Good Church Order

1 John 3
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Here is rule number 11 for a happy, humble, Godly life: Never, ever, disturb good church order. This is not rule number 1 or 5 or even 8, but rule number 11. But, that still makes it a very important rule.

Psalm 133
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 [It is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, [and as the dew] that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, [even] life for evermore.

When we think of good church order, we should think of Israel after the death of Absalom or the captivity of the Jews during the time of Zarubabbel and Joshua the high priest. That is good background for thinking about the church.

The Kosmos

John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that....

You cannot understand your salvation, you cannot bask in the sunshine of God's love, you cannot appreciate God's grace until you confront the whole world, the kosmos in Greek, the world that God loved so dearly. This is the definition of the World, From Strong's Reference:

2889   //  kosmov  //  kosmos   //  kos'-mos  //
1) an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government
2) ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars, 'the heavenly hosts', as the ornament of the heavens. 1Pe 3:3
3) the world, the universe
4) the circle of the earth, the earth
5) the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family
6) the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to  the cause of Christ
7) world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly
7a) the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ
8) any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort
8a) the Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews ( Ro 11:12 etc)
8b) of believers only, John 1:29; 3:16; 3:17; 6:33; 12:47
1Co 4:9; 2Co 5:19

The world is our stage, it includes good and bad, health and sickness, joy and sadness, evil, enmity, justice and injustice, along with all of God's gracious gifts. And we are sinners in this wonderful, awful world.....

One final point. This passage does not read: And God so loved his elect....

The Day Of Visitation

Isaiah 10
1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness [which] they have prescribed;
2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and [that] they may rob the fatherless!
3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?

This passage is a warning to those who do not deal with the poor and the needy in a charitable, righteous way.  It is specifically directed to Hebrew leaders, but is a good lesson for us all. 

Prepare now, live righteously, treat those in need with kindness, be ready for your judgement on the day of visitation, the day of God's judgement.  As Hebrew tradition has it, the day of God's judgement is "the day when the Holy One, blessed be He, visits upon you your iniquities." (Amos 3:2).

But there is, always, hope for the Hebrew remnant:

Isaiah 11
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

And, there is, always, hope for the righteous of God, Christian or Hebrew.  Are you righteous?

Helplessness - And Bible Prophesy

Matthew 24
42 Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Here is the problem. I don't have a mind to figure out much. This especially applies to Bible Prophesy, and especially to the books of Daniel and Revelations.

I believe Jesus is coming, like a thief in the night. And I believe He is coming in a cloud, with great power and glory. But for any understanding more than this, I have come to the conclusion that I must rely on others, trusted others: Scofield, Larkin, Gill, my Pastor, Chafer.

And so, I read my Bible and Scofield, and now mostly Chafer, and say, ah ha, yes indeed, now I understand God's prophetic word to man. I truly understand the seventieth week. And a month later? I still believe Jesus is coming, like a thief in the night, but I can't remember the significance of Rome, the fourth kingdom, much less Medo-Persia, the second kingdom. Or is it the third?

Here is John Gill's explanation of Jesus' coming in Matthew 24 that I find oddly comforting:

for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come; [Here Jesus says He is coming] to avenge himself of the unbelieving Jews, and fulfil what he in person, and by his apostles, had predicted and warned them of. I will not deny, but that what follows may be much better accommodated and applied to the second coming of Christ, and the last judgment, and the behaviour of men with regard to both, than anything said before. And, it may be our Lord's intention, to lead his disciples gradually, and as it were imperceptibly, to the last scene of things on earth, to make way for the parables and description of the future judgment, in the next chapter; still keeping in view, and having reference to, the subject he had been so long upon.. 

I find Gill's 18th Century Baptist view of the millennium and beyond comforting. This, in the end, is my view of Jesus' Second Coming. It is tentative, but then again it is more than sufficient to guide me in my daily life....

Jesus and His Office

Hebrews 9
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

I wish I had written down my thoughts about Jesus before He came into my life as my Lord and Savior. I wish I had written down my thoughts about Jesus before I was quickened, before I started my Bible studies. I have always believed in Jesus, but I did not understand His sacrifice for my transgressions. I did not understand that He was mediator of the Gospel; I did not understand that Jesus was Christ, the reconciler of heaven and of earth.  I did not understand the Offices of Jesus, as prophet, as priest and as king. I just did not give much thought to any of this. I just did not give much thought to Jesus, what He is, what He does, who he is to me. And, I really did not give much thought to his sacrifice for my sins.  And, indeed, I did not give much thought to my sins and my own sinful nature.

In my early years, I did not struggle with atheism or agnosticism.  I did not struggle with the existence of God.  I always believed in Jesus who was somehow divine. But, for so many years, he was distant.   When I started my daily bible study, but before I was saved, I remember just the idea of Jesus being vaguely discomforting.  Jesus and God were over there, beyond the far ridge. And the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit was a warm breeze that would slowly blow past me, comforting, but only once in a while.

Hebrews 8
6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

One thing about those years before I was saved:  they were accompanied by southern gospel music and hymns.  I would listen, sing along, filled with the Spirit. I always had my records, then my cassettes and finally my CD's. And in those songs, one might not quite grasp the sacrifice of Jesus.  In those songs, one might not grasp the need to be born again.  In those songs, one might not feel the need to repent your sins.  But, in those songs, somehow over the years, I could feel the Christian love of the singers and especially I could feel the love of Jesus Christ.

When all of God's singers come home....

John Gill's Comments On Ephesians

Ephesians 3
19 .... know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

In my Bible reading this past few days, I came across this description of the theme of Ephesians in John Gill's "Exposition Of The Entire Bible."

...the subject matter of [Ephesians] is most excellent; it treats of the most sublime doctrines of grace, of divine predestination, and eternal election, of redemption by Christ, and of peace and pardon by his blood, of conversion by the power of efficacious grace, and of salvation by the free grace of God, in opposition to works: it also very largely treats of the nature and usefulness of the Gospel ministry, and of gifts qualifying for it, and of the several duties of religion incumbent on Christians; and the method which is used is exceeding apt and beautiful, for the apostle first begins with the doctrines of the Gospel, which he distinctly handles and explains, and then proceeds to enforce the duties belonging to men, both as men and Christians.

What a wonderful exposition of Ephesians.

I never tire of reading John Gill's commentary. I may not agree with every single phrase of Gill's interpretation of Ephesians, but I do now have a sense of the width and the breath and the depth of God's message in Ephesians. It seems, for whatever reason, that John Gill leads me to my last and final thoughts on many Bible passages, and particularly difficult Bible passages. And, I always look forward to that next John Gill comment, which quickly becomes my all-time, favorite John Gill quote.

God's Message In Ephesians

Joshua 21
43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

I have been, this past few days, reading about the Church of God, the body of Christ, the true church, in comparison to the local church.

Scofield describes the theme of the true church in Ephesians here:

[Ephesians] contains the highest church truth, but has nothing about church order. The church here is the true church, "His body," not the local church, as in Philippians, Corinthians...

Scofield describes the theme of the local church in 1 Timothy here:

As the churches of Christ increased in number, the questions of church order, of soundness in the faith, and of discipline became important. At first the apostles regulated these things directly, but the approaching end of the apostolic period made it necessary that a clear revelation should be made for the guidance of the churches. Such a revelation is in First Timothy, and in Titus. The key-phrase of the Epistle is, "That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God."

The distinction between a local church and the Church of God, the body of Christ, is important to me. It is wonderful to be a member of a local church; but things do not always go well. Being a member of a local church can, indeed, at times, be a painful experience; and not edifying.  It is, however, always wonderful to be a member of the Church of God, the body of Christ, the true church; it is always a blessing. In the Church of God, things never go wrong.

And finally, the quote from Joshua above tells of the Hebrews receiving Israel, a gift from God.  In Ephesians, we Christians receive salvation, a gift from God, which is, "glory in the church."

Ephesians 3
19 .... know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Hounded By Phantoms

Romans 7
14 ....I am carnal, sold under sin.

A man named Anthony, a pious Christian no doubt, who lived in the Fourth Century A.D., is notable for being one of the first Christian ascetics to attempt living in the desert, completely cut off from civilization, dedicating his life to God alone. He is considered a saint by some. According to Athanasius, another no doubt pious Christian of the time, the devil fought Anthony by afflicting him with boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women. Tradition has it that Anthony overcame his temptations using the power of prayer.

I am interested in Christian history. I find myself fascinated by righteousness, sacrifice, Christian piety, humility without consideration of possible, eventual personal blessing or gain, Godliness for Godliness sake.  Is it possible? Is it conceivable? I have no final, neat answers to those questions.  They are questions about the essence of man.   Although, my sense is that Paul provides, in Romans, God's last and final word on righteous, piety and humility.

More From Romans 7
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death

What It Means To Be A Baptist 6 - Southern Baptists

I go to an Independant Fundamental Baptist Church. The pastor preaches a wonderful message from the King James Bible. I find peace in this church. I could never go to, let's say, a Catholic Church or a Methodist or a Pentacostal church. I am sure I would find no peace, whatsoever, in those churches. Now, if circumstances warrant, whatever those cercumstances might be, I do think I could attend a Southern Baptish church, and could adjust.

And so, here are some notes on Southern Baptists.

Isaiah 44
1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesh'urun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
4 and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.

Baptists, and indeed many Christians, have struggled to understand the Bible doctrines of election and predestination. My sense, after some little bit of reading, is that Southern Baptists struggle a little more with these issues than other Baptists.

Following are two quotes from an article written by well-known Southern Baptist author Tom Nettles. It is published on the Southern Baptist Convention website Baptist2baptist.net.

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.

I think this Nettles's quote is a representative example of Southern Baptist thought on election.  Here, election appears not to be connected to two words found a number of times in the Bible: predestinate and foreknow. Later in the article Nettles mentions the thoughts of an early 20th Century Baptist.

F. H. Kerfoot, a Southern Baptist theologian and pastor at the turn of the 20th Century, highlighted this doctrine when he wrote, "Nearly all Baptists believe what are usually termed the 'doctrines of grace': the absolute sovereignty and foreknowledge of God; His eternal and unchangeable purposes or decrees; that salvation in its beginning, continuance and completion, is God's free gift; that, in Christ, we are elected or chosen, personally or individually, from eternity, saved and called out from the world, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; . Read Rom 8, 9, 10, 11; Acts 13:48; Eph 1:4-5; 2:1?10; 1 Pet 1:2?5; Jude 24; 2 Tim 1:9; Titus 3:5.

The juxtaposition of the two passages, I think, point to the essence of Southern Baptist thought.  Here is the Southern Baptist struggle to understand the will of God, in the most profound sense.  The two quotes do not seem to finally and conclusively reconcile the doctrines of election and predestination.  Does God elect you because you have faith? Or.  Does God foreknow you, and choose you, and then you have faith? Who acts first? God or Man?

Many years ago, in the 1980's, my mother-in-law lent me her copy of "Baptists And The Bible," by Tom Nettles. It was autographed by the author. After some months I tried to return it to her.  But she said no, I should keep it.  It contains biographies of all of our great Baptist "founders." I have referred to it many times over the years. It is one of my dearest possessions.

Sometimes, I Wish There Were No Goats

Matthew 25

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

Sometimes I think it would be nice if the world were not so complicated.

More From Matthew 25

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand [the sheep], Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Sometimes I think it would be nice if it was just me, and Jesus, and the saved.

More From Matthew 25

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand [the goats], Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Sometimes I think it would be nice if there were no goats.  Then again, if there were not goats, who would we pray for?