Elder Blog https://www.greenrunbaptist.com Thu, 28 Mar 2024 20:24:07 -0400 http://churchplantmedia.com/ Doctrine of God: The Trinity Part 2 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/doctrine-of-god-the-trinity-part-2 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/doctrine-of-god-the-trinity-part-2#comments Fri, 10 Nov 2023 13:00:00 -0500 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/doctrine-of-god-the-trinity-part-2 Core Tenants of the Christian Faith

 

Doctrine of God: The Trinity Part 2

 In part one of the Trinity, I proved from the scriptures that the bible teaches there is one God who eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They have eternally existed, possessing the same divine nature and divine attributes. Sadly, throughout church history, many have fallen into grave error by teaching and believing trinitarian heresies. In Titus 1:9 an Elder is called not only to be able to teach sound doctrine but refute those who contradict it. Therefore, it is essential that the church not only knows right doctrine, but also that which opposes it, so that the church may not be deceived. In this blog I will examine and refute two trinitarian heresies that have been prominent throughout church history: Arianism and Modalism.

Arianism was a 4th century heresy taught by a Presbyter named Arius. Attempting to hold to the truth that there is only one God, Arius erroneously taught that Jesus was God’s first and greatest created being, infamously saying, “there was a time when the Son was not.” Challenged by Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria and other faithful men, the Arian heresy was condemned at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, concluding that Jesus is homoousios (the same substance as the Father) rather than homoiousios (similar but not the same substance as the Father). Unfortunately, this ancient heresy continued after Nicaea and is still taught today by Unitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, amongst others.

Thankfully, God’s word does not leave this subject up for debate. No Scripture is clearer on this topic than John chapter 1 declaring that Jesus is not God’s first creation, but homoousios, the same in essence as the Father. The Apostle John opens his gospel, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. Then in verse 14 of John 1, the Word is revealed as none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, stating, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.This single text decimates Arius’s argument, with Jesus being called the Word, who is co-eternal with the Father and creator of all things (not all other things). Arianism is also debunked by Jesus’s own words. In John 8:58, Jesus says “Before Abraham was, “I AM” (the self-existent one), God’s personal name Yahweh (Exodus 3:14). This is why the Pharisees attempted to kill Jesus for blasphemy in John 8:59. In addition to these texts, Colossians 1:15-20, John 5:18, John 10:30 (I and the Father are one), and many others teach that Jesus is God. While Arianism denies the Trinity by attacking the divinity of Christ, Modalism denies it by denying the distinct relationships within the Trinity.

Most notably taught by Sabellius who lived in the third century, Modalism teaches that the Father, Son, and Spirit, are not three distinct persons but three different modes of God throughout redemptive history. At times God will act as the Father and other times switch modes between the Son and Spirit. This heresy falls apart when at least two persons of the trinity interact with one another, as in Jesus’s baptism in Matthew 3:16-17. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” As Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and the Father spoke from heaven. For modalism to be true, the Father would have had to be talking to Himself when speaking to the Son, and simultaneously be descending as the Holy Spirit. There is a similar issue in John 17 when Jesus is praying to the Father. There would be no point for there to be communication between the Father and Son if they are not distinct persons. Today, Oneness Pentecostals are the most popular group to espouse this trinitarian heresy, with TD Jakes being the most notable false teacher. Contrary to their heresy, scripture maintains there is one God, distinct in three persons, who work together to accomplish the same divine will.

In closing, all trinitarian heresies will attack the relationship within the Godhead or either the deity or humanity of Christ. And though I dealt with only two heresies, when we intricately know what scripture teaches about the trinity, we can easily dismantle any false doctrine that attacks the nature of God. In part 3 of the doctrine of the trinity, I will examine the two natures of Christ.

]]>
Core Tenants of the Christian Faith

 

Doctrine of God: The Trinity Part 2

 In part one of the Trinity, I proved from the scriptures that the bible teaches there is one God who eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They have eternally existed, possessing the same divine nature and divine attributes. Sadly, throughout church history, many have fallen into grave error by teaching and believing trinitarian heresies. In Titus 1:9 an Elder is called not only to be able to teach sound doctrine but refute those who contradict it. Therefore, it is essential that the church not only knows right doctrine, but also that which opposes it, so that the church may not be deceived. In this blog I will examine and refute two trinitarian heresies that have been prominent throughout church history: Arianism and Modalism.

Arianism was a 4th century heresy taught by a Presbyter named Arius. Attempting to hold to the truth that there is only one God, Arius erroneously taught that Jesus was God’s first and greatest created being, infamously saying, “there was a time when the Son was not.” Challenged by Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria and other faithful men, the Arian heresy was condemned at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, concluding that Jesus is homoousios (the same substance as the Father) rather than homoiousios (similar but not the same substance as the Father). Unfortunately, this ancient heresy continued after Nicaea and is still taught today by Unitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, amongst others.

Thankfully, God’s word does not leave this subject up for debate. No Scripture is clearer on this topic than John chapter 1 declaring that Jesus is not God’s first creation, but homoousios, the same in essence as the Father. The Apostle John opens his gospel, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. Then in verse 14 of John 1, the Word is revealed as none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, stating, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.This single text decimates Arius’s argument, with Jesus being called the Word, who is co-eternal with the Father and creator of all things (not all other things). Arianism is also debunked by Jesus’s own words. In John 8:58, Jesus says “Before Abraham was, “I AM” (the self-existent one), God’s personal name Yahweh (Exodus 3:14). This is why the Pharisees attempted to kill Jesus for blasphemy in John 8:59. In addition to these texts, Colossians 1:15-20, John 5:18, John 10:30 (I and the Father are one), and many others teach that Jesus is God. While Arianism denies the Trinity by attacking the divinity of Christ, Modalism denies it by denying the distinct relationships within the Trinity.

Most notably taught by Sabellius who lived in the third century, Modalism teaches that the Father, Son, and Spirit, are not three distinct persons but three different modes of God throughout redemptive history. At times God will act as the Father and other times switch modes between the Son and Spirit. This heresy falls apart when at least two persons of the trinity interact with one another, as in Jesus’s baptism in Matthew 3:16-17. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” As Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and the Father spoke from heaven. For modalism to be true, the Father would have had to be talking to Himself when speaking to the Son, and simultaneously be descending as the Holy Spirit. There is a similar issue in John 17 when Jesus is praying to the Father. There would be no point for there to be communication between the Father and Son if they are not distinct persons. Today, Oneness Pentecostals are the most popular group to espouse this trinitarian heresy, with TD Jakes being the most notable false teacher. Contrary to their heresy, scripture maintains there is one God, distinct in three persons, who work together to accomplish the same divine will.

In closing, all trinitarian heresies will attack the relationship within the Godhead or either the deity or humanity of Christ. And though I dealt with only two heresies, when we intricately know what scripture teaches about the trinity, we can easily dismantle any false doctrine that attacks the nature of God. In part 3 of the doctrine of the trinity, I will examine the two natures of Christ.

]]>
Altars to Molech and the Evils of Abortion https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/altars-to-molech-and-the-evil-of-abortion https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/altars-to-molech-and-the-evil-of-abortion#comments Fri, 04 Aug 2023 11:00:00 -0400 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/altars-to-molech-and-the-evil-of-abortion On Tuesday, July 16th, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, what was disguised as a wellness clinic for Women was metaphorically brought to rubble. Though the Virginia Women’s Wellness Clinic presented itself as a haven for women, it was nothing more than a modern day Altar to Molech. Praise be to God: this abortion clinic closed its doors once and for all.

Who was Molech?

 Molech was a false Canaanite and Ammonite deity referenced several times throughout scripture (Leviticus 18:21, Zephaniah 1:5, 1 Kings 11:7, Jeremiah 32:35). Ancient writings depict Molech as a human body with a bull’s head. His statue was usually made of bronze with arms outstretched. The lower part of the statue served as a furnace where the horror of child sacrifice took place. Fueled by the desire for financial prosperity, parents would allow their children to be burned alive on the outstretched hands of Molech which were heated by the furnace.

God forbids the Practice.

 Leviticus 18:21 reads, “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” Abhorring this great evil, God forbid the people of Israel from this practice, and He commanded that any Israelite or foreigner who would sacrifice their descendants to Molech be put to death (Leviticus 20:2-5). Sacrificing Children is antithetical to God’s character and will. Nonetheless, Israel disobeyed the commandment of God and adopted this practice. Jeremiah 32:35 states,

They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Israel’s Practice of Child Sacrifice

 The Israelites built centers for pagan idolatry and worship, called high places, not only to Molech, but to other false gods, and passed their children through the fire (2 Kings 17:17). Worst of all, at times they connected this abomination to the worship of God. We find one such instance in Ezekiel 23:38-39:

Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. For when they had slaughtered their children in the sacrifice to idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.

In response to their abominations, God brought swift and terrible judgement on the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 19:3-6).

Abortion is Child Sacrifice.

 You may be wondering, what does the barbaric practice of child sacrifice have to do with our sophisticated society today?

Everything.

 The ancient Canaanite ritual is alive and well--it’s just packaged differently. High places and altars have been replaced by “wellness” clinics, namely abortion clinics, priests of Molech are our modern “doctors”, and child sacrifice is performed under the guise of healthcare. Just as the Israelites and Pagans of the Old Testament were offering their children to demons (Deut. 32:17), our culture today is doing so as well. Instead of children being placed in the fiery arms of Molech, they are dismembered by the bloody hands of “doctors”. Just as prosperity was the motivating factor for the Canaanites to sacrifice their children, it continues to motivate millions to kill their own children today.

Excuses such as “I have not started my career yet”, “I can’t finish school if I have this child”, “I can’t afford this child”, or “my body, my choice” are just some of the selfish reasons expectant mothers give to have their child’s head crushed with forceps, ripped apart inside the womb, or vacuumed out of the womb. Abortion is child sacrifice on the altar of the self, and our culture has the blood of millions of unborn children on its hands. The church of God whom He purchased with His blood cannot stand by idly while the blood of children is daily being spilt on the altar of convenience and prosperity.

So, what must be the response of the church?

 I have identified eight ways in which the church of Jesus Christ can stand against this evil.

First, the Church must tell the truth that abortion is murder. Scripture teaches that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16). Therefore, ending the life of an unborn human being is murder.

Second, the Church must tell the truth that those who commit abortion are murderers. This includes mothers (unless forced),doctors, and any accomplices.

Third, Christians must hold accountable professing believers who support abortion. This includes addressing the sin of voting for a party (the Democrat Party) that platforms and praises the murder of children in the womb.

Fourth, and most importantly, the Church is to confront this issue with the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only power that can bring the spiritually dead to life. A woman who is changed by the gospel, would be repulsed by the thought of murdering her child.

Fifth, the Church should push for legislation that will protect babies in the womb from the moment of conception. God has appointed the government to punish evil doers and protect the innocent (Romans 13).

Sixth, the Church should help expectant mothers with the resources they need.

Seventh, the Church should aid in helping with the adoption of unwanted children.

Lastly, the Church must be educated on the issue of abortion, biblically, scientifically, and politically. The Church cannot fight against what it does not understand. As a whole, the church is doing too little. In Nazi Germany, churches were known to sing louder in order to drown out the cries of Jews being taken to their demise.

May we not be known as those who ignored the cries of helpless children in the womb, lest we not be like Israel who were complicit in the worship of Molech. And no, we don’t have to commit abortion to do that, we just have to be silent. But if we are not silent and obey the word of the Lord, more altars to Molech (abortion clinics), will be brought to rubble, children will be saved, and many will come to faith in Jesus Christ. 

]]>
On Tuesday, July 16th, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, what was disguised as a wellness clinic for Women was metaphorically brought to rubble. Though the Virginia Women’s Wellness Clinic presented itself as a haven for women, it was nothing more than a modern day Altar to Molech. Praise be to God: this abortion clinic closed its doors once and for all.

Who was Molech?

 Molech was a false Canaanite and Ammonite deity referenced several times throughout scripture (Leviticus 18:21, Zephaniah 1:5, 1 Kings 11:7, Jeremiah 32:35). Ancient writings depict Molech as a human body with a bull’s head. His statue was usually made of bronze with arms outstretched. The lower part of the statue served as a furnace where the horror of child sacrifice took place. Fueled by the desire for financial prosperity, parents would allow their children to be burned alive on the outstretched hands of Molech which were heated by the furnace.

God forbids the Practice.

 Leviticus 18:21 reads, “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” Abhorring this great evil, God forbid the people of Israel from this practice, and He commanded that any Israelite or foreigner who would sacrifice their descendants to Molech be put to death (Leviticus 20:2-5). Sacrificing Children is antithetical to God’s character and will. Nonetheless, Israel disobeyed the commandment of God and adopted this practice. Jeremiah 32:35 states,

They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Israel’s Practice of Child Sacrifice

 The Israelites built centers for pagan idolatry and worship, called high places, not only to Molech, but to other false gods, and passed their children through the fire (2 Kings 17:17). Worst of all, at times they connected this abomination to the worship of God. We find one such instance in Ezekiel 23:38-39:

Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. For when they had slaughtered their children in the sacrifice to idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.

In response to their abominations, God brought swift and terrible judgement on the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 19:3-6).

Abortion is Child Sacrifice.

 You may be wondering, what does the barbaric practice of child sacrifice have to do with our sophisticated society today?

Everything.

 The ancient Canaanite ritual is alive and well--it’s just packaged differently. High places and altars have been replaced by “wellness” clinics, namely abortion clinics, priests of Molech are our modern “doctors”, and child sacrifice is performed under the guise of healthcare. Just as the Israelites and Pagans of the Old Testament were offering their children to demons (Deut. 32:17), our culture today is doing so as well. Instead of children being placed in the fiery arms of Molech, they are dismembered by the bloody hands of “doctors”. Just as prosperity was the motivating factor for the Canaanites to sacrifice their children, it continues to motivate millions to kill their own children today.

Excuses such as “I have not started my career yet”, “I can’t finish school if I have this child”, “I can’t afford this child”, or “my body, my choice” are just some of the selfish reasons expectant mothers give to have their child’s head crushed with forceps, ripped apart inside the womb, or vacuumed out of the womb. Abortion is child sacrifice on the altar of the self, and our culture has the blood of millions of unborn children on its hands. The church of God whom He purchased with His blood cannot stand by idly while the blood of children is daily being spilt on the altar of convenience and prosperity.

So, what must be the response of the church?

 I have identified eight ways in which the church of Jesus Christ can stand against this evil.

First, the Church must tell the truth that abortion is murder. Scripture teaches that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16). Therefore, ending the life of an unborn human being is murder.

Second, the Church must tell the truth that those who commit abortion are murderers. This includes mothers (unless forced),doctors, and any accomplices.

Third, Christians must hold accountable professing believers who support abortion. This includes addressing the sin of voting for a party (the Democrat Party) that platforms and praises the murder of children in the womb.

Fourth, and most importantly, the Church is to confront this issue with the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only power that can bring the spiritually dead to life. A woman who is changed by the gospel, would be repulsed by the thought of murdering her child.

Fifth, the Church should push for legislation that will protect babies in the womb from the moment of conception. God has appointed the government to punish evil doers and protect the innocent (Romans 13).

Sixth, the Church should help expectant mothers with the resources they need.

Seventh, the Church should aid in helping with the adoption of unwanted children.

Lastly, the Church must be educated on the issue of abortion, biblically, scientifically, and politically. The Church cannot fight against what it does not understand. As a whole, the church is doing too little. In Nazi Germany, churches were known to sing louder in order to drown out the cries of Jews being taken to their demise.

May we not be known as those who ignored the cries of helpless children in the womb, lest we not be like Israel who were complicit in the worship of Molech. And no, we don’t have to commit abortion to do that, we just have to be silent. But if we are not silent and obey the word of the Lord, more altars to Molech (abortion clinics), will be brought to rubble, children will be saved, and many will come to faith in Jesus Christ. 

]]>
The Doctrine of God: The Trinity https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-doctrine-of-god-the-trinity https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-doctrine-of-god-the-trinity#comments Tue, 13 Jun 2023 19:00:00 -0400 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-doctrine-of-god-the-trinity Core Tenants of the Christian Faith

 

Doctrine of God: The Trinity

When people think of what sets the Christian faith apart from all other religions, what usually comes to mind is faith alone apart from any works, but there is another essential of the faith that is equally, if not more distinguishing, and that is the Doctrine of the Trinity. While both Islam and Judaism also hold to the belief of one God, Christianity is exclusive by teaching there is one God who eternally exists in three Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith says this about the being of God, “these three have the same substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence without this essence being divided". Intrinsically, the nature of each person of the Trinity is exactly the same because they are one divine being. 

Within their being, everything that is true of the Father is true of the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are all infinite, eternal (no beginning and end), have the same divine will (they are in perfect agreement on everything), the same power, knowledge, wisdom, and glory. No one is less than in the Trinity. Each person is truly God and not divided in parts. All distinctions occur within their personhood. The Son is not the Father, the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, but the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.  In their relationship, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father (which we will discuss part 3 of the Trinity), the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and Son, and the Father proceeds from no one. 

Furthermore, they are distinct in what they do. For example, in salvation, the Father elected those who would be saved before the foundation of the world. The Father sent the Son, who willingly came to earth to die for the sins of the elect, and the Holy Spirit applied the work of Christ to the elect. We can clearly see the distinctions within the persons of the Trinity but also notice the harmony in which they work. They work in perfect harmony in everything they do, including salvation (Galatians 4:4-6, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, Titus 3:4-6), creation (Genesis 1:1-2, John 1:1-3), the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:15, John 2:19-21, Romans 1:4), and Baptism (Matthew 28:19). 

Now that I have explained what the Doctrine of the Trinity is, let’s examine more closely how scripture proves it. Deuteronomy 6:4 declares “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”. And Genesis 1:26 shows us that this one God is plural, saying, “Then God said, ‘let us make man in our image after our likeness’.” And the Testimony of scripture proves this plurality to be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—mainly by presenting all three persons as God.  While almost everyone agrees that the Father is God (John 6:27—“on Him God the Father has set His seal”—is one of many verses,), false religions often attack the deity of Son and the Holy Spirit, but the testimony of scripture proves their efforts futile. The Son is called God in Romans 9:5 (“…Christ, who is God over all”), 1 John 5:20 ("Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life”), and 2 Peter 1:1 (“Our God and Savior Jesus Christ”). Furthermore, in John 20:28, Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God”, and Jesus receives His worship. 

The deity of the Holy Spirit is just as clear. In Acts 5:3 Peter says that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit. Peter then refers to the Holy Spirit as God in the next verse. “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…. You have not lied to man but to God’.” A lesser-known reference to the deity of the Holy Spirit is found in the connection between Hebrews 3 and Psalm 95. In Psalm 95:7-11, God speaks to the people of Israel to not harden their hearts as they did in Meribah. Verses 7-11 says, 

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” Therefore, I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.” 

Hebrews 3:7-11 quotes Psalm 95:7-11, but says the person speaking is the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore, I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest'."

We can be certain that God in Psalm 95:7-11 is none other than the Holy Spirit. 

In conclusion, though our finite minds cannot fully comprehend it, scripture presents the doctrine of the Trinity in a clear, cohesive, and logical manner. God is triune and to deny the trinity is to deny God, therefore putting one outside of the Christian faith. Praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who have eternally blessed those of us who are saved. In my next blog, I will deal with and correct some trinitarian heresies such modalism and adoptionism.

]]>
Core Tenants of the Christian Faith

 

Doctrine of God: The Trinity

When people think of what sets the Christian faith apart from all other religions, what usually comes to mind is faith alone apart from any works, but there is another essential of the faith that is equally, if not more distinguishing, and that is the Doctrine of the Trinity. While both Islam and Judaism also hold to the belief of one God, Christianity is exclusive by teaching there is one God who eternally exists in three Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith says this about the being of God, “these three have the same substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence without this essence being divided". Intrinsically, the nature of each person of the Trinity is exactly the same because they are one divine being. 

Within their being, everything that is true of the Father is true of the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are all infinite, eternal (no beginning and end), have the same divine will (they are in perfect agreement on everything), the same power, knowledge, wisdom, and glory. No one is less than in the Trinity. Each person is truly God and not divided in parts. All distinctions occur within their personhood. The Son is not the Father, the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, but the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.  In their relationship, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father (which we will discuss part 3 of the Trinity), the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and Son, and the Father proceeds from no one. 

Furthermore, they are distinct in what they do. For example, in salvation, the Father elected those who would be saved before the foundation of the world. The Father sent the Son, who willingly came to earth to die for the sins of the elect, and the Holy Spirit applied the work of Christ to the elect. We can clearly see the distinctions within the persons of the Trinity but also notice the harmony in which they work. They work in perfect harmony in everything they do, including salvation (Galatians 4:4-6, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, Titus 3:4-6), creation (Genesis 1:1-2, John 1:1-3), the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:15, John 2:19-21, Romans 1:4), and Baptism (Matthew 28:19). 

Now that I have explained what the Doctrine of the Trinity is, let’s examine more closely how scripture proves it. Deuteronomy 6:4 declares “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”. And Genesis 1:26 shows us that this one God is plural, saying, “Then God said, ‘let us make man in our image after our likeness’.” And the Testimony of scripture proves this plurality to be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—mainly by presenting all three persons as God.  While almost everyone agrees that the Father is God (John 6:27—“on Him God the Father has set His seal”—is one of many verses,), false religions often attack the deity of Son and the Holy Spirit, but the testimony of scripture proves their efforts futile. The Son is called God in Romans 9:5 (“…Christ, who is God over all”), 1 John 5:20 ("Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life”), and 2 Peter 1:1 (“Our God and Savior Jesus Christ”). Furthermore, in John 20:28, Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God”, and Jesus receives His worship. 

The deity of the Holy Spirit is just as clear. In Acts 5:3 Peter says that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit. Peter then refers to the Holy Spirit as God in the next verse. “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…. You have not lied to man but to God’.” A lesser-known reference to the deity of the Holy Spirit is found in the connection between Hebrews 3 and Psalm 95. In Psalm 95:7-11, God speaks to the people of Israel to not harden their hearts as they did in Meribah. Verses 7-11 says, 

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” Therefore, I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.” 

Hebrews 3:7-11 quotes Psalm 95:7-11, but says the person speaking is the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore, I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest'."

We can be certain that God in Psalm 95:7-11 is none other than the Holy Spirit. 

In conclusion, though our finite minds cannot fully comprehend it, scripture presents the doctrine of the Trinity in a clear, cohesive, and logical manner. God is triune and to deny the trinity is to deny God, therefore putting one outside of the Christian faith. Praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who have eternally blessed those of us who are saved. In my next blog, I will deal with and correct some trinitarian heresies such modalism and adoptionism.

]]>
The Doctrine of God: Holiness https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-doctrine-of-god-holiness https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-doctrine-of-god-holiness#comments Fri, 24 Mar 2023 15:00:00 -0400 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-doctrine-of-god-holiness The Doctrine of God

Holiness 

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts."

Speaking on this great vision of Isaiah, the late R.C. Sproul said, “Scripture does not say that God is love, love, love, or that He is wrath, wrath, wrath, but that He is holy, holy, holy." But why do the angels not focus on love, wrath, grace, mercy, just, or another attribute of God. Why holy? But before we answer why, we must answer what is holiness?

To be holy means to be set apart or distinct. Since God is the Supreme Being, He is holy from all creation. 1 Kings 8:23 reads, "He said, 'O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath…'" and 1 Samuel 2:2 says, "There is no one holy like the LORD, indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God." If we were to categorize God with all of creation, it would not be God at the top followed by angels, humans etc. Instead, on one side would be all of creation and on the other side would be God in a category of His own. Not only does God have no equal, He has no one to compare Himself to, for He is other. 

To answer the earlier question of why holy and not the other attributes; It is because all of God’s attributes are holy. That is why some have called holiness, God’s chief attribute. God’s love is holy, for there is no love that can compare to His. God’s justice is holy, for who is more righteous than He? His grace is holy, for who else would save guilty criminals by taking their punishment on Himself.

God is holy as the self-existent one, the Almighty, the all-knowing, the all-powerful, the all sufficient one, and the list goes on. And when we truly meditate on the holiness of God, the gospel becomes that much more precious to us. That the Father, who is holy would send His holy Son, to become a little a lower than the angels by taking on human flesh, subjecting Himself to the curse of the Law in order to redeem us from the law, so that we, who are unholy have been made holy by the thrice Holy God.

]]>
The Doctrine of God

Holiness 

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts."

Speaking on this great vision of Isaiah, the late R.C. Sproul said, “Scripture does not say that God is love, love, love, or that He is wrath, wrath, wrath, but that He is holy, holy, holy." But why do the angels not focus on love, wrath, grace, mercy, just, or another attribute of God. Why holy? But before we answer why, we must answer what is holiness?

To be holy means to be set apart or distinct. Since God is the Supreme Being, He is holy from all creation. 1 Kings 8:23 reads, "He said, 'O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath…'" and 1 Samuel 2:2 says, "There is no one holy like the LORD, indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God." If we were to categorize God with all of creation, it would not be God at the top followed by angels, humans etc. Instead, on one side would be all of creation and on the other side would be God in a category of His own. Not only does God have no equal, He has no one to compare Himself to, for He is other. 

To answer the earlier question of why holy and not the other attributes; It is because all of God’s attributes are holy. That is why some have called holiness, God’s chief attribute. God’s love is holy, for there is no love that can compare to His. God’s justice is holy, for who is more righteous than He? His grace is holy, for who else would save guilty criminals by taking their punishment on Himself.

God is holy as the self-existent one, the Almighty, the all-knowing, the all-powerful, the all sufficient one, and the list goes on. And when we truly meditate on the holiness of God, the gospel becomes that much more precious to us. That the Father, who is holy would send His holy Son, to become a little a lower than the angels by taking on human flesh, subjecting Himself to the curse of the Law in order to redeem us from the law, so that we, who are unholy have been made holy by the thrice Holy God.

]]>
The Appointment of Elders https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-appointment-of-elders https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-appointment-of-elders#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-appointment-of-elders This past Sunday, we had the privilege of ordaining one of our very own to public ministry. Since becoming a pastor in 2015, the Lord has blessed me with opportunities to ordain several men to public ministry. At my previous church, prior to coming to Green Run, the Lord led us to ordain two men to elder leadership, and four men to the deacon ministry. At my first church (back in 2015), I had the privilege of ordaining several men to the deacon ministry. The Lord has even given me the privilege of training two men to become lead pastors in their own churches. 

At some point in the New Testament, the leadership of the church was passed down from the apostles to elders. In Acts 2, after the Lord saved about three thousand people on the day of Pentecost, “they [the church] continually devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (v. 42). And then in Acts 4, the believing community is called a “congregation” (v. 32), and as the congregation was gathered together, the apostles were “giving testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (v. 33). The Scripture also says that when individual needs developed, the apostles were in charge of distributing goods and meeting the needs of the members (v. 35). 

In Acts 5, the apostles practiced oversight of church discipline and the correcting or rebuking of sins. When Ananias and Sapphira lied about a certain gift they gave to the church (v. 2), the apostle Peter confronted both the husband (v. 3), and the wife (vv. 7, 8), and the Lord was pleased to execute His judgment through Peter (vv. 4, 9). 

Finally, in Acts 6, when a group of widows began to complain about the distribution of food (v. 1), the apostles had the authority to appoint deacons to oversee this matter (v. 2). Notice that the apostles were leading the church in the preaching of the word and prayer, and they did not want to neglect this part of their ministry for serving tables (vv. 2, 4). 

What’s my point? Scripture is clear that the leadership of the church, which included the preaching and teaching, praying for the members, exercising church discipline, shepherding the church, and making spiritual decisions belonged to the apostles.

But, at some point in the New Testament, these responsibilities were transferred from the apostles and unto the elders. When did this happen? When the apostles began to plant churches across the world.

Obviously, we know that the Lord originally chose twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4). One of the twelve, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus (Luke 22:48), and after he died (Matthew 27:5), the rest of the apostles, by the direction of the Holy Spirit, chose Matthias to replace Judas (Acts 1:26). So, the number of the apostles increased back to twelve. But after Saul, also known as Paul, was converted, the Lord Jesus appointed him as the thirteenth apostle (Galatians 1:1). 

Then, sometime after Paul was appointed an apostle, he became a member of the church at Antioch, where he also served as a teacher alongside of Barnabas (Acts 11:25, 26). Then after a year, the Holy Spirit selected Paul and Barnabas as missionaries, and He called them to the region of Galatia where they preached the gospel and planted several churches. But here begins the turning point in church leadership. Now that churches were being planted across many regions, and there were only thirteen apostles, and these apostles couldn’t be at different churches at one time, the apostles began to appoint elders to lead these new churches. Acts 14:23 says, “When they [Paul and Barnabas] had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed”. Do you see that? During the apostle Paul’s first missionary journey, when the Lord began to plant churches across several regions, the apostles appointed elders in every church. Why? In order to lead them once the apostles left the area to continue the work of planting other churches.

And we see this transfer of leadership the rest of the way in the New Testament. In Acts 16, the elders began to make spiritual decisions for the church (v. 14). The elders of the church started to practice oversight when it came to caring for member’s needs (Acts 11:30). The elders who labored in preaching and teaching began to be supported by the local churches (I Timothy 5:17). The elders were leaders of the praying ministry (James 5:14), and the preaching ministry (I Timothy 3:2). When Paul knew that he was nearing death (Acts 20), he called for the elders and gave them the responsibility to teach (v. 20), to oversee and shepherd the church (v. 28), and to be alert and to guard the church from wolves (vv. 29-31). 

At some point in the New Testament era, an actual office was made for elders. This office had several qualifications that elders had to satisfy including practicing oversight, teaching, and rebuking those who are found to be in opposition to the faith (e.g., I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9). 

The Scripture is clear that the transfer of leadership in the church was moved from the apostles to the elders. The responsibilities that the apostles had in the early church became the responsibilities of the elders. There is a reason why the Lord never appointed further apostles after the death of His thirteen. And the reason is because God was pleased to make elders the shepherds and leaders of His church. Hence why we see Scripture instruct members to “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).



]]>
This past Sunday, we had the privilege of ordaining one of our very own to public ministry. Since becoming a pastor in 2015, the Lord has blessed me with opportunities to ordain several men to public ministry. At my previous church, prior to coming to Green Run, the Lord led us to ordain two men to elder leadership, and four men to the deacon ministry. At my first church (back in 2015), I had the privilege of ordaining several men to the deacon ministry. The Lord has even given me the privilege of training two men to become lead pastors in their own churches. 

At some point in the New Testament, the leadership of the church was passed down from the apostles to elders. In Acts 2, after the Lord saved about three thousand people on the day of Pentecost, “they [the church] continually devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (v. 42). And then in Acts 4, the believing community is called a “congregation” (v. 32), and as the congregation was gathered together, the apostles were “giving testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (v. 33). The Scripture also says that when individual needs developed, the apostles were in charge of distributing goods and meeting the needs of the members (v. 35). 

In Acts 5, the apostles practiced oversight of church discipline and the correcting or rebuking of sins. When Ananias and Sapphira lied about a certain gift they gave to the church (v. 2), the apostle Peter confronted both the husband (v. 3), and the wife (vv. 7, 8), and the Lord was pleased to execute His judgment through Peter (vv. 4, 9). 

Finally, in Acts 6, when a group of widows began to complain about the distribution of food (v. 1), the apostles had the authority to appoint deacons to oversee this matter (v. 2). Notice that the apostles were leading the church in the preaching of the word and prayer, and they did not want to neglect this part of their ministry for serving tables (vv. 2, 4). 

What’s my point? Scripture is clear that the leadership of the church, which included the preaching and teaching, praying for the members, exercising church discipline, shepherding the church, and making spiritual decisions belonged to the apostles.

But, at some point in the New Testament, these responsibilities were transferred from the apostles and unto the elders. When did this happen? When the apostles began to plant churches across the world.

Obviously, we know that the Lord originally chose twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2-4). One of the twelve, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus (Luke 22:48), and after he died (Matthew 27:5), the rest of the apostles, by the direction of the Holy Spirit, chose Matthias to replace Judas (Acts 1:26). So, the number of the apostles increased back to twelve. But after Saul, also known as Paul, was converted, the Lord Jesus appointed him as the thirteenth apostle (Galatians 1:1). 

Then, sometime after Paul was appointed an apostle, he became a member of the church at Antioch, where he also served as a teacher alongside of Barnabas (Acts 11:25, 26). Then after a year, the Holy Spirit selected Paul and Barnabas as missionaries, and He called them to the region of Galatia where they preached the gospel and planted several churches. But here begins the turning point in church leadership. Now that churches were being planted across many regions, and there were only thirteen apostles, and these apostles couldn’t be at different churches at one time, the apostles began to appoint elders to lead these new churches. Acts 14:23 says, “When they [Paul and Barnabas] had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed”. Do you see that? During the apostle Paul’s first missionary journey, when the Lord began to plant churches across several regions, the apostles appointed elders in every church. Why? In order to lead them once the apostles left the area to continue the work of planting other churches.

And we see this transfer of leadership the rest of the way in the New Testament. In Acts 16, the elders began to make spiritual decisions for the church (v. 14). The elders of the church started to practice oversight when it came to caring for member’s needs (Acts 11:30). The elders who labored in preaching and teaching began to be supported by the local churches (I Timothy 5:17). The elders were leaders of the praying ministry (James 5:14), and the preaching ministry (I Timothy 3:2). When Paul knew that he was nearing death (Acts 20), he called for the elders and gave them the responsibility to teach (v. 20), to oversee and shepherd the church (v. 28), and to be alert and to guard the church from wolves (vv. 29-31). 

At some point in the New Testament era, an actual office was made for elders. This office had several qualifications that elders had to satisfy including practicing oversight, teaching, and rebuking those who are found to be in opposition to the faith (e.g., I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9). 

The Scripture is clear that the transfer of leadership in the church was moved from the apostles to the elders. The responsibilities that the apostles had in the early church became the responsibilities of the elders. There is a reason why the Lord never appointed further apostles after the death of His thirteen. And the reason is because God was pleased to make elders the shepherds and leaders of His church. Hence why we see Scripture instruct members to “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).



]]>
Core Tenets of the Christian Faith: The Doctrine of Scripture https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/core-tenets-of-the-christian-faith-the-doctrine-of-scripture https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/core-tenets-of-the-christian-faith-the-doctrine-of-scripture#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/core-tenets-of-the-christian-faith-the-doctrine-of-scripture The Core Tenets of the Christian Faith:

The Doctrine of Scripture

 

What we believe concerning the Triune God, the sinful condition of man, Creation, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and the divinely inspired Scriptures are essential components of the Christian Faith. Though at times believers can err regarding the core doctrines of the faith, an outright rejection of them puts one outside of Biblical orthodoxy and in danger of the righteous judgment of God. We are not only to believe these doctrines out of a healthy fear, but because they are glorious truths that are a blessing to the believer. Therefore, over the next few weeks, we will examine these tenets of the faith, so that we as a church may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The more knowledge we as believers have of God, the more we will love Him. 

When examining the core tenets of the Christian faith we begin with the Doctrine of Scripture. Scripture is a special revelation of God. If Scripture errs in any way, then what we believe concerning God, man, and salvation could be questioned. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are the foundation for our faith. For our study, the doctrine of Scripture includes the authorship of Scripture, the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture, the authority of Scripture, and the sufficiency of Scripture

Authorship: Scripture teaches dual authorship, God and man. 2 Peter 1:21 says, no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. The authors of scripture wrote with their full mental faculties (they were not possessed), but everything written was exactly what the Holy Spirit inspired. That is why 2 Timothy 3:16 can say that all of scripture is God breathed. Men pinned the very words of God. 

Inerrancy and Infallibility: Since scripture is God’s word, in its original documents it is without any error, since God is without error; but not only is the Bible inerrant, it is also infallible, meaning it is incapable of error. Since God is perfect in His being, it is impossible for Him to err in any way, therefore it is impossible for His word to err. 2 Samuel 22:31 and Psalm 18:30 refer to God as blameless, Matthew 5:48 calls Him perfect, and Psalm 19:7 says His words are perfect and sure; The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 

 Authoritative: Since the Holy Scriptures are God’s perfect word, they are the final authority of faith and practice. As the sole source of Divine Revelation, nothing, including tradition, is above or equal to scripture. This does not mean that we cannot learn from tradition or other books written by men, but they always must be tested with the word of God. In Acts 17:11 the Bereans are commended for not immediately accepting the words of the Apostle Paul before testing them with scripture. 

Sufficiency: Because the Scriptures are the infallible, authoritative word of God, they are sufficient, meaning they are all that we need for faith and obedience. Let’s revisit 2 Timothy 3:16. After saying that all scripture is inspired by God, Paul goes on to list the implications of this. What God has revealed is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. Paul says because these are God’s words, they are useful and good for every aspect of the believer’s life, but not only are they useful, they make the man or woman of God complete (emphasis mine) for every good work. In order to be saved and live lives that are pleasing to the Lord, the scriptures are enough. Furthermore, the sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture is sufficient to interpret scripture. No philosophies or worldviews should ever be used to interpret what God’s word says. Scripture is not exhaustive of all knowledge (it does not teach us how to fix a car), but it is sufficient and all things that pertain to godliness. 

In conclusion, God has revealed Himself primarily through the Holy Scriptures, therefore they are the foundation of our faith, containing everything we need for faith and obedience. Next, in our series we will learn what God has revealed about Himself in the Scriptures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
The Core Tenets of the Christian Faith:

The Doctrine of Scripture

 

What we believe concerning the Triune God, the sinful condition of man, Creation, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and the divinely inspired Scriptures are essential components of the Christian Faith. Though at times believers can err regarding the core doctrines of the faith, an outright rejection of them puts one outside of Biblical orthodoxy and in danger of the righteous judgment of God. We are not only to believe these doctrines out of a healthy fear, but because they are glorious truths that are a blessing to the believer. Therefore, over the next few weeks, we will examine these tenets of the faith, so that we as a church may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The more knowledge we as believers have of God, the more we will love Him. 

When examining the core tenets of the Christian faith we begin with the Doctrine of Scripture. Scripture is a special revelation of God. If Scripture errs in any way, then what we believe concerning God, man, and salvation could be questioned. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures are the foundation for our faith. For our study, the doctrine of Scripture includes the authorship of Scripture, the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture, the authority of Scripture, and the sufficiency of Scripture

Authorship: Scripture teaches dual authorship, God and man. 2 Peter 1:21 says, no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. The authors of scripture wrote with their full mental faculties (they were not possessed), but everything written was exactly what the Holy Spirit inspired. That is why 2 Timothy 3:16 can say that all of scripture is God breathed. Men pinned the very words of God. 

Inerrancy and Infallibility: Since scripture is God’s word, in its original documents it is without any error, since God is without error; but not only is the Bible inerrant, it is also infallible, meaning it is incapable of error. Since God is perfect in His being, it is impossible for Him to err in any way, therefore it is impossible for His word to err. 2 Samuel 22:31 and Psalm 18:30 refer to God as blameless, Matthew 5:48 calls Him perfect, and Psalm 19:7 says His words are perfect and sure; The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 

 Authoritative: Since the Holy Scriptures are God’s perfect word, they are the final authority of faith and practice. As the sole source of Divine Revelation, nothing, including tradition, is above or equal to scripture. This does not mean that we cannot learn from tradition or other books written by men, but they always must be tested with the word of God. In Acts 17:11 the Bereans are commended for not immediately accepting the words of the Apostle Paul before testing them with scripture. 

Sufficiency: Because the Scriptures are the infallible, authoritative word of God, they are sufficient, meaning they are all that we need for faith and obedience. Let’s revisit 2 Timothy 3:16. After saying that all scripture is inspired by God, Paul goes on to list the implications of this. What God has revealed is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. Paul says because these are God’s words, they are useful and good for every aspect of the believer’s life, but not only are they useful, they make the man or woman of God complete (emphasis mine) for every good work. In order to be saved and live lives that are pleasing to the Lord, the scriptures are enough. Furthermore, the sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture is sufficient to interpret scripture. No philosophies or worldviews should ever be used to interpret what God’s word says. Scripture is not exhaustive of all knowledge (it does not teach us how to fix a car), but it is sufficient and all things that pertain to godliness. 

In conclusion, God has revealed Himself primarily through the Holy Scriptures, therefore they are the foundation of our faith, containing everything we need for faith and obedience. Next, in our series we will learn what God has revealed about Himself in the Scriptures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
Core Tenets of the Christian Faith: The Doctrine of God https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/core-tenets-of-the-christian-faith-the-doctrine-of-god https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/core-tenets-of-the-christian-faith-the-doctrine-of-god#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:00:00 -0500 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/core-tenets-of-the-christian-faith-the-doctrine-of-god The Core Tenets of the Christian Faith:

The Doctrine of God - His Being

 

What we believe about God is essential to our salvation. If one has a wrong understanding of God, they have no faith. To be saved, one must believe there is but one God, and He alone is to be worshiped. Deuteronomy 4:35 says the Lord is God, there is no other besides Him, and John 4:24 says, God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Scripture describes God as the supreme being of the universe, who has created all things, is perfect in His being and all His ways. In order to understand the being of God more fully, we will look at what many hold to as two foundational attributes of God, His Aseity and His Simplicity.

Aseity: The Aseity of God means that God is not dependent on anything or anyone outside of Himself for His existence. His self-existence and self-sufficiency are evident throughout scripture.  Genesis 1:1 reveals the eternality of God as creator of all things (God cannot create all things unless He Himself is eternal), as Moses writes, In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth. Psalm 90:2 furthers this truth, saying,  from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. Revelation 21:6 calls Him the Alpha and the Omega, and Deuteronomy 33:27 refers to Him as the Eternal God. Since He is eternal, it follows that He is self-existent. This is clearly seen in Exodus 3:14 where God reveals His name to Moses as I AM WHO I AM, meaning He is the self-existent One.

His self-existence is also shown in John 5:26, when the Apostle records, for as the Father has life in Himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. God’s self-sufficiency is expressed in Romans 11:35-36  declaring,“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?35 “for who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Verse 34 makes known that The Lord is self-counseled, for what wisdom can mere creatures offer the Lord of glory? Furthermore, we understand from this verse that all existence flows from and belongs to God, by saying for from Him and to Him are all things. In addition to this verse, Acts 17:28 reads, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Because God is self-existent, He possesses all knowledge, has all power, and is sovereign over all things. He is completely satisfied in Himself, and all of creation belongs to Him.

Simplicity: Divine Simplicity (not simplistic) deals with the very nature of God. Unlike all created beings, God is not made up of compound parts (separate parts that come together to make a whole) but is a simple being (without separate parts). First, God is a Spirit without body parts. Colossians 1:15 says that God is invisible. The bible will use phrases such as the Lord’s strong right arm, but that is known as anthropomorphic language (assigning human-like qualities to God) so that we can understand Him.

Not only is the Divine nature of God simple in that He is not a physical being, but everything about Him is simple. To illustrate this, God is not made up of love, justice, goodness, and truth (they are not different things outside of Him), but He is love, justice, goodness, and truth. His attributes cannot be separated from Him, for His attributes are Him. Furthermore, these attributes are eternal, infinite (limitless) immutable (never changing) and holy (unlike anything else), with no attribute being greater than another (They are equally perfect).

For example, the love of God is not greater than justice of God (He is equally loving, wrathful, gracious, merciful, good etc.). Deuteronomy 32:4 speaking of God, says just and righteous is He and John 4:16 says God is love, illustrating His simplicity. To conclude this, God’s attributes are the essence of who He is. You separate God’s attributes or alter them in any way, you no longer have God but a created being. In our next section we will look at the holiness of God.

]]>
The Core Tenets of the Christian Faith:

The Doctrine of God - His Being

 

What we believe about God is essential to our salvation. If one has a wrong understanding of God, they have no faith. To be saved, one must believe there is but one God, and He alone is to be worshiped. Deuteronomy 4:35 says the Lord is God, there is no other besides Him, and John 4:24 says, God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Scripture describes God as the supreme being of the universe, who has created all things, is perfect in His being and all His ways. In order to understand the being of God more fully, we will look at what many hold to as two foundational attributes of God, His Aseity and His Simplicity.

Aseity: The Aseity of God means that God is not dependent on anything or anyone outside of Himself for His existence. His self-existence and self-sufficiency are evident throughout scripture.  Genesis 1:1 reveals the eternality of God as creator of all things (God cannot create all things unless He Himself is eternal), as Moses writes, In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth. Psalm 90:2 furthers this truth, saying,  from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. Revelation 21:6 calls Him the Alpha and the Omega, and Deuteronomy 33:27 refers to Him as the Eternal God. Since He is eternal, it follows that He is self-existent. This is clearly seen in Exodus 3:14 where God reveals His name to Moses as I AM WHO I AM, meaning He is the self-existent One.

His self-existence is also shown in John 5:26, when the Apostle records, for as the Father has life in Himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. God’s self-sufficiency is expressed in Romans 11:35-36  declaring,“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?35 “for who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Verse 34 makes known that The Lord is self-counseled, for what wisdom can mere creatures offer the Lord of glory? Furthermore, we understand from this verse that all existence flows from and belongs to God, by saying for from Him and to Him are all things. In addition to this verse, Acts 17:28 reads, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Because God is self-existent, He possesses all knowledge, has all power, and is sovereign over all things. He is completely satisfied in Himself, and all of creation belongs to Him.

Simplicity: Divine Simplicity (not simplistic) deals with the very nature of God. Unlike all created beings, God is not made up of compound parts (separate parts that come together to make a whole) but is a simple being (without separate parts). First, God is a Spirit without body parts. Colossians 1:15 says that God is invisible. The bible will use phrases such as the Lord’s strong right arm, but that is known as anthropomorphic language (assigning human-like qualities to God) so that we can understand Him.

Not only is the Divine nature of God simple in that He is not a physical being, but everything about Him is simple. To illustrate this, God is not made up of love, justice, goodness, and truth (they are not different things outside of Him), but He is love, justice, goodness, and truth. His attributes cannot be separated from Him, for His attributes are Him. Furthermore, these attributes are eternal, infinite (limitless) immutable (never changing) and holy (unlike anything else), with no attribute being greater than another (They are equally perfect).

For example, the love of God is not greater than justice of God (He is equally loving, wrathful, gracious, merciful, good etc.). Deuteronomy 32:4 speaking of God, says just and righteous is He and John 4:16 says God is love, illustrating His simplicity. To conclude this, God’s attributes are the essence of who He is. You separate God’s attributes or alter them in any way, you no longer have God but a created being. In our next section we will look at the holiness of God.

]]>
The God of all Comfort https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-god-of-all-comfort https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-god-of-all-comfort#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0400 https://www.greenrunbaptist.com/elder-blog/post/the-god-of-all-comfort "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

 

This glorious passage comes from the written hand of the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, and is recorded for our good in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. As I prayed about what to write for our first Elder’s blog, I could think of no better subject than comfort. During the past year (and even further back) at Green Run,  there has been much heartache, sickness and death, with even our beloved Pastor Dave going home to be with the Lord. With seemingly overwhelming affliction, it can be tempting to lose heart. Questions such as "why Lord?" "how long?" or even, "where is God in all of this?" may come to mind. But brothers and sisters do not fret, our Lord, the one who sits on the throne, is by our side, and as Hebrews 13:5 proclaims, He will never leave us nor forsake us. God is our Father who loves us with an everlasting love. Through all the heartache and the pain, He has been with us every step of the way. Not only that, but He is using all these things for our good (Romans 8:28). Therefore, we can have joy, in spite of our circumstances.

As we examine a few truths from  this passage, I pray they bring you great comfort and joy.

What jumps out to us immediately in this text is the truth that God is our Father. What great comfort it is to know that the God of all the earth is your Father. He loves you with an everlasting love that began an eternity past, was manifested in the present through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and His love will never fade as He will bring us to future glory. Your heavenly Father loves you so much that He has adopted you and made you joint heirs with His beloved Son. The words of Romans 8:32 ring true, He who did not spare His own Son, how will He not also freely give us all things”.  And remember,  all of this we received not while loving God, but while His enemies. Which brings us to a second truth. He is a merciful Father. 

Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. As those who have broken all of His commandments, hating Him at every turn, He should have poured out His wrath on us, but so He could be both just and the justifier of those who believe, He filled His cup of wrath to the brim and His perfectly righteous Son was its recipient. This was done, so that wretched sinners such as us may be made alive in Him. This is mercy that almost should not exist, yet it does, and you, beloved, are its beneficiary. Examining God’s nature as a loving Father and one who has lavished mercy on His children, how can we not be comforted by a Father such as this. With these truths in mind, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16). With reverence, go boldly before your loving Father with every burden. 

Lastly, He is the Father of all comfort, not in some afflictions, but in every affliction. You can be assured that no matter what you are experiencing, your eternal Father is comforting you moment by moment. If you doubt this, meditate on His attributes and all that He has done for you, culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and His comfort will become more clear. Remember, God understands our affliction because He became one of us. Jesus (God in the flesh) expreciened great sorrow even to the point of death (Matthew 26:38), loneliness (Matthew 27:46), disappointment, Luke (13:34), and anything else we are suffering. Hebrews 2:17-18 tells us, Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted” And in similar vein, Hebrews 4:15-16 reminds the believer,  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” So brothers and sisters, as the Lord has comforted you in your affliction, comfort your family in Christ who are in affliction. Let us bear one another’s burdens, as we look forward to that great day, where there will be no more pain, no more suffering and no more tears. Rejoice, for an eternal weight of glory awaits us, and remember, the sufferings of this present time do not compare to the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

May we comfort one another with these words

]]>
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

 

This glorious passage comes from the written hand of the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, and is recorded for our good in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. As I prayed about what to write for our first Elder’s blog, I could think of no better subject than comfort. During the past year (and even further back) at Green Run,  there has been much heartache, sickness and death, with even our beloved Pastor Dave going home to be with the Lord. With seemingly overwhelming affliction, it can be tempting to lose heart. Questions such as "why Lord?" "how long?" or even, "where is God in all of this?" may come to mind. But brothers and sisters do not fret, our Lord, the one who sits on the throne, is by our side, and as Hebrews 13:5 proclaims, He will never leave us nor forsake us. God is our Father who loves us with an everlasting love. Through all the heartache and the pain, He has been with us every step of the way. Not only that, but He is using all these things for our good (Romans 8:28). Therefore, we can have joy, in spite of our circumstances.

As we examine a few truths from  this passage, I pray they bring you great comfort and joy.

What jumps out to us immediately in this text is the truth that God is our Father. What great comfort it is to know that the God of all the earth is your Father. He loves you with an everlasting love that began an eternity past, was manifested in the present through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and His love will never fade as He will bring us to future glory. Your heavenly Father loves you so much that He has adopted you and made you joint heirs with His beloved Son. The words of Romans 8:32 ring true, He who did not spare His own Son, how will He not also freely give us all things”.  And remember,  all of this we received not while loving God, but while His enemies. Which brings us to a second truth. He is a merciful Father. 

Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. As those who have broken all of His commandments, hating Him at every turn, He should have poured out His wrath on us, but so He could be both just and the justifier of those who believe, He filled His cup of wrath to the brim and His perfectly righteous Son was its recipient. This was done, so that wretched sinners such as us may be made alive in Him. This is mercy that almost should not exist, yet it does, and you, beloved, are its beneficiary. Examining God’s nature as a loving Father and one who has lavished mercy on His children, how can we not be comforted by a Father such as this. With these truths in mind, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16). With reverence, go boldly before your loving Father with every burden. 

Lastly, He is the Father of all comfort, not in some afflictions, but in every affliction. You can be assured that no matter what you are experiencing, your eternal Father is comforting you moment by moment. If you doubt this, meditate on His attributes and all that He has done for you, culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and His comfort will become more clear. Remember, God understands our affliction because He became one of us. Jesus (God in the flesh) expreciened great sorrow even to the point of death (Matthew 26:38), loneliness (Matthew 27:46), disappointment, Luke (13:34), and anything else we are suffering. Hebrews 2:17-18 tells us, Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted” And in similar vein, Hebrews 4:15-16 reminds the believer,  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” So brothers and sisters, as the Lord has comforted you in your affliction, comfort your family in Christ who are in affliction. Let us bear one another’s burdens, as we look forward to that great day, where there will be no more pain, no more suffering and no more tears. Rejoice, for an eternal weight of glory awaits us, and remember, the sufferings of this present time do not compare to the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

May we comfort one another with these words

]]>