And Now These Three Remain: Faith, Faith, and Love

By Eric Campbell

What ever happened to hope? Sadly, for many of us, we omit “hope” from 1 Corinthians 13:13, and we think it’s all about striving for more and more “faith” to meet life’s challenges. The world says, “All you can do is hope,” but that kind of hope is uncertain, based on an outcome that is unlikely.

But a biblical hope is quite different, isn’t it? Christian hope is certain, steadfast, and based on the Word of God. It is an eager expectation for something unseen, not yet realized, but promised by God for our future good. However, even for us as believers, hope can be lost, completely missing in our lives, or placed in uncertain, earthly things.

We must be sure that our hope is placed in the right object: God and His Word, not in earthly circumstances, which may fail us. And hope is important in this life alone, because we will not need it in eternity. Hope then will be realized and fulfilled, but for now it is actually something we all desperately need.

The Greek word for hope, elpis, occurs approximately fifty times in the New Testament, with the highest concentrations in Acts and Romans. From these references, we learn quite a few interesting things!

• Hope can be lost, so it is something to which we must hold fast. (Heb 6:18)
• Hope does not bring shame. (Rom 5:5)
• In our hope we rejoice and boast; it is something we confess. (Rom 12:12; Heb 3:6)
• It is to one hope that we were called by God. (Eph 4:4)
• Before Christ, we had no hope, so all unbelievers are hope-less. (Eph 2:12)
• Our hope is in heaven, where Christ is, so when we get there we won’t need hope anymore! (Col 1:5)
• Hope is like a helmet that protects the head, and like anchor that secures the soul. (1Th 5:8; Heb 6:19)
• It is a “living” hope, because Jesus is alive! (1Pet 1:3)

For what do Christians hope?

1. The resurrection of the body (Acts 2:26)
2. Our adoption as sons (Rom 8:23-24)
3. The glory of God (Rom 5:2)
4. The renewal of all creation (Rom 8:20-21)
5. God Himself (Col 1:27)
6. The future, permanent home of righteousness (2Co 3:12)
7. The second coming of Christ (Tit 2:13)

What are the benefits of Christian hope?

1. It puts present troubles and hardship in perspective. (Rom 5:3-4)
2. It helps us through the loss of loved ones. (1Thes 4:13-18)
3. It’s a good witness to others. (1Pet 3:15)
4. By hoping in Christ you purify yourself. (1Jn 3:3)

How about you? Are you filled with hope? Do others see you as a “hopeful” person? If not, consider these practical ways hope can be cultivated and restored in your life:

1. Ask God to pour out His love into your heart by the Holy Spirit. Try this! (Rom 5:5; 15:13)
2. Seek for the encouragement of the Scriptures. Feed on the Word. (Rom 15:4)
3. Fix your thoughts on Jesus, the firstfruits of the resurrection, for we will be like Him! (1Jn 3:2)
4. Think about God’s promises for the future, the second coming, the resurrection of the body, and the renewal of all creation.
5. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Eph 5:19) that cultivate hope in your heart (e.g. "In Christ Alone," "Be Unto Your Name," "The Solid Rock," "On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand").

“In Christ alone my hope is found:

He is my light, my strength, my song.

This Cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.”

-Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

In Christ,
Eric

Encourage and Build Up With These Words

By Paul Hamline

The Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just as also you are doing." The term "encourage" means exactly what it says. The term "build up" means to "make someone more able." In this case Paul is asking us "to make one another more able" to stand fast and make one another more able to persevere to the Day of the Lord. There are four truths from God’s Word in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11 that believers can speak into the lives of other believers "to build them up, (make them more able) to keep on to the Day of the Lord."

1. You have escaped the wrath of God: (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5) - The Day of the Lord will not "overtake" the brethren. The term "overtake" implies being overtaken; it catches up with you. You think you have escaped it, but it catches up with you and unleashes slaughter, destruction, and judgment. But that will not happen to "you, brethren." You have escaped the wrath of God. Speak this often to one another to encourage and build up one another.
2. You have been entered into the family of God: (1 Thessalonians 5:5) - Paul says, "We are sons of light and sons of day." This is a double Hebrew idiom. When the Hebrew people heard the phrase, "you are the son of . . .," to their ears it meant whatever you are a son of has a dominating influence on your life. So in the milieu of life, remind your brothers and sisters whose sons and daughters they are and the nature they have of light and of day.
3. You can anticipate the Day of the Lord with great enthusiasm: (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8) - Be ready and be looking for the day! Exhort one another to be busying themselves with preparation for their departure to live together with Him forever. It means telling one another to be busy in the work of sanctification. Make sure you are clothed properly. "The breastplate of faith" - trusting in Christ alone - and "the breastplate of love" - devotion and unchallenged, unrivaled love of God. Finally, "and as a helmet, the hope of salvation" - dwell and fix your mind on the final consummation, the glorification aspect of salvation. Exhort one another to remember our blessed hope.
4. Remind one another of God’s glorious intentions for the brethren: (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10) - "For obtaining salvation" - the full and complete salvation and rescue of man. That is God's glorious intention for those whom He calls. (See Isaiah 46:8-11). Then God reveals a second glorious intention for the brethren: "so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him."

Just a word of hope to those who are presently "in darkness" and "of darkness and of night." You too can know and experience these encouraging and building up truths if you will come to God through Jesus Christ who died for us. May the four truths mentioned above be true of your life today!

Baptism - Our Entrance Into the Local Church

By Tim Senn


Just as Spirit baptism marks our entrance into the community of the universal church, likewise water baptism marks our initiation or entrance into the community of the local church. In Spirit baptism, a person becomes part of Christ’s body, and in water baptism, a person becomes part of the local expression of that body in the community of the church. Thus, because of the reality of Spirit baptism, we should be committed to several non-negotiables concerning its sign, water baptism:

1. Water baptism should be for believers only! It is designed for those who have repented of their sins and have put their faith in Christ. The Church is not a “mixed” entity, as was OT Israel. But every true member of the Church has been regenerated! This is why we ask for a “credible profession of faith” from those whom we baptize. They must be able to articulate what it means to believe in Christ, and their life must consistently match their profession of faith. We don’t look for a sinless life of perfection, but we do look for signs of genuine fruit and obedience.
   
   
2. Water baptism was ordained and commanded by Christ and is part of Christian discipleship. Following Christ means that you will desire to publicly identify yourself with Him, and will not be ashamed to confess Him before men!
   
   
3. Water baptism should be by immersion. This is the example set by Scripture, and it is the best picture of being buried with Christ and raised from the dead!
   
   
4. Water baptism presupposes regeneration, and is a sign or symbol of regeneration. It is the New Covenant sign!
   
   
5. Water baptism assumes repentance, expresses repentance, and should result by God’s grace in a life of ongoing repentance!
   
   
6. Water baptism identifies a person as belonging to God, and one who has “passed through the waters of divine judgment” and has been rescued from future wrath by Jesus Christ.
   
   
7. Whether administered in the church building or in a public place like a lake or river, baptism should be part of the worship of the assembled church. It is a corporate, not an individual, event. If it marks entrance into the local church, then the church body should be invited to attend and witness the baptism.
   

Genuine Repentance

By Tim Senn

Repentance is really a switching of allegiances from personal sin and enslavement in the kingdom of darkness to faith in Jesus and being transferred into His kingdom. Repentance is the only proper entrance into the presence of a Holy King!

1. Repentance begins with a fundamentally different outlook upon sin and human nature. 
2. Repentance continues with an emotional hatred of sin and disgust with its filthiness.
3. Repentance continues when we turn away from sin and turn to serve and obey God.
4. Repentance continues throughout the entire life of a Christian – it is a way of life. Jesus doesn’t want you to just change your mind – He purposes to change your entire life! Christ came to make you the person that God wants you to become!
5. Genuine Repentance will produce “fruit,” or characteristics of the new life. It is characterized by new attitudes and new actions. Genuine conversion produces attitudes like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, humility, and goodness. It produces actions like a desire to worship, relate personally to God through Bible reading and prayer, service to others, fellowship with other Christians, and sharing your faith with unbelievers.

Genuine Christianity begins with something that God through Christ performs within you – a radical transformation of your desires and disposition – and with a divine Person who comes to reside within you – the Person of the Holy Spirit! Genuine conversion is thus a supernatural experience and cannot be attained through personal effort or performance! Christianity is composed of people who are “new creatures” in Christ!

Repentance is therefore not about good intentions, but about moral transformation! It is about a completely new direction in life! In repentance:

• The greedy become generous!
• The selfish become servants!
• The complainer becomes content!
• The promiscuous become pure!
• The idolater becomes a worshipper!
• The spiritually apathetic become spiritually passionate!
• The criticizer becomes a comforter!
• The drunkard becomes disciplined!
• The burglar becomes a benefactor!
• The hard-hearted becomes humble!

The Straw and the Wheat

By Tim Senn

In Jeremiah 23:28-29, the prophet writes:

“The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not My word like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

Jeremiah was taking issue with those prophets in his day who were claiming to speak on behalf of God, but whose words were the “deception of their own heart” (v. 26). Jeremiah contended with them because they were feeding God’s people “straw” or “chaff” rather than the wholesome grain of God’s Word! As a result, God’s people were malnourished and weakened by spiritual famine.

Since the time of the Reformation, Bible believing churches have held to the principle of “Sola Scriptura,” a phrase which means, “by Scripture alone.” This doctrine maintains a belief in the unique authority and sufficiency of the Bible as the source for all we need to know God and to obey Him in our lives.

And yet in the evangelical world today there is a movement that challenges the sufficiency of Scripture by separating the ministry of the Holy Spirit from His Word in Holy Scripture. This teaching proposes that the Holy Spirit is giving new or fresh words to God’s people – not words that are on par with the authority of Scripture, but nevertheless words from God that allow us to experience His presence with us and which guide us in our decision making. The assumption behind this belief is that since God can guide us as He guided His people in the past through various forms of prophecy and revelation, that He continues to do so today. A scholarly explanation of this view has been given by Dr. Wayne Grudem in his book, The Gift of Prophecy. A more popular and experiential version has been written about in Sarah Young’s bestselling book, Jesus Calling. For two excellent critiques of Young’s book, click on the links at the  bottom of this article.

In response to this teaching, the words of the hymn, “How Firm a Foundation,” come to my mind: “What more can He say than to you He has said?” With those words, the hymn writer was affirming both the unique authority and sufficiency of Holy Scripture, the great doctrine of the Reformation called “Sola Scriptura.” It is a simple and yet profound question – “What more can He say?” Of course, God is able to say more than what He has revealed in the Bible – in that sense, He can say more. But that is not really what is being asked! The question is, “Does God need to say more to us than what He has already revealed in the Scripture?” And “should we expect Him to say more?”

The answer of “Sola Scriptura” is “NO!!” At stake in this discussion is not simply who will win a theological argument – rather, it is the difference between whether we will dine up straw or feast upon wheat when it comes to our spiritual nourishment. Is the Bible alone sufficient for our source of spiritual bread, or should we be looking elsewhere for supplements to this heavenly food?

Over 400 years ago, Puritan pastor John Owen warned the church about separating the ministry of the Holy Spirit from the Bible:

“He that would utterly separate the Spirit from the Word had as good (as well) burn his Bible” (Ferguson, writing in “The Holy Spirit” by John Owen, p. 26).

I want to continue sound the same warning as I will show you that there is an unmistakable and unbreakable bond between the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible. There exists a close correlation and harmony between the Holy Spirit and God’s written Word contained in the Scripture. In fact, God’s Word, now contained in the Bible, is inseparable from the Holy Spirit, Who both inspired the Scriptures and illumines believers so that we can properly understand it. I plan to show you that because God’s Word in Scripture is complete, that we should expect no “new words” or “new revelation” from God the Holy Spirit to the church today.

For a full explanation of this statement, please take time to listen to the message I preached on September 16th, 2012. But let me refer to just one verse that supports this teaching.

The close link between the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture is clearly set forth by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:17, who, when speaking about the various weapons in the spiritual armor of the believer says, “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Notice from this verse that the Holy Spirit and His sword are both separate or distinct, and yet inseparable.

In other words, we must not collapse or confuse the two – the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Bible. He is a Person -- the Bible is His written Word. And yet, the sword or weapon or instrument that the Holy Spirit wields is the Word of God, which as we will see, is a clear reference to God’s written Word in Scripture. It is the media that He uses to minister to God’s people, and apart from His Sword, we should not expect any “immediate” words from Him! In all of His various ministries - conviction of sin, regeneration, the giving of faith and repentance, assurance, etc. - the weapon wielded by the Holy Spirit is the Bible.

Thus, we must not separate the work of the Spirit from the Word of God which He inspired. We must therefore be careful to avoid two errors: (1) We must not separate the Bible from the Holy Spirit – as if we could read and understand it apart from His help; and (2) We must not separate the Holy Spirit from the Bible, as if He would speak to us apart from or in addition to His Word.

I appreciate what Phillip Jensen says in his book, “Guidance and the Voice of God,”

This is the tragedy of the modern “hearing God’s voice” movement. It is so busy listening intently for what God might say in my head this morning, that it fails to hear what God is shouting at us this morning and every morning from the Scriptures (Jensen, p. 98).

The Bible says of itself that it is living and active – a fire and a hammer. Man does not and cannot live on bread alone, but derives his spiritual life from the teachings of the Bible. God the Holy Spirit works intimately each day to open our spiritual eyes and ears to understand what He has already written in Scripture – what could be more intimate than that? The Bible contains the living and enduring words of God – words that bring salvation and sanctification. Therefore, if you are desirous of hearing the voice of the living God, you will find it when the Holy Spirit applies the truths of the Scripture to our lives, and when He awakens within us a response of obedience to what God has already spoken once for all in the Bible!

“What more can He say than to you he hath said?"

Why seek the nourishment from straw, when the Bible offers you wholesome grain? What do the two really have in common?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Review from The Cripplegate
Review from Tim Challies
Tim Senn's message from 9/16/12

A Biblical Grid for Elder/Deacon Nominations

By Paul Hamline

FUNCTIONAL DUTIES:

• Look for men who are not merely seeking a title or office.
• Look for men who demonstrate a “fellow-elder” mentality. Look for men who are team players with a side-by-side approach to the work.
• Look for men already in the battle; they have already joined in the fray. They are already involved in ministry.
• Look for men who are players, not bench warmers.
• Look for men who are motivated by the love of God and the hope we have in Christ. A strong grasp of “the blessed hope” (a view of eternity) keeps them motivated.
• Look for life-time learners. They should be students of God’s Word and growing in doctrinal understanding.
• Look for men who are guiding other men, who can defend the faith, who exhibit the ability to lead and to feed - men solid in God’s Word.
• Look for men among the sheep who know the sheep.
• Look for men sacrificially serving the flock.

SPIRIT OF AN ELDER: 

      What He Should NOT Be Like:

• Not under compulsion - Watch out for men who see ministry as an obligation; the heart of a reluctant draftee; sees ministry as an irksome task; someone having to be prodded; hesitant to pick up responsibility and needs.
• Not for sordid gain - He should not be a lover of money. This is a cozying up to certain members, showing particular attention to them, with anticipation of a possible personal benefit. He should be free of a calculating spirit, with a desire to always keep the scales balanced
• Not lording it over - This means someone who is harsh, lacking gentleness. They don't lead people, they drive them. They are quick to judge people and tend to write people off and pull away from them. They are very controlling of people and circumstances
• Not focused on personal agenda and schedule. 

      What He SHOULD Be Like:

• A voluntary spirit - Their heart demonstrates approval of guiding, guarding, tending, and feeding the flock. There is vigor and enthusiasm. They thrive on serving the body.
• An eager spirit - They are hungry for it and serve with cheerfulness and readiness. They are looking for ministry opportunities. Their love is for ministry, not money.
• Proving to be examples - Look for men who are worthy of imitation (to lay your life over and trace their lives). They can serve as patterns.
• Men who have put their hand to the plow and proven themselves faithful not to look back.

Difference Between Spiritual Fruit and Spiritual Gifts

By Tim Senn

I would like to show you the difference or distinction between the spiritual fruit, as we have just studied in Galatians 5:22-23, and the spiritual gifts. Both are produced by the Holy Spirit, both are essential in the Christian life, and both are given by God’s grace rather than the result of human effort. However, there are some key distinctions between them:

• The fruit of the Spirit is descriptive of the nature and disposition of the believer – they are character qualities or godly attributes that the Holy Spirit is producing in our lives. They describe what a Christian is to be in their character. Conversely, the spiritual gifts are divinely bestowed abilities and aptitudes that are to be used in service of Jesus Christ. They describe what Christians are equipped to do in their service. 
• The fruit of the Spirit is perfectly embodied and illustrated in the life of Christ – thus, to bear spiritual fruit is to become increasingly more like Christ in our character. Every believer is to strive to have some measure of all of the aspects of the spiritual fruit. Conversely, believers have different spiritual gifts. Each believer has at least one of the spiritual gifts, but has none of others! 
• The fruit of the Spirit is the true measure of spirituality – being like Christ. Conversely, it is possible to possess incredible spiritual gifts (as did the Corinthians), and yet be spiritually immature and even spiritually disobedient (1 Cor. 1:7 w/ 1 Cor. 3). Thus, bearing spiritual fruit is indicative of greater spirituality, but the possession of spiritual gifts is not! 
• Therefore, the fruit of the Spirit, which is summarized by love – is superior to all the gifts of the Spirit – as Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 13 – love is the more excellent way. Unlike the Corinthians, who were fixated on seeking the greater spiritual gifts, we would do better to be fixated on how we can grow in Christ-like love for one another.

Four Reasons to Be Patient

By Tim Senn
Adapted from Loving the Way Jesus Loves by Philip Ryken

1. True Love has the patience to see that God is in control.  “Our resentment is against the timetable which the sovereign God has assigned to us, a schedule based on a plan of which we are usually ignorant.  It is this ignorance which brings about our frustration, the seeming senselessness of delay, loss, or failure.  But this is the reason why impatience is such a noxious weed—it leaves God out of our thinking” (John Sanderson).
2. Love waits because God is at work.  It is not simply that God is in control but also that he is doing something good in the lives of his people.  God is working things out for our good and for his glory…This is something to remember whenever we get impatient.  Even if we do not understand what God is doing, we can believe that he is still at work.  Trusting in the sovereign goodness of God will help us turn our attention to others in love rather than focusing on our own frustrations (Ryken, p. 84).   
3. One of the very reasons why we have to be so patient is that there are so many sufferings in life.  God uses these very sufferings, in turn, to produce patience and hope (Romans 5:3-4). 
4. God will make sure that everything turns out right in the end.  

 Adapted from the sermon "The Fruit of the Spirit is Patience." Listen online here.

Eliminate Suffering? We'd Be Absolutely Intolerable

By Tim Senn

An interesting example of how the ability to achieve a “care-free” and “trouble-free” life is equated with success and power, comes from London, the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2008, when Olympic officials arrived in London to evaluate and assess whether or not the city would be a good venue for the upcoming Games – London officials “rolled out the red carpet” and “pulled out all of the stops” – of course. London wanted to dazzle the Olympic committee with its splendor and glory – and they had prepared their plans down to the minutest details! In fact, London officials used GPS technology to rig traffic lights so that the visiting Olympic Committee officials would never have to stop at a red light while visiting the city! The message – come to London and you won’t have to encounter any inconveniences or troubles – this is a “trouble-free” and “worry-free” city!

Patience: The Sheath of God's Sword of Justice

By Tim Senn

In Sunday's sermon on "Patience," I quoted puritan Stephen Charnock as saying, "The patience of God is the sheath of His sword of justice." Below is a larger excerpt where Charnock makes this helpful illustration. He also paints God's patience is several other vivid word pictures.

Slowness to anger, or admirable patience, is the property of the Divine nature. …as it signifies a willingness to defer, and an unwillingness to pour forth his wrath upon sinful creatures, he moderates his provoked justice, and forbears to revenge the injuries he daily meets with in the world.
He suffers no grief by men's wronging him, but he restrains his arm from punishing them according to their merits; and thus there is patience in every cross a man meets with in the world, because, though it be a punishment, it is less than is merited by the unrighteous rebel, and less than may be inflicted by a righteous and powerful God.
This, in Scripture, is frequently expressed by a slowness to anger (Psalm 103:8), sometimes by long-suffering, which is a patience with duration (Psalm 145:8; Joel 2:13). He is slow to anger, he takes not the first occasions of a provocation; he is long-suffering (Romans 9:22) and (Psalm 86:15); he forbears punishment upon many occasions offered him. It is long before he consents to give fire to his wrath, and shoot out his thunderbolts.
Sin hath a loud cry, but God seems to stop his ears, not to hear the clamor it raises and the charge it presents.