You Are Never Too Old, Nor Is It Ever Too Late, To Change

The old saying "you can't teach old dogs new tricks"--though possibly challenged as to its veracity by The Dog Whisperer--is a common assumption by most. Many feel that the older a person becomes, the less likely he will ever change. Cynicism only deepens when an older person faces imminent death and "comes to Christ." Many Christians feel that "jailhouse" or "fox-hole" conversions can't be real. Professed changes of character late in life, or minutes from death, seem to create cynicism.

But we who believe that the grace of God is often given in different seasons of life point to "the thief on the cross." Just hours before his death, he was converted to faith in Christ. However, even we who believe it's never too late to change don't fully understand the dramatic change that occurred in the thief within the last few hours of his death. We often point out that of the two thieves crucified beside Christ, one mocked Him and was condemned, and the other one believed on Him and was taken to paradise upon death. But we don't see how bad off both were in the last hours of their lives.

When both thieves were initially hung on the crosses beside Christ, BOTH mocked him. Mark 15:32 --

"And they that were crucified with him reviled him"

Something happened to one of the thieves. He who had mocked Christ at the 9:00 a.m. hour (Mark 15:32) came to the place by the afternoon where he rebuked the other thief for his mocking of Christ, saying:

Do you not fear God, seeing that you are experiencing the same condemnation? And we deserve our sentence of condemnation, a just punishment for our actions. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he turned to Jesus and said, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

The story of the TWO thieves on the cross, who both mocked Christ at the beginning of the crucifixion, is testimony to us all that one is never too old, nor is it ever too late, to change.

In His Grace,

Wade

Walking Worthy: Graced People Live Gracious Lives

The Royal Law of Christ is to love one another as He loves us (John 13:34). The apostles wrote to followers of Christ to help us understand what a life characterized by agape love looks like. The Apostle Paul writes the first half of a letter (such as Romans, Ephesians, Galations, etc...) to help us comprehend God's incredible love for us, and then he uses the last half of the same letter to give specific steps on how we can love others like Christ has loved us. Through Paul's writings we better understand the vertical love we receive, as well as the horizontal love we give--fulfilling both elements of the Royal Law of Christ (Christ's love for us and our love for others). For preachers who do not see the significance of the Royal Law of love, there is the potentential to misinterpret certain New Testament passages, and as a result, burden hearers with unnecessary laws and expectations. For example, read the following verse from Paul's pen, translated in the King James Version:

Ephesians 4:1 -- I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called ...

Most Southern Baptists will hear preachers wax eloquent about what it means to "walk worthy." Usually it is interpreted to mean that Christians are to have quiet times, read the Bible diligently, attend church regularly, tithe, share your faith, live "godly" lives, and do all things for Christ really well. In other words, to "walk worthy" is interpreted to mean DOING well the things a Christian is supposed to DO in terms of religious activities. But is that what "walking worthy" as a Christian really means?

No, it is not. Paul uses the Greek axios, which is translated "worthy" in this passage, but translated "consistent" or "as becometh" in other New Testament passages. For example, in Philippians 1:27 Paul writes "Only let your conversation be as it becometh (axios) the gospel of Christ." Axios is the Greek word from which we get the English word "axiom" or "axiomatic." An axiom is something "that is widely accepted on its own merits." What Paul is saying is clear: I beg you--live the kind of life and be the kind of person that when someone observes you there is no doubt that the calling of God is on your life.

Take a look again at Ephesians 4:1 ---

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called ...

Anytime you see the word "therefore" in Scripture you should ask "what is it there for?" Therefore is a connecting word, and you will never understand what follows the word until you know what was written before it. In the first three chapters of Ephesians Paul has been describing God's effectual call of us. What is true about a our salvation? Well, if one reads Paul's words in the first three chapters, one learns that God's calling of sinners is all of grace! God loved us when we were unlovely, died for us while we were His enemies, and effectually calls and regenerates us when we had no desire for Him. His call is pure, unmerited grace. After describing this gracious call of God, making his customary transition to articulate how we are to live in relation to others by writing :

"Let your life be as gracious as the gracious call which you have received" (Ephesians 4:1).

A Christian without graciousness may very well be a person without grace. One may declare he is a Christian, or one may profess before the world that Christ is His Lord, and not know Him as Lord and Savior. The axiom that Christ has saved us is lifestyle that is consistent with His calling of grace. We, too, are gracious people. We are different from the world. To put it simply: Graced people live gracious lives. If you cannot be gracious to people, then more than likely God has not been gracious to you.

Paul describes gracious living in the next few verses of Ephesians 4. Graced people "endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit" "Endeavor" could be translated "working hard," Notice, Christians are not called to create this unity, but to maintain it. Paul goes on to reveal five characteristics of a gracious Christian who endeavors to keep the unity of the Spirit:

(1). There is humility --- translated "lowliness" in the King James Version. Humility is the ability to be honest with oneself and about oneself. A humble person does not try to keep people from revealing his weaknesses, but is at the forefront of acknowledging his own faults and frailties.
(2). There is meekness --- could be translated "controlled strength." A meek person is one who has power under control. There is never any "exerting power" or "grasping authority," but rather, a spirit of servanthood toward people. Show me a pastor who is kind to the custodians, I will show you a pastor who isn't exerting authority.
(3). There is longsuffering --- could be translated "patient." This literally means a Christian should be willing to suffer long and be patient with others, in a manner similar to Christ's longsuffering for us.
(4). There is forbearance --- which means the willingness to "bear up" one another. When another Christian struggles we shoulder a burden for him .
(5). There is love --- the willingness to meet the needs of those around us with the kind of spirit that Paul describes in I Corinthians 13.

This is what it means to "walk worthy of your calling." God called you by His grace, and now you live consistent with your calling of grace. You live a gracious life. To be gracious does not mean you refuse to confront. You confront like Christ's confronts. You love like Christ loves. You care like Christ cares. You live unselfishly like Christ lives unselfishly. Your life, when observed, is an axiom of the truth of God's grace through Christ.

People see Christ in your life as much as your words.

In His Grace,

Wade

The Reign of God in the Rain of Eyes: The Movement of God in the Midst of Our Tears

I am rapidly moving toward the conclusion of our I John series in the Sunday morning worship services at Emmanuel. I am currently working on a new Sunday Morning series entitled The Reign of God in the Rain of Eyes: The Movement of God in the Midst of Our Tears. Scientists can tell us the physiology of tears, but little is known about the spirituality behind our tears. It's interesting to note that no other creature in God's universe sheds tears - only humans. It is my intention to show through this new series that this "singular pecularity of humans," as Freud called it, is in reality closely connected to a movement of God in the soul.

A poet once wrote "The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears," and the Bible seems to posit similar thoughts. There are 697 places in our Bible where the tears, weeping, and crying of people are mentioned, and in almost every single case there is a movement of God associated with the tears.

The series will begin in the middle of August, and if any of Grace and Truth readers have thoughts, anecdotes or comments about human tears, feel free to offer them! It could very well show up in the new series - with credit of course!

Blessings,

Wade

Kudos to Tenured Expositional Pastors/Teachers

In our day of McDonald's, USA Today, YouTube videos, and instant text messaging, the art of solid, expositional teaching from the pulpit is often neglected. Many Christians seem to desire short, easy listening,"relevant" teaching, and many pastors are giving in to the wants of the congregation. But sometimes our wants are not necessarily our needs. I'm not saying there are not those occasions that serendipitous or "how to" messages are never appropriate - they are. But it seems to me that the pastor who uses them ought to dispense them like parents would candy to their kids.

One of the advantages of a pastor moving from church to church, or becoming an itinerant evangelist, is that he can preach the same message over and over again. Whereas, the pastor/teacher who stays for a long period of time with the same congregation must maintain a consistent diet of fresh expositional teaching.

We have a various interesting journal entry in the diary of Benjamin Franklin regarding the preaching of itinerant evangelist George Whitefield. Franklin was an unbeliever, but he considered Whitefield a friend. Read carefully this 1740 evaluation of Whitefield's preaching by Benjamin Franklin:

"He had a loud and clear voice, and articulated his words so perfectly that he might be heard and understood at a great distance, especially as his auditories observed the most perfect silence . . . By hearing him often, I came to distinguish easily between sermons newly composed and those which he had often preached in the course of his travels. His delivery of the latter was so improved by frequent repetition, that every accent, every emphasis, every modulation of the voice, was so perfectly well turned and well placed, that, without being interested in the subject, one could not help being pleased with the discourse."

(Cited in Edwin S. Gaustad, The Great Awakening in New England, p. 29).

One of the more difficult challenges for the preacher of the Word of God, even George Whitefield, is to give fresh, "newly composed" sermons with clarity, unction and power. Itinerant evangelism and easy listening messages have their place, but a round of applause should be given to those tenured pastors (i.e. Gill, Keach, Lloyd-Jones, MacArthur, Piper, etc.) who have made - or make it - a practice to expositionally teach the Word of God to the same congregation for decades.

In His Grace,

Wade Burleson

Abandon Doctrinal Preaching at the Peril of Souls

Jim Ehrhard has written an excellent biography of the early 19th Century American Baptist evangelist Asahel Nettleton (see link for footnotes). The difference between the methods and results of the ministry of Nettleton and contemporary Charles Finney are astounding. Ehrhard points out that while the converts under the ministry of Nettleton remained faithful unto death, many of the 'converts' under Finney's ministry did not. Ehrhard writes:

Perhaps what is most significant about Nettleton’s ministry is not the shear number of conversions but the number who remained faithful to Christ many years later. Most evangelists today would be delighted to “find” even a small percentage of their converts, much less to see them living for the Lord. Nettleton’s converts were surprisingly solid. For example, of the eighty-four converts in an 1818 revival at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, all eighty-four had remained faithful according to their pastor’s report twenty-six years later. Similarly, only three spurious conversions out of eighty-two professors were noted in another pastor’s report on a revival in Ashford, Connecticut.

In contrast, toward the end of his life, “after reflecting on the many who had claimed conversion [under his ministry] but had since fallen away,” the great evangelist Charles Finney “had mixed thoughts on the genuine results of his work.” He was not alone. In a letter to Finney, one of his co-workers raised some interesting questions about their work:

"Let us look over the fields where you and I have laboured as ministers and what is now their normal state? What was their state within three months after we left them? I have visited and revisited many of these fields and groaned in spirit to see the sad, frigid, carnal, contentious state into which the churches have fallen and fallen very soon after we first departed from among them."

B. B. Warfield also tells of the testimony of Asa Mahan, Finney’s closest friend and long-time co-worker:

"No more powerful testimony is borne ... than that of Asa Mahan, who tells us -- to put it briefly -- that everyone who was concerned in these revivals suffered a sad subsequent lapse: the people were left like a dead coal which could not be reignited ...."

Nettleton’s ministry was decidedly different from that of Finney, not only with regard to conversions, but also with regard to the lasting impact upon the communities which he visited. One contemporary pastor, Bennett Tyler, noted the differences between the revivals of Finney and Nettleton:

"These revivals were not temporary excitements, which like a tornado, sweep through a community, and leave desolations behind them; but they were like showers of rain, which refresh the dry and thirsty earth, and cause it to bring forth 'herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed.' These fruits were permanent. By them the churches were not only enlarged, but beautified and strengthened; and a benign influence was exerted upon the community around."

Although Nettleton and Finney were contemporaries, Finney has eclipsed Nettleton completely. Today, these questions must be asked: Who was this man so specially used by God in the conversion of many souls? Why has one of such significance been sadly forgotten in our generation? And what makes his ministry so different from the evangelistic ministries seen today? (emphasis mine)

Ehrhard goes on in the article to answer the above emphasized question:

While most modern preaching seeks to avoid doctrinal topics, Nettleton, like Whitefield and Edwards before him, preached the great doctrines of the faith.

In the accounts and descriptions of the great revivals in which Nettleton laboured, one thing comes across very powerfully, and that is that he was able to bring home the awesome realities of the eternal world home to the souls of men. When he talked about the heinousness of sin, they felt its sting. When he portrayed the sufferings of Christ, they felt the trauma of Calvary. When he proclaimed the holy character of God, they trembled at the vision. When he thundered forth the judgements of hell, men were moved to escape that place.

May the Lord give us all grace to love souls enough to preach the great doctrines of Scripture and resist the temptation to minimize doctrinal preaching for the sake of 'relevancy.' Truthfully, the application of the eternal doctrines of Christ's grace and love for His people and the glorious gospel of truth that brings freedom are the only true sources of 'relevancy.'

LIVE via the INTERNET: A Conference with Sam Storms and Daniel Brymer, October 7 - 10, 2007

Let me invite you to watch LIVE this week's Fall Bible Conference at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Enid, Oklahoma beginning this Sunday morning, October 7th, and going through Wednesday night, October 10th. The theme of the Conference is 'The Power of Prevailing Prayer.'

Dr. Sam Storms will be the guest teacher with Daniel Brymer's Worship Team leading the congregational worship. The third service on Sunday morning will be broadcast LIVE at 11:00 a.m. Central Time and the Sunday evening service will be broadcast LIVE at 6:00 p.m. Central Time.

The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night services will all be broadcast LIVE at 7:00 p.m. Central Time. To watch any of the services, go to Emmanuel's LIVE broadcast viewer

The title of Dr. Sam Storm's messages are as follows:

Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. ---- Praying for Others and the Expanse of the Gospel

Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. ---- Praying for Healing of Body and Soul

Monday night at 7:00 p.m. ---- Praying for Renewal and Revival of the Church

Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. ---- Praying for Deliverance and Defeat of the Devil

Wednesday night at 7:0o p.m. --- Praying for the Experience of Intimacy with Christ

Get in your favorite chair in the house, pull out your laptop, and join us for this conference. I know you will enjoy Dr. Storms, who is a fellow Southern Baptist and one of the most erudite and passionate theologians of our day. Those of you who have heard Daniel Brymer lead worship know you will be able to worship with us in your own home as he takes us before the throne.

I will leave this post up until the conference is over. We do not have our four new studio cameras in the auditorium - they arrive the end of next week - but you will be able to view and hear the conference with our stationary remote control cameras. We would like to hear from those of you who have watched the LIVE broadcasts, particularly how the Lord spoke to you through the worship and message. Feel free to post your comments and observations in the comment section here or on 3:16 Ministries.

Again, join us LIVE for Emmanuel's 'The Power of Prevailing Prayer' Conference with Sam Storms and Daniel Brymer.

In His Grace,

Wade

A Little Humility in the Pulpit Is Needed in the SBC

I am surprised at the number of people in the Southern Baptist Convention, mostly pastors, who think that it is impossible to be anything but dogmatic when it comes to preaching the Scriptures. I agree with my brethren that the essentials of the gospel - those doctrines that define true Christianity - should be held with firm conviction. But when I explain to some of my SBC colleagues that my interpretations of tertiary doctrines or texts that are not as clear as others, are held by me firmly, but not dogmatically, there are some who seem to think I've lost my Southern Baptist mind. Further, when I explain that I am open to the possibility that I could be wrong in my interpretations and am unafraid to dialogue, listen to, and even cooperate, with those who disagree with me on the non-essentials, my loyalty to the Southern Baptist Convention is questioned. I, my family and my church can assure everyone who does not know me, but reads this blog, that I am as orthodox, conservative and Southern Baptist as any one person you can name in our convention.

I just happen to believe there needs to be a little humility in the pulpit.

My father, Paul Burleson, has pastored Southern Baptist churches for nearly the past six decades. He has pastored small churches and mega-churches before people knew what mega-churches were. He has trained hundreds of pastors who were receiving their theological education at Southwestern Theological Seminary in the 1970's. He is friends with several of big name pastors and SBC executives of today, but is known for his love and concern for the small church pastor. He and my mother, Mary, have led couples retreats for pastors and wives all across our convention. Everywhere I go, people know my father. He is a great preacher and he has every reason to be proud. Because of his maturity and years of experience in the ministry, he has every reason to insist he knows the truth - and is right in his views.

But he has taught me and others what it means to be humble in the pulpit. Listen to his words . . .

This is where I came to in 1980 in my own preaching when I determined to not preach anything as absolute except what I personally saw as clearly presented in the text. My message changed beyond anything I could have imagined. I came to grips with the fact that much/most of the things I was saying in the pulpit was coming from what I'd heard others, whom I admired, say was in the text or was generally Baptist held viewpoints because of traditions that were baptistic in reputation but had no real foundation in the text itself.

I also began to see that what Peter said of some of the things Paul the Apostle preached was correct. [This is also true of several matters in the text of scripture.] Some of the things he delivered WERE hard to understand and those that were the most difficult I decided I'd better hold my personal view as to their meaning lightly because the correct meaning was more important than my interpretation.

This is not out of a lack of confidence in the integrity or authority of the text but a true awareness of my own inadequacy to hear God accurately on occasion. Some things are clear. Some things are not that clear. When the text isn't totally clear I won't be dogmatic as to it's meaning. 1Timothy 2:15 and the "she shall be saved in child-bearing" is an example. From my present perspective the whole of that chapter may have been delivered through a glass a little darker than some are willing to admit. But that's another post.

Since the true biblical messenger is to be careful of proclaiming his/her own viewpoint, opinions or grievances, I tread lightly on some passages and some theological positions that others seem to state the meaning of with great personal conviction. More power to them. All I'm saying is the messenger CAN get in the way of the message if we declare as absolute our personal views on some issues where there are good people on both sides of a possible meaning of any given text.

I'm not sure but what God may have left some of His total message a little less clear than say the gospel so we will make clear with conviction that gospel and keep trusting Him for greater understanding of other theological areas. I love what Gene Bridges said... and I quote

"And, with that in mind, I think we can be more confident about our reliance on probabilistic reasoning, for if God has wanted us to have more evidence or better evidence, then it was within his power to do so. Hence we are judging certain questions on the basis of the evidence which he has left at our disposal. Therefore, we shouldn't be plagued by nagging, gnawing doubts about the possibility of being wrong. Even if I were wrong some of the time, it's out of my hands, and I'm in his hands. As a Christian, I don't require a godlike control over the evidence. I can go with what I've got because it's what God has given me to go by."

I have to say "amen" to that statement. I can give my understanding of difficult passages but respect others who differ with me trusting the God who gave it in the first place to be able to make clear His message ultimately.

To read all of Paul Burleson's excellent post and comment on it, go to his blog and read the two part article entitled The Foolishness of Preaching.

It's worth leaving up all during this September 9th preaching weekend. :)

In His Grace,

Wade Burleson

A Preacher Finds His Voice in the Midst of a Battle: A Lesson from the Life of George Truett

Four years ago Dr. Joel Gregory preached a chapel message at Truett Seminary that has to go down as one of the finest messages on the primacy and urgency of preaching ever delivered to prospective pastors. I was recently given a CD copy of the message and have already listened to it twice.

During the message Gregory tells an anecdote of former First, Dallas pastor George W. Truett. I had never heard the story before, but it ministered to my heart. The segment lasts about three minutes and is an invaluable lesson for all of us who preach the gospel of Christ.

George W. Truett accidentally kills his deacon.

Update: Art Pierce sent me an email this afternoon and said that back in 1951, Dr. Morton, the elderly pastor of First Baptist Church, Gatesville, Texas told Art and his wife Stella this story. Dr. Morton was a good friend of both J. Frank Norris, the head of the Fundamentalist movement in Texas, and George W. Truett, the pastor of FBC Dallas, a man Norse considered to be a 'moderate. Both Norris and Truett were active in denominational politics in the early days of Texas Baptists.

It seems that after the shooting, J. Frank Norris, himself the pastor of First Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas would send to Dr. Truett a telegram every Sunday morning reminding the pastor that he had shot and killed his deacon.

Preachers Who Act As If They Have No Personal Sin Preach a Milquetoast, Powerless Gospel

For a long time now I have tried to put my finger on a problem I find difficult to articulate. It's one of those problems that I can feel in my own life, sense in the writings and preaching of others, but have a hard time explaining.

In essence, the problem is a pretense of spirituality that borders on being fake. It is the covering of what one really feels (anger, bitterness, resentment, envy, etc . . .) by using 'Christian' words or a spiritual lingo that gives off an air of holiness or godliness, but just beneath the surface something else can be sensed bubbling to get out. We pretend to have it all together and lose sight of our need of God's mercy.

All of us know that the word 'hypocrite' comes from the ancient theater and described the actor who used masks to pretend to be someone he wasn't on stage. I sense too many of us in ministry hide behind spiritual masks of our making.

Preachers struggle with transparancy.

I wish we would resolve to take off our masks and let people see who we really are - including our sins and stumblingblocks. I wish that instead of forcing everyone to act as if they don't have problems, we would create an environment where people freely shared their struggles without fear of retribution or recrimination. I wish that we could use the straightforward language of Luther when we see something that bothers us, or manifest the kind of direct rebukes Calvin deployed in dealing with Servitus, or speak our minds like our 18th Century Baptist forefathers did when they opposed the Socinians and Universalists of their day - while at the same time declaring to the world our own sins.

I guess what I'm saying is this: It is refreshing to be around people who say what they mean, mean what they say, and make no apology for saying it -- all the while freely acknowledging - and confessing to others - their own humanness, frailties, and sins. In other words, I long for the day when we preachers speak specifically and directly about the sins of others -- but at the same time freely speaking specifically and clearly of our own gross and multiple sins -- in order to remind everyone that Christ died for sinners -- not saints.

For those of you who have a hard time understanding what I've just said, read the following quote of 16th Century Reformer Martin Luther. His words may make you even more confused -- but they speak to my soul and articulate what I've been feeling.

If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but the true mercy. If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear the true, not an imaginary sin. God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign. It suffices that through God's glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins? Pray hard for you are quite a sinner.

Let Your Sins Be Strong:
A Letter From Luther to Melanchthon
Letter no. 99, 1 August 1521, From the Wartburg
(Segment)
Translated by
Erika Bullmann Flores
from: _Dr. Martin Luther's Saemmtliche Schriften_
Dr, Johannes Georg Walch, Ed.
(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, N.D.),
Vol. 15,cols. 2585-2590.

The Wisdom of Augustus Toplady for Today's SBC

My friend Dr. George Ella was commissioned in the 1990's by the British Historical Society to write a definitive biography biography on the great Anglican pastor, theologian and poet Augustus Toplady. Most Southern Baptists would only know of Toplady through the hymn 'Rock of Ages,' which he wrote. I have recently reread Ella's excellent biography and supplemented my desire to know more of Toplady by reading the beneficial one volume book entitled The Complete Works of Augustus Toplady (Sprinkle Publications: 1987). I found myself gleaning golden nuggets of counsel from Toplady's written wisdom regarding ministers, principles he articulated nearly 300 years ago. The following examples are relevant for Southern Baptist pastors and leaders today. In a time when some Southern Baptists seem to grasp for the choice morsels of denominational praise and acceptance, leaving the choicest meats of principles, heartfelt convictions, and necessary reform on the convention's plate, the words of Augustus Toplady provide the needed fuel for evangelical, reform-minded pastors to keep the faith.

(1). When the minister is falsely or slanderously accused.

"Gospel ministers should not be too hasty and eager to wipe off every aspersion that is cast on them falsely for Christ's sake. Dirt on the character (if unjustly thrown), like dirt on the clothes, should be let alone for a while, until it dries; and then it will rub off easily enough." (Augustus Toplady, Observations and Reflections, The Complete Works of August Toplady, Sprinkle Publications, page. 550).

(2). The passion of the preacher's life and message.

"Gregory Nazianzen says, in his euologium on Basil, 'Thy word was thunder and they life was lightening.' Such should the preaching and lifestyle of every minister be." (Ibid, p. 550).

(3). On pastors not responding to the trivial and trite criticisms of colleagues.

"Were evangelical preachers and writers to stop, and give a lash to every spiteful noisy cur that yelps at them in their way to the kingdom of God, they would have enough to do before they got to their journey's end." (Ibid, p. 550).

(4). The courage of conviction in the heart of the leader.

"The best clock in the world will be spoiled, if you are perpetually moving the hands backwards and forwards, and altering it in order to make it keep time with a variety of other clocks; it will hardly ever go regularly and well. So a minister, who shapes and accommodates his sentiments and discourses to the tastes and humours and opinions of other people, will never be happy, respectable, or useful."(Ibid, 550).

(5). On the preaching of the pure gospel.

"Among the great variety of preachers, some give the pure gospel wine, unadulterated and undashed. Others give wine and water. Some give mere cold water, without a drop of wine among it. The weight of opposition will always fall heaviest on those who sound the gospel trumpet loudest." (Ibid, p. 550).

This is food for thought for any evangelical Southern Baptist pastor who wavers between his desires for the favorable opinions of men and his faithful fulfillment of God's calling, regardless of any human endorsement.

In His Grace,


Wade

The Gospel Song 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord'

Thomas Andrew Dorsey in 1991

Back in 1932, I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago's South-side. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis, where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn't want to go. Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child. But a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis. I kissed Nettie good-bye, clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66.

However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, I had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found Nettie sleeping peacefully. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music.

The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again.

When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet was the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED. People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was "Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead."

When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and joy. Yet that night, the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn't want to serve Him any more or write gospel songs. I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well. But then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died .

From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially a friend, Professor Fry, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening he took me up to Malone's Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, once into my head they just seemed to fall into place:

'Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand!
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm,
through the night lead me on to the light,
Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.'

The Lord gave me these words and melody; He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home.

Thomas Andrew Dorsey

Art Pierce sent me the above inspirational story. Have a great Lord's day.

In His Grace,


Wade

More Wild Winds From Texas Are Needed

Today I viewed a priceless video interview with Dr. W. A. Criswell and his wife Betty on their 62nd Wedding Anniversary. Dr. W.A. Criswell told several anecdotal narratives, totally impromptu, that give the listener insight into several unique characteristics of Dr. Criswell’s life, marriage and ministry. I learned why Dr. Criswell was never seen in old, shoddy clothes, including at home. I learned of the Criswell’s love for antiques, and through Dr. Criswell’s ten minute detailed explanation, the history of the porcelain Easter egg. But the one story that caught my attention began when Dr. Criswell was asked two questions about meeting Betty in 1933, whom he later married in 1935. The interchange begins at minute fifty one of the videotape:

Question: “Now Dr. C. you knew Betty two years before you married her?”

Dr. Criswell: “At least”

Question: “Did she have other boyfriends?”

Dr. Criswell: “Good night yes. Unspeakably so. Indescribably so. Unforgiveably so.”

(Laughter)

Dr. Criswell: “You know how come my knowing her? I was raised out here you know. I never dreamed of a church such as they have over there east of the river. And in Kentucky it was an unwritten law that no female was ever to pray in public. I never heard of anything like that in my life.”

Mrs. Criswell: “You know that’s true”

Dr. Criswell: “So my introduction to Mt. Washington where she grew up, which was seventeen miles from the seminary, I was there first on Wednesday night, and I wanted to have a prayer meeting. I was going to speak and on and on, but I wanted to have a prayer meeting. So I had them bow their heads and I started with that woman there (pointing) and asked her to pray. Oh boy, she was insulted. Then I asked her to pray, the next one. Same thing. Asked her to pray. Asked her to pray. I went clear through the front row.

Mrs. Criswell: “You would think anybody would know better than to keep on and on . .”

Dr. Criswell: "Well I just did. I had never heard of anything such as no woman was allowed to pray in public. So when I got through the first row I started on the second one here. And then I asked that woman to pray. “No.” And the next one, and the next one. And finally I got to that girl (pointing) – later Bessie Marie Harris – and I got to her. And I asked her to pray."

"And she did. That’s the first time I ever saw her and the first time I had ever heard of her. And I said, ‘How in the earth is it that all the women refused and when I got to you, why you led in the prayer?' And she said, 'I just got full of pity for you, so when you got to me I just decided I was going to pray."

"Well that was my introduction to Bessie Marie Harris."

Question: "Well now she must have just been awestruck with you from the beginning."

Dr. Criswell: “Good night no.”

Mrs. Criswell: "This wild wind from Texas we’ve never seen in Kentucky. All our preachers were nice and quiet. We started home after the service and I said, “I hope I never see that man again.” My mother said, "We’ll I hope we do he’s the only right thing that’s come into this land in memory."

I love this story.

May the Wally Amos Criswells in our convention increase. May we constantly challenge unwritten and unspoken rules that we don’t find in Scripture. May we persevere when all we hear are naysayers. May the world around us change because we stand alone against tradition and emphasis the freedom and liberty found in God’s Word.


In His Grace,


Wade

The Blindness That Leaves A Person Very Weary

"And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door" (Genesis 19:11).

Two angels had been sent from God to warn the people of Sodom that impending judgment was at hand. On arriving at Lot's house they soon find the streets filled with angry men desiring to take the two angels, whom they thought to be desirable men, for themselves. When Lot attempted to talk them out of their degenerate plan, the Sodomites pounced on Lot to physically harm him. The angels ended up pulling Lot inside his own house to rescue him from the angry Sodomites. The angels then struck the Sodomites with blindness. However, the blindness that came upon the Sodomites was unique.

The Hebrew word translated 'blindness' is used only here and in II Kings 6:18 when God 'blinded' the Syrian soldiers so they could not see Elisha, even though he conversed with them and eventually led the Syrians all the way into another country. The soldiers did not recognize the very man they were looking for even though he was standing in front of them, conversing with them, and ultimately leading them on a march.

So it was in the case of the Sodomites --

'They wearied themselves to find the door.

They sought the door to enter Lot's home to take him and the angels captive, but they couldn't find it. The could see everything else - but not the door. Their blindness and inability to find what they were looking for led them to weariness. They eventually gave up.

There is a lesson here.

This blindness that comes from God is a form of judgment. There comes a time when a person, having ignored the repeated warnings and messages that come from God, will come face to face with the inability to find the very thing for which one is looking. When stricken with this Divine blindness, God turns a sinner over to his 'own lusts,' and the very door he seeks to open (the door of personal pleasure, satisfaction, happiness, etc . . ) will not be found. The sinner will eventually grow weary of searching for those things that promise pleasure. Satisfaction shall not be sensed. Peace will never be personal. Fulfillment will not be found.

In short, the high that sin brings will never fully or perpetually satisfy. The sensual pleasures of this world may be initially sweet to the taste, but they become a bitter tonic to the soul - for everyone. Sinners, tyically pictured by the Sodomites and the Syrians, will find themselves growing very, very weary. My prayer for those who feel this weariness of sin is that they will, by God's grace, find the Door that leads to genuine soul satisfaction.

In His Grace,


Wade

A Revealing Message on Anointing by Rick Ousley

Having been gone for a week I have been out of touch with SBC news. Kevin Bussey and Bob Cleveland have written about the moral failure of evangelist Rick Ousley.

I have met Rick once. This past January at the Oklahoma Evangelism Conference Rick preached and I had the occasion to visit with him afterwards for a couple of minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed his message at the Evangelism Conference and continue to believe, without hesitation, that God can speak, and does speak, through faulty messengers.

My heart is grieved over Rick's sin, but I wish to learn from it without condemning him. I have already prayed this morning for him, his wife, and his family, as well as the woman with whom he has been involved. The Associated Press has made public the details of Rick's sexual sins, including this unusual statement:

"Donna Jones, 43, of Katy, Texas, said she began a sexual relationship with Ousley when she was 18 after he and his first wife divorced and that it continued after he married his current wife.

She said she met him twice in recent years on his trips with Samford's football team and that her last trysts with Ousley were Dec. 10-17 when he preached two consecutive Sundays at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, the News reported."

I decided to listen to the two messages that Rick preached at Champion Forest the very two weekends the woman alleges she renewed her involvement with Rick. I have heard from a close pastor friend of Rick's, a man I highly respect, who said he is walking Rick and his wife through this ordeal. This pastor assures me that this alleged tryst in Houston with this woman is not true. However, he also told me that the truth, even without Houston, is bad enough.

In Rick Ousley's second message at Champion Forest entitled "Christmas Presence: Part II" Rick gives us a peek into his inner struggles and the demons within his own life. His words will send a chill down your spine as you listen to him, particularly the first ten minutes of the message. The effect his words had on me were two-fold:

(1). God's truth is always precious, though the messenger be a clay jar.
(2). Salvation is by grace, and not by works, and for that we are all grateful.

The message can be watched in video here or in audio here.

In His Grace,

Wade

Southern Baptist People Are What Make Our Convention Great

Yesterday was another great day at the finest Southern Baptist Church in Oklahoma, the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Enid. The worship was wonderful, and though it is spring break, the people turned out for Bible study and worship at all three of our morning services. We are looking forward to Easter when we have five morning worship services: 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m with simultaneous REFUGE worship services at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. as well. Our goal is to have over three thousand in worship on Easter Sunday, and we believe we may have many more than that actually come. We are continuing our exposition of Genesis on Sunday morning and we are currently studying Genesis 20, a series entitled Divine Intervention: Overcoming Addictions and Strongholds. The response to the series has been phenomenal. Emmanuel is a wonderful church to pastor.

My appreciation for the people of Christ within our convention continues to grow outside the walls of our own church because of friends I have made through the blog world. Last night Rachelle and I had the pleasure of stopping in Conway, Arkansas and sharing a meal with Alyce and Mackey Faulkner of Little Rock, Arkansas. This Southern Baptist couple have been blog friends for several months, but last evening was the first opportunity Rachelle and I had to have the pleasure of meeting the Faulkners.

As we enjoyed wonderful meal, the Faulkners freely shared with us their support for missions through their local church, their mutual desire to make our convention more kingdom oriented, and their love for everything associated with Christ. Both Rachelle and I were reminded of why we love the Southern Baptist Convention as we listened to the Faulkners-- it is the people of our convention.

The Faulkners warm, down home hospitality, engaging personalities, and genuine humility are characteristic of the people we love at Emmanuel, and we are beginning to realize, it is also characterizes the majority of Southern Baptists around the nation. For those of you who enjoy good Christian blogs, Alyce's The Miracle of Mercy is a must read. Macky does not blog himself, but like Rachelle does for me, Mackey gives Alyce behind the scenes wisdom, balance and perspective. Alyce also confirmed to Rachelle and me that you really can tell a great deal about a person by the blog he or she keeps. Alyce's charm, insight, and passion are seen as much in person as they are on her blog. Thanks, Faulkners, for a great evening.

Rachelle and I arrived in Memphis around 12:30 a.m. this morning. I will be meeting with various missionaries throughout the day, enjoy dinner with the trustees at Mid-America Seminary this evening, and participate in the closed door forum meeting of all trustees tonight.

I'll blog about reflections on today late this evening.

In His Grace,

Wade

The Fatal Logic of Hollywood Bone Collectors

By now you have heard of film director James Cameron's claim that he had found the tomb that contained the bones of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their son.

It seems a little silly to even attempt to refute the claims of an even sillier movie maker, but for those who need a good understanding of the apologetic basis for belief in the resurrection of Christ, one needs to turn no further than our own 18th century Baptist theologian extraordinaire, the brilliant Dr. John Gill.

In Gill's A Body of Doctrinal Divinity Gill devotes a chapter to The Resurrection of Christ From the Dead. In that chapter Dr. Gill beautifully and clearly defends the bodily resurrrection of Christ and closes his cogent defense by pointing out four personal and experiential effects of the resurrection of Christ upon each and every believer . . .

The blessings of the covenant of grace in general are enjoyed by the saints in virtue of it; for though reconciliation, and other blessings of grace, are by the death of Christ; yet the application and enjoyment of them are through his interceding life, in consequence of his resurrection from the dead; to which life the whole of salvation is ascribed (Rom. 5:10; Heb. 7:25).

Justification, in particular, is observed as one special end and effect of Christ’s resurrection; "he was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification"; and the triumph of faith, in the view of that blessing of grace, is rather, and more principally founded on Christ’s resurrection, than on his sufferings and death (Rom. 4:25; 8:33,34).

Regeneration is another effect of Christ’s resurrection; as the elect of God were "quickened with him", and in him, as their head and representative, when he was quickened and raised from the dead; hence said to be "raised up together" (Eph. 2:5,6), so they are quickened in regeneration, in consequence and virtue of his resurrection, to which it is ascribed (1 Pet. 1:3).

The resurrection of the saints at the last day is the fruit and effect of Christ’s resurrection, and which is ensured by it. Christ’s glorious body is the exemplar, according to which the bodies of the saints will then be formed; and his resurrection is the earnest and pledge of theirs; he is "the firstfruits of them that slept", that is, of the dead: the firstfruits are the sample, and what ensure a following harvest; so the resurrection of Christ is the sample, and gives assurance of the resurrection of the saints in time to come: so that Christ’s resurrection being certain, the resurrection of the saints is also (1 Cor. 15:20,23; 1 Thess. 4:14).

Why the Alleged Discovery of Jesus' Bones Means Nothing

Dr. Gill points out that it is the resurrection of Christ that brings to every believer in Jesus Christ all the blessings of grace, including complete forgiveness, perfect righteousness, unconditional acceptance, and eternal life. We believe, as did the Apostle Paul, that those without faith in Christ will bear the wrath of God for eternity (Colossians 3:6). This wrath, which is holy and righteous, is what the Bible describes as the eternal hell - a complete and absolute separation from the mercy and love of God, and a total individual and personal immersion into the holy anger and wrath of a righteous God. As the prophets of old were prone to say, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

There are many who do not believe the above paragraph to be true. It is ludricous to the atheist, unknowable to the agostic, and otherwise denied by all others who are not believers in Jesus Christ and the sacred word of God. But in closing this post I would like to posit a hypothetical and use simple logic to show why the ONLY people who should be worried about whether or not to believe Jesus' bones have been found are those without faith in Christ.

There are only two options regarding what happened to Christ after He died. He either was placed in a tomb and his bones decayed and returned to the earth's cycle of life (as naturalists call it), or He actually rose from the tomb, ascended to heaven, and now intercedes on behalf of all who trust Him as the Bible states. Since nobody on earth at this current time of history has personally and visually seen either the resurrected body of Jesus Christ or the bones of the decayed body and bones of Christ, both options require a measure of faith.

Now suppose, for the sake of logic, that Jesus Christ did not rise from the tomb by the power of God. If that is the case He is not God. He is a mere man. We are all products of evolution. There is no Creator. There is no accountability to any Supreme Being. We live. We die. We cease to exist. This is what James Cameron believes. It requires as much faith to believe that Jesus did not rise from the grave as it does to believe He did.

Now suppose, using simple logic again, that Jesus Christ did actually rise from the dead. We who trust in Him are accepted by God's grace. We are given the gifts of grace. Our sins are remembered no more. We receive the gift of perfect righteousness that comes from heaven. We are accepted without reservation by the One who created us. We have eternal life and will never bear the wrath of God - ever.

Both views require faith.

If our faith in Christ has no effect, for He is dead, then what difference does it make that we have faith in Christ? When we die, there is simply nothing. But if our faith in Christ is valid, and Christ did rise from the dead, then all the gifts of grace are ours -- we rest in Him, and the state of our eternity is secure. We are at peace with the God who calls us home to Him.

Who has more to lose based on their beliefs? It should be obvious to all - the James Camerons of this world have everything to lose and nothing to gain. There is no greater gamble than that of rejecting the historic Christian understanding of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. One's soul is at stake.

Again, the future state of your existence very well may depend whether or not you have faith and trust Christ's person and work on behalf of sinners, including His bodily resurrection - and that is a logical statement, not one of faith.

In His Grace,

Wade

Shiloh Has Come

There is an often overlooked but powerful prophecy regarding the advent of the Messiah given over 1600 years prior to His birth.

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come" (Genesis 49:10).

Alred Edersheim, the orthodox Jew who spent a lifetime studying the Torah's prophecies of the Messiah, who then converted to evangelical Christianity as a result of his study, considered this prophecy his favorite. Many believe Edersheim's converstion to Christ was a direct result of his study of this prophecy, which he found to be beautifully, and exclusively fulfilled in Christ.

Six years ago next Sunday I preached Shiloh Has Come at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Oklahoma.

You may hear in Real Audio this twenty six minute message here, or you may use the notes for what could be a meaningful Christmas message.

Feel free to adopt, adapt and teach it as your own for the good of God's people. I believe you will enjoy the study.

Merry Christmas,

Shiloh Has Come,

In His Grace,

Wade Burleson

The Gospel in Genesis The Substance of God's Word

When Jesus taught in the synagogue people made a fascinating observation about him, "He teaches as one having authority, and not as the scribes . . ." (Matt. 7:29). The word authority in Greek is "exousia" which is a compound word that means "out of 'being' or 'substance'." In other words, Jesus' teaching was full of substance or "meat."

We pastors would do well to follow our Lord's example. Lives are changed not be the glitz and fluff of motivational coaches, but by systematic and expositional teaching of God's Word that is filled with substance.

Below are the five messages on "The Gospel in Genesis" series. The Psalmist declared, "Sweet are thy Words unto my taste" (Psalm 119:103) Notice, he says God's Words are sweet unto his "taste" --- not his hearing. The Word of God is food for the soul, and blessed are those believers who are satisfied with nothing less than the substance of God's Word.

The Gospel in Genesis

Message 1 Adam: The Doctrine of Representation

Message 2 Abel: The Doctrine of Propitiation

Message 3 Abram: The Doctrine of Justification

Message 4 The Angel: The Doctrine of Sanctification

Message 5 The Ark: The Doctrine of Glorification

Have a great weekend.

In His Grace,


Wade Burleson

The Gospel in Genesis The Ark: The Doctrine of Glorification

One of the most fascinating stories in the entire Bible is that of Noah and the ark. It captures the attention and imagination of both young and old.

It is a story worth trusting . . . some find it difficult to accept Noah and the ark, but nothing in the Word of God is beyond our trust. “God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand that never fails” C.H. Spurgeon.

It is a story worth telling . . . to kids, adults and any interested student of the Bible. It is worth telling for a couple of reasons.

(1). It answers many scientific questions . . . which I address in my exposition of the book of Genesis, and,

(2). It answers many spiritual questions . . . which will be my focus in this post.

The story of Noah and the ark tells us how God took a people for himself, sheltered them from His righteous judgment, and brought them over to the other side into a brand new world.

Baptist theologian Wayne Grudem says glorification is "... the final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like his own."

Glorification is the logical conclusion to the drama of God's redemptive plan.

Rather than focus on the details of the process of glorification (which are not abundant in Scripture), I desire to focus on God's faithfulness in effectually bringing His children to glory.

Again, the story of Noah and the ark can be seen as a "type" or a "picture" of God taking people through the judgment to a new world. The analogy will fall short if anyone tries to glean information about heaven by comparing it to the world after Noah's flood. Thought heaven is a common theme in the Bible, any description of heaven by the inspired writers is modest at best.

I think one of the reasons that God withholds information regarding heaven from His children is the same reason we hold dessert from our kids until after all the vegetables have been eaten. I remember one day being shown by my mother my favorite dessert, "oreo cookie ice cream pie," only to be told I could only have a piece once I ate all my vegetables. I took a great many shortcuts, including stuffing a couple of carrots in my pockets and the asparagus in the pot that held the plastic plant, in order quickly get to the dessert.

There is a glorious new world that awaits us on the other side of judgment, a world beyond our comprehension --- and it is guaranteed that we will arrive safely.

To those who say, 'But it is hard for me to see the concept of glory in the story of Noah and the ark," I would respond, "The glory is in the faithfulness of God to bring us to the other side." In every page of the Bible we are directed to the beautiful faithfulness of God.

Augustine said that the Scriptures once seemed rude, and unpolished, in comparison to Cicero’s adorned style, because he (Augustine) did not understand the Bible’s interiora (inward beauty). But when “my mind was illuminated to understand them, no writing appeared so wise or even eloquent.”

Let's see if our eyes can be opened a little to the beautiful type of God's faithfulness as seen in the flood.


I. THE FLOOD pictures God’s judgment upon those who rebel against Him . . .

“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming Son of man be” (Matt. 24:37). When Peter describes the coming judgment he compared it to the flood in Noah's day (II Peter 3:5). The day of wrath teaches us that . . .

(A). Man is accountable to God for his conduct . . .

“The wickedness of man was great . . . and the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created” (Gen. 6:7). God has the right to command His subjects, and He will righteously judge those who have rebelled against Him.

(B). God will punish (destroy) the man who rebels . . .

This destruction is both of the body and the soul. Jesus Himself describes this: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

This punishment for sinners is receiving the unrestrained and unmitigated wrath of God. Jesus Himself urged his listeners to "Flee from the wrath to come." The flood that destroyed the world is Noah's day is the wrath of God poured out against the wicked, and it is a picture of the wrath of God which will be revealed against the wicked on the coming day of judgment.

II. THE ARK pictures God’s plan of salvation for sinners in need of deliverance . . .

There are at least seven types in the ark that point us to Jesus Christ and His work.

(A). God initiated and revealed the design for the ark . . . it was not man’s initiative. God told Noah how to build the ark. So it is with redemption. No man ever would have comprehended that God would come and die for sinners.

(B). The ark is made of gopher wood (v. 14) . . . it is called “cypress wood” in NIV. Cypress wood is called “eternal wood.” Modern excavators are dredging up cypress wood in the bottom of the Mediterranean. The wood is not rotten and is as hard as rock. That which secured life Noah was a tree. So too the Bible says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree'" (Galatians 3:13).

(C). The ark became a refuge from divine judgment (Gen. 7:1) . . . just as everyone in the ark was saved from God’s wrath, those who are in Christ are saved from wrath to come.

(D). The ark provided security because of the “pitch” (v.14) . . . the ark was made watertight by this “covering” of pitch. So too, the atonement of Christ covers us.

“Zetteth” is usually the word for "pitch" (tar) in the Bible, but here in Genesis the word translated pitch is the Hebrew word “kapher” --- translated 'atonement' in other places of the Bible. What seals us in Christ is His atonement or covering of our sins.

(E). The ark had one door (v. 16) . . . Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:9).

(F). The ark had one window (v. 16) . . . it was a high window, so one could not look out and see the corruption of the world. Our affections are to be on things above.

(G). The judgment fell on all not inside the ark . . . as it will on those without Christ. "Kiss the Son lest he be angry" (Psalm 2:12).

III. THE MAN who entered the ark pictures everyone who trusts Jesus Christ and is delivered to the other side of judgment.

God told Noah, “Make thee an ark.” God is saying to you, “Make thee an ark.”

He tells us how. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (delivered)” (Acts 16:31).

As hymnwriter Ray Palmer wrote:

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream over me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love, fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!

We began this series by seeing because of Adam's rebellion every human is condemned by God. But then we saw that God sent the last Adam, Jesus Christ, to represent His people by bearing our sins. Just as we are condemned for the disobedience of one man, we are saved by the obedience of another Man.

We saw that the reason the death of Christ is our only hope is because a holy God must be propiated by the shedding of blood. "The wages of sin is death," and for a just God to be satisfied, a death must occur. God sent His Son as a propitiation for all who will believe on Him so that God might remain "just and the justifier of the ungodly."

We saw that when a person trusts in Christ he is treated by God "just-as-if-he-fully-obeyed" and is cared for by God every single day of His life, for He has been set apart for a Divine purpose (sanctified).

We close by rejoicing that heaven is a guarantee because when God places us "in Christ" He shuts the door, and it is Christ that carries us from this world to the next.

I hope you have enjoyed the series. Feel free to use the messages any way you desire.

In His Grace,


wade

The Gospel in Genesis 'The Angel': The Doctrine of Sanctification

In our study of the Gospel in Genesis we have seen Adam's representation of the human race, Abel's understanding of propitiation, Abram's justification by faith, and now we turn our attention to the sanctification of God's people by examining the actions of "The Angel of the Lord" in Genesis 16:7.

I. Sanctification means "to set apart" or "to separate."

The word sanctification is a synonym for the word "holiness" in the Bible. To sanctify means "to make holy." Both 'holiness' and 'sanctification' mean to 'set apart' or 'to separate.' It also carries with it the idea of being 'a cut above.'

"Holy" is prefixed to God's name more than any other attribute, and it speaks of the transcendent beauty of God's character and nature, separated from anything corrupt or evil. It is for this reason that "Without sanctification no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).

Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that "justification" is God's gift to us, and "sanctification" is our gift to God. 'God saves me, but then I must work hard to live a holy life to show my gratitude for His salvation of me' is the way some think.

In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus Christ is as much a part of our sanctification as He is our justification. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30).

The Bible tells us that pots and were sanctified (Numbers 4:19), the ground was sanctified (Exodus 3:5), a crown was sanctified (Exodus 29:6), a day was sanctified (Exodus 20:11), a mountain was sanctified (Psalm 2:6), and other inanimate objects were "made holy" (II Chronicles 35:3; Isaiah 66:20).

None of these objects 'did' anything. They were sanctified by the action of God.

This is also true of people. God sanctifies His people. He sets them apart for His purposes and His glory. He makes them 'a cut above' all others.

My wife used to own a quilt shop. She sold fabric. It was always interesting to watch people shop for fabric in the store. They would choose a bolt of fabric for themselves and set it aside for purchase. Invariably when they would take the cloth to the counter for purchase they would make a comment about how wonderful the material was compared to other bolts of fabric. It was a 'cut above.'

Hebrew linguists tell us 'a cut above' is the root of the word 'holiness' and thus something that is 'holy' is 'separated' out from other things because it is superior in quality or character.

Right here is where many Christians make a grave error. Like the Old Testament Israelites who began to focus on the outward ceremonial and religious rituals in order to make themselves holy, Christians throughout history have had the tendency to make the mistake of believing that it is what one does externally (or doesn't do) that makes him holy before God.

But the Bible says that God sets a person apart from others by making His child "a partaker of the Divine nature" (II Peter 1:4). It is "Christ being formed in you" (Galatians 4:19).

The Puritan Henry Scougal called this 'the life of God in the soul of man." When God imparts His life into a sinner, He has "separated that sinner for Himself," and "he who began a good work in you will carry it on unto completion" (Philippians 1:6).

God SHALL sanctify His people --- that's why we are guaranteed to see the Lord.

II. The 'Angel of the Lord' does the sanctifying of sinners.

A lot of people have a hard time that God would ever choose them for Himself. "What have I to ever offer Him?" "I'm too far gone for God ever to make anything of me!"

Not so.

In Genesis 16:7 the Bible describes for us how a woman was 'sanctified' by God. This woman, named Hagar, had nothing going for her. She had committed the sin of adultery. She lost her job because of hatred for her boss. She had a child out of wedlock. She was kicked out of the place where she was living, and she had to cross a dry, barren desert to get back to Egypt, only to find herself unable to cross the border.

But the Lord had determined to sanctify her for Himself. He chose to set her apart and transform her life. He entered her life to change it and make it 'a cut above.'

Here's how He did it. The Bible says . . .

"And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur."

'The angel of the Lord' is a phrase used in the Old Testament to describe the Lord Jesus Christ. The definite article 'the' makes this a "Christophany" or an Old Testament appearance of the Lord Himself. Notice . . .

The Angel of the Lord found Hagar . . .

We are often fond of speaking of a person 'finding God,' but in terms of Biblical sanctification, God finds His people. When God determines to take someone for Himself, when He imparts His nature into the soul of an individual, He has a great deal invested. He won't let His child wander to far.

When I play golf with someone I will help my opponent look for his lost ball, but I promise you, when I put my initials on my ball before the round, and I lose my ball during the round, I look a ton harder for my ball than I do my opponent's.

God found Hagar because Hagar was "sanctified" by Him.

(A). He found her in a wilderness . . .

The wilderness (v. 7) is a picture of a person wandering from God. It is a place of isolation and desertion. This wilderness experience portrays the soul of Hagar. Sometimes the people of God find themselves in wilderness experiences, but because we are sanctified, God will always find us and bring us out.

(B). He found her against a wall . . .

Christ found her in the wilderness “in the way to Shur” (v.7). Shur means “wall.” On the southern border of Canaan and the northern border of Egypt there was a great wall built by the Egyptians. It protected Egypt from the rest of the world. It kept people out from the greatest civilization of the day. Hagar is attempting to get in. Our flesh will constantly fight for us to climb over the walls of the world and find our contentment in the things of this world. But God will find us. Some may be at various stages of climbing the wall, but He has separated us for Himself. He will find us.

(C). He found her at a well . . .

“By the fountain (well) in the way to Shur” (v.7). Wells in the Bible picture the blessings of God. God’s blessings follow His people all the days of their lives. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life," the Psalmist declares.

Even in those times in our lives that we get ourselves in a pickle; on those days when we blow it miserably; God will find us --- and will turn our failures into blessings.

It is an axiom of Scripture that sin is destructive. It is also an axiom of Scripture that all of God's people will struggle with sin during their lives.

One must never forget the beautiful message of sanctification. Those who have faith in Christ have been set apart by God --- He will find us when we wander from Him.

And what will He do?

III. "The Angel of the Lord" progressively removes His people from experiential sin.

The people God “fetches” for Himself He blesses by removing us out of our sin and conforming us into the image of His Son. I know this word "fetch" is an old fashioned word, but it is used in the Bible. “David fetched him” (II Sam. 9:5), refers to the King’s removal of Mephibosheth from Lodebar, his place of hiding, to Jerusalem where Mephibosheth sat at the King’s table forever.

God fetched and separated (sanctified) Hagar for Himself, as He does all His children. When He separates us for Himself He takes us where we are and brings us to where He wants us to be. Again, His desire is to 'form Christ in us.'

But in practical terms, how does He bring us to reflect more of Christ?

God will use circumstances in our lives so that we ask ourselves two questions that penetrate to the core of the soul -- the same two questions He asked Hagar in Genesis 16:8.

(A). “Whence camest thou?” or in modern English “Where have you come from?

(B). “Whither wilt thou go?” or again, in modern English, “Where are you going?”

God uses accidents, tragedies, sickness, war, terminations, divorces, deaths --- all kinds of wilderness experiences to gently, but firmly, remind us of who we are. God brings us to these critical times in order for us to take an inventory of our lives. These two questions mature us. They help us see that we came from God, and we will soon return to God.

Paul Billheimer once wrote a book entitled "Don't Waste Your Sorrows." The theme of the book was simply to encourage all believers to see God in every circumstance of their lives. That was a book that really helped me early on in my Christian life.

But I would propose that even more important than seeing God in every circumstance of your life is to be assured that in every circumstance of your life God sees you. This is what guarantees your holiness. He will not leave you in your sin.

When the Angel of the Lord met Hagar in the wilderness and rescued her, she named the place "El Roi."

"El Roi" means . . .

"Thou God seest me."

Nobody can live an unholy life when"Thou God seest me." Nobody can settle for second when "Thou God seest me." Nobody who meets God and knows Him as "El Roi" will ever be the same.

So, my friend, if your heart is on fire for God, thank the God who has sanctified you. If your heart happens to be in a barren and dry wilderness, look up, for your sanctifying God is searching for you and He will find you, for He will not leave you in the wilderness forever. Though you may find yourself unfaithful at times, your God is always faithful.

He has sanctified you.


In His Grace,


Wade