Monthly Archives: September 2008

Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 3 Section 6

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I asked a friend, is it presumptuous that we proclaim God’s election? I’m not sure if it is presumptuous or not, but it should make us completely humble. Today’s confession provide a glimpse at who God is and how he operates. It should completely humble us as we affirm both God’s complete power over WHO is saved and HOW man is saved… as well as man’s complete inability to save himself.

This section of the confession teaches that God in determining the ends he intends to accomplish at the same time determines the means by which he intends to accomplish them; that God has determined that the elect shall be saved ordinarily by “effectual calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, and perseverance in grace.”

Our salvation in Christ is more than just the forgiveness of sins. Our union with Christ includes a new life in which God’s spirit is with us and sustains us, justification which is forgiveness of sins and imputation of Christ’s righteousness, we have new status as being adopted into God’s family, sanctification the process where God is continually making us holy, and finally our end is glorification with God. This all is the work of the God who will carry it on to completion.

May the elect be completely humbled when reading this portion of the confession of faith

(WCF Chapter 3 Section 6)

6. As God has appointed the elect to glory, so he has—by the eternal and most free purpose of his will—foreordained all the means to that end. Therefore, his chosen ones, all of them being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ and are effectually called to faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season. They are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power, through faith, unto salvation. No others are redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, except the elect only.

Confessions: Clarity

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I need clarity.

With all the talk going around, I just don’t know what is true anymore. Individually, I have been able to read, write and think but I haven’t been able to figure things out much. I use a lot of examples in everyday life, football, starcraft, etc. to describe my situation so that I can understand. But still, I can’t see beyond the problems.

I need light to shine on what is dark. We need the truth to shine on the lies and untruths. We need Jesus more than ever but instead of seeking him, we have relied on our own intelligence and our own insights to go about doing things. Lord, shine your light in our lives. Illumine my heart Lord. See if there is anything that is dishonoring to you, anything that is not pleasing to you. Show me.

Shine your light on my life, shine your light on my wife, shine your light on my family. Shine your light on darkness that fills my mind and the unclarity that disturbs my heart.

Lord, what is truly wrong with us? Sin, unforgiveness, lack of love, etc. We need you above all else. no vision, no direction, these are merely symptoms of a larger problem. We are disconnected from God. We are disconnected from the source of light, of true fellowship, of true worship. That is the reason we have worshiped idols rather than the true God. We need to conform our lives, our minds, our hearts, our desires to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I need Him above all else. Without Him, I will continue to complain, I will continue to be blind, I will continue to walk in darkness. Let me walk in faith, daily. Let me walk in faith in every circumstance. May my prayers match my words. May I not continue in my hypocrisy.

As I talked with A, L, N, and others, I continue to feel that I’m not quite there. I don’t know the answers, and I don’t know how to work with people to come to the answers, or answer. Even as I talk with R, I know that he doesn’t understand me completely. It is due mainly to our fallen nature and sin. But it is in those circumstances when we pray and look solely on God that we are set back on to the right track. Even during the deacon meeting and leadership meetings, discussion after discussion I am at a loss for words. I don’t know what to say or do. But I do know that after each meeting, I am a little bit more disgruntled… We seek not after God, so many times we are after our own agendas (knowingly or unknowingly)… But again, it is at the time of prayer that we are brought back to the reality of God and his kingdom. We need not only be reminded, but we need to experience, to taste, to feel, to truly be brought into the presence of God.

I need clarity. I need to pray… I need Jesus….

Things get heated

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I’m not just talking about the fantasy football season. The American culture has gotten very adversarial as well as become very caricature-like. We all want to “change society,” we all want to “change the world.” But what exactly is that change we want?

CHANGE
As I watch both Obama and McCain, as well as the millions of people they have gotten to support them. I can see their appeal, especially Obama who is seen as the voice of hope. I’ve seen it before. People are disenfranchised, people are in need of something greater. They see someone who can give them what they think they need. Both Obama and McCain offer something. But as I watch the conventions, as I watch the debates, I see that we are a far way off from what “we actually need.”

FRIENDS
The interview with Rick Warren was very interesting. Warren first says both McCain and Obama are his friends. They both love America, but they both have very different ways to change. I think that was a very insightful statement made by Warren. It was to avoid the demonization of both candidates that the media does so easily, whether knowingly or unknowingly… Both “conservative” and “liberal” news media have elevated personal attacks over addressing real issues.

CULTURE WARS
But even when addressing the issues, various camps will view “change” differently. This has led to what Americans have called “the culture wars.” Understanding this culture war from a non-Christian perspective is hard, especially if you were raised in this culture. What I mean is that our views of morality and ethics have been so influenced by the culture itself, by the media, by the education, by other Americans, that is hard to separate “right and wrong” from “what I believe right and wrong” is. Tim Keller says in his new book Reason for God, we have the “schoolyard bully” mentality, meaning whoever has the loudest voice or toughest stance usually wins. What he says goes.

WILL OF THE PEOPLE
But can consensus alone determine “right and wrong.” A true democracy says so. The “will of the people” becomes law. But as we know from history that this system is flawed. Where then does law, morality and ethics come from? As I watched the conventions and the debates, we as a country have pretty much placed our hopes, our future into the hands of government and elected officials. Every special interest group, majority, minority, whoever, almost single-handedly believe the government can be the savior of this land, of this society… we will be greatly disappointed. We will find equally flawed results from a flawed system run by flawed individuals. Government in itself is not necessarily bad, but it is run by flawed people in a flawed system, with flawed information and flawed adoration…

HOPE AND CHANGE
Obama brings hope and change. I don’t doubt that. McCain brings hope as well. I don’t doubt that either. But what type of hope and what type of change are we looking for? I don’t think Americans have thought through this question. We want fiscal responsibility. We want to end our occupation of the middle east. We want to be independant of foreign oil. We want to erase the deficit. We want what is best for America.

WHAT IS BEST FOR AMERICA?
As a nation, we are split as to “what is best for America.” Does this fundamentally come down to culture? One’s ethics? One’s opinions? One’s way of life? Is there a universal code we must adhere to? I have an answer, but I think America needs to consider it one more time. What is best for America?

This blog is about reform but it comes not from government, not from culture, not from ethics or morality. Where then can this change come from? I recognize that change cannot ultimately come from government or special interest groups or supreme court judges. I recognize that change comes from a much higher authority. My hope and my prayer is for Americans to be changed by the spirit of God as taught by the bible and through the person of Jesus Christ. It is only by looking at the “perfect law” that we can truly find what is “ideal” for America. It is only by looking at the “perfect man” that we can truly change our culture. Let me challenge you to look not at what is imperfect, but instead look to what is perfect.