul (Colossians 4:6a). How often our apologetic has been "salty" in an unsanctified sense.

THE APPEAL OF LOVE

I believe that my neighbour, the Catholic, needs Christian love. It was by their love that I recognized the true followers of Jesus Christ. I had long since left the Catholic Church and embraced secular, godless philosophy. Existentialism and nihilism, even at the age of seventeen, seemed to capture and articulate the pathos and meaninglessness of life.

Nonetheless, in a fashion true to the words of Paul in Romans 1:18 f, I was actually suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. I knew that there was a God. I had learned from the Catholic Church that He was a righteous God and a God who judges. And so, whilst professing in the daylight to subscribe to an atheistic position, in the night watches I fumbled with my beads and prayed the rosary in the hopes that what I had been told so many years ago was actually true - praying the rosary every night will save you. (I hoped that God would overlook the nights that I failed to say my "Hail Marys"!) It was at this point, in the midst of confused ignorance and wicked rebellion, that the love of Christian young people touched my life.

Gracious witness, deeds of kindness, genuine interest, guileless love - these virtues manifested by Christian young people were used of God to woo my soul to the Lord Jesus Christ! I had often leaned hard upon the kindness of others, but had never encountered the love of Jesus flowing through His people. It seemed otherworldly to me - and indeed such love is not natural. I think I saw Jesus Christ first in the faces of those young people. Whatever I say to my Catholic neighbour, I want it to be accompanied by deeds of kindness. When I raise the issues of authority (the Bible alone) and of salvation (by faith alone) I want them to have no doubt that I love them. When I speak the gospel to them I want my actions to speak just as loudly, telling them that they are loved of God and loved by His people.

I want them to see the Lord's face in mine.

THE APPEAL OF WORKS

It was like coming home. It was an arduous journey ended. It was a sweet pillow upon which to rest your head. Indeed it was rest. By grace I had found rest. All those years there had been no rest, and now I had been found of Him and in Him had found rest. What blessed words: "Come to Me, and I will give you rest."

Now, to be sure, salvation by works has a tremendous appeal to the unbelieving mind. The Catholic system had a tremendous appeal to me. In fact, salvation by works has universal appeal. There is something of the Pharisee in all of us and too little of the publican (Luke 18:9-14). So many pay lip service to grace and then seek life by works. This is the way of the Pharisee and that way is alive and well in the Catholic church. But it had an appeal to me. It left my pride intact (I could, after all, earn salvation), my social life untouched (midnight mass is kind to your agenda), and my sinful tendencies unhindered (the confessional was always there to deal with consequent guilt). But of true rest there was nothing.

Works is a cruel taskmaster and the works treadmill leads to despair and disillusionment. It was then that those blessed words touched my ears: "Come to Me, and I will give you rest". Salvation was not to be based on the filthy rags of my own perceived righteousness. The righteousness of God in Jesus Christ was my only hope! Faith in God and in Jesus Christ was the only way! And then, as with Luther, it was as if paradise opened up! And indeed it had.

Yet even now, as a citizen of a heavenly kingdom, I recall the days when I knew by experience that there was no peace for the wicked, that there was no rest in the round of activities prescribed by Rome, that there was deep within a longing for a different, a better way.

What a privilege to point my Catholic neighbour in the direction of the One who is that Way.

THE LOSS OF AWE

It had been a long while since I had been in any Catholic church.

The day of the funeral found our family seated within the hushed confines of the one near our home. While there was much that was distressing to the heart of a child of God, there was also something striking.

What was distressing was the sheer folly of it all. Certainty was expressed that the deceased was in heaven. The certainty was based on baptism, the good works he had done, his involvement in the Catholic Church, and the grace of God. At the end of the day the only thing that really mattered was that the way of salvation espoused and encouraged was not the way of Jesus. And we wept over that.

But what was striking was the ritual, the solemnity, the sobriety, the sense that we were in the presence of Someone wholly "other" than ourselves. It was striking because that sense is only a distant memory for most evangelicals, and many feel well rid of it. Many are rushing headlong to embrace a fun-filled, non-threatening, cheery and up-beat approach to worship.

God forbid that we should feel small and dirty. God forbid that He should come across as "no tame lion". God forbid that we should feel any fear and sense of humiliation. The awesome and majestic Jesus before whom John fell down like a dead man has been ushered out of churches in favour of a deity with whom we can enjoy a fireside chat! So it was striking to sit in the Catholic Church. While it is true that some Catholic churches are adopting the evangelical prescription for success, in this particular parish there was still a sense of solemnity. I remembered the days when I sat in a similar building trying to work my way to heaven. I remembered the hush that came over us when we considered what it was we were about, and who it was we were approaching. God was awesome and exalted. We knew nothing of, "Father", but we knew, at least, that He was in heaven and that it behoved us to treat Him accordingly. I remembered that even in my ignorance I felt I was in the presence of The Holy One, and it made me long for days when evangelicals would flee from the Ringling Brothers approach to church and remember that we worship our "Father who is in heaven"!

I believe my Catholic neighbour is struck by the loss of awe in evangelical churches and is left unimpressed. Furthermore, some professing evangelicals are unimpressed as well and find themselves strangely attracted by Roman ritual. May God give us grace to honour Him and attract others by worship that is marked by reverence and rejoicing.

Let the words of Watts be sung and experienced:

"Before Jehovah's awful throne, ye nations bow with sacred joy!"

Coping With Bereavement

September 1, 1975 by William Payne

At the end of 2 Samuel 18 we have recorded for us David's reaction at the news of the death of his son Absalom. It is a deeply moving record:"Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said thus: 'O my son Absalom - my son, my son Absalom - if only I had died in your place! O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Even though this son had brought considerable grief to David, and indeed, had rebelled against his father and tried to wrest the throne away from him, yet David found his death to be a crushing blow. He was still his son, and David found this bereavement hard to bear.

DANGERS

There are some dangers connected with the experience of bereavement.

First, there is the danger of giving way to excessive grief. Bereavement is a difficult thing to cope with as even the great King David found. It is often profound in its impact and sometimes seems shattering to our lives, but we must be careful that we don't allow grief to overwhelm us and make us non-functional. It is normal for a person, after suffering bereavement, to want to take time away from regular activity; we all need time to cope and adjust to the new realities in our life, but some people allow this to go on for years and seem incapable of resuming normal activity. This needs to be guarded against.

Second, there is the danger of withdrawing from friends and from society in general. The bereavement might feel so wounding and painful that the bereaved person just doesn't want to see anyone, nor talk with anyone. Again, that is understandable, and it may be perfectly legitimate to want time alone, but the bereaved person needs to be careful not to isolate themselves from friends, other family members and other people in general. It might take real self-discipline where a person has to virtually force himself to get among other people, but better that than isolating oneself and withdrawing.

Third is the danger of bitterness against God. A stream may appear to be beautifully clear, but when a little boy puts his stick in and stirs it around, plenty of mud and silt comes to the surface, completely changing the picture. So it is sometimes even in a Christian's life. What seems to be so serene and peaceful may soon be radically changed when "hard" providences enter into the life, especially bereavement. Job, who responded to terribly trying circumstances in chapter one, nonetheless gave way to bitterness against God under ongoing trials:

"I am blameless and yet I do not know myself. I despise my life. It is all one thing; therefore I say 'He destroys the blameless and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the face of its judges. If it is not Him, who else could it be?' If I wash myself with snow water, and cleanse my hands with soap, yet you will plunge me into the pit, and my own clotheswill abhor me." Job 9:21-24; 30,31

Satan will often try to incite us to bitterness against God. After a painful bereavement we find ourselves thinking: "After all, is not God all-powerful? Why did He not prevent this from happening? Why did He not spare this loved one to me? does He not have ultimate power over life and death? Why then did He not act and intervene and restore this child, this husband, this wife? And if we are not careful, bitterness creeps into the soul. It must be repudiated by every Christian!

Fourth is the danger of making unwise decisions after a bereavement. The bereaved person feels that the memories are too painful and makes a hasty decision to relocate into a completely new area; perhaps a new town altogether. But when a little time has passed an some healing has entered into the soul there is regret that he or she has left the place of her old friend and acquaintances; he is lonely and misses the old familiar sights and sounds. Sometimes a bereaved person will re-marry hastily after losing a spouse, and maybe live to greatly regret it. The point is to beware of making important decisions, which will greatly affect the rest of your life, in the early aftermath of bereavement. Allow things to settle properly; allow yourself time so that you can make wise and thoughtful decisions.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

How can we help those who have been bereaved? How can we be of practical support to those going through this deep trial? Here are some practical suggestions.

1. PRAY FOR THEM

As Christians we believe in the efficacy of prayer. It is our privilege as children of God through Jesus Christ, to come with confidence and boldness to the throne of grace; we have access through Christ. And it is one of our most sacred responsibilities to bring before God in prayer those who are suffering and going through times of trial and affliction. Pray that God would comfort their hearts; pray that God would give them strength; pray that God would encourage them and keep them firm in their faith. In time of bereavement above all, we should heed the apostolic exhortation to "pray for one another".

2. BE UNDERSTANDING AND SYMPATHETIC

It is one of the glorious things about our Saviour that He is a sympathetic high priest, and he people ought to try to emulate Him in this. We are exhorted to "weep with those who weep", and there is nothing more helpful in a time of distress than having someone who really cares and enters into our afflictions. The bereaved person might need someone just to talk to in the time of sorrow; it might not be anything profound; it might simply be rambling conversation about the one they have lost in death, but a sympathetic and understanding person will provide a listening ear and be a blessing to the needy person. It really does help to know that someone cares.

3. GIVE EXPRESSION TO YOUR SYMPATHY

You may not feel that there is a lot that you can do, but it is surprising how much little things can mean in difficult times. Send a card; write a few apt words briefly. A phone call just to let them know that you care and that you are praying for them will provide encouragement. If you are able to drop in for a few minutes without being obtrusive, all the better. Don't overstay; just a matter of ten or fifteen minutes will probably be adequate unless the person urges you to stay longer.

4. PROVIDE PRACTICAL HELP

If there are children in the bereaved family, could you take them for an afternoon or two to allow the bereaved one and adult members of the family to make the necessary arrangements? What about sending a meal over to save the person having to worry about meals? May the person needs a ride somewhere, or perhaps it would help if you were to pick up groceries for him or her. There may even be phone calls that need to be made and which you could take care of. The Bible reminds us that we are not simply to love in word but in deed and in truth. Practical help is needed.

5. INCLUDE THE BEREAVED IN FELLOWSHIP TIMES

I am thinking here, of course, of the situation when a little time has passed by. There is sometimes a tendency to overlook the bereaved person; maybe you feel a little awkward asking them to a fellowship gathering in case it is viewed as inappropriate, or in case the person gets upset at the though of attending without the loved one who has died. But this person needs fellowship and it is better to extend the invitation and give them the opportunity rather than overlook them.

6. BE MINDFUL OF THE BEREAVED PERSON SUBSEQUENT TO THE FUNERAL

During the period of the funeral, family and friends are gathered about; there are things that simply have to be done, and oftentimes the bereaved person goes "on nerves alone". But after the funeral, when friends and families have returned to their own places, it is often then that reaction sets in. Then, in those post-funeral weeks and months, there is often a sense of desolation and terrible loneliness and pain. It is good therefore to be aware of this and to make a point of contacting, and if possible, visiting the bereaved. These are just a few ways in which we can try to help in a time of need. We shall now consider one other aspect, of great importance for those who are Christians.

WHAT TRUTHS CAN WE SHARE TO HELP SOMEONE COPE WITH BEREAVEMENT?

Here are a few suggestions.

1. THE KNOWLEDGE THAT A BELIEVING LOVED ONE IS WITH THE LORD

Here is a most glorious truth for all believers, that "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord". Every child of God can say like the Apostle Paul, that to be with Christ is "far better", and the prayer of our beloved Lord will certainly be answered: "Father, I will that all those whom you have given me should be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory...." (John 17:24). The very essence of heaven is the presence of Christ. The most sublime word to a Christian is that of Revelation 22:4 - "And they shall see His face." For a bereaved person to know that this is true of their loved one is a source of enormous comfort and encouragement, and this truth should be very much in the fore in times of bereavement.

2. THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE AND TIMES ARE IN GOD'S HANDS

David's words in Ps. 31:15 are significant: "all my times are in Your hands"; and Job 14:5 reminds us that our days are determined and that the number of our months is with God. John Ryland, a Baptist worthy of the 17th/18th century, expressed this great truth poetically in the words:

Sovereign Ruler of the Skies,
Ever gracious, ever wise;
All my times are in Thy hand,
All events at Thy command.

He that formed me in the womb,
He shall guide me to the tomb;
All my times shall ever be
Ordered by His wise decree.

If that truth can come home to the heart of a bereaved Christian, what an impact and encouragement it can have. The Christian doesn't believe in luck; he knows that with God there are no accidents, everything is under His sovereign control.

3. GOD'S WISDOM AND LOVE ARE PERFECT

In Romans 11:33 we read: "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and his ways past finding out!" Our wisdom and knowledge are so limited and finite; there is so much that we do not know or understand. But our God is the fount of all wisdom and His knowledge and understanding are infinite. This combined with the fact that His love for His people never fails, and that nothing can separate them from His love, provides a real anchor for the soul. If there is one thing that Satan would love to do it is to shake our confidence in God's love for us, and times of trial, and especially in bereavement, provide him with an opportunity. At such a time we are most vulnerable, but it is at such a time that we need to lay hold ever more firmly on the precious and comforting truth that God's love toward us never changes and never wavers. The bereaved person needs reminding of that often.

4. THE LORD JESUS IS A SYMPATHETIC SAVIOUR AND IS ABLE TO HELP

The Christian glories in the fact that we do not have a God who is remoteand detached from us. On the contrary our God has, in the person of the Son, assumed our nature: He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities; He Himself has trodden this way of tears before us and He is indeed a sympathetic High Priest. Those who are going through difficult times should be encouraged to reflect on the tenderness, compassion and gentleness of Christ, and to consider the fact that He is able and willing to help His people who are in need.

5. A GLORIOUS RE-UNION IS COMING

Death is not the final word with respect to a Christian. Even the lovely thought of the soul being with Christ when it is "absent from the body" is not the last word. There is more to be said, for the Christian looks ahead to the great day of resurrection. And while it is true that human relationships are going to be radically different in that state so that there will be no "marrying or giving in marriage", yet at the same time there will surely be a re-union of those we have loved and who were "in Christ" with us. The second coming of Christ will result in the great gathering of all the elect from the four corners of the earth. In the most wonderful way the family will be complete, and as we rejoiced in the Lord with loved ones here in the earthly life, surely we shall rejoice with them on an even higher plane in the life to come. We may remind bereaved friends of this, that the separation is only until the "day breaks and the shadows flee away".

6. GOD PROMISES HIS HELP TO THOSE GOING THROUGH TIMES OF TRIAL

His word to His grieving, suffering, hurting people is: "Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand! (Isaiah 41:10) And again, speaking through Isaiah: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you! Isaiah 43:2 How precious the Word of God is in crisis situations. The Lord speaks to us through the Word and the Spirit of God ministers comfort to grieving hearts through the words of Scripture. And how precious is the Lord Himself in such times; His promise of help is not a vain one; He does grant His peace; He does draw near; He proves to be a "very present help in times of trouble". All of this the bereaved Christian needs to be reminded of. God is faithful and He has promised never to leave nor forsake His people. That itself is one of the most precious promises in the Word, and one which believers draw strength from in all circumstances of life.

Imbalance in the Christian Life

March 9, 1975 by William Payne

In Ephesians 6:11 the apostle Paul uses the expression "the wiles of the devil". The Greek word translated "wiles" is that from which we get our English word "method"; it has been translated "schemes, intrigues, devices, deceit and trickery". These words all convey what the apostle had in mind when he used this word; the "wiles of the devil" are those crafty methods he uses to accomplish his purposes. When you have been involved in Pastoral work for some time you get to recognize some of the most frequently used "wiles of the devil", and in my opinion one of his most oft-used methods used to bring trouble in Christian lives is to make them imbalanced people, people of extremes. Let me illustrate this by suggesting three areas where the devil operates in this way.

Take first of all our attitude towards sin. There are many professing Christians within churches today who have been manipulated by Satan into an extreme position where they are altogether too flippant about sin. I am not speaking now about the masses who never darken the doorstep of a church and who make no profession of Christ; of course those people have no concern about sin. They are the "fools" of the book of Proverbs, when it declares that "fools make a mock at sin" (Prov. 14:9). These are people who never give a moments thought about the salvation of their soul; they never give a thought to the fact that they must one day stand before God as their judge. They are immersed in the things of time; sin is just a word which they do not understand, and care nothing about. Now I say I am not speaking about those people. I am rather speaking of those within churches, who do profess the name of Jesus but who have very little concern about sin. Their attitude is flippant, they are full of self-confidence, their conscience seldom seems to bother them, and they are too busy having a great time to bother with self-examination. "I'm saved" they cry, "I made my decision at the evangelistic meeting, and now I don't have to worry about sin any more; if I do sin, well I only have to confess it before God and He is faithful and Just to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness".

Now these people often speak truth. It is true that for a child of God confession of sin brings Fatherly forgiveness and cleansing; it is true that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son cleanses us from all sin; but what troubles the discerning and spiritual mind is the attitude, the flippancy, the "sin is no great sweat" impression which these people convey. They are just far too nonchalant about it! They are far too little concerned about sin. This is an extreme into which the devil would lead those who profess the name of Christ. Sadly some of these people later reveal that their professed conversion was no conversion at all. There was a profession, but there was no real work of grace, there was no new creation in Christ Jesus. Their light estimation of sin, ends in a light estimation of the Saviour, and a light estimation of the Christian faith until one day the whole thing is forgotten as just a phase of their experience in life. Others who are genuinely children of God are trapped in serious sinful situations in which God's name is shamed, and in which their Christian testimony is ruined. Sin is never to be treated lightly; that is an extreme into which the devil leads people.

But then here you see the imbalance; for while there are those who are far too flippant about sin, on the other hand there are those who are obsessed by it in an unhealthy and unscriptural manner. These people, often very dear children of God, become so obsessed by sin that their entire life becomes consumed by the consideration of it. They analyze it, they bewail it, they groan about it; they are so taken up with sin that they virtually become blind to the glorious grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are so taken up and overwhelmed by the reality of sin, that they lose sight of the even greater reality of forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. They become so taken up with sin that all joy leaves them, peace forsakes them, life becomes a burden, religion becomes grim, and the problem is that they have been tricked by the devil into a state of imbalance. The joyful significance of perfect redemption and full atonement in Christ is never allowed to dispel their gloom because they are obsessed with sin. This is not a healthy and Biblical concern about sin; it is an unscriptural obsession which is dishonouring to Christ and disastrous to the individual.

Now you see what I mean by imbalance in this area? On the one hand people who are careless and flippant about sin; that's the one extreme. On the other hand those who are obsessed by it to such a degree that they deprive themselves of the joy and comfort which the finished work of Christ ought to bring them. The devil delights to push people to one extreme or the other, whereas the Biblical position would surely be that the Christian is always to take sin seriously; it ought always to cause humbling and grief, but the focus of our attention must always be on that great salvation which is centred on the person and work of Christ, and that great salvation should make the Christian a joyful and praising person.

Let me suggest a second area of imbalance brought about by the wiles of the devil. This relates to the work of the Lord, to the cause of Christ. On the one hand there are those who are too slack in the cause of Jesus. It is a sad reality that in every church there are those people who scarcely put forth any effort in the service of Christ in their church. Some people stagger under the weight of several jobs while others are responsible for nothing. I find it difficult to understand the Christian who has no interest in contributing what he or she can to the service of the Lord. It seems to me that the reaction within a Christian to the fact that they have been redeemed by the infinite cost of the blood of Jesus ought to be deep gratitude, and surely that gratitude ought to display itself by serving the Lord who died for them. The great missionary C.T. Studd once said "if Jesus Christ be God and died for me then no sacrifice is too great for me to make for him". I think every Christian ought to be able to relate to that statement. Every Christian is not called to the same work that Studd was called to, and few perhaps would claim to have his dedication, but his statement should ring a bell in every redeemed heart. If you are redeemed by His blood then you ought to want to serve Him, and the first and most obvious place in which to serve Him is your own church. There are those who talk grandly of what they would like to do in the service of the Lord, and how they would like to contribute to the cause of Christ, but its all very abstract and unreal. All the while they are saying these things there are situations in their own church desperately needing personnel; but they never seem to think of putting their shoulder to the wheel at home. Now that is an extreme to which the devil would seek to bring a Christian, because he is interested in arresting and ruining the work of Christ, especially in the churches. He is happy to see Christians doing nothing for their Lord.

But now there is another extreme in this situation. Here is a Christian who is not going to be kept from serving God. He has been saved and is full of zeal, and bless his heart he is ready to anything in God's service. We could stand more of that kind! But the devil, seeing that he cannot keep him from active service tries to get him to the other extreme, to make him too busy in the cause of Christ. What do I mean by too busy in the cause of Christ? Well I can think of people who have been so busy in the Lord's service that they have neglected their own families for instance. A Christian man is horrified because he discovers that his wife has become involved with another man. He expresses shock and horror; he asks how she as a Christian could do such a thing, and we can well understand and sympathize with his reaction. But when the matter is analyzed with the help of a counselor or Pastor, it becomes apparent that one of the major causes of the disaster is that the man was so involved with religious matters, dashing out to meetings every night, away in support of this or that good cause, that for years he had utterly neglected his wife. He had not recognized his God-given responsibilities to her; he had not been mindful of her needs; he had no time to take her out or just to sit and talk with her. He was busy for the Lord; but he was so busy he lost his wife.

Now that is not far-fetched, it has happened all too often, and let me emphasize that it cuts both ways; sometimes a wife has lost her husband for the same reasons. Now please don't suggest I am justifying unfaithfulness! I am simply pointing out the dangers of being pushed, by the wiles of the devil, into a wrong extreme, so that "busyness" in the cause of Christ, which is desirable and commendable, becomes imbalanced and serious responsibilities are neglected. Indeed let me change the illustration and say that many a Christian has become spiritually impoverished, because they were just too busy even in the Lord's service. They have been so busy dashing here there and everywhere that they have neglected their prayer life, and the study of the Word of God, and they have become spiritually malnourished while all the time they were dashing about supposedly serving God. You see again there must be the balance. There is no excuse for a Christian not serving God and not fulfilling their responsibilities in the church; but be careful that the devil doesn't make you too busy for your souls good.

Let me touch on a third area, this time concerning the raising of children. Here again we have a classic area for imbalance to be produced, and the devil is always ready to inject it. The one extreme here of course is parents who are too slack hi the discipline of their children. Now this can often be a "touchy" subject, and I have known many a man fulfill the old proverb that "fools rush in where angels fear to tread". But we cannot deny that it is a crucial subject, and the Word of God gives it a great deal of attention. Having been involved in the process of raising children for a good number of years now, I have long been convinced that we should always have compassion hi dealing in this area, because it is an area where there are many difficulties. There is no more demanding task than raising children in a right and wise manner. I am always a little cynical when I hear those who have no children waxing eloquent and authoritarian as to how those who have them ought to raise them!

However the subject must be addressed, and it is true to say that there are parents, even Christian parents, who are far too slack in the discipline of their children. Poor Eli, the priest who trained Samuel hi the tabernacle, stands before us in scripture as a sad memorial of the bitterness which often results from a refusal to discipline children. The Bible tells us that Eli would not restrain his sons; he would not say "no" to them, and they turned out, to use the Biblical expression, "sons of Belial". They were a shame to Eli, a disgrace to the priesthood, a disaster to the nation, and an offence to God. And the problem seemed to stem from this slackness in discipline with Eli. Now some Christians hi our day seem to have the same problem. Perhaps the prevailing philosophy of the day rubs off on them. The great thing in our day of course is that corporal punishment is a "no no". You mustn't smack Johnny's bottom for that is displaying violence and Johnny will grow up toting a machine gun! You mustn't smack little Susie because she will then grow up psychologically twisted! The fact of the matter is of course that we already have a lot of Johnnys and Susies who have been brought up under that teaching and who are now tearing society apart; they would have been quite different and society as well as they themselves would now be a lot better off if their bottoms had been smacked in earlier years. Of course there are other elements in discipline which play their part, and you must understand that in speaking of corporal punishment I am not speaking of brutality and the inflicting of serious injury on children; that is a terrible and shameful matter. I am saying however that proper discipline, including corporal punishment when necessary, is most important in raising children, and Christian parents ought not to be affected by the world's outlook, but rather be directed by the Word of God. Christian parents must not be afraid to say "no" to their children; they must not be afraid to restrain them from wickedness, and discipline them as necessary.

But then imbalance comes in here too. If the devil sees that he will not succeed in persuading a Christian parent to withhold discipline, he will try to push that parent to the other extreme, so that he becomes severe and repressive with his children. This is a problem encountered in more than a few Christian homes. The Christian parents know that they must bring their children up in a disciplined manner, but they become so zealous in this that they treat their children as though they were in military service. Every slight infraction is made a great serious offence to be dealt with in the full rigour of the law! Mountains are made out of molehills; perfection is expected and demanded from the children, and woe to them when they don't produce it. No allowance is made for their immaturity, their lack of knowledge and experience; no room is made for their own personal development, and so often what develops is a humourless, repressive, regimented home with sullen resentful children who can't wait to get out of it. The result is so often, children who utterly repudiate everything the parents have stood for - including their Christian faith. Oh, how careful and prayerful Christian parents must be. There is nothing more important than balance in all aspects of Christian life.

May God deliver us from imbalance - one of the wiles of the devil.

Are Altar Calls Biblical?

July 1, 1974 by William Payne

While the necessity of inviting sinners to Jesus is something to be defended, that invitation must be safeguarded. In the evangelism of today, inviting sinners to Christ, which is a matter related to preaching, has been confused with giving altar calls, which is something related to methodology. When today's preachers speak of "giving the invitation," they invariably mean giving an altar call in which people are bidden to walk to the front of the church or auditorium as an indication that they are "accepting Christ."

The great objective to this methodology is that it identifies a physical act with saving faith. No matter how carefully the preacher tries to explain that "coming to the front won't save you," the person being addressed can hardly be blamed for equating the two. All through the sermon he has been told of the importance of coming to Christ, and then at the end of the sermon he is exhorted, "Come to Jesus Christ right now; let this be the moment of decision; come as you are; He will receive you," and at the same time he is directed to come down to the front of the auditorium. I say he can hardly be blamed for believing in his own mind that coming down to the front was indeed that very "coming to Jesus" of which the preacher had been so earnestly speaking.

There are many people whose lives give sad evidence that they are unregenerate, yet feel sure that they have been saved simply because they "came to Jesus" by responding to an alter call. But coming to Christ is a purely spiritual matter. It has nothing to do with the movement of the hands or feet. Coming to Christ involves a response of the mind, heart and will of the sinner (produced of course by the operation of the Spirit), but it is a dangerous thing to link this so closely to any form of altar call.

Many Christians are not aware of the fact that the altar call system, deemed by many today to be so essential to evangelism, was not known in Christian churches until the 19th century. It was Charles Finney who introduced and popularized the system (though occasionally similar methods had been used by some Methodists before Finney), and though it is perhaps consistent with Finney's theological views, it is hardly consistent with a Reformed and Biblical doctrinal position. Men were invited to Christ, and by God's grace, came to Christ for 1,800 years before altar calls came to be used in churches. As sinners are invited to Christ through preaching, as Christ is declared and His gracious Gospel promises unfolded, and sinners are invited to "look and live," the Spirit of God will ensure that His Word shall not return unto Him void.

In preaching the gospel and inviting sinners to come to Christ we must be sure to address the whole man. The weakness of much of today's evangelical preaching lies in the fact that often only an emotional response is sought. An assault on the emotions is made; moving illustrations, and heart-rending anecdotes or personal experiences are used. Soft music and even, at times, special lighting effects are used to produce an emotional response. The outlet for that response is often the altar call discussed above which is identified with coming to Christ. However, when the person is removed from that atmosphere, and returns to the cold world of reality, his "decision" often proves to be spurious.

The inviting of sinners to Christ must be linked with an appeal to the whole person. There is no question that his emotions will be involved. How can one be unemotional when considering the cross and issues relating to the eternal welfare of the soul? The heart must be weaned from sin and the sinner must be brought to see Jesus as more desirable than all else. Only the Holy Spirit can do this of course, but the preacher will want to preach in such a way that the Spirit will use his message in achieving these objectives. The way to the heart must be through the mind. Truth must be presented to the mind if the response of the heart is to be a valid one. The great facts of the gospel must be presented. The sinner must understand the issues involved. The great truths of ruin, redemption and regeneration must be set before him: repentance and faith must be explained. The mind must be reached if the heart is to be rightly moved.

Of course, the mind being enlightened and the heart moved, the will must be exercised. The gospel is not merely a subject for examination, analysis or discussion, but for obedient response. Reformed preachers must not over-react to the false teaching of the day regarding "free will" by failing to recognize the true importance of the will in the conversion experience. As Moses deliberately chose to align himself with the afflicted people of God, and to reject the pleasures of Egypt, so men and women today must choose to walk in the ways of the Lord and reject the world. Reformed preachers ought to feel no hesitation in preaching, "choose ye this day who ye shall serve." Such preachers will want their hearers to understand that the right choice of the will is to be attributed to the grace of the Spirit of God, not to themselves, but they ought still to press on the conscience of their hearers the necessity of the will responding obediently to the gospel.

This leads also to the importance of inviting men to the Biblical Jesus. Again, the abuses of modern evangelism make it necessary to consider this need. The Christ which some have heard about is a revolutionary hero who can yet lead mankind into a social-economic utopia. He is a kind of first century Che Guevara, ready to lead the young rebels against the modern day establishment. The Christ that others have heard about is a psychiatrist-like figure who can take care of all their hang-ups, deliver them from all of their frustrations and cares and give them a life free from any difficulties and worries. He is one who, in a mysterious way, makes marriages full of grace and romance, businessmen eminently successful, and athletes game-winning heroes. Others have heard of a Jesus who can assure them a place in heaven, while allowing them to pursue a life of carnality down here. This Jesus lets you have the best of both worlds; He is a Saviour without being a Lord: He delivers without making demands.

In inviting sinners to Jesus we must make sure that we are inviting them to a Biblical Jesus. I know of no better way to guard against a misleading view of Jesus than to think of Him in terms of His threefold office of prophet, priest and king, and to preach Him to men in this manner. This is not to say of course, that it is not legitimate to single out one aspect of the person or work of Christ in preaching, but it is to say that men must be given to understand who it is they must receive in order to become the sons of God. We are to invite men to Him as prophet: that is, one who will teach them the will of God, and one whose instruction they must believe and receive. We invite them to one who is priest: that is, one who offers up the atoning sacrifice for their sins. We invite them to one is King: that is, one who will exercise rule over them, and to whom they owe allegiance.

If Christ is preached in His offices, and sinners recognize that it is to Him that they are invited and must come, then much confusion and danger will be avoided. The current debate going on as to whether Christ must be received as Lord as well as Saviour if a man is to be saved, must surely be settled if it be recognized that Christ must be preached in all of His offices. To say that Christ does not need to be received as Lord is to say that one may receive Him as prophet and priest but not as king. Such an idea is preposterous. You cannot divide up Christ. He is what He is; prophet, priest and king. To receive Him at all is to receive Him as He is, in His three-fold office.

So in inviting sinners to Christ there are safeguards to be maintained. We must not confuse the invitation to come to Jesus with the altar call: we must address the whole man and we must invite him to a Biblical Jesus.

The Sanctity of Human Life

July 5, 1974 by William Payne

I am taking as my subject this morning "The Sanctity of Human life". When we talk about the sanctity of human life we mean that human life is sacred. Now I intend to deal with the subject in this way. I want to suggest to you three things from the Word of God which bring the sacredness of human life into focus, and then I want to suggest three implications from these Biblical truths.

First of all then, the sanctity or sacredness of human life is brought to life by the fact that humanity was made by Divine creation and in the image of God. This is one of the most important and foundational facts of all the Bible, and it immediately brings us into conflict with humanistic and non-Christian opinion.

The non-Christian of course refuses to acknowledge the Bible as an authority in any matter. But I am speaking this morning as a Christian minister who is unashamedly committed to the inspiration and authority of the Bible, and our purpose this morning is to discover what the Bible has to say about this issue of human life. And the very first thing it says, I repeat, is that human life was a Divine creation in the image of God.

Then God said, 'let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.' Genesis 1:26,27.

God created man! There is nothing more important than that statement. The testimony of the Bible is that humanity is not the product of impersonal evolu¬tionary forces; man is not the result of random natural processes; humanity is not the result of the chance coming together of various chemical particles blown together by amazing coincidence. Humanity is the result of the creative work of Almighty God. God created man.

Furthermore the Bible tells us that God created man in His own image." Let us make man in our own image, according to our likeness.. ."What does that tell us about humanity? Well it tells us that humanity was unique in all of Gods creative work. There was something very special about the human creature which distinguished them from all other creatures. This distinction between man and the rest of creation is brought out very graphically in the second chapter of Genesis where we are given the record of Adam the man naming the animals.

And the Lord God said, 'it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him, out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But foi Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him'. Genesis 2:18-20

This is not just a case of Adam saying "Oh let's call that one a lion; let's call that one an elephant, etc.!" There is something much more profound here. It is probable that in naming the animals Adam was describing their nature, and God was using this process to make it clear that between him and the animals there was an enormous gap. There was nothing among the animals comparable to him; no animal could be the helper and companion suited to his needs as a man; and so the record goes on to describe the creation of woman. But you see the point of the narrative is to demonstrate the difference between man and the animals; and that difference lay in the fact that man was made in the image of God.

Now what does this expression mean — made in the image of God? Millions of words have been written on this subject and you can read the profound scholars until your head is reeling, but oftentimes you come away with precious little understanding. I don't think that many of them can beat the plain explan¬ation of the beloved commentator Matthew Henry. Henry says that the image of God in man consists of three things. First, the constitution and nature of the soul of man with its faculties of understanding, will and active power. Second, in man's position of dominion and authority over the earth, cp. Gen. 1:26. Third, in knowledge, righteousness and true holiness; and of course he draws that from Eph. 4:24 and Col. 3:10 where the New Testament comments on the renewal of God's image in man through Jesus Christ.

Now the profound might say that's not adequate, but it is adequate enough for our purpose today and it is helpful and straightforward. Made in the image of God; with a rational soul, with understanding, will and power; with a charge to exercise dominion over the earth, and with moral rectitude, righteousness, holiness and knowledge. It was that, that image of God in man that made the enormous difference between humanity and the animals; and even though that image of God has been terribly affected by the Fall into sin, yet it still makes all the difference.

Now secondly, the sanctity of human life was brought into focus when we consider that human nature was dignified by the incarnation of the Son of God. Incarnation means "in flesh", and it refers of course to the fact that the Son of God became man. The second person of the Trinity, whom we now call the Lord Jesus Christ, existed from all eternity as a spiritual Being. He was what John calls "the Word". You remember he begins his gospel "in the beginning was the Word". So here is the second person of the Trinity, this eternal Word, existing from everlasting ages. But now the time comes for Him to play His crucial role in the amazing plan of salvation which the Triune God has devised; and in order for Him to play that crucial part and be the saviour of sinners, the second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Word of God becomes man. He wasn't man before; He was a Divine spiritual Being, but now in this miracle of the incarnation the second person of the Trinity takes into union with His Divine nature human nature. He does not cease to be what He always was; that is He doesn't cease to be God; but He does become something that He was not before, that is man. That is the mystery of the incarnation and it is one of the wonders of the Christian faith. God takes human nature into union with Himself, and He becomes a man. What dignity that bestows upon human nature! This was an amazing action for God to take; it was a great stoop of humility and condescension; and yet God the Son is quite prepared to take it; He is prepared to become man.

You remember the carol we sing at Christmas, "Oh come all ye faithful". Remember that one of the verses says "Lo He abhors not the virgin's womb". Can you imagine the discussion within the Godhead concerning the plan of salvation? Can you imagine the Father saying to the Son. "for you to become the redeemer of men my Son you will have to assume human nature; you will have to take a human body and soul; you will have to become one with them, become a man". What was the reaction of the Son? Did He recoil in horror and say "Father do you realise what you are asking; that I the eternal Word should be conceived as a human in the womb of one of my creatures. That 1 the Creator should become as a creature; Father this is too much to ask." Thank God that was not the reply! "Lo He abhors not the virgin's womb"; and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God became a man, and human nature can never be viewed in quite the same light again.

The third thing which underlines the sanctity of human life is the fact that humanity has an eternal future. Oh says the evolutionist men are no different from the beasts; they are simply a mixture of chemicals, and when they die that is the end of them. Not so says the Word of God. It is true that there is a physical part which returns to its elements; you remember the Biblical statement "dust you are and to dust you shall return;" but the clear testimony of the Word of God is that the spiritual nalure of man continues forever. Indeed we have to go further than that and remind ourselves of the Biblical doctrine of the resurrection. Even from that physical part of us which crumbles and disintegrates God in some miraculous fashion is going to raise up a new body and reunite it to the soul. As a person then you will have an eternal future. You ask me "how can God do that, how could that possibly be brought about". My friends I cannot tell you how. I can direct you to Paul's great discussion of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians:15 where there are many wonderful things said about the resurrection of the body, but I cannot explain how it is to be brought about. Do you think that any man alive can explain all the things the eternal God has done or will do?

I haven't time this morning, nor is it my purpose in this message to try and provide reasons why this will come about. My purpose this morning is simply to point out to you that it is the revelation which God has given in His Word, that you are not destined for extinction after 60 or 70 years, that on the contrary you have an eternal future. You will live forever either under the sunshine of God's love and smile as a child of God through faith in Christ, or under His everlasting punishment and wrath as an unforgiven sinner who rejected the mercy of the gospel freely offered to you in this life. But what an awesome and sobering thought; you will live forever! That great reality underlines the sanctity of human life.

Now we must consider some implications from these truths of God's Word. The first is this; that human life has a God-bestowed dignity upon it which must always be recognised. People are meaningful; people have worth; that is the message of the Word of God. It is true that the human race fell in Adam, and the image of God was terribly marred through that sinful fall. It is true that in sin man is a rebel against God and worthy of punishment; all this is true. But these three great Biblical facts which we have brought out this morning tell us that there is a God-bestowed dignity about men and women that can never be denied by those who accept the testimony of the Bible. Human beings are not just beasts who can be despised, treated with contempt and kicked around by other human beings who may have power over them. No, they are creatures of God, and were made in His image; their nature was dignified by the incarnation; they have an eternal future. Every man and woman; every boy and girl has enormous worth.

We are told these days that teenage suicides are at alarming proportions. Statistics would make one weep. But is it surprising when they have been brought up on teaching that has told them that they are no different from the beast of the field and that they are just an accident of evolution without any true meaning? Here is a message for our teenagers: you are creatures of God made in His image; you are of tremendous worth and significance; every thing about you is important and meaningful. Here is a message for all human beings.

Do you see what an application this has for such things as racism and prejudice? Is a person any less worthwhile, any less meaningful or important, because he has a different colour skin than ours? Because he wears a turban? Because he speaks a different language? Because he has different customs? Because he is of a different nationality? What do these things mean in the light of the three great truths brought out earlier? You see those three truths apply to all human beings. The last people on earth who ought to be prejudiced against people of other colour or culture or nationality are Christians. Those who believe the Word of God ought to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to all human beings, and to be a witness to them of the saving gospel of grace.

Implication number two is this: to destroy human life without divine authority is a crime of terrible proportions. Notice I said "to take human life without divine authority" is a crime. Sometimes God does sanction the taking of a human life as in the case of the penalty for deliberate and willful murder. It is very significant that in Gen. 9:6 where the death penalty for murder is declared we have a reference to this very issue of man being made in God's image.

'Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.'

It is because men and women are made in God's image, and that therefore human life is so sacred, that when someone dares to take away that human life that crime is viewed by God as so enormous and terrible that only the for¬feiture of his own life can render justice.

What does this have to say then to the practice of the wholesale abortion which is practised in so many countries today, our own included? It surely says that this butchery of human life must stink in the nostrils of God and will inevitably ultimately bring a fearful judgment from God. When millions of lives are snuffed out, in most instances the only reason being that that life is going to inconvenience whose who conceived it, going to upset their future plans and ambitions, such a thing can only be viewed as a national and indeed worldwide disaster by everyone who takes the Bible seriously. If we believe these things which we have looked at in the Bible today then we must raise our voices in protest against the mass killing which goes under the name of abortion. Some will be in a position to do more than others; providentially some will be able to be more effective than others; but everyone who accepts these three great truths ought to give what support they can to the protest against the slaughter of millions of human beings.

The implications can be multiplied. We are living in a world where people are being put to death in enormous numbers by oppressive political regimes for instance. What a century this has been, and continues to be, in terms of human slaughter. It is a tragedy of staggering proportions. I suggest to you that these things ought to make those who believe the truths of the Bible zealous in propo-gating them. The third and final implication is this: the only message which can truly meet human needs is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why do we have prejudice and hatred and racism? Why do we have political oppression and the horrors of abortion? We have them because of sin; because human nature is in a fallen sin¬ful condition and in rebellion against God. And my friends the only message for this fallen and sin-sick world is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is a gospel which tells of God entering the arena of human existence in order that He might make a way for sinful rebellious men and women to be brought back into that fellowship with God for which they were originally made. It is a message of the forgiveness of sins through the precious blood of God's dear Son. It is a message of new life through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a message of eternal life through the salvation of God.

The Word of God in all its fullness must be proclaimed throughout the world. God has committed that task to His church. Churches must be careful that they don't get sidetracked from that task. We need Christian men and women to get involved with the pressing issues of the day, just as great men such as Wilberforce and Shaftesbury got involved in the crying issues of their day. But the pulpits of the land must remember that their primary function is to preach the gospel and to declare the Word of God, so that sinners might be saved and so that God's people might be equipped for ministry. The ultimate answer to the world's need is the conversion of sinners and the propagation of the truth of God. That's why all Christians should be seekers of souls; that's why all Christians should be bringing others to hear the Word of God; that's why we should be seeking to disseminate the truth by all means.

Remember the last point of our three Biblical statements - humanity has an eternal future. You have an eternal future. Our eternity depends upon our relationship to God through Jesus Christ. Let us all be sure that we have been born of the Spirit of God; let us be sure that our hope and trust is in the Lord Jesus alone and that we personally know His salvation.

Biblical Reformation in the Churches

May 9, 1973 by William Payne

The second book of Chronicles brings to our attention three notable periods of reformation in the life of God's ancient people. The first occurred during the reign of Jehoshaphat, and is recorded in chapters 17, 19 and 20. The second, and perhaps the most remarkable, occurred during the reign of Hezekiah and is describe in chapters 29-31; and the third during the reign of Josiah, as given to us in chapters 34 and 35. When these chapters are compared, it becomes evident that all three "movements" had certain things in common. I am not going to attempt any kind of exposition of these chapters referred to, but will list those features observable in the three reformation movements, and these will form a kind of backdrop for my treatment of the theme of this paper. I believe, in fact, that we shall see the relevance of these ancient records to our situation and the churches today. What then did these three ancient reformation movements have in common?

1. GODLY LEADERSHIP

Of Jehoshaphat we read: "(He) sought to the God of his fathers and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel...his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord" (2 Chron. 17:4,6). Of Hezekiah we read: "He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all his father David had done" (29:2), and "he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God" (31:20). Similarly of Josiah it is recorded: "He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still young he began to seek the God of his father David" (34:2,3a). Each of these men was personally godly, and gave vigorous leadership in the work of reformation.

2. RESPECT FOR THE WORD OF GOD

In 2 Chron. 34 we read of Hilkiah the priest finding the book of the law of the Lord in the temple, and the words of the law being read before King Josiah. The record reads:

"Now it happened when the king heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying: "Go inquire of the Lord for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book." (19-21)

Hezekiah "gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the Lord..." (30:22a) and commanded the people to support the priests and the Levites "that they might devote themselves to the law of the Lord" (31:4). In the time of Jehoshaphat we read, "In the third year of his reign he sent his leaders... So they taught in Judah and had the book of the Lord with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people" (17:7-9). The Word of God was vital in these reformations.

3. REJECTION OF THAT WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO THE WORD AND WILL OF GOD

Of Jehoshaphat we read: "He removed the high places and wooden images from Judah" (17:66). In Hezekiah's day, the historian tells us: "They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem and they took away all the incense altars and cast them in the brook Kidron" (30:14). And again: "Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images and threw down the high places and the altars - from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh - until they had utterly destroyed them all" (31:1). The same purging went on under Josiah:

"For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, and the molded images. They broke down the altars of the Baals in His presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved imaged and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He also burned the homes of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem." (34:3-5)

4. RESTORATION OF TRUE WORSHIP

Those who led the reformations were not satisfied with merely rejecting the false; they desired to restore the true, and this was especially important with reference to worship. In 2 Chron. 29:3 we are told: "In the first year of his (Hezekiah's) reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them". Then, for the next three chapters, we have a detailed description of the restoration of Biblical (OT, of course) worship. The temple was restored, the Levites and priests are reorganized, the singers are put in place and provided with the words of David and Asaph, various required offerings are made, and the feast of the Passover is observed. Little wonder that we read:

The whole congregation of Judah rejoiced, also the priests and Levites, all the congregation that came from Israel, the sojourners that came from the land of Israel, and those who dwelt in Judah. So there was great joy in the land of Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. (30:25,26)

The same kind of thing happened in Josiah's day as recorded in 34:29-35:19; and though no detailed account is given in the record of Jehoshaphat's reign, it is not hard to deduce that the same zeal prevailed.

5. ENJOYMENT OF GOD'S BLESSING

In all these periods, as God's people sought to honour Him, so He honoured them, and the blessing of God was evidently upon them.

6. GREAT VICTORY

This was not true of Josiah, but it is interesting that both Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah experienced a remarkable intervention of God in battle. In Jehoshaphat's case, God gave victory against an overwhelming number of Ammonites and Moabites (ch. 20), and in the case of Hezekiah, a miraculous victory was obtained over the forces of Assyria (ch. 32). It has often been said that these reformations were shallow and did not last; subsequent generations lapsed into apostasy. But what does that prove except that reformation is an ongoing need. We know that the blessing of one generation cannot be guaranteed to the next. There is always a need for Biblical reformation in the kingdom of God. This leads me then to suggest that such reformation is need in the churches of our day and I would like to bring to our attention several areas.

THEOLOGY

We must begin with theology. I contend that in our present day churches, there is such a lack of sound doctrine, and such a predominance of superficiality, as to be dangerous to the spiritual health and well-being of the churches. The prevalent view of God and His salvation is one that few of our forefathers would be happy to endorse, and one that only barely reflects the Word of God. The modern evangelical church has largely lost the sense of the glory and the majesty of God. The awesomeness of God which produced the amazement of Moses and Isaiah, the doxologies of Paul and the prostration of John is unknown to many professing Christians today. Admittedly this is only one aspect of God, and those elements of his Being which cause the heart to sing, and the spirit to be glad, need to be declared also; but the point is this, that if the awesomeness of God is forgotten, then the ballast in our theological ship is lost, and the result inevitably is not true joy but frivolity, not gladness but silliness. God isn't praised but patronized; the Lord of Glory becomes the "Big Guy upstairs", and worship is replaced by sentimentality and "feel-good emotionalism".

When God is thus reduced to a trendy "buddy", it is not surprising that man is made his equal, and sometimes more than His equal, so that "Calvinism" with its God exalting/man humbling doctrine is strongly repudiated, and "Arminianism" takes the throne. When it comes to salvation, not God but man must be sovereign, and in so many churches the worst of all heresies today is to deny "the free will of man". What the Puritans used to call the "great idol of free will", once tossed out of the temple of the church, at least in good measure, has in this century been reinstated very firmly. The sovereignty of God in election and in the application of redemption is a strange doctrine in most churches. The God of modern evangelism is the God who must wait for man to "give Him a chance"; He stands by helplessly waiting for man to give His permission to work! He has done all that He can, now it is up to the sinner. He will be glad to save "if only you will let Him". As one respected evangelist crassly put it: "God votes for you, the Devil votes against you; you must cast the deciding vote". Whatever happened to the grand Pauline doctrine of effectual calling, one might ask?

Surely there is a need for doctrinal reformation! Men need to understand what repentance and faith are; the character of God must be set forth again; sin must be explained in a Biblical manner; the doctrines of grace must be declared, and the true nature of conversion must be taught. Preaching

This brings me to the need for reformation in preaching. In our day preaching seems to have fallen on hard times. The quality of preaching is often poor, and preaching has lost the esteem it once enjoyed. Musical programs, dramas, dialogues, movies and a host of other things, are often viewed much more positively than preaching. And yet it may surely be claimed that the Christian church was born of preaching. The Master Himself early identified preaching as one of the main concerns of His coming - "let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth" (Mark 1:38). His choice of text in the synagogue in Nazareth reveals how close to His heart and how central to His mission was the proclamation of the Word.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18,19)

After His resurrection, His word was that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations (Luke 24:47); and we know that in the apostolic church the preaching of the Word, not merely for the evangelizing of the outsiders, but also for the edification of the believers, was at the very heart of the church's life. Eric Alexander has pointed out that all the officers referred to by Paul in Ephesians 4:11 - Christ's gifts to the churches for the equipping of the saints and the edifying of the body - were teaching/preaching officers, and in the light of that, this eminent servant of Christ warned against the neglect and despising of the teaching/preaching ministry. I believe it is safe to say that the entire history of the church testifies to the crucial place of preaching in the life of the church, and that when the Spirit of God has been gloriously present in the church, the preaching of the Word was central and powerful. We need hardly wonder at this, seeing that on the day of Pentecost, the immediate result of the outpouring of the Spirit was the preaching of the Word.

I would suggest that in our day we need Biblical reformation in returning the preaching of the Word to a place of esteem and centrality. And we need reformation which will result in a preaching of all the counsel of God. When I say all the counsel of God, I mean all the counsel of God, and therefore we are to preach more than the five points of Calvinism. As Spurgeon said in his inimitable way, "David's harp had more than five strings". Yet those who recognize the truth of those five points should also recognize them as vital truth, fundamental truth. How could they be otherwise when they deal with the very work of God in salvation? And these truths do need to be preached. It seems to me that in Canada we are still in the situation which existed twenty years ago, where men who claim that they believe these truths are still unwilling to preach them. To speak of these doctrines as "family secrets", as has been the case, to be whispered among a select few, but not made know to all, is pathetic. To speak of them as true but unimportant and therefore expendable, is arrogant, to say nothing of ignorant. To speak of them as dangerous and divisive and therefore to be shelved, surely borders on the blasphemous. What God has made known we are to declare; it is not ours to pick and choose between God's truth, as to what shall be preached and what concealed. In a powerful sermon entitled "Spiritual revival the want of the Church", Spurgeon gave his opinion as to how the doctrines of grace were lost to the church. Our present generation of preachers needs to hear this word again:

"It began this way. First of all the truths were fully believed, but the angles were a little taken off. The minister believed election but he did not use the word, for fear it should in some degree disturb the equanimity of the deacon in the green pew in the corner. He believed that all men were depraved, but he did not say it positively, because if he did, there was a lady who had subscribed so much to the chapel - she would not come again; so that while he did believe it, and did say it in some sense, he rounded it a little. Afterward it came to this; ministers said: "we believe these doctrines but we do not think it profitable to preach to the people. They are quite true; free grace is true; the great doctrines of grace that were preached by Christ, by Paul, by Augustine, by Calvin and down to this age by their successors are true; but they had better be kept back, they must be very cautiously dealt with; they are very high and dreadful doctrines, and they must not be preached; we believe them but we dare not speak them out". After that it came to something worse. They said within themselves "well, if these doctrines will not do for us to preach, perhaps they are not true at all", and going one step further, they said they dare not preach them. They did not actually say it perhaps, but they began just to hint that they were not true; then they went one step further, giving us something they said was the truth. And then they would cast us out of the synagogue as if they were the rightful owners of it and we were the intruders. So they have passed on from bad to worse; and if you read the standard divinity of this age, and the standard divinity of Whitefield's day, you will find that they two cannot by any possibility stand together. We have got a "new theology". New theology? Why it is anything but a theology; it is an theology which has cast out God utterly and entirely, and enthroned man, as it is the doctrine of man and not the doctrine of the everlasting God. We want a revival of sound doctrine once more in the midst of the land."

Now in saying this I want to recognize that these truths have sometimes been badly handled. Sometimes the spirit of the preacher has been wrong; he has been out to win an argument rather than bless the people. Some have show a grievous lack of wisdom, pushing great hunks of steak (so to speak) down the throats of those who were still getting used to milk! No wonder that they choked! Some have foolishly demanded that their people grasp and accept doctrines in one month which they themselves took years to receive. All that it true. There must be wisdom, patience and grace. But brethren, let it also be said that it is very easy to hide piously behind these things and never preach all the counsel of God, when the real reason is not so much prudence but cowardice, and ultimately it might have to be said, a lack of faithfulness to the Word of God. It is a pitiful thing when a man spends half a life-time in the ministry, and is still waiting for the right time to introduce the doctrines of grace. The tragedy is that in most of these situations the "right time" never does come. God give us courageous and faithful men who will declare all the counsel of God.

Speaking of the need of courage and reformation in preaching, we should also point out that our preaching needs to address the issues of the day, even if they are controversial. As the great John Owen said, "truth can be lost by weakness as well as wickedness". Do our people know what the Scriptures say about male/female roles, and especially as this relates to eldership and the preaching ministry of the church? Do our people know the Biblical position with respect of homosexual relationships? And what of the whole charismatic world with its claims to tongues, prophecies, revelations and even apostles? Are we addressing these and other pressing current issues in our preaching?

Reformation in preaching must also address the content of our preaching in this sense, that we must truly be preachers of the Word. Our preaching should be expository, not necessarily in the sense that we systematically work our way through books of lengthy sections of Scripture, (though I would personally recommend that), but in the sense that we should always be "opening up" the Word itself. Whether we deal with one verse of numerous verses forming a paragraph, our aim should be to explain the meaning of the text and bring out its application to the hearers. So often evangelicalism has been plagued with preaching which consists in a rehearsal of the preacher's life experiences; where he has been, what he has done, the books he has written. Or, if not about himself, the sermon has consisted of jokes, anecdotes and various illustrations. This is not to deny the place of illustrations in a sermon, nor even the occasional rehearsal of personal experiences; not at all. It is simply to say that these things must always be subservient to the main task of expounding and applying the Word. A return to Biblical preaching is desperately needed in our day.

However we need to understand that such preaching demands a price from the preacher. As preachers we must take sermon preparation seriously. We must be prepared to "labour in the Word and doctrine" (I Timothy 5:17); time must be devoted to study; we must give ourselves to reading and thinking and praying. We must be prepared for hard work so that we can come before our people with a substantial meal to feed their needy souls.

WORSHIP

We move now to a third area in need of reformation, that is worship. Some time ago in a church in the United States, the offering had just been received at the usual point in the service and the pastor was about to lead the congregation on into the worship. Suddenly, several armed, masked men burst into the church and, taking up positions in different spots in the auditorium, threatened the congregation. As children cried, and the elderly quaked, the men gathered up the offering and rushed out of the church. Pandemonium ensued in the congregation, but the pastor quieted the people and told them that it had been a staged event. He had wanted to get over to them in a dramatic fashion the fact that they were robbing God by their poor giving! This "thrice anointed ninny hammer", to use a Spurgeonic phrase, had not considered the trauma such an event would inflict on children, or the real possibility of a heart attack among the elderly. The incident was described in a letter to Ann Landers in the Hamilton Spectator. Incidentally the letter writer left the church. One can only hope that she was one of many!

This reminds me of another incident in an evangelical Baptist church in Ontario many years ago. A Sunday School attendance contest was underway and the pastor and superintendent had been earnestly exhorting the people to bring others to Sunday School so they could win the contest. The morning service began with the pastor and superintendent coming onto the platform in cowboy outfits, gunbelt and all. Two people walked down the aisle as though to make to their seats. The pastor demanded how many people they had brought to Sunday School that day. When the couple answered, "none" the pastor and superintendent drew their guns and "shot" the pair, two loud caps exploding with a bang as they did so. Thus began the worship of God in that particular (note there is no capital "P" there) Baptist church.

It seems to me that with respect to worship, we must avoid the problem of reaction and as usual strive for a healthy balance. In so many evangelical churches the worship is trivial, superficial and sometimes even juvenile. What transpires is often an insult to non-Christians of average intelligence. When you add to the mix the contribution of many charismatic assemblies, we have to summon other words for our description - frenetic, chaotic, wild! But in reacting to that kind of scenario we must avoid over-reaction and not conduct our services in a funereal atmosphere. Must we be restricted in worship to be either burnt to death or frozen to death? Some good reformed churches wonder why people are not enthusiastic about attending their services; they generally convince each other that it is simply the price they pay for faithfulness. Sometimes that is the case; but in other instances the answer lies in another direction - the services are just plain dull, dreary and boring! In speaking of this area to seminary students I have used the expression "reverence suffused with joy, and joy tempered with reverence", when describing the atmosphere we should strive for. Perhaps rather than speaking of striving for an atmosphere, I could use the expression "setting the tone". I would suggest to you that those leading the service do (or should) set the tone. We can, by our attitude or manner, either throw a wet blanket over the congregation, conveying the impression that worship after all, is not by any means to be an enjoyable experience, or we can demonstrate that worship, though a serious business is also a joyous privilege which deserves our enthusiasm.

And what about the content of our services? Do we have any direction as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable? I s there any principle objection to a juggling act as part of the service? Or someone riding a uni-cycle on the platform (this could illustrate the need for balance in doctrine!)? What about mime or a one act play instead of the sermon? Is it simply left to subjective opinion or is there any direction for us here?

Our fathers debated the regulative principle and the Reformed branch of the church accepted it as directional of the churches. The regulative principle basically stated that the only elements legitimate in a service of worship were those which the New Testament spoke of as being part of worship. These basically were singing the praise of God, prayer, the reading of the Scriptures, giving offerings and the preaching of the Word, with preeminence being given to the preaching. As with every principle there will inevitably be differences of opinion as to understanding and implementation, but given the excesses of the "anything goes that will attract a crowd" mentality in so many churches today, I wonder whether our forefathers were not wise in their approach.

Certainly our worship should adequately reflect our view of God, the importance of His Word, the significance of eternal things, the spirituality of the new covenant and the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus.

CHURCH STRUCTURE

Fourthly, we should consider reformation in the area of church structure, and I am here thinking especially of church officers and particularly the questions of eldership. I said once in a paper given at an F.R.P.S pastors' conference, that this is not a panacea for church problems. No matter how closely modeled on the New Testament model our churches might be, there will always be problems to be confronted for the very simple reason that churches are made up of imperfect human beings; and, we might add, led and superintended by imperfect human beings. Let me also say that I am not adopting a theoretical, idealistic approach here. It is preferable, in my mind, to have a church where the structure and government might be not quite what it ought to be, and yet love, peace and unity be there, rather than a church wondrously orthodox in structure, yet torn by dissension and strife. Nevertheless, acknowledging those things, surely we ought to be as Biblical as we can in this area.

A study of Baptist history will reveal that for most of that history, Baptist churches held to a plurality of elders or pastors, to whom was committed the spiritual oversight and leadership of the church. Frequently only one of these would be fully supported, so that he could devote himself to "labouring in the Word and doctrine": and to him the task of regular preaching of the Word was committed: but he was supported in his work by his fellow elders. This one, the "minister", operated as a "first among equals". The elders in turn were assisted by deacons who were responsible for the financial and practical affairs of the church, thus freeing up the elders for their spiritual duties. How and why Baptists drifted away from the scriptural model, I am not sure, but I think it would be true to say that most Baptist churches today operate on a one pastor/several deacons model.

That churches in the New Testament always had a plural eldership, seems evident from simply an unbiased reading. In Acts 20:17 Paul summoned the elders (plural) of the church of Ephesus. It is to these elders that he says "feed (pastor or shepherd) the flock of God over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers" (v.28). Elder, overseer, and pastor clearly refer to the same office. The same is true of I Peter 5:1,2, where Peter addressed "the leaders" and bids them to "shepherd (pastor) the flock of God, serving as overseers". In Titus Paul refers to his orders to Titus, that he (Titus) should "appoint elders in every city" (v.5); he then goes on to discuss the qualifications of those appointed, speaking of them as "bishops", i.e. overseers, and he is obviously speaking of the same office. In Philippians 1:1, the structure of the New Testament church is neatly set before us: "Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the bishops (overseers) and deacons". In Acts 14:23 we read of Paul and Barnabas "appointing elders in every city" as they visited young churches; and so we could go on. Elders/pastors/overseers in the plural seem to have been the general rule of New Testament churches. That it should be so is not surprising, for authority is given to the elders; they are leaders who are to rule and to whom obedience and submission is due (I Thess. 5:12,13; Heb. 13:7,17). But for rule and authority to be placed in the hands of one man only can be a dangerous thing, and many a Baptist church could testify to that. Many a Baptist pastor while fulminating against the Pope in Rome, has been a veritable pope in his own church! Ruling with an autocratic high hand and often being unreasonable, cruel, dictatorial and unwise, such a man operates to the detriment of the church. I recognize, of course, that even a plural eldership may operate in a harsh and dictatorial manner also; Baptist churches would be wise to make safeguards against that possibility, but that is another subject.

Again, John Owen has pointed out that no one man has all the necessary gifts in himself for adequate shepherding of the whole flock. It is a wonderful thing for "the pastor" to have others sharing with him and contributing their gifts to the spiritual well-being of the church.

We should not view plural eldership as a shibboleth to judge a man's orthodoxy, but we should see it as a desirable aspect of a New Testament church. I would also suggest that if these two offices of elders and deacons are functioning properly in a church, that will streamline the functioning of the church in a positive way. Baptist pastors have often inherited a whole clutch of committees and boards within the church that often function as little independent kingdoms, jealous over their own powers. Many of these could be eliminated if the two New Testament offices were filled with the right men (i.e. Biblically qualified men) and functioning properly. This is not to suggest that no committee is legitimate or useful in a church! It is simply to suggest that Biblical reformation in the area of structure and government would be beneficial to churches.

I would like to touch very briefly on two other areas before concluding, the first being hymnology. It has been said that the theology of a church is shaped by the hymn it sings. If this is the case (and I believe much can be said in support of it) then the leaders of the church ought to give serious thought to the hymn book used by the church and the hymns and choruses that it sings. You notice that I say hymns and choruses for I have no objection to choruses so long as (a) they don't supplant hymns, and (b) they reflect Biblical truth. Many of the Scripture choruses which have been popularized in recent years are well deserving of their popularity, and can be very much a blessing in the lives of God's people. One of their weaknesses, however, is that they lack the element of "exposition". It is good to read the words of Scripture, but we also need those words expounded for us, hence the work of the preacher. It is also good to sing the words of Scripture, but the beauty of a good hymn by comparison is that it has the element of exposition; it explains, enlarges and applies. Let us not set up a contest where none need exist. The main point is that our singing should be true to the Word of God, and the problem that some pastors face is that the teaching which is being given from the pulpit is being systematically undermined by means of the hymnbook or chorus book. Biblical reformation in a church will often mean a change of hymnbook.

The second area for brief comment must be the Sunday School. Once again the danger exists that the teaching given from the pulpit may be denied in the Sunday School classes. This may require not only replacing the Sunday School material being used by the teachers, but it may also require teaching the teachers. The teachers should understand that they are to supplement the pulpit ministry, not undermine it. Care should also be given to methodology, especially relating to children. Children want to please those they like and are easily manipulated; teachers should therefore beware of "decisionising" children and cranking meaningless decisions out of them which could inoculate them against the gospel in years to come. If we want a truly Biblical church, all areas of the work must be measured against the standard of the Word of God.

Before closing, let me return to Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah. They were leaders and they did not hesitate to lead God's people in the work of reformation. Surely we need leaders in our churches today who will implement Biblical reform, and who is to do it if not the pastors of the churches? Are we stirred by the desire to see God honoured and glorified? Are we stirred by the sad state of so many of the churches in our land? Do we know anything of the "zeal of God's house" which consumed the Lord Jesus and moved Him to action? We need leaders who will lead in their churches. I have been involved in the Reformed Baptist movement (or the Sovereign Grace Baptist movement) since the late 1960's; I believe that God has done many wonderful things among us and raised up a testimony to His grace and truth. In those early days there was a zeal for a return to Biblical doctrine and for Biblical reformation in the churches, for surely the two things must go hand in hand. But I raise it for consideration, is the same zeal now evident? Yes, numerous younger pastors are confessing the doctrines of grace, and for that we are truly grateful to God; but is there the same zeal for Biblical reformation in the churches? I fear that some simply do not see the connection between the two things; others see the connection and the need, but are prepared to accept the status quo because they are not ready for the hard work and the pains that the work will bring.

May God stir us up and make the churches of our land "fair as the moon, clear as the sun and terrible as an army with banners".

Prayer

August 1, 1971 by William Payne

1.  THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

If we are not convinced of the importance of prayer we shall obviously not give much attention to it. The more we are convinced of its importance the more we shall be serious about it. We must surely see its importance when we consider:

THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS

The Bible is full of fascinating people from whom we can learn much, but obviously the most important figure in the entire Bible is the Son of God Himself. He is our supreme example. He is of course much more than our example. He is our Saviour. We do not subscribe to the idea that Jesus came merely to show us how to live. We believe passionately that He came to die for our sins, to be our substitute on the cross and to ransom His people by the shedding of His blood. We do not consider that to be a point for debate: it is settled. However we do recognize that our Lord and Saviour is our example. He is our pattern, and we are called upon to pattern our lives on His.

If you want to learn how to live so that you please God you must study the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now when you do that you will discover that the Lord Jesus Himself was clearly a man of prayer. Jesus prayed. Notice these occasions in the Gospel of Luke when the prayer life of Jesus is brought into focus:

Luke 5:16 "And He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed”.
Luke 6:12 "And it came to pass in those days that He went out into the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God".
Luke 9:28 "And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray."
Luke 11:1 "And it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place..."
Luke 22:41 "And He withdrew from them about a stones throw, and He knelt down and prayed."

Clearly these verses indicate that prayer was a very central and crucial part of the life of Jesus. If we claim to have Jesus Christ as our example then prayer must have a real place in our life.

Now let us add to the example of Jesus.

THE TEACHING OF JESUS

Two passages in this same Gospel of Luke will demonstrate to us that Jesus taught His disciples the importance of prayer. Look again at the 11th chapter. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray He responded by giving them what has become known as the "Lord's Prayer". We have this recorded in Luke 11:2-4. This was given to them as a model prayer. It was not intended to be repeated in a mechanical rote fashion with scarcely any thought given to the words being repeated. There is nothing wrong with Christians praying these exact words of course, and often it is helpful to do so; but we must beware of merely repeating the words without feeling or meaning. The account in Matt.6:9 puts it more clearly for us - "In this manner therefore pray". In other words Jesus is saying "pray like this; here is a pattern for prayers"; and it most certainly is just that.

Now back in Luke chapter 11, after he gives them this model prayer He then tells them the parable of the friend who came to borrow loaves at midnight. The whole purpose of that parable is to teach the disciples to pray, and to teach them to pray earnestly and with great desire. He concludes the parable with the words, "And I say to you ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you".

Again in this Gospel of Luke, in chapter 18:1 we have this statement, "And He spoke a parable to them to this end, that men always ought to pray, and not lose heart". Then He tells them the parable of the Unjust Judge, and in this parable as in that of chapter 11 He is teaching them to pray, and to pray with tenacity, to keep on praying. You could hardly have stronger teaching as to the importance of prayer than these two parables by the Lord Jesus Christ. Both by example and by teaching Jesus shows us that prayer is important.

Our conviction as to the importance of prayer may be deepened as we also consider:

THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL

This great apostle, truly following in the footsteps of His Master demonstrates by His life that prayer is indeed crucial to the Christian. His letters give us moving and inspiring examples of prayer for other Christians. Listen to him as he prays for the believers at Ephesus:

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power... (Eph. 1:1 5-19)

Or again listen to him as he prays for the Philippian Christians:

And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and in all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.(Phil.l :9-l 1)

If you read Paul's letters in the New Testament you will find in many of them such prayers; fervent, beautiful, mighty, reflecting the apostle's conviction that it was vital that intercession be made for the people of God. The inspired apostle, like His Lord, was a man of prayer.

However, it is interesting to note that Paul's conviction as to the importance to prayer is not only revealed by the fact that he prayed for others, but also by the fact that he begged others to pray for him. For instance to the Colossians he writes; “continue in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us that God would open to us a door for the word..." (Col.4:2,3). To the Thessalonians he writes, "brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me"(Rom.15:30).

Paul knew that prayer was essential; he needed to pray and he needed others to pray for him. Both the example and the requests of Paul underline what Jesus has already set out before us - the importance of prayer.

OTHER GREAT MEN OF PRAYER

The fact is that the greatest of the servants of God were all men of prayer. The Bible records specifically that they did pray, and in some cases records their prayers for us. For instance in Gen. 18:22,23 we read "but Abraham stood yet before the Lord, and Abraham drew near and said.." The rest of the chapter is taken up with Abraham's remarkable intercession, his prayer that God might spare Sodom, because Abraham was concerned about his nephew Lot. Exodus 32:10-13 records a wonderful example of the prayers of Moses as he intercedes for the rebellious nation of Israel. It is a prayer of passion and boldness. In 1 Samuel 12, though we do not have an example of Samuel's prayer, we do find the people begging him to pray for them. It is clear that Samuel must have been known to them as a man of prayer. Samuel's comment in the chapter is interesting - "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you". Obviously to this man of God prayer was of such importance, and such a necessary duty that he considered it sinful not to pray for these people.

Now let us add final confirmation to our conviction concerning the importance of prayer, by noting that God conditions the giving of His blessing upon the offering of prayer.

PRAYER - THE CONDITION OF BLESSING

Prayer consists in more than just making request, but it is significant that God does make the bestowment of His blessing conditional upon the offering of prayer. It is not always that way. God is sovereign, and is therefore free to work any way He chooses, However the normal way of operating is that He grants His blessings to those who seek them in prayer. Take for example the text which is a favourite of many, 2 Chron.7:14

“If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land".

Here are people envisaged as being in great need; but the blessing which they need is only given if they pray. We will of course note that other duties are also laid upon them, but our focus at this point is upon the need of prayer. We see the same principle in the words of Jer.33:3

"Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not".

You see the connection - you call, and I will answer. I will show you great and mighty things, but you must ask for them.

Perhaps one of the most glorious passages in the Old Testament is the latter part of Ezekiel 36. Here God gives wonderful promises about giving a new heart and a new spirit to the people. He emphasizes the blessings which He will bestow; the focus is upon what God will do, and yet he ends the chapter by saying "I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them"(v.37). In other words God says "does this all sound good to you? Is this what you want? Very well then ask for it, seek me concerning this, make it a matter of prayer; you call and I will answer.

We have already seen how Jesus links these things together in the N.T. "ask and ye shall receive...." Do we wish to receive from God? Then we must ask of God. You see God has ordained that He will work in answer to the prayers of His people. It is not that He could not work without them. I have already said that God is sovereign and can work when and how He wants. The fact is that God has been pleased to ordain that it shall be this way; that He will work in answer to prayer; his blessings will be given in answer to prayer. God's people will suffer if they do not pray. Prayer is essential for our spiritual well-being. The uniform testimony of the entire Bible is that prayer is of supreme importance.

2. WHAT IS PRAYER?

In the previous section we spoke about the importance of prayer. Now we ask the question "what is prayer"? Many answers have been given to that question; in fact it is difficult to answer that question in one sentence or expression. One attempted definition put it this way: "prayer is the outgoing of the heart towards the Heavenly Father in unclouded faith". Now that definition reminds us that for true prayer to be offered the heart must be involved. Prayer is not merely a matter of saying words. John Burton expressed this beautifully in the words of the hymn:

I often say my prayers,
But do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart
Go with the words I say?

I may as well kneel down
And worship gods of stone,
As offer to the living God
A prayer of words alone.

For words without the heart
The Lord wi11 never hear;
Nor will he to those lips attend
Whose prayers are not sincere.

Lord teach me what I need
And teach me how to pray;
And do not let me seek thy grace
Not meaning what I say.

Now that is a very searching and profound piece of poetry.

Merely saying words - even though they be very religious words, very true words, very beautiful words - is not prayer. For prayer to be true prayer there must be the engagement of the heart. Our expression of our hearts towards God.

This definition also reminds us that prayer is addressed to the Father. "The outgoing of the heart toward the Heavenly Father". When Jesus gave his model prayer it began "Our Father". When Jesus Himself offered prayer as recorded in John 17, he addressed it to the Father. When the disciples prayed in the hour of persecution they directed their prayer to the Father - "Lord, you are God..." (Acts 4:24). In Acts 4:27 they say "for truly against your holy servant Jesus you anointed... ". So that they are clearly addressing the Father as distinct from the Son.

Now some people make a big issue about not praying to the Son or the Holy Spirit; they say this should never be done and that it is quite reprehensible. It could be demonstrated that we have Biblical warrant for addressing both the Son and the Holy Spirit in prayer. But it is true that the usual way of praying, taking the scriptures as our guide, is to address our prayers to the Father. In Matthew 6:6 Jesus instructs us, "when you pray, go into your room... pray to your Father ..."

However, though we pray to the Father, we must always pray to the Father through the Son. In prayer we come to God through Jesus Christ; in the name of Jesus Christ. It is important that we recognize this and believe this, that we have no possibility of an audience with God except it be through His Son, the Lord Jesus. "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (l Tim.2:5). A mediator is the one who brings two parties together; he is the one through whom one party approaches another. So that when sinful men and women approach the God of majesty and glory we must come through the mediator He has appointed. That mediator is Jesus Christ, and Him alone. This is the significance of such statements as:

"Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."

"Therefore brethren having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus..." (Heb. 10:19)

It is by the blood of Jesus; it is in His name that we come to the Father. We must not be presumptuous in our approach to God; we must not think that it is a light thing to approach Him; we must not think that we have a right to approach Him in our own name, in our own worthiness. We come to the Father through the Son, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Also, we come by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. In Zechariah 12.10 we come across the lovely title "the Spirit of grace and supplication". That is the Holy Spirit. He is the one who moves us to pray aright; he is the one who enables us to come. Paul spoke of "praying in the Spirit". He didn't mean in some mysterious emotional frenzy; he meant by the enabling of the Spirit of God. When you get on your knees, or you bow your head to pray it is a good thing to immediately ask God to help you to pray in the Spirit; that He would give you the grace of the Spirit to help you pray aright and to pray with liberty and freedom. Then proceed, trusting in His mercy to hear that prayer.

So prayer is the outgoing of the heart to the Heavenly Father. We pray to the Father, through the Son, by or in the Spirit. That is the way we approach God. That is the way he has ordained that it must be.

Now when we come in this way, what should the content of our prayer be? What is prayer? If you look at 1 Tim.2:1 you will notice that there are different aspects of prayer. It may not be wise to press the distinctions too finely and compartmentalize these words too rigidly; but they do indicate that there are different aspects. Paul speaks about "supplications" "prayers", "intercessions" and "giving of thanks". I am not going to use these actual words to discuss the content of prayer but I will cover pretty well what these words convey.

ADORATION

Prayer involves adoration. That means that in prayer we should praise God for what He is. All too often we rush into the presence of God with our personal requests, full of ourselves and our own needs, when before anything else we ought to set our focus on God and let our minds lay hold on His greatness and glory. Jesus began His model prayer "Our Father which art in heaven". Immediately He directs our minds to God in His glory, and that is the way it ought to be. Remind yourself as you come in prayer that you come to the Sovereign Creator; you come to One who rules the world; you come to One who inhabits eternity. He is the One before whom angels veil their faces; He is the God of infinite splendour and glory. Praise Him for this. He is the God of grace and truth; He is the God who sets His love upon unworthy sinners and brings them out of darkness into His marvelous light. Praise him for this. Adore the Lord for all that He is, and for all that He has done.

In prayer let something of His greatness get through to you. One of our problems is that we are usually in such a rush. This is often tragic. I think this is one of the reasons why, by and large, Christians are such spiritual pygmies compared with our forefathers. They took time to know God, to contemplate His glory and to learn of His greatness; we are usually in such a rush. We have lost the concept of waiting upon God. Seldom do we listen to the words of God through the psalmist, "be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46 :10). Do not be rushed in your private prayers; take time to adore; take time to let the sense of God's greatness seep into your soul and soak into your mind. This is one of the ways in which prayer can be such a blessing to God's people. Such adoration of God in prayer, when our minds are set on Him and we are contemplating His glory and greatness, results in the Christian being established and strengthened. In times of crisis it is the person who has become truly acquainted with his or her God through prayer who is stable and able to survive. Adoration is a vital aspect of prayer, when you render that honour and praise to God which rightly belongs to Him.

CONFESSION OF SIN

The aspect of prayer referred to above will inevitably lead to another and that is the confession of sin. The more clear our spiritual sight of God, the more acute will be our sense of sinfulness; and in prayer we are to confess our sins to God. Now there are many prayers recorded in the Bible which could illustrate all these aspects of prayer for us, but in my view there is scarcely a greater prayer in all the Bible than the one recorded in Daniel 9. Be sure to read it through carefully and slowly. You will notice that it begins "and I prayed to the Lord My God and made confession"...v.4.

This is truly one of the most moving prayers in the Bible, and Daniel sets before us this example of the importance and the place of confession of sin. Sin mars the fellowship between a Christian and God; and when we have done wrong and we try to justify it, we try to excuse ourselves before God, then we hinder fellowship with God. If we have sin that we refuse to acknowledge before God then he has a controversy with us. David said "if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Ps.66:18)

Of course this involves a humbling of ourselves before God, and the pride of our heart fights against that; but the Bible tells us that God gives grace to the humble and He resists the proud. Humility is exactly the spirit in which we should come to God. Let us not hide our sins, for the scripture says "he who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Prov.28:13). When you pray, confess your sins before God; seek cleansing of His blood and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.

THANKSGIVING

Then of course there is the element of thanksgiving. I am not thinking now of what was said under adoration, praising God for what He is and what He had done, but I am thinking of thanking God for all his blessings, both spiritual and temporal. I am sure that you have sung that hymn which says "count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done". How true that is. But is it not also true that we are very prone to complain, and we ought to be ashamed when we do so for we have been blessed beyond measure. Let me quote from another hymn, this time written by William Cowper:

Have you no words? Ah, think again,
Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow creature's ear
With sad tale of all your care.

Were half the breath thus vainly spent
To heaven in supplication sent,
Your cheerful song would oftener be,
Hear what the Lord hath done for me!

Some years ago the Readers Digest carried a moving story about a woman who had been blind for many years and who had her sight restored by an operation. It was a touching story, and at the end of it the woman said that when she is among people now and hears them complaining about their life, she has a great longing to say to them "but you can see, you can see!" She appreciates what a blessing that is. We often take so many blessings for granted. To have a healthy body; to be able simply to walk and talk, to hear and see; to have a sound mind that can reason and converse with others - what blessing these are! To have so much in the way of provision, food and clothing, comfort and shelter - oh how good God is to us! But if we know the Lord; if we have been born again and are united to Christ we have all spiritual blessings in Him. Surely we ought to sing,

Praise my soul the King of heaven,
To his feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like thee His praise should sing?
Praise him, Praise Him Praise the everlasting King.

SUPPLICATION AND INTERCESSION

Both these words are closely related and they cover requests for ourselves and for others. In prayers we make our needs known to God. "In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil.4:6). Nothing is to be overlooked in prayer. Nothing is too small to bring to God, nothing is too large. Your own needs and the needs of others must be brought before Him. But let me emphasize that the major focus of our requests ought to be spiritual blessing. Study the prayers of Paul. He does not overlook physical needs but the thing he is most concerned about is increase of faith and love; living to please God; knowing the will of God; being filled with the fruits of righteousness. Great spiritual requests are to the fore. Pray for your own growth in grace; pray for the blessing of others; pray for the cause of Christ; pray for missionaries; pray for the conversion of souls; let the embrace of your prayers be wide.

This then is prayer. It is the outgoing of the heart toward the heavenly Father in the name of the Lord Jesus by the power of the Spirit. It is adoration, it is confession, it is thanksgiving, it is supplication and intercession. It is communing with the living God, through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.

3. PRAYER AS AN EVIDENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

Remember that when I use the word "prayer", I am not simply talking about saying certain words. There can be a kind of praying which is just the repeating of words, the reciting of certain formulas; a mere formality. Such "prayer" is not really prayer at all. In the last article I said that where there is true prayer the heart must be engaged; the definition I used spoke of prayer as "the outgoing of the heart to the heavenly Father." True prayer, not just the repeating of words, but true prayer is an evidence of the Christian life. Bishop J.C. Ryle was a man who spoke the truth with great plainness. He didn't beat around the bush and mince words; and in speaking of prayer he made the following statement:

"Prayer is absolutely necessary to a man's salvation, I say absolutely necessary, and I say so advisedly. I am not speaking now of infants and idiots. I am not settling the state of the heathen. I remember that where little is given, there little will be required. I speak especially of those who call themselves Christian, in a land like our own. And of such I say no man or woman can expect to be saved who does not pray.

I hold salvation by grace as strongly as anyone. I would gladly offer a full and free pardon to the greatest sinner that ever lived. I would not hesitate to stand by his dying bed and say, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ even now and you shall be saved". But that a man can have salvation without asking for it, I cannot see in the Bible. That a man will receive pardon for his sins, who will not so much as lift up his heart inwardly, and say, "Lord Jesus give it to me", this I cannot find. I can find that nobody will be saved by his prayer, but I cannot find that without prayer anybody will be saved.

It is not absolutely needful to salvation that a man should read the Bible. A man may have no learning, or be blind, and yet have Christ in his heart. It is not absolutely needful that a man should hear the public preaching of the gospel. He may live where the gospel is not preached, or he may be bedridden, or deaf. But the same thing cannot be said about prayer. It is absolutely needful to salvation that a man should pray."

(Practical Religion, c 46)

Now the good bishop puts it characteristically plainly. Where you have a prayerless person, you have an unconverted person. Where there is spiritual life, Christian life, you will have prayer. Prayer is an evidence of the Christian life. Let me show you how that must be so.

FIRST PERSPECTIVE

Consider first of all, that when a person becomes a Christian, he or she receives the Holy Spirit. This fact is taught with great clarity throughout the Bible. In Ezekiel 36:27 we have the following great promise: "I will put My spirit within you."

In the New Testament we have the endorsement and strengthening of that promise when the Lord Jesus says to His disciples:

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." Jn.14:16,17

And then of course the epistles of the New Testament speak of the reality of this fact. For example we have the words of Paul: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you..." 1 Cor 6:19

Any careful reading of the New Testament makes this clear, that when a person is born again that person receives the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the great New Covenant gift of God to believers. He resides in us; He moves and works in us.

Now what is the significance of that as far as prayerfulness is concerned? Well consider the title which was noted in the last article, "the Spirit of grace and supplication" (Zech.12:10). It is evident from the context of that verse that supplication is that which the Spirit's grace produces. Where the Spirit of God resides there will be grace and supplication. This is endorsed by the fourth chapter of Galatians, where Paul says, "and because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying Abba, Father" (v.6). Now evidently it is not the Spirit who cries "Father, Father", but the Christian into whose heart has come the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This passage clearly teaches that when the Spirit of God comes into a person's life the result is the outgoing of the heart to the heavenly Father. Where the Holy Spirit resides prayer will undoubtedly be offered. The heart will be lifted up to God.

SECOND PERSPECTIVE

We may look at if from another viewpoint. That is, that prayer is a duty laid upon us by the Word of God. It is perfectly consistent for something to be a great privilege and a great blessing, and a duty at the same time. Some people seem to think that if something is a privilege it cannot be a duty, but that is clearly not the case. For instance, it is our duty to gather at the Lord's Table in remembrance of Him; but that is also a great privilege and blessing. So while prayer is a privilege and a blessing to a child of God it is at the same time a very solemn duty. God orders His children to pray. He doesn’t merely suggest it or request it, he actually orders them to pray.

Consider the following statements:

"Pray without ceasing" (lThess.5:17)

"I will therefore that men pray everywhere..." (Tim.2:8)

In Luke 10:2 Jesus orders His disciples to pray For a specific need, "The harvest truly is great... pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labourers into the harvest".

Again,"...pray for one another that you nay be healed" (James 5:16)

These passages illustrate the point that we are not merely advised to pray; it is not a suggestion; we are told to pray. It is an order from the Captain of our salvation.

Now what are we talking about when we talk about a person being saved, being born again? He are talking about the person receiving Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. When you become a Christian you recognize the right of Jesus Christ to tell you what to do! And one of the marks and evidences that a person has been born again is obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word. Any person not interested in putting God's word into practice has serious reason to doubt that he or she has been born again. More than once Jesus described those who belonged to Him in terms of their obedience to God. On one occasion when Jesus was preaching in a house the crowd was so greet that the members of His family could not get to see Him. He was told "your mother and brothers and sisters are wanting to see you". He replied, "Who is my mother or brother or sister? Behold these who do the will of God, these are my brothers and sisters..." What a profound statement1 Jesus was not being unkind to His earthly relatives, but He had to make it plain to them and to all people that it is not earthly attachment to Him that was important but spiritual attachment, spiritual oneness; and that spiritual oneness showed itself by obedience to God.

Now no Christian does the will of God perfectly. All Christians fail to a greater or lesser degree in this. But these are faults and failings, stumbling caused because of the sin which still remains in the Christian. Disobedience is not the general tenor of his or her life. For a person to know that God has imposed something on them in His word in this instance that they should pray and for that person to deliberately ignore or disobey that order continually through his or her life would be an indication that they did not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" A Christian is someone who puts himself under Christ's command. "Ah," says someone, "I thought that a Christian was someone who had his sins forgiven and was given a place in heaven." Well, that is true, but it is not the whole truth! A Christian is a person who has his sins forgiven, and who has been given a place in heaven. But he is also a person who puts himself under Christ's command. So when Jesus, through His Word says "pray", the Christian prays. Prayerlessness reveals a spirit which is in rebellion against God.

THIRD PERSPECTIVE

Conversion gives us to see our dependence upon God, and prayer is an expression of that dependence. The conversion experience is a humbling experience. It is a very humbling thing to see with conviction your own sinfulness. It is a very humbling thing to see yourself in the light of God's awful holiness. It is a very humbling thing to see that you cannot save yourself and that nothing you can be or do of yourself can make you acceptable to God. It is a very humbling thing to seek salvation at the foot of the cross. Pride is one of the most stubborn and vicious sins of human nature. Human nature says "I can do without God; I can do it alone; I can make it by myself; I can be independent even of God Himself. But true conversion puts a stake through the heart of pride. When God saves a sinner, that sinner sees his or her dependence on God.

The Christian recognizes his dependence upon God for grace to live the Christian life; dependence on God for strength to face the trials of life; dependence on God for wisdom to make right decisions; dependence on God for understanding of His word; dependence on God for health and strength, for daily food, for all things. But you cannot tell me that you know your dependence on God and yet you do not pray. When a man does not seek strength and wisdom and grace from God, and never brings his needs to God, whatever profession that man may make, it is unthinkable that he is a Christian.

In an earlier section I referred to the model prayer given by Jesus. You remember that it begins "Our Father which art in heaven." But there is a second part of that prayer in which our needs are brought into focus, "give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins... and lead us not into temptation..." The words of the second part breathe the spirit of dependence upon God. The grace of God teaches us that that is so. Conversion enlightens a person so that he or she recognizes that God is the source of all good and blessing, and it is unthinkable a person so taught should not lift up the heart to God even as Jesus instructed us in that model prayer. The conviction in the heart of a converted person that they are dependent on God's will lead them to pray.

FOURTH PERSPECTIVE

Conversion introduces one into fellowship with God. How beautifully John expresses this:

"that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." (Jn.1:3)

When we are born again we are introduced into that fellowship; a spiritual fellowship with God; and in that fellowship with God prayer is the great means of communion with Him. What would you think if someone asked a man, "do you know John Smith?" "Oh yes," is the reply, "He is my father". "Really," says the questioner, "Tell me something about him. What kind of a person is he?" "Well, I cannot really do that," comes the further response, "because I have never spoken to him in my life." I venture to suggest that if the man made such a reply you would think that he was not his father at all! To have a father yet never speak to him all your life would be incredible. Yet there are those who claim that God is their father; they say they are Christians and yet they never pray. They never have a word to say to their father! Surely it is impossible! True conversion introduces us into fellowship with God, and where there is fellowship there must be communion; there must be sharing; there must be a talking together. God speaks to His children through His word; they speak to Him through prayer. Where there is no prayer there can be no fellowship with God, and therefore no spiritual life.

I hope I have shown that Bishop Ryle’s statement was correct. Where there is no prayer-life there is no real conversion, there is no spiritual life. Prayerlessness is a sad evidence of an absence of grace. May it be said of all who read this article, as it was said of the converted Saul of Tarsus,

"Behold, he prays".

4.  OUR ATTITUDE IN PRAYER

In this article on prayer I have talked, about coming to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ, by the enabling of the Holy Spirit. I have tried to describe what prayer is: that when we come to God we come with adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. It is also important to consider our attitude as we come to God in prayer. In what spirit should we come to God? In this article I will suggest some answers to that question.Reverence and Respect

First we must come in a spirit of reverence and respect. One of the ways we are helped on the subject of prayer is by studying the prayers of the saints in scripture. Take Daniel's prayer in the ninth chapter of the book of Daniel: or Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple; or that which has become known as "the Lord's Prayer". You will observe that all these prayers are marked by a spirit of reverence. You will find the same if you consider the beautiful prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17:11 where Jesus refers to God as "Holy Father", and in v.25 as "Righteous Father". You cannot read any of the prayers of the Bible without discovering the same thing - there is always a reverent approach to God.

This does not mean that there cannot be a boldness in our approach, because we are encouraged to come with boldness to the throne of grace. It does not mean that we cannot come with a sense of joyfulness; we ought to do that because we are coming to our Father. But boldness and joyfulness must never banish reverence. God is our Father; but He is our Father "which art in heaven". This must ever be kept before us in our day. Generally speaking, this is a day when respect for authority of any kind is lacking. In my opinion it is a day when crudeness and ugliness are asserting themselves. Qualities of grace and gentleness, courtesy and nobility are brushed aside as having no practical value. It is a day of cynicism when the old saying is often fulfilled, "nothing is sacred". Christians have to guard against this worldly attitude rubbing off on them. We are not to be moulded by the world's attitude and opinion, and certainly in our attitude to God we must always maintain that reverence and respect which is right and fitting. We must ever keep the Biblical vision of God before us. We must see Him with the eye of faith as the High and Holy One who inhabits eternity. We must see Him as the One who dwells in light inaccessible which no man can approach unto. We must see Him as the Monarch of the ages, clothed with majesty and honour. He is the God of holiness and truth, the One who from everlasting to everlasting is God.

Only as we keep such a view of God before us can we be delivered from the sin of irreverence. It is a tragic thing that some heathen religions instill in their adherents a greater sense of reverence than we see in many evangelical Christians. If you lived in a Muslim land you would hear several times a day the call to prayer going out to "the faithful" from the minaret towers. "Alluhu Akbar" is the cry - God is great. If followers of a false religion have at least that much truth surely we who have the Word of God in our hands and the Spirit of God in our hearts ought to know it. God is indeed great, and when we approach Him it ought to be in reverence and respect.

THE SPIRIT OF FAITH

Secondly, we must come in a spirit of faith. This is given strong emphasis in the Bible. For instance, James 1:5:

"If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God ... but let him ask in faith."

or again, consider Hebrews 11:6:

"He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

The Lord Jesus reminds us of this vital linkage, Matt.21:22:

"And all things, whatever you ask in prayer believing, you will receive."

We must understand this statement in the light of the third point which we will come to in a moment, but let it be noted that faith, "believing" is an important ingredient in our prayers.

There are many other passages which present this same truth to us. God delights to see faith in His children; faith brings joy to the heart of God, and He calls for the exercise of it when we come before Him in prayer. Obviously we must have faith that God will answer prayer. He has said that He will, so it is a great dishonour to God for His people not to believe Him. It is hard to imagine a person praying if they did not believe that God did answer prayer. Imagine what an insult it would be if our children came to us and requested from us something which we had told them they could have, but as they came they said "well we are asking but we don't believe that you have any intention of giving this to us; we don't believe that your word can be trusted or accepted in this matter". How hurtful and insulting that would be! And how much more terrible is it when we come before God with unbelieving hearts, for we are really saying "I don't believe your word is trustworthy; I don't believe that you will do what you have said you will do". It is not strange that people don't experience any blessing from prayer if they come with unbelieving and untrusting hearts. "Without faith it is impossible to please God". We must have a confident spirit in prayer; we must believe that God will do what He has said He will do. We will have to recognize that He may not work in the way we expect Him to work; He may not work within the time-frame we would prefer; we have to grant that He works in mysterious ways; but we must have faith in His wisdom and His power. Faith is a potent weapon. The 11th chapter of Hebrews ought to be read more often than it is. By faith amazing things were accomplished by God's people, and without faith nothing will ever be accomplished. Come believing in prayer; let your spirit be one of confidence. Take God at His word and trust Him for an answer.

THE SPIRIT OF SUBMISSION

We must also come in a spirit of submission. The greatest example of this is the Lord Jesus Himself in the garden of Gethsemane. Though under the most severe strain, and enormous pressure, He prayed "not my will, but thine be done". We must always pray in that spirit. Beware of demanding from God. Humility ought to mark your attitude in the presence of God, and if you have humility you will appreciate the fact that there are many things which you do not know. We get so full of ourselves sometimes that we think we know better than God; we think that we can instruct Him and tell Him what is best, and some people get very angry if God doesn't do exactly what they think He ought to do. But many a person has lived to thank God that He didn't answer their prayer! At the time they were upset; they doubted God's love and care and they were defiant and rebellious. But remember that you know so little. When we come to God we come to one who is infinite in wisdom; He knows all things; He knows the end from the beginning; and whenever we come in prayer we must always have a submissive spirit, praying for guidance in God's will and ready to accept that His will may be done in all things. The promise that God will hear and answer prayer is attached to the supposition that we ask according to His will - "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us".

It is very important that we take all the Bible has to say on a given subject and not just part of it. Some people like to take the kind of verses referred to earlier and say "there, God promises that anything I ask for in prayer believing I shall receive". And they make a mockery out of it by asking for the most foolish things, and when they don't get them they say "I must not have enough faith, I didn't believe enough". Now certainly our prayers can be hindered by lack of faith, but we must remember that God's promise to answer our prayers and give us what we ask for is related to our asking according to His will. We need therefore to be spiritually minded that we might discern the will of the Lord, and we need to be submissive acknowledging that "now we see through a glass darkly." We may not be praying wisely; therefore we must pray submissively in the spirit of Jesus, "Thy will be done".

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

Our attitude in prayer must reflect a genuine desire for the glory of God. Some Christians think of prayer as possessing a magic lamp; they think that prayer is a great way for getting every little whim and fancy which comes into their mind. They think of God as the "genie" who exists to satisfy their every desire. But to come to God in a selfish spirit is to come in a wrong spirit. The concern of Jesus as reflected in John 12:27-28 was not his own comfort and well-being but the glory of His Father. That is not to say that we are not to pray for ourselves and our own needs; not at all. Our own needs are a legitimate concern for prayer, but we are always to seek first the glory of God. If that desire is dominant then we shall be kept in proper balance. You can see this working out in 2 Corinthians 12 where Paul prays three times that God would remove the "thorn in the flesh". What that really was we do not know, but clearly it was something which bothered him greatly. But though he prayed three times for its removal he came to understand that it was not the will of God that it should be removed. God had given him that thorn for a purpose; it was to keep him useful in the service of Christ; through that thorn the power of Christ rested upon him, and so he eventually came to glory in his infirmity.

Now Paul could never have come to that place had he not been supremely concerned about the glory of God. If he was to glorify God he must have the power of Christ resting upon him. If he had been concerned only with his own comfort he could never have rejoiced and gloried in this thorn. He would have gone about moaning and complaining that God didn't answer his prayer; he would have gone about feeling sorry for himself - "after all I have done for the Lord look at the way He treats me!" Some people act in this pathetic manner but this man has the glory of God for his greatest desire; nothing is more important than that, and that desire regulates his spirit in prayer.

Few things are more important than having a right attitude when we pray.

Arm of the Lord, awake, awake!
Thy power unconquerable take;
Thy strength put on, assert Thy might,
And triumph in the dreadful fight.

Why dost Thou tarry, mighty Lord?
Why slumbers in its sheath thy Sword?
Oh, rouse Thee, for Thine honour's sake
Arm of the Lord, awake, awake!

Behold, what numbers still withstand
Thy sovereign rule and just command,
Reject Thy grace, Thy threats despise,
And hurl defiance at the skies.

Haste then, but come not to destroy;
Mercy is Thine, Thy crown, Thy joy;
Their hatred quell, their pride remove,
But melt with grace, subdue with love.

Why dost Thou from the conquest stay?
Why do Thy chariot wheels delay?
Lift up Thyself; hell's kingdom shake:
Arm of the Lord, awake, awake!

Henry March, 1839 

5. UNANSWERED PRAYER

At some time or another every Christian has felt perplexed and discouraged because it appeared to them that their prayers were not being answered. David, the sweet singer of Israel, and a man after God's own heart experienced such times of difficulty. He begins Psalm 13 with these plaintive words:

How long O Lord?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul?
Having sorrow in my heart daily?

Those are the words of a discouraged man who feels that God isn't hearing or answering his prayers. Listen to him again in Ps.55:

Give ear to my prayer O God,
And do not hide yourself from my supplication.
Attend to me and hear me;
I am restless in my complaint...

Or again, consider the words of Psalm 88, "a Psalm of the sons of Korah":

But to you I have cried out O Lord,
and in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Lord why do you cast off my soul?
why do you hide your face from me?

These few examples show us that to be perplexed by unanswered prayer is not a new experience to the people of God. The greatest of saints have grappled with this problem and felt keenly about it. I wanted to suggest some reasons why some of our prayers are not answered, for I think that if we see these reasons we may be helped and encouraged not to despair or allow ourselves to be cast down by the experience.

TESTING

Consider first of all how God tests our faith and our earnestness by not answering prayer. This is beautifully illustrated for us in the incident with the Syrophenician woman recorded in the gospels. This woman came to Jesus with a prayer for the healing of her daughter (Matt.15) but Jesus does not answer her. When he does speak to her he does not at first grant her petition, he seems to put her off and deliberately discourage her. But eventually he does grant her request exclaiming "Oh woman your faith is great". Clearly Jesus had been testing her faith. He did not answer right away and grant her petition immediately so that he might see if her faith would rise to the challenge, and she came through the test wonderfully.

Now it is true that in this instance the woman did not have to wait long, and most times we are thinking of prayers that are offered and perhaps months and even years later they seem to have received no answer; but the principle pinpointed in this incident is the same. God does test our faith, and he often does so by not answering our prayers, at least not at the time when we think they should be answered. He sometimes makes us wait long for an answer because he wants to see how persistent our faith is. Two well known parables in Luke's gospel point out the need to persevere in prayer. In Luke 11 there is the parable of the man who seeks a favour from his friend at midnight. But the friend has settled down for the night, he doesn't want to be bothered with the needs of the first man, But the petitioner keeps on knocking, keeps on asking, and Jesus says (v-8)."..because of his persistence he will rise.." Because the man kept at it, didn't give up, he got what he was after.

The other parable in Luke 18 makes the same point. A woman petitions a judge; the judge does not really want to be bothered by her, but she is persistent! So the judge concludes he had better grant her request is rather than be wearied by her continual seeking. In giving these parables Jesus was not conveying the idea that God was reluctant to answer prayer. The spotlight is not on the judge or the friend who was settled down in bed; it is on the one who comes with the petition. It is their persistence that was met and their prayer was answered. Faith will make a Christian persistent in prayer. Though God withholds the answers from us, and though He might withhold it for a long time, yet faith must persist in seeking the blessing. The Bible says "he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).

We must have faith in God, and faith in His promises, and we must understand that our faith will be put to the test. Nothing glorifies God more than faith. For one of His children to maintain trust and confidence in God even though they are being led through a dark and difficult way is something God delights to see. A faith which comes through testings and trials strong and triumphant is of great worth and value in the sight of God.

It may well be that someone reading these words is experiencing a situation where prayers seems unanswered. God may well be trying your faith, refining it putting it through the furnace that it might be the more valuable and beautiful. My friend continue to seek; continue to knock; continue to ask. Persevere in prayer and do not be discouraged.

MOTIVATION

Sometimes prayers are not answered because they are offered with a wrong motivation. James puts this before us very plainly:

"You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your own pleasure." (James 4:3)

In an earlier section I said that we ought to pray from a heart which desires before all else the glory of God. We must not think that prayer is a wonderful instrument intended to fulfill our every whim and fancy and provide us with everything that enters our heads and which we think we would like to possess. The question of motivation is a very difficult one to deal with. We have to really examine ourselves and search our hearts to see that we are truly God-centered in this area. It is far easier to make our outward behaviour conform to certain Christian standards than to keep our hearts, minds, thoughts and motives subject to the Lord Jesus Christ. You may pray for financial success, but you may pray for it because you covet luxury and possessions. In the history of the church there have been people whom God has blessed with great business success and financial regard. I imagine they have made their business ventures a matter of prayer, and the cause of Christ has benefited substantially because of them. But if a man prays for that kind of success because he has a worldly minded hankering after luxury and self-indulgence, it is unlikely that that prayer will be answered. Indeed for such a man to receive his request would be more accurate to understand it as a judgment rather than an answer to prayer.

Again, a man may pray for gifts and abilities. The apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthians to earnestly covet the best gifts. There is nothing wrong with desiring gifts and abilities from God if you have a genuine desire to glory the Lord and bless His church. The trouble is that many pray such a prayer simply because they crave attention and a reputation. They want to be admired; they want other Christians to hold them in repute; they want to bask in the limelight and in the admiration of their fellows. But that is a wrong motive for prayer and God will surely not respond to such a prayer.

Even in our prayers for the church and for the salvation of souls and the prosperity of a church we must guard our motives. It is possible to pray for those things - and who could argue with church officers praying for God's blessing upon the church where they labour. But be careful that you don't pray like that because we want to boast in your success and in that wonderful progress being made in your particular corner. Too much of that goes on in Evangelicalism these days:- "our church had so many professions of faith, and so many backsliders restored, and so many of this and that and the other thing". And there is a terrible boasting over other churches: there is a glorying in themselves, and it is sinful and horrible before God. You may be praying for more workers, and yet he praying for more workers because you are too lazy to do the job yourself.

Motivation is important in prayer. We must pray for God's glory, with true concern for the cause of Christ and good of souls. We must guard against allowing “self” to push its way in as it so often does. Sometimes God does not answer because our motivation is wrong.

WHAT IS BEST

Sometimes God does not answer our prayers because he sees that a "no" answer is the best for us. The classic passage is 2 Cor.l2 where Paul tells us that three times he asked God to remove the "thorn in the flesh". God never did answer that prayer in the way Paul had wanted when he had offered it, because God knew that that would not have been best for Paul. If Paul had not had this thorn in the flesh, whatever it was, it appears that he would have been lifted up in pride because of the amazing revelations which God gave him. And if he had become proud his usefulness in the cause of Christ would have ceased. Now there was nothing that Paul wanted more than to serve Christ well, and therefore God in His wisdom did not answer Paul's prayer.

This is seen in every day life. Parents don't grant every request of their children. They refuse many requests, not because they do not love the child, but rather because do love the child and know what is best for it. A good parent is not about to give his or her child something which will ultimately hurt that child. Most children go through the stage of wanting to play with matches; they have seen the pretty flame which flares up when Mommy strikes the match. There would be nothing more wonderful to their childlike mind to play with matches and make lovely flames all day! So they ask Mommy if they can have the box of matches. If Mommy has any love for the child and any wisdom at all she will say "no". The child might cry; he might think that Mommy is hard and uncaring, but the truth is just the opposite. You sometimes cry when God doesn't grant your requests, and you are sometimes tempted to think that God is hard and uncaring. But that is far from the truth. God sees far more than you do; He sees things ahead that you have never considered. You must trust him to do what is right and best for you if you are His child, You must believe the many declarations of His word that tell you that He cares for you and is working all things together for your good. You must believe that His wisdom and love are perfect and that He will not make a mistake. Realize that sometimes the answer must be no, or at least "not now", and be content. Don't fret, but leave it with Him knowing that He does all things well.

GOD OR GIFTS?

Finally, God leaves some prayer unanswered to see if we love God Himself or simply what he gives us. We know how parents sometimes say to Grandma and Grandpa, "please don't bring gifts every time you come to see the children, because we want the children to appreciate you for what you are in yourselves, not just for what you bring them". There is wisdom in that. We are all apt to be that way. Adults want their children to love them for what they are not just because of what they get from them. Have you ever considered that God has thoughts like that too? It is possible to have your attention taken up with the gifts rather than the Giver. God wants you to avoid that. This was in essence the accusation of Satan against Job - "does Job serve God for nothing?" Satan was insinuating "he is in it for what he can get out of it". That is why God permitted Job to go through the trials that he did. God does not want us to love Him simply for what we can get out of Him, He wants us to love Him for what He is, to desire fellowship with Himself, so that even if we were deprived of all earthly goods and comforts we could still rejoice in Him and praise Him because we love Him for what He is.

Have you been more taken up with the gifts than the Giver? It could be that that is why God has not answered some of your prayers; He wants to wean you away from an over-attachment to things. He says "I am all you need; fellowship with me can make life truly worthwhile even without some of those things you think are so necessary. Get to know me some more".

Unanswered prayer can have a real ministry in our lives. If they make us more aware of God Himself; if they exercise our faith and confidence in God; if they make us aware of our motives and inner thoughts; if through the discipline of unanswered prayer we grow in spiritual stature, then we can even thank God for them.

Let us trust and not be afraid and have confidence that Jesus does all things well.