Hiding From The Lord

In Genesis 3, verse 8 says, “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” Adam and Eve have fallen into sin, they are uncomfortable before each other, they have covered themselves up, ashamed of their sin, the devil had deceived them; and then they heard the sound of the Lord walking or another way to interpret the Hebrew is they heard the voice of the Lord God going forth in the garden in the wind or the cool of the day. They heard God, God was present among them, He was coming to fellowship with man, to be with man, the very presence of God. The Lord God who created them was now a threat to them. These loin coverings which in their minds could cover themselves up from being uncomfortable before each other, these won’t work with God. Not to hide the guilt and the shame and the sin for God sees all and knows all.

“They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” They hid themselves among the trees of the garden, hiding from the presence of the Lord God. They don’t hide from God behind their loin cloths, now they hide behind something a little bigger, some trees. They are hiding from the God who has created all heavens and the earth, the universe. The God who has existed from all eternity, from the smallest particles to the greatest stars; God knows all and sees all. In the time of Noah, He describes all that He sees; for He said, “every intention of the thoughts of man’s heart is evil continually.” He knows and sees not only the material physical things, but even all those things which are immaterial and spiritual; He knows every single thought and intention of every single person at all times. He is a big God, and Adam and Eve are trying to hide from Him.

You see verse 9, “Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” It isn’t as if God didn’t know, but He is speaking down to man like a baby, like a child. Picture the scene, you are playing hide and seek with your child, and they go out into the back yard to hide and they hide behind a tree, and you come out looking for them, and you can see part of the body sticking out from the tree, very easily seen. You call out “Where are you?” That’s sort of the picture here, except God already knew, He didn’t have to look at all, He is infinitely wise. What we need to see here is that Adam and Eve are trying to hide from God. That is the response of sinners to the presence of God. We hide, we want to get away. For us, that doesn’t necessarily happen with a loin covering or with a tree, but in other ways.

For the world, the scientist will look out at the creation, which declares the glory of God and His handiwork, and they attribute it against all their knowledge, against everything that tells them otherwise, even against science itself, and they say it came from a big bang. They hide behind their faulty science, which is still an unproven theory. They hide behind a false theory. What about celebrities, they hide their sin and the truth about themselves behind their success. That despite many moral failures, no one really cares, and they have an easy life because they are a famous actress, musician, businessman, or politician. Hide behind success of a job, possessions, a good position. There are those who hide behind morality. I’m a good person, I am clean, I don’t use bad words, I live a good life, I keep my promises, I go to church, I volunteer at church at a food pantry or homeless shelter, I do good to those around me, my neighbors.

Hiding behind one’s morality. Hiding behind lies, lies about God that He is a God of love and when I mess up and sin, everything is fine, He is Love, there is no punishment for sins. Hiding in church. Hiding behind this crazy notion that if I go to church, then God will be pleased with me, and everything will be alright. That would be a hiding from reality of who God really is. Some know who God is moreso then these people, and so they hide from worship. That’s why we have Hebrews 10, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another (to meet together), and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” We hide from worship, but also we Hide in worship, when we are hearing the preaching of the Word sometimes and it makes us uncomfortable (because God has pointed out our sin), and so you hide behind others.

You think to yourself, my wife, my kids, my husband or that family over there, they really need to hear this don’t they. You hide behind each other, when you should be concerned with your own soul and life. In many of thousands upon thousands of ways we hide from the Lord God. Where are you hiding from the Lord God? Those times in worship, when we hear the voice of the Lord going forth (just like in verse 8), His Word comes and pierces you in your soul and spirit, joints and marrow, His Word discerns the thoughts and intentions of your heart. You can’t hide from Him. No one can, not even the once perfect creatures Adam and Eve, they couldn’t hide from Him. God comes knowing who they are, where they’re from, what they’ve done; all the secrets are laid before the Lord and they want to hide. Before the Lord, our sin is unbearable.

The most popular passage that should come to our minds perhaps when thinking of this is Isaiah before the Lord, “Woe is me! For I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” There is great distress, increasing grief and regret over sin. He says literally, I am cut off, I am as good as dead. Why? Because he knew in that moment that God knew every single little spec about him, not just his body but even his thoughts and intentions of his heart God knowing your thoughts and intentions of your heart, think about that, and you’ll realize that Sin Makes the Presence of God Unbearable. Yet, notice that when comes to you, that He comes as a Savior speaking. He presents Himself, who was slain for His people, in their presence. And they don’t die immediately, the mercy and grace of God shine here.

They are not immediately judged to physical death, He gives them time. Time to hear the Gospel in verse 15, time to turn back to Him through His Son. But there is more mercy and grace He speaks not just words of judgment, but at least to Adam and Eve here in verses 7-13, He doesn’t come with the curses that He brings to the devil in verses 14 and 15. He comes and speaks with searching questions? He asks questions, and while Adam tries to hide behind Eve, and Eve tries to hide behind the devil; God is being gracious and merciful. When the Lord brings the Word through His servant, your elder(s), how do you hide? When He is speaking words of mercy and grace to you, where are you hiding from Him? Stop hiding, and turn to Jesus for salvation, for cleansing of sin, so you can go before the presence of God with boldness and confidence, before His very throne. Where and how are you hiding from Him?

The Problem with Pietism

It commends a half-religion, which is another name for idolatry and paganism
The big problem with pietism is simply that it is only a half-faith. It tries to receive God's promises as from the Almighty, and yet it does not receive God's commands as from the Almighty.

So pietism is a half-faith in a half-God that leads to a half-Christian life. The problem with that is that the Bible tells us that half-faith is false religion, and that a half-God is actually and idolatrous caricature and not the true and living God, and half-obedience is disobedience.

It contradicts the most basic Scriptural teaching about the Christian life
When we learn that 1Cor 10:31 intentionally uses the most mundane things--eating and drinking--to instruct us in what the divinely blessed life is, then we are prepared to brush teeth, sweep floors, and yes proclaim the gospel and sing praise... all to the glory of God.

It contradicts the most basic elements of what we confess Scripture to teach
Our catechism's first question and answer encapsulate this well: the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is not just our "primary purpose" as some contemporary wordings have tried to say it. It is the "controlling purpose"--the chief that commands the purpose--in absolutely everything that we do.

So, God has not given us a single thing to do, except that it must be done unto His glory. And, God has not given us a single thing to do, except that we must do it in enjoyment of Him.

It confuses poor theology students into downplaying the importance of exercises of piety
Now, please be cautious. Do not throw out biblical piety--and a strong devotion to the exercises of piety--as you reject an unbiblical pietism. There is hardly anything that God commands more than the exercises of piety. The first four commandments--and especially the first and the fourth--strongly stress this piety.

Communion with God continually and daily and weekly, in the assembly and family and privately, are everywhere commanded in the Bible. If these are not the life-breath of our existence, and the hinges upon which our days and weeks and lives turn, then we shall not be pious in any activity whatsoever.

Practical New Age Pastoral Theology

Here is your example of New Age, Postmodern theology worked out in real life for real people.  It gives no answers and leaves people with uncertainty and no hope for the future. This type of theology is wrong not only for those reasons, but because it plainly is not true.  But God is true, Jesus is true, and true answers come from His Word, the living breathed out Word, found in the Bible.  The answer for this man is to come to Jesus and be forgiven.  Atonement is possible.  Jesus forgives!  Jesus saves! Jesus gives rest for the weary! 

A Lazy Minister! - Spurgeon

"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care . . . not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock!" 1 Peter 5:2-3

We preachers must be examples to the flock. He who cannot be safely imitated, ought not to be tolerated in a pulpit!

Did I hear of a minister who was always striving for pre-eminence? Or of another who was covetous? Or of a third whose life was not always chaste? Or of a fourth who did not rise, as a rule, until eleven o'clock in the morning?

I would hope that this last rumor was altogether false. An idle minister! What will become of him? Does he expect to go to heaven? I was about to say, "If he does go there at all--may it be soon!" A lazy minister is a creature despised by men--and abhorred by God!

I said to a farmer, "You pay your minister such a small amount! Why, the poor man cannot live on it!" His answer was, "Look here, sir! I will tell you the truth--we give him a good deal more than he earns!"

It is a sad pity when that can be said; it is an injury to all those who follow our sacred calling. We are to be examples to our flock in all things. We are to excel . . .

in all diligence,

in all gentleness,

in all humility, and

in all holiness.

Heidelberg Catechism Question 1

1. What is your only comfort in life and in death? 

 

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto Him.

The Only Effectual Reformer Of The World

If you are a Pastor, in all your comforting, exhorting, preaching, rebuking, in all that you do, all will be in vain without this One.  If you are a parent, all your love, discipline, provision, protection, in all that you do, all will be in vain without this One.  If you are a worker of any kind, all your labor and all your conversations, all will be in vain without this One.  If you are a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, all your service, all your giving, all your good works, in all that you do, all will be vain without this One.  Listen to what Samuel Davies tells us:

"When He comes--He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment!" John 16:8

The Holy Spirit is the only effectual reformer of the world! If He is absent--
  legislators may make laws against crime;
  philosophers may reason against vice;
  ministers may preach against sin;
  conscience may remonstrate against evil;
  the divine law may prescribe, and threaten hell;
  the gospel may invite and allure to heaven;
but all will be in vain!

The strongest arguments, the most melting entreaties, the most alarming denunciations from God and man, enforced with the highest authority, or the most compassionate tears--all will have no effect--all will not effectually reclaim one sinner, nor gain one sincere convert to righteousness!

Paul, Apollos, and Peter, with all their apostolic abilities, can do nothing, without the Holy Spirit. Paul may plant the seed--and Apollos may water it; but God alone can make it grow! "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything--but only God, who makes things grow!" 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7.

Never will peace and harmony be established in this jangling world--until this Divine Agent takes the work in hand.

It is He alone--who can melt down the obstinate hearts of men into love and peace!

It is He alone--who can soften their rugged and savage tempers, and transform them into mutual benevolence!

It is He alone--who can quench those lusts that set the world on fire, and implant the opposite virtues and graces. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are mentioned by Paul, as the fruit of the Spirit, because the Spirit alone is the author of them. And if these dispositions were predominant in the world--what a serene, calm, peaceful region would it be, undisturbed with the hurricanes of human passions!

Oh, how much do we need the influence of the blessed Spirit . . .
  to break the heart of stone,
  to enlighten the dark mind, and
  to comfort the desponding soul!

The PCA: The Offices of the Church and Women

I love my wife.  For almost four years now we have been married and every year our marriage, by God's grace, has gotten better and better.  She is most important to me save the Lord.  I am thankful that Adam saw amongst all the creatures no good match for himself and God made woman.  Women were created for a very great purpose, to show forth the glory of God through their beauty and love.  In general, their caring motherly nature linked with their gentleness is a blessing.  Now, I could go on and on about how great God has made women and how each man deserves not a wife due to his own wretchedness.  But I come at the topic in the title from this angle because I don't want you to think that I am a chauvinist pig.  Sure, in my sin, I have a tendency to be that because I hate the egalitarianism of the world.  Any man's natural tendency is to go too far to contradict a problem he sees.  Mine is to go too close and into chauvinism, but this doesn't detract from the truth for man is not the determiner of what is true, God alone is.  At the same time, I love my wife and she has a great purpose in this life, to live for the glory of God.  

Concerning her and all other women, God has made very clear that she is not to hold any office in the Church of Jesus Christ.  That's what Scripture says and at the institution of the offices men were appointed even in the times we would think women were needed (see Acts 6:1-6).  In the Presbyterian Church in America, our Constitution, which is made up of our Book of Church Order and the Westminster Standards, is clear that men only are to hold the offices in Christ's Church.  Rightly, they line squarely up with what Scripture says.

In the PCA, every single elder and deacon must take the following vows:

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?
2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures; and do you further promise that if at any time you find yourself out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine, you will, on your own initiative, make known to your Session the change which has taken place in your views since the assumption of this ordination vow?
3. Do you approve of the form of government and discipline of the Presbyterian Church in America, in conformity with the general principles of biblical polity?
4. Do you accept the office of ruling elder (or deacon, as the case may be) in this church, and promise faithfully to perform all the duties thereof, and to endeavor by the grace of God to adorn the profession of the Gospel in your life, and to set a worthy example before the Church of which God has made you an officer?
5. Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord?
6. Do you promise to strive for the purity, peace, unity and edification of the Church?

I have taken these vows and I have broken these vows.  I hold to all of them including vow #1, but Lord help my unbelief every time I sin.  I hold to vow #4, but I have not faithfully performed the duties, I am a sinner.  Praise the Lord for Jesus Christ and His imputed righteousness.  Have I adorned my life with the Gospel?  No, but I do in Christ.  Have I set a worthy example?  I hope some in Christ, but no not perfectly or faithfully.  I could go on, but I digress.  The point is here, though I fail in keeping these vows (and my marriage vows for that matter), Christ's righteousness still covers my sin.  But what if I were to take these vows, but not actually hold to them.  What if I took vow #3, but continually practiced those things which are contrary to the form of government found in the Book of Church Order in the PCA and I had been confronted about it time and time again and done nothing to change my practice?  Assume I had taken a vow to set a worthy example before the Church, promised to be subject to the brethren, and to strive for the purity, peace, unity and edification of the Church.  Yet in one or more areas I led my congregation in its practice to do those things which were clearly contrary to the Scriptures and the Book of Church Order, thereby not adhering to vows #4-6.

Maybe I should put it in a more practical light for everyone out there.  Suppose you as a parent, led your children into sin.  The Bible clearly says that children are to honor their parents (fifth commandment) and to obey their parents, yet when they clearly disobey you sit there and do nothing.  Or when Scripture commands that you raise your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and daily you do not open up the Scriptures to them, but instead you read 'bedtime stories'.  Or where the law of God clearly states that you shouldn't lie (ninth commandment) but you get your children to tell 'white lies' when you are in other people's company to make your family look better before others.  It is hypocrisy and sin.  And I believe it is the same thing that happens in the PCA, in our congregations.

Back on the main topic.  Scripture and our Constitution say that women are not to hold any office in Christ's Church.  They are vital to the health and well-being of the Church and I greatly appreciate their work and service when it is given and it should be given, but not as officers because God says so.  Yet, in our midst, leaders are leading their flocks down that dangerous road of rebelling against the Lord and (if that isn't good enough) not subjecting themselves to the brethren and to the government they vowed to uphold.  What message does this send to our people, to their people?  Take for instance this church in Rye, New York, which goes by the name of Trinity Presbyterian Church.  If we look on their Staff and Leadership page, we notice the list of deacons,

David August, Sean Boyd, Linda Cariri, K.C. Choi, John Eddy (in seminary), Denise George, Graham Henry, Angela Landess, Matt Landess, John Patitucci, Ken Sax, John Talbert

Now I have nothing personal against any one of the ladies I have highlighted from this list, this is public information that there are women who serve on the board of deacons at this church.  If this were the PCUSA, then at least they would have a system of government to support them, but this is the PCA.  Women shouldn't be on the diaconate according to our system of government (not to mention because of what God says).  Please don't get the impression either that this is just out of ignorance.  It is publicly clear that this church's Pastor, Craig Higgins, is promoting this view in his church and in their presbytery (Metro New York Presbytery).  The Bayly Brothers covered this back in November in this post.  There you see that a two page letter was given to the Presbytery to be voted on called A Proposal to the Metropolitan New York Presbytery Regarding Women in the Diaconal Ministry.  The authors were Craig Higgins and  Matt Brown (Park Slope Presbyterian Church) and supporting the letter were men Tim Keller (Redeemer NYC), Mark Reynolds (Redeemer NYC), Stephen Ro (Living Faith Community Church), Randy Lovelace (Redeemer Montclair), Vito Aiuto (Resurrection Presbyterian Church), Chris Hildebrand (Resurrection Presbyterian Church), Jamison Galt (Park Slope Presbyterian Church), John Sweet (Flatbush Community Church), and Trinity's associate Pastor Craig Chapman.

Is Higgins alone?  No, just on the church websites that show who is on their board of deacons, Redeemer Montclair (Randy Lovelace's church) shows the following:

Elders: William Arnold, Sean Bailey, Abraham Houng, Dennis Martenz, Leonard Noll
Deacons: Ming Chang, Jason LaValley, Sal Perednia, Todd Reilly
Deaconess: Eva Perednia

In case that isn't clear enough for you, Living Faith Community Church (Stephen Ro's church), and I have bolded the one's I believe are females.  Please forgive my not knowing the gender of names in the Korean language, so if I have made a mistake please let me know. 

Becky Lee, Grace Jang, Gary Fong, Judy Cho, BJ Sung, Sarah Liu, Henna Choi, Wing Lee, Stephen Au, Ali Hasan, Carol Chou, Gloria Choi, Alan Cheng, Curtis Xia, Matt Suhu

And of course, Redeemer NYC (Tim Keller and Mark Reynolds' church) you can see here and here.  On top of this, some of you may remember the 'incident' where a Pastor of Redeemer NYC 'ordained' deaconesses.  The video you can find below, and an explanation from Tim Keller and the man speaking in the video himself.

If you were the Elders of these churches, what message are you sending to your congregation and to the sheep who look up to you?  If you are a member of a PCA church or an officer of the PCA, what message does this send to you?