Monthly Archives: July 2020

Riches and Poverty

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J. C. Ryle:

Many in every age have disturbed society by stirring up the poor against the rich. But so long as the world is under the present order of things, universal equality cannot be attained.

So long as some are wise, and some are foolish; some are strong, and some are weak; some are healthy, and some are diseased; so long as children reap the fruit of their parent’s misconduct; so long as sun, and rain, and heat, and cold, and wind, and waves, and drought, and blight, and storm, and tempest are beyond man’s control–so long will there be inequality in this world.

Take all the property in England by force this day, and divide it equally among the inhabitants. Give every person over twenty years old an equal portion. Let all share alike, and begin the world over again. Do this, and see where you would be at the end of fifty years. You would just have come round to the point where you began! You would just find things as unequal as before!

Some would have worked–and some would have been lazy; some would have been always careless–and some always scheming; some would have sold–and others would have bought; some would have wasted–and others would have saved. And the end would be that some would be rich–and others would be poor.

We might as well say that all people ought to be of the same height, weight, strength, and cleverness; or that all oak trees ought to be of the same shape and size; or that all blades of grass ought to be of the same length as that all people were meant to be equal.

Settle it in your mind that the main cause of all the suffering you see around you, is sin. Sin is the grand cause of the enormous luxury of the rich–and the painful degradation of the poor; of the heartless selfishness of the highest classes and the helpless poverty of the lowest.

Sin must be first cast out of the world; the hearts of all people must be renewed and sanctified; the devil must be bound; the Prince of Peace must come down and take His great power and reign. All this must be before there ever can be universal happiness, or the gulf be filled up which now divides the rich and poor.

Beware of expecting a millennium to be brought about by any method of government, by any system of education, or by any political party.

Labor to do good to all men; pity your poorer brethren, and help every reasonable endeavor to raise them from their low estate. Do not slacken your hand from any endeavor to increase knowledge, to promote morality, to improve the temporal condition of the poor.

But never, never forget that you live in a fallen world, that sin is all around you, and that the devil is abroad.

The Works & Greater Works

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John 14:7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=71220204393974

Let’s Talk Statistics

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St. Andrews in Scotland is known as the home of golf. The game started there, and there is a Golf Museum near the 18th green that commemorates that fact. What you may not know about me is that I once came 3rd in a golf tournament at St. Andrews.

Sounds impressive doesn’t it? Actually, it sounds SUPER impressive. Yes, Pastor John must be a great golf player, right?

But here’s the thing. What I told you is true. No false statement was made. I did come 3rd in a golf tournament at St. Andrews.  But that statistic gives a very false impression. Allow me to explain.

On a short preaching tour of 2 weeks in the United Kingdom a couple of decades ago, I had preached at nearby Dundee, Scotland on a Sunday. The following day (Monday), the Pastor of the Church had a day off and asked me to join his wife to go to St. Andrews to see the sights. I visited the golf museum and was then asked if I wanted to play a round of 18 holes. The main course had a 6-8 month waiting list and the price would have been crazy anyway, and so that was out of the question, should a round of golf even had been available. So, we did what we could do… the three of us decided to play the 18 holes of the putting greens adjacent to the main course.

You can perhaps guess what happened. The three of us – the pastor, his wife and me – played the 18 holes, and, I had a horrible round. I bogeyed almost every hole. It got so bad at one point that on a couple of holes, we stopped counting after six strokes. Yes, I did terribly. Three players played and I came third – dead last!

But I could come away from my terrible display by spinning the story to make it sound oh so impressive…. Yes, did you know I once came third at a golf tournament at St. Andrews?

The moral of the story… statistics can be true but can also give a very false impression. It is what was not told that misleads people. This is intentional and happens all the time in our world today.

Why do I write all this?

Well, the New York Times recently wrote an article targeting churches for the spread of COVID-19. As this article (by way of response) explains, it is what we were not told in the NYT statistics that presents a very false narrative: https://www.challies.com/articles/are-churches-a-major-source-of-coronavirus-cases/

The Westminster Confession of Faith – A Topical Outline

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Dr. Ligon Duncan writes:

“This summer I’ve been teaching a course on The Theology of the Westminster Standards to a group of outstanding Reformed Theological Seminary students… One of the things I realized after outlining the Confession (and this is an outline of the American edition, adopted by the PCA General Assembly and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church) is that there are at least 186 sections in the Confession in which discreet theological assertions are made, and more than 200 distinct theological propositions. Here is the latest edition of my topical outline.”

Source: https://ligonduncan.com/a-topical-outline-of-the-westminster-confession-of-faith/

A Topical Outline of the Westminster Confession of Faith

1. Holy Scripture
1.1 The necessity of Scripture
1.2 The contents of Scripture (positively stated): canon
1.3 The contents of Scripture (negatively stated): “apocrypha”
1.4 The authority of Scripture
1.5 The authenticity of Scripture
1.6 The sufficiency of Scripture
1.7 The clarity of Scripture
1.8 The immediate inspiration, preservation and translation of Scripture
1.9 The interpretation of Scripture
1.10 The supreme authority of Scripture in all theological controversy

2. God and the Trinity
2.1 God himself
The one, living, true, infinite, perfect God
The spirituality, invisibility, incorporeality, and impassibility of God [and simplicity*]
The immutability, immensity, eternality, incomprehensibility, and omnipotence of God
The unchangeable and righteous purpose of God
The love, grace, mercy, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and forgiveness of God
The generous reward of God
The just and terrible judgment of God
2.2 God in and of himself
The inherent blessedness of God
The all-sufficiency and glory of God
The self-existence (aseity) of God
The sovereignty of God
The omniscience of God
The holiness of God
The worthiness of God
2.3 God the Trinity
The Trinity defined: God is one essence in three persons, consubstantial, co-omnipotent, co-eternal
The personal property of the Father: neither begotten nor proceeding
The personal property of the Son: eternally begotten
The personal property of the Spirit: eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son (filioque)

3. God’s Eternal Decree (comprehensive, eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, sovereign purpose and plan)
3.1 The scope of the decree defined in relation to sin, choice, and contingency
3.2 The relation of the decree to God’s absolute, exhaustive foreknowledge
3.3 The inclusiveness of the decree (both predestination to life & foreordination to death)
3.4 The absolute unchangeability of the decree as to predestination and foreordination
3.5 The noncontigency of predestination to life, not conditioned or caused by the creature
3.6 The comprehensiveness of the decree, entailing the ends, means and subjects of redemption
3.7 The proximate cause and end of the decree of preterition
3.8 The special pastoral care and prudence required in the handling of this doctrine

4. Creation
4.1 The purpose of creation: the display of the Triune God’s glory
4.2 The creation of man, male and female, in God’s image, with law on their hearts

5. Providence
5.1 The nature of divine providence
5.2 The decree of God, noncontingency, providence and second causes
5.3 The ordinary providence of God, and means
5.4 The providence of God, the fall, and sin
5.5 The providence and the sin of believers
5.6 The providence of God and the sin of the ungodly
5.7 The providence and the care of the church

6. Fall, Sin and Punishment
6.1 The first sin, and the permission, purposes and glory of God
6.2 The consequences of sin for Adam and Eve
6.3 The consequences of their sin for their descendants
6.4 Original corruption and our actual sins
6.5 The persistence of original corruption, even in the regenerate
6.6 The nature and consequences of sin

7. God’s Covenant with Man
7.1 The necessity of God’s covenant as his means for communion and blessing
7.2 The nature of the covenant of works
7.3 The nature of the covenant of grace
7.4 The covenant of grace as testament
7.5 The covenant of grace under the law
7.6 The covenant of grace under the gospel

8. Christ the Mediator
8.1 The election, identity and offices of the Mediator
8.2 The divine-human person of the Mediator
8.3 The unction and vocation of the Mediator
8.4 The willing work of the Mediator
8.5 The atoning work of the Mediator
8.6 The atonement effective for the elect even before the incarnation
8.7 The Mediator’s hypostatic union and the Reformed communicatio idiomatum
8.8 The application of redemption

9. Free Will
9.1 The nature of human freedom
9.2 Human freedom in the state of innocence (posse peccare, posse non peccare)
9.3 Human freedom in the state of sin (non posse non peccare)
9.4 Human freedom in the state of grace (posse non peccare)
9.5 Human freedom in the state of glory (non posse peccare).

10. Effectual Calling
10.1 The subjects and nature of effectual calling
10.2 The effectual call is unconditional, the subjects passive until enabled by the Spirit
10.3 The effectual calling of elect infants and other incapables
10.4 Effectual calling and the non-elect

11. Justification
11.1 The nature of justification
11.2 The alone instrument of justification that is never alone
11.3 The ground of justification in Christ’s obedience and death
11.4 The act of justification is in time, not eternal
11.5 The state of justification and the sins of the justified (simul justus et peccator)
11.6 The nature of justification under the old testament and the new

12. Adoption
12.1 The nature, subjects, basis, and blessings of adoption

13. Sanctification
13.1 The nature of sanctification
13.2 The extent and imperfection of sanctification
13.3 The eventual overcoming in the war of sanctification

14. Saving Faith
14.1 The source of saving faith
14.2 The nature and acts of saving faith
14.3 The degrees of saving faith

15. Repentance unto Life
15.1 The source of repentance, and the necessity of preaching it
15.2 The nature of repentance
15.3 The necessity of repentance
15.4 The warning and warrant of repentance
15.5 The specificity of repentance
15.6 The practice of repentance

16. Good Works
16.1 The nature of good works
16.2 The place and value of good works
16.3 The ability of good works
16.4 The imperfection of good works (supererogation)
16.5 The imperfection of good works (merit)
16.6 The acceptance of good works
16.7 The works of the unregenerate

17. Perseverance of the Saints
17.1 The certainty of perseverance
17.2 The grounds of perseverance
17.3 The trials of perseverance

18. Assurance of Grace and Salvation
18.1 The certainty of assurance
18.2 The nature and grounds of assurance
18.3 The experience of assurance
18.4 The fluctuations of assurance

19. Law of God
19.1 The law given to Adam in the covenant of works
19.2 The moral law, from fall to Sinai
19.3 The ceremonial law (now abrogated)
19.4 The judicial law (now expired)
19.5 The moral law (still binding)
19.6 The usefulness of the moral law
19.7 The moral law not contrary to the grace of the gospel

20. Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience
20.1 The nature of Christian freedom
20.2 The nature of freedom of conscience
20.3 The perversion of Christian freedom (licentiousness)
20.4 The perversion of Christian freedom (rejection of lawful civil authority)

21. Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day
21.1 The duty and terms of worship
21.2 The object and means of worship
21.3 Prayer as an element of worship
21.4 The content of prayer
21.5 The other elements of worship (reading, preaching, hearing of Scripture, singing, sacraments, etc)
21.6 The place of worship
21.7 The day of worship (Christian Sabbath/Lord’s Day)
21.8 The observance of the Christian Sabbath

22. Lawful Oaths and Vows
22.1 The definition of lawful oaths
22.2 The basis of a lawful oath
22.3 The limits of oath-taking
22.4 The obligations of oath-taking
22.5 The definition of vows
22.6 The parties and purposes of vows
22.7 The limits of vows

23. Civil Magistrate (Civil Authority and Government)
23.1 The divine institution, purpose and power of civil government
23.2 The legitimacy and conduct of Christians in public office
23.3 The limits of civil authority in relation to the church
23.4 The duty of the people to civil authority

24. Marriage and Divorce
24.1 The nature of marriage
24.2 The purpose of marriage
24.3 The prerequisites of marriage
24.4 The explanation of forbidden marriages
24.5 The basis of lawful divorce and remarriage
24.6 The grounds and process of divorce

25. The Church
25.1 The identity of the church in all ages (universal and invisible)
25.2 The identity of the church under the gospel (universal and visible)
25.3 The endowment, purpose, and dynamics of the church’s mission
25.4 The varying visibility and purity of the church
25.5 The admixture, degeneration and preservation of the church
25.6 The head of the church

26. The Communion of the Saints
26.1 The basis and nature of the communion of the saints
26.2 The practical expression of the communion of the saints
26.3 Misunderstandings of the communion of the saints

27. Sacraments
27.1 The definition and purpose of sacraments
27.2 The relationship between sign and thing signified
27.3 The efficacy of sacraments
27.4 The number of sacraments
27.5 The relationship of old to new testament sacraments

28. Baptism
28.1 The nature and significance of baptism
28.2 The element and administration of baptism
28.3 The mode of baptism
28.4 The subjects of baptism
28.5 The necessity of baptism
28.6 The efficacy of baptism
28.7 The frequency of baptism

29. Lord’s Supper
29.1 The institution and purpose of the Lord’s Supper
29.2 The nature of the Lord’s Supper
29.3 The administration of the Lord’s Supper
29.4 Practices contrary to the nature of the Lord’s Supper
29.5 The outward elements and sacramental relation of signs and things signified in the Supper
29.6 The error of transubstantiation
29.7 The way in which we receive Christ in the Lord’s Supper
29.8 The danger of unworthy participation in the Lord’s Supper

30. Church Censures (Church Discipline)
30.1 The government of the church appointed by Christ
30.2 The commitment and nature of the power of the keys
30.3 The aims of church discipline
30.4 The types of church discipline

31. Synods and Councils
31.1 The need for wider church assemblies (synods or councils)
31.2 The work and authority of synods and councils
31.3 The fallibility of synods and councils
31.4 The jurisdiction of synods and councils

32. The State of Men After Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead
32.1 The nature of death, and the intermediate state of the dead
32.2 The last day, the living changed, the dead resurrected and reunited body and soul
32.3 The difference between the resurrection of the unjust and just

33. The Last Judgment
33.1 The nature of the day of judgment
33.2 The purpose of the day of judgment
33.3 The practical use of the doctrine of the judgment

Well Said, Pastor Joel!

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My friend, Pastor Joel Ellis of Reformation Orthodox Presbyterean Church, Apache Junction, AZ writes:

“Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Over the weekend a statute of Frederick Douglass was vandalized and toppled in New York. Yes, that Frederick Douglass: minister, orator, author, social reformer, statesman, also a former slave, a black man, and an abolitionist. Maybe you thought the only statutes that would be torn down were those honoring Confederate generals and founding fathers who owned slaves. Maybe you felt sympathy for the grief and moral outrage such monuments were said to cause. Your heart was in the right place, but your sympathy was misguided.

The civil unrest, moral outrage, and (not so peaceful) protests we are witnessing around the nation are not about what the agitators, advocates, and apologists in the media claim. This is not about racial injustice, ongoing oppression, or restorative justice and reconciliation. This is about anarchy. The enemy is not white supremacy; we all agree in condemning such evil. The enemy is not police brutality; we all agree in standing against such violence. The enemy is tradition, history, and the present order. That is what must be deconstructed, destabilized, and finally destroyed.

“This is the revolution. Change is coming.” “Now, we transform.” Those are the slogans posted on the homepage of Black Lives Matter. It’s not as though they are hiding the agenda. On the contrary, they are proud to say the quiet part out loud, because they are empowered and protected by those who lack the moral conviction and courage to speak truth.

“We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.

“We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise).” —https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/

Tradition is regarded as evil. History must be erased and rewritten. Violent revolution is in order. That is the world in which you live. These are the ideals that a significant number of Americans, and sadly many professing Christians and leaders in the visible Church, are supporting. But there are two things we ought to bear in mind.

First, those who seek to burn the world down and re-make it in their own image will not succeed. They may destroy America. Our society may never recover from recent events. But creation is larger than any one nation. Nations rise and fall. Movements develop and then die. But the purpose of God stands forever. It cannot be thwarted.

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations. (Psalm 33:10-11)

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,

For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD

As the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9)

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,

The One who is and who was and who is to come,

Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,

And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,

And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,

And those who fear Your name, small and great,

And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

(Revelation 11:15-18) Second, the visible Church must maintain her spiritual, otherworldly, boldly confessing identity in the face of social turmoil and change. We are not a political action group. Our hope is not in the Republican (or Democrat or Libertarian) party. We will not be spared temporal persecution or eternal judgment by capitulating to and compromising with the spirit of the age. If they are willing to tear down statutes of Frederick Douglass, do you suppose they will be content to leave your congregation alone because you agree that black lives matter? Our hope is in Jesus Christ. We must stand upon the Word of God and behind the cross. As history and tradition are attacked all around us, the Church must re-dig her fathers’ wells. There has been far too much of the world in the Church for far too long. We don’t need more pastors in skinny jeans, more praise teams that rival the local rock band, or more worship programs that feel more like a social mixer than an ancient service of prayer in the presence of God. Now is not the time for the Church to forget her history, but rather to remember, learn from, and cherish it. “We are God’s people, the chosen of the Lord.” Let’s not only say and sing it. Let’s be sure we sincerely mean it.