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.

On Reconstructing Antinomianism

An Accusation and a Response

Over at the "gospel" coalition, Tullian Tchividjian has written an article called "Deconstructing Moralism." It is the latest salvo in a series of attacks that basically communicate that those who preach the law just don't get grace. This is an astounding accusation, and you can read my comment on that blog post to see my response to it.

Confusing Rhetoric, with Real-Life Consequences

Having responded there to that accusation, I hope to borrow your eyes and mind for a few moments to consider the danger of the theology behind the accusation. I know of at least two truly converted believers who came under such preaching and learned to call themselves "legalists" and tried to "repent" of loving God's law, thinking much about it, or trying hard to keep it. One of them has escaped. The other continues under that preaching and is sadly confused. This is one of the reasons why the Bible pronounces woe upon them who say that what is good is really evil.

A Question of Trusting God

May the Lord grant to us to trust that His law is good, just as is His gospel, and that He uses both.

The law cannot save, and it cannot power sanctification. But it is a false pragmatism to say that since it can do neither of these things, we should be careful not to give it much place in our preaching. God certainly gives it much place in His Word!

Demonstrating that Trusting Our Own Wisdom Doesn't Work

A little reflection will demonstrate that it is pragmatically suicidal to try to preach only gospel and not law:

One of the main problems with the new antinomianism is that genuinely converted Christians don't to know what to do with themselves under such preaching. They hear from the pulpit that thinking upon the law is useless or even dangerous, and that we should just trust that thinking upon the gospel will accomplish everything by itself.

But they find that it is true that it is no longer they who live but Christ who lives in them, and that this Christ, who now lives in them, loves the law--loves to keep it. He loves to exert Himself (and to exert ourselves as His own body) in keeping it. He loves to meditate upon it. He wrote Psalm 119, and He meant it. And now He has written it on believers' hearts.

And of course, the truly unconverted person cannot repent and believe for salvation, if he knows not from what he is repenting, or from what to be saved by believing.

The Conclusion: May God Grant to His Servants to Trust Him and to Preach His Whole Word

So, neither the truly unconverted person nor the truly converted person is really served well by law-less preaching. God's law is marvelously designed to address both. Without the gospel, it can serve neither very well.

But without the law, neither can the gospel.

Let us trust God, when He says that the law is good (night just right, but good).

O for grace to trust Him more!

Such Lessons

"Blessed is the man you chasten, O Lord--the man You teach from your law." Psalm 94:12

All the chastening in the world, without divine teaching--will never make a man blessed. That man who finds correction attended with instruction, and lashing with lessoning--is a happy man.

If God, by the affliction which is upon you, shall teach you:
  how to loathe sin more, and
  how to trample upon the world more, and
  how to walk with God more
--then your afflictions are blessed.

If God shall teach you by afflictions:
  how to die to sin more, and
  how to die to your relations more,
  and how to die to your self more
--then your afflictions are blessed.

If God shall teach you by afflictions:
  how to live to Christ more,
  how to lift up Christ more, and
  how to long for Christ more
--then your afflictions are blessed.

If God shall teach you by afflictions:
  how to mind heaven more,
  how to live in heaven more, and
  how to be fit for heaven more
--then your afflictions are blessed. 

If God by afflictions shall teach:
  your proud heart how to lie more low,
  your hard heart how to grow more tender,
  your censorious heart how to grow more kind,
  your carnal heart how to grow more spiritual,
  your froward heart how to grow more quiet
--then your afflictions are blessed. 

When God teaches your thoughts as well as your brains, your heart as well as your head, any of these lessons--then your afflictions are blessed.

Where God loves--He afflicts in love. And wherever God afflicts in love, there He will, sooner or later, teach His people such lessons as shall do them good to all eternity!

~Thomas Brooks

Loving the Unrepentant

Christians often believe that God has called them to forgive everyone who sins against them, regardless of their repentance. In fact, God never commands us to do such a thing, and God Himself is our example in this regard. God only forgives those with a repentant heart. How then can we love our enemies? How can we love the unrepentant? Let’s begin with the example of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Luke 23:34, Christ prayed for His killers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” There are several possible ways to interpret these words. Perhaps Jesus was merely asking the Father to withhold His hand from destroying them immediately, since their crucifixion of the Lord of Glory was done in ignorance (1 Cor. 2:7-8). Perhaps Jesus is speaking of actual forgiveness of their sins. If so, then perhaps Jesus is praying generally and conditionally for all, similar to His request in the Garden of Gethsemane that “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” He may be saying, in effect “forgive them, but not My will but Yours be done.” Or perhaps Jesus knows that some of those participating in His execution are elect: those for whom He is currently dying. In this case, He would be praying on the basis of the atonement that He is accomplishing at that very moment, that those elect would not be damned. While commentators may disagree on the best option, we can say that any of these three options are plausible, biblical interpretations.

Matthew Henry says concerning Luke 23:34, “This is written also for example to us. First, we must in prayer call God Father, and come to him with reverence and confidence, as children to a father. Secondly, the great thing we must beg of God, both for ourselves and others, is the forgiveness of sins. Thirdly, we must pray for our enemies, and those that hate and persecute us, must extenuate their offences, and not aggravate them as we must our own (They know not what they do; peradventure it was an oversight); and we must be earnest with God in prayer for the forgiveness of their sins, their sins against us. This is Christ's example to his own rule (“Love your enemies,” Mat. 5:44-45); and it very much strengthens the rule, for, if Christ loved and prayed for such enemies, what enemies can we have that we are not obliged to love and pray for?”

When Stephen is put to death in Acts 7 he prays something very similar to Jesus in Luke 23:34, “He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’” As Jesus did, so Stephen prayed for his enemies, even at the point of them putting Stephen to death. This too sets forth a great example that we ought to pray for those who persecute us. His prayer preaches. It shows those who heard the prayer their sin and need of divine mercy and grace. His prayer shows charity to his killers; that he desired not their destruction but their salvation. We could think of Paul in Romans 9:3 as well, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” Paul’s love for his Israelite brothers is bold and self-denying. His longing desire is for their salvation, even if it would mean being accursed, himself, if possible. Likewise Paul says in Romans 10:1, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”

Luke 17:3-4 says, “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” There is the simple statement that the Christian forgives those who repent, just as the Lord forgives those who turn from their sin and turn to Him. Does that mean that a Christian can hold a grudge, hate the offender, since they haven’t explicitly repented of their sin? Does God allow Christians to hate unrepentant sinners? The above examples should be sufficient to show that the answer to both of those questions is an emphatic “No!” Luke 6:35 states (just to be clear), “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” God is kind to those who are ungrateful and evil. As God’s own people, Christians are a prime example of that. Christian, you were once separated from God, dead in your trespasses and sins. You were evil. And as God showed mercy to you so you ought to show mercy to others (Matthew 18:21-35). We ought to love the unrepentant. Yet, loving the unrepentant sinner is not the same as forgiving him.

What about the one who professes faith in Christ but is unrepentant? It looks much like Galatians 6:1-2, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” More specifically, it looks like Matthew 18:15-18, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” How do you show this love? First, you seek to restore them by the Word of God, admonishing them with the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If they remain unrepentant through the process of Matthew 18:15ff, then eventually the elders will excommunicate them. Only then should they be treated “as a Gentile and a tax collector”.

As we have seen in our examples of Jesus, Stephen, and Paul, they loved the unrepentant through prayer to the Father: that He would not destroy them, but that they might be saved, if it be the Lord’s will. This is a prayer that those elect would not be damned. They loved the unrepentant by begging God through prayer for Him to forgive the unrepentant of their sins. Thus, they prayed that their enemies who persecuted them would see their sin and repent. Just as Christ loved and prayed for His enemies in this way, so we too must love and pray for our enemies. As Stephen prayed with loud cries before his enemies we too must pray before our enemies pleading that they would see their sin, their need of divine mercy and grace, and for God to save them.

Anthony Blood, Abortion Blood, Abel's Blood, and Another Blood

Are you outraged at the Casey Anthony case? Horrified that we live in a culture where a dad couldn't have gotten away with that, but where we've accepted to an extent that mothers' murdering their children is understandable?

That great ancient dragon (Rev 12) failed, to his utter demise, to catch the only baby that ultimately mattered to him; and, in the fury of his vengeance he is no longer content to wait until they escape the womb--and many who profess Christ are defenders, advocates, accomplices, and perpetrators of this the most Satanic of works. Are we not obligated to employ all lawful means to defend these innocents?

The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavors, to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any; by just defense thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit; a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behavior; forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succoring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent. (WLC 135)

As taught throughout the Scriptures, the culpability and heinousness of the sin actually increases with the helplessness or voicelessness of the victim. Abortion is not merely the same thing as Casey Anthony. It is much, much worse. More culpable. More heinous. And more hideously crying out for and calling down of infinite wrath from God, whose white-hot holiness will wreak a continuous vengeance not merely once upon a nation in time, nor in the case of guilty individuals for a few decades, but forever and ever to unending ages with an ever-increasing acuteness and pervasiveness (2Th 1:9 n.b. 'away from' in ESV and NASB is a theologically inaccurate and exegetically unnecessary interpolation).

Now--for those of you who are implicated in this, and that would be almost every last reader of this post, please read also the only hope that is extended to you.

Although the blood of Abel--indeed hundreds of millions of Abels worldwide--cries out in perfect prosecution against our crimes, the blood of Jesus Christ cries better (Heb 12:24). Jesus Christ alone, in the history of our kind, has been innocent of blood (Rom 3:10-26). And yet in one afternoon He endured the fullness of that eternal wrath, multiplied by a multitude beyond counting of those who would believe.

It is an astonishing mystery that He who had perfect rest and delight in His Father would be seized with horror not only in the moment when He cried "My God, My God" but even prospectively, when He cried, "Father... take this cup"! The ever-blessed One, fallen to His knees, sweating as if great drops of blood, crying in anguish that He would be spared, and yet resolutely committing Himself unto whatever His Father willed Him to do (Luk 22:41-44).

He alone had no blood upon His hands. And His blood alone can cleanse your bloody hands. With Jesus, there is forgiveness with Jesus. Yea, glory of glories, with Jesus, there is even repentance. With Jesus, there is holiness. With Jesus, there is useful service unto God even now. With Jesus, there is perfect holiness and perfect happiness forever and ever to unending ages.

Thoughts on General Assemblies

I love General Assembly and Presbytery meetings for that matter.  Why?  Because I am a church polity nut and enjoy learning more and more about parliamentary procedure.  However, I have come to the realization that the Church does not stand or fall on the PCA Book of Church Order (BOC) nor on Parliamentary Procedure.  I'm happy about this because both the PCA BOC and Parliamentary Procedure (Robert's Rules) are flawed.  I'm happy because my Savior is not flawed, He is perfect in every way.  No man made books rule the Church, nor a pope of Rome.  The Head of the Church is Jesus Christ, as King, He rules.  Because King Jesus rules the Church, the gates of Hades cannot overcome or destroy it.   Praise the Lord, that despite sinners and under-shepherds, Jesus Christ will always be Head of the Church and therefore its (the Church) future is glorious! 

Creation vs. Evolution

Recently, as I started out in my new Pastorate, I began the morning sermon series in Genesis.  I have never preached through Genesis, but like most Pastors the desire was there.  What better way to start out a ministry than to begin in the beginning.  I am just now coming to the end of Genesis 1 after two months of searching the riches of the power of God through His spoken Word in this first book of Scripture.  In the midst, I had the daunting task of addressing the topic of evolution.  Rather, God Himself in His own Word rebukes evolution.  I was surprised at how much God actually answers and makes clear those questions we all have being in a society that begs us to question God's creation work.  His Word truly is sufficient.  There was one book that helped me a long greatly to see this, showing how God addresses evolution from His Word.  That book was Doug Kelly's Creation and Change: Genesis 1.1 -2.4 In the Light of Changing Scientific Paradigms.  I recommend it to you for your benefit and growth for the securing and defending of your faith.

The Garment Which The Savior Always Wore" by James Smith

HUMILITY is a most precious grace--it is filled with beauty, loveliness, and glory. This is the garment which the Savior always wore. This is the grace which gave such a charm to all that He did and said. It is one of our best garments, and without it the soul is generally naked. "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another." 1 Peter 5:5.

For lack of humility--the Church is rent and torn with divisions. For lack of humility--believers bring many trials and crosses on themselves, and sow the bitter seeds of trouble and remorse.

If I were truly humble, I must be happy, for it is with such Jehovah dwells: "For this is what the high and lofty One says--He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and humble in spirit." Isaiah 57:15. To such He looks with esteem, love, and delight: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My Word." Isaiah 66:2.

"I hate pride and arrogance!" Proverbs 8:13. Pride is . . .
most loathsome to God,
injurious to men, and
a stronghold of Satan within us.

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble!" James 4:6. He keeps the proud at a distance, and will not allow them to approach him: "Though the Lord is great, He cares for the humble--but He keeps His distance from the proud!" Psalm 138:6. He threatens them with everlasting destruction. "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished!" Proverbs 16:5

Lord, give me true humility, and let me be clothed with it from day to day!

To the Person Who Keyed My Car During Tulip Festival

You couldn't have been more wasteful with your energy. And not just because it's a 23 year old rust bucket whose appearance was almost improved by your caper. But because there is probably no one who cares less. It could have been the almost new, very nice SUV, and it wouldn't have mattered.

Because the Lord actively sees to all of my needs in every moment. Because my treasure is where rust cannot destroy and thief cannot steal. Because that car is reserved for fire anyway, and the Lord is about to burn it up.

I doubt that I'll need a vehicle in glory. What I will be has not yet appeared, but I know that when Jesus appears, I will be like Him, because I will see Him as He is. God is preparing for me an imperishable body, because the new earth in which I am going to live is of a substance so foreign to me now that I am literally unable to inherit it in my current body. That body, since it will be like unto Christ's resurrection body, will be able to move through walls and to immediately transport from one place to another.

Even if I do get a vehicle, it is likely to be one of those cherubim-powered, spirit-steered, instant-motion-in-all-three-physical-dimensions vehicles like what we see in Ezekiel. So, I won't be needing my Honda much longer, and there's nothing you can do to deny me it, if God Most High intends to preserve it to me. I'm sorry that you wasted your time. You should also know that vengeance is God's.

I do hope that you will repent of this, and all your other sins, and that you will be found in Christ upon the Great Day. He will be Judge, Jury, and Executioner, then. And He doesn't take kindly to attacks upon His beloved ones. So, be one of those beloved ones; for, He came the first time not to judge but to give Himself as a ransom, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

For further reading: Matthew 5-7; 1John 1-3; 2Peter 3; 1Corinthians 15; Ezekiel 1,10;  John 3