Sermon: The Spirit Filled Marriage, Part 2
Spurgeon once said, “When the home is ruled according to God’s Word, angels might be asked to stay with us, and they would not find themselves out of their elements.” Only Spirit filled believers could enjoy such a home life. If the key word that described the Spirit filled wife was “submit”, the key word for husbands is “love.” Husbands sacrificially live for the spiritual betterment of the their wives. Spirit filled husbands are servant leaders as was Christ.
In Mark 10:35-45 is an example of Christ’s servant leadership in stark contrast to the self promoting disciples who wanted greatness as modern culture dictates.
“And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
C. J. Mahaney starts chapter one in Humility: True Greatness by referring to Jim Collins’ bestseller, Good to Great. The result of Collins researching 11 corporations which had become great was that each corporation’s CEO was “quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understated, did not believe his own clippings” and thus respected by their employees. In chapter three “Greatness Redefined” C. J. Mahaney defines humility as serving others for God’s glory. The proud disciples wanted to be served by sitting on the right and left hand of Christ in His kingdom. Christ rebuked these same selfish and bickering believers by washing their feet. Christ modelled true, humble servant leadership.
Husbands Serve Their Wives by Sanctifying Them Through God’s Word in Ephesians 5:26-27.
In Ephesians 5:26-27, Paul said that Christ gave Himself for the church “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” About “the word” Hoehner writes, “The ‘Word’ (rhemati) refers to the ‘preached Word’ that unbelievers hear (cf. rhema in Eph. 6:17; Rom. 10:8, 17; 1 Peter 1:25) (Harold W. Hoehner. Bible Knowledge Commentary, page 641).
One day Christ will present His Bride to Himself at the Judgment Seat without spot because He has cleansed her with His preached Word. God wants husbands to present their brides to Him at the Judgment Seat the way she looked on their wedding day because of their exposure to the preached Word. This requires two incredibly important responsibilities from men in the church. First, the pastor must “Preach the Word.” Secondly, the husbands must lead their wives to hear the faithfully preached Word of God.
Husbands Serve Their Wives by Protecting Them in Ephesians 5:28-30.
Paul writes in 5:28-30: “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.” I have been to enough covered dish fellowship meals at church to know that husbands feed and care for their bodies. Paul wrote that husbands should also out of love take care of their wives.
Peter addresses this issue in 1 Peter 3:7: “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” Just because the wife is the weaker vessel physically does not mean she is inferior. Which is weaker, silk or denim blue jeans? Silk. Which is better? Silk. Which is weaker, gold or steel? Gold. Which is better? Gold. Which is weaker, a porcelian cup or a sledgehammer? A porcelian cup. Which is better? A pocelian cup. It is our job to protect our wives from anything or anyone who would harm them not just physically but spiritually.
Husbands Serve Their Wives by Commiting Themselves to Them in Ephesians 5:31.
Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 in verse 31: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” In Genesis 2:24, the husband leaves his parents and cleaves to his wife. The word “cleaves” is a strong word. It means to be “glued.” I heard one preacher say because of this verse he was stuck with his wife. That was not nice. Like superglue we are bonded together. Maybe you have seen beautiful wooden lamentated arches in a church. Separate planks have been glued together to make the lamanated arches. If you tried to separate the glued planks you will rip, splinter, and destory the planks. This is what happens when two people who have become one in marriage and are separated or devorced. It devastates both.
It takes commitment to one another and the Lord to stay together. It takes being Spirit filled because in our strength we will not succeed in our marriages. The theme of Ephesians, The Unity that Love can Bring, certainly applies in marriage. The fruit of the Spirit is love. Love for God and your mates will be the superglue that blinds you together.
Sermon: “Winning Souls by Prayer”
In Bible college our textbook for our Evangelism class was Lewis Sperry Chafer’s “True Evangelism: Winning Souls by Prayer.” He writes, “The personal element in true soul-winning work is more a service of pleading for souls than a service of pleading with souls. It is talking with God about men from a clean heart and in the power of the Spirit, rather than talking to men about God….the divine order is to talk to God about men, until the door is definitely open to talk to men about God” (Lewis Sperry Chafer. True Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1993, 69-71). Chafer touches on an aspect of witnessing we do not hear much about today. In light of his statement we need to answer some questions about praying people into heaven.
I. Is it Biblical to Pray for the Lost?
There are some significant examples in the Gospels, the book of Acts and the Epistles who prayed for the unsaved. We can start with Christ who prayed for the lost on the cross: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Similarly, Stephen prayed for the lost just before his death: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60). In Romans 9:1-3 and 10:1, you feel Paul’s burden for the lost and hear his prayer for their salvation. I think we are in pretty good company when we pray for the lost. Who prayed for your salvation? For whose salvation are you praying at this time?
II. When do we Pray for the Lost? (Prayer should precede witnessing)
This pattern is found in the Gospels.
In Luke 10:1-3, Jesus instructed his 70 advance men to “pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.” Then Jesus added, “Go your way: behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves.” Jesus followed a similar pattern when He sent out His 12 apostles in Matthew 9:37-10:6. We are not saying you cannot pray for the lost after you witness. But prayer, when possible should precede the witness as all these examples show. There are some specifics ways to prayer prior to witnessing which we shall see in our last point.
This pattern is found in the Book of Acts.
In Acts 1 and 2, the 120 believers prayed ten days, Peter preached ten minutes and 3000 were saved. Today the church prays for ten minutes, preaches for ten days, and three get saved (G. Michael Cocoris. Evangelism: A Biblical Approach. Chicago: Moody Press, 1984, 108). In Acts 4:29, the persecuted believers pray for boldness to witness. The reason they are being persecuted is because of their bold witnessing. They don’t pray for God to remove the persecuters but for more boldness which will result in more persecution. Their prayer is answered in 4:31: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
The pattern is also found in the Epistles.
In Ephesians 6:18-19, Paul requests that the believers at Ephesus pray that he might “open his mouth boldly [Gk. parrasia] to make known the mystery of the gospel.” Paul was probably the most bold witness Christ ever had and he needed prayer for boldness. Where does that leave the rest of us? We know this prayer was answered. Luke records that in Paul’s first Roman imprisonment in Acts 28:30-31 Paul was “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence [Gk. parrasias or boldness].”
III. How Should We Pray for the Lost?
Here are some specific ways to pray for the lost before you witnessed to them. I am indebted to G. Michael Cocoris’ book Evangelism: A Biblical Approach for these thoughts.
A. We should pray for peaceful circumstances to witness.
This is what Paul prayed for in 1Timothy 2:2-4: “That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” We can practically pray for the right conditions that nothing would distract the unsaved from the gospel. I once lived in a community where a prominent church split which made witnessing to the lost very difficult. They would throw in your face the fact that if Christianity looks like a bunch of Christians fighting all the time, they did not need that.
B. We should pray for laborers.
Jesus made this prayer request at least twice (Luke 10:1-3; Matthew 9:37). We could pray for God to add to the church believers who have the gift of evangelism (Ephesians 4:11). I know believers who could lead someone to Christ in their sleep. For most of us, however, this is not the case. So, probably the best way to pray for God to raise up laborers would be to pray that all believers would be better witnesses as Jesus said would be the case in Acts 1:8.
C. We should pray for opportunities to witness.
In Colossians 4:2-3, Paul requested the Colossians to pray for him “that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ.” Perhaps Paul wanted to witness to a particular prisoner or guard in his hired house where he was paying rent to be imprisoned. Is there someone you have been wanting to witness to? Ask God to make that opportunity possible.
D. We should pray for boldness to witness.
Again Paul made this request of the Ephesians in 6:18-19. It is possible for God to swing open a door to witness in answer to our last prayer and then because of the fear of man we would not share the gospel. We need both opportunities and boldness.
E. We should pray for the lost once the gospel is shared.
We should pray that the Holy Spirit would supernaturally open their Satanically blinded eyes (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). The lost are in a spell of indifference. The Holy Spirit must take “the sword of the Spirit” and convict the unconcerned sinner of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-11). We can not in our own strength reverse total depravity. We need the Holy Spirit to draw sinners to Himself. God has ordained that we be part of that process by praying for the unsaved and witnessing the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation to every person who believes.
Henry Blackaby tells an encouraging experience from George Mueller praying for the lost. George Mueller’s name will forever be associated with effective prayer. Through fervent prayer, Mueller established an orphanage in Bristol, England in the 1800s. Mueller saw that ministry grow to include the care of two thousand orphans in five orphanages. Mueller traveled over 200,000 miles to share the gospel in forty-two countries. In all of this, he never once asked for money; he based his enormous ministry solely on prayer. Mueller also faithfully prayed for people’s salvation. At one point in his life he observed:
In November, 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of five individuals. I prayed every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on land or at sea, and whatever the pressure of my engagements might be. Eighteen months elapsed before the first of the five was converted. I thanked God and prayed on for the others. Five years elapsed, and then the second was converted. I thanked God for the second, and prayed on for other three. Day by day I continued to pray for them, and six years passed before the third was converted. I thanked God for the three, and went on praying for the other two. These two remained unconverted . . . . The man (Mueller referring to himself) to whom God in the riches of his grace has given tens of thousands of answers to prayer in the self-same hour or day in which they were offered has been praying day by day for nearly thirty-six years for the conversion of these individuals, and yet they remain unconverted. But I hope in God, I pray on, and look yet for the answer. They are not converted yet, but they will be.
It was not until after Mueller’s death that the last man accepted Christ as his Savior, but each one did. Such was Mueller’s trust in God and tenacity in prayer” (Henry and Richard Blackaby. Spiritual Leadership. 152-153). It is always to soon to stop praying for the lost.
Why the Popularity and Difficulty of Narrative Preaching? The Hermeneutic Paradigm Shift: Part 2a
From the first post, we learned that preachers are hestitant to preach narratives because of homiletical reasons. But there are hermeneutical reasons as well. David Deuel asks, ”Why do preachers usually not preach biblical narratives (i.e., stories) as stories?….Many seem uncomfortable in preaching narrative as story, perhaps fearing to appear ridiculous or sound condescending….Narratives make its own point(s) in an interesting and effective manner, while the selection and arangement of the story’s details provide clues for finding them” (David C. Deuel, “Expository Preaching from Old Testament Narrative,” in Rediscovering Expository Preaching, ed. Richard Mayhue. Waco, TX: Word, 1992, 274). In the next three posts we deal with some hermeneutical issues associated with preaching narratives.
In addition to the homiletical paradigm shift there has been the hermeneutical shift from the grammatico-historical method of exegesis to a more literarily minded approach. Greidanus confirms: “Biblical studies has recently entered into a new world: it has undergone a paradigm shift from historical to literary studies so that scholarly interest today is focused not so much on history as on genres of biblical literature—with a concomitant shift in homiletics to forms of sermons” (Sidney Greidanus, The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988, xi).
Kaiser believes the grammatico-historical method of exegesis is weak only in “that it fails to go far enough in describing the main job of exegesis.” In Kaiser’s syntactical-theological method, he stresses the importance of knowing the genre of Scripture being studied. “Often the key to the use and function of language is the literary form in which it was cast” (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Toward an Exegetical Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981, 89).
I will divide this discussion into three parts: Writers of narratives were theologians, prophets, and literary artists.
Writers of Narratives were Theologians
In spite of the paradigm shift from the historical to the literary aspects of hermeneutics, both are indispensable to “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Interpreting narratives historically is essential because the writers of Scriptures were theologians who theologically shaped their historical writings. The most prominent genre in Scripture is historical narrative which records God acting in history. The Bible is the story of the Kingdom of God. The sovereign king rules over the affairs of men.
For example, John Martin called the narratives of 1 and 2 Samuel “theological history” (John Martin, “The Literary Quality of 1 and 2 Samuel,” Bibliotheca Sacra 141, no.562, April-June1984: 132). These narratives present God as the Sovereign who rules over the affairs of His subjects. Sometimes the Sovereign rules publically and miraculously as at creation, where God did not mediate through natural means, but God “spoke and it was done; he commanded, and it stood still” (Psalms 33:9). At other times, the Sovereign rules secretly and providentially as with the birth of Samuel. God had sovereignly made Hannah barren (1 Samuel 1:3) and Hannah’s co-wife, Peninnah, provoked and irritated Hannah because of her misfortune. Yet, Hannah acted righteously, and God reversed her circumstances and blessed her with a son. “Reversal of fortune as an index of divine sovereignty is another significant motif” in 1 and 2 Samuel. However, God reversed Hannah’s fortune providentially through natural means. “Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her” (1 Samuel 1:19).
Interpreting narratives historically is absolutely necessary because the authors were theologians who were recording the Sovereign’s mediate and immediate rule over his creation in history. In my next post, I will discuss the importance of interpreting narratives historically because the writers of narratives were prophets who wrote to persuade. This has a distinct advantage for preachers.
A Call to Salvation, Part 3
A. There is a general or external call or invitation of the gospel.
B. There is a special or effective call to salvation.
Charles Ryrie observes: The vast majority of occurrences concern the effectual call which leads to salvation. From such verses as Romans 1:1; 8:28; I Timothy 6:12; II Peter 1:3, 10 it is clear that the calling is not merely a general invitation but that mysterious yet effectual work of God through the Holy Spirit which brings man to saving faith in Jesus Christ. To those who are not called in this effectual sense, the gospel remains foolishness (I Cor. 1:21-25) (Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, page 62).
1. Who calls the sinner to salvation?
a. God the Father “God is faithful, by whom you were called” (1 Corinthians 1:9).
b. The Father called through the Son, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke. 5:32).
c. The Son uses the Word and the Spirit (“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
2. Why does God call sinners to salvation? Because sinners are totally depraved.
Unregenerate men are not able to take one step, apart from the enabling power of the Spirit, in the direction of their salvation. The Arminian error which avers that a general and universal grace is given to all men by which they, if they will, may turn to God is exposed and reproved by a large body of Scripture, and no Scripture is found which sustains this error. Several of these vital passages may well be considered at this point (Chafer, Systematic Theology, pages 212, 213).
Richard Watson is an Arminian theologian who wrote of this sufficient or universal grace: “As all men are required to do those things which have a saving tendency, we contend that the grace to do them has been bestowed upon all” (Richard Watson, Theological Institutes, New York: Carlton & Porter, n.d. II, pp. 61-80). What is wrong with this position?
a. Sinners do not seek God for salvation (Romans 3:10-18).
b. Sinners are totally unable on their own to understand the gospel (1 Corinthians 2:14).
c. Sinners are satanically blinded (2 Corinthians 4:3-6) and controlled (1 John 5:19). “Those in Satan’s power will turn to God only as One who is greater in power than Satan moves them so to turn” (Chafer, p. 215).
d. Sinners are dead (Ephesians 2:1).
Three Views on The Sinner’s Condition
The sinner is well The sinner is sick The sinner is dead
Peligianism Arminianism Calvinism and Modified
3. How does God call sinners to salvation effectively?
a. Through the gospel which is the external call (2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14).
b. Through the Holy Spirit which is the effective call.
c. Through Faith (Romans 10:17).
d. Through Regeneration (Titus 3:5) or the new birth (John 3:5).
NOT
a. Through regeneration which is done without the sinner’s knowledge.
As Grudem writes, “regeneration comes before saving faith” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, p. 702).
Or as Berkhof defended: Regeneration is a creative work of God, and is therefore a work in which man is purely passive, and in which there is no place for human co-operation . . . ‘created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them’ Eph. 2:10 (Berkhof, p.465).
Berkhof also believed that in the case of children regeneration can take place years before they are effectively called.
The new life is often implanted in the hearts of children long before they are able to hear the call of the gospel . . . In the case of those who live under the administration of the gospel the possibility exists that they receive the seed of regeneration long before they come to years of discretion and therefore also long before the effectual calling penetrates to their consciousness (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941, pages, 471, 472).
Wayne Grudem is not as extreme: “When we say that regeneration comes ‘before’ saving faith, it is important to remember that they usually come so close together that it will ordinarily seem to us that they are happening at the same time” (p. 702).
b. Through the Word which is the external call.
c. Through the Holy Spirit which is the effective call.
d. Through faith which is the result of regeneration. Some Reformed theologians say that faith is a gift from God using Ephesians 2:8, 9 to support this view.
Robert Lightner addresses this issue. In all fairness it should be said that most limited redemptionists do not rule out the necessity of faith. Nevertheless, their strong emphasis upon Christ securing the salvation and even saving the elect in His death and at the time of His death makes the condition of faith for salvation seem rather unnecessary. This difficulty is frequently answered by limited redemptionists by their further insistence that Christ not only died for the elect, securing their salvation and saving them, but that He also procured at the same time the means whereby this salvation would be applied. That is, He purchased the necessary faith of the elect also, giving it to them as a gift which they in turn are to give back to Him at the point of salvation. Very seldom is an attempt made to prove from Scripture that this is true; it is rather a very widespread assumption on the part of strict Calvinists. Even though Calvinistic arguments defending this matter of faith as a special gift to the elect are wanting, reference is usually made to Ephesians 2:8, 9 as a proof text (Robert Lightner, The Death He Died, p.49).
Reformed theologian Wayne Grudem, however, breaks the mold and gives the same answer as Lightner on why Ephesians 2:8, 9 can not mean that faith is the gift referred to the passage, but rather the entire act of salvation is the gift:
The word translated “this” is the neuter pronoun touto, which refers not to “faith” or to “grace” specifically in the previous clause (for they are both feminine nouns in Greek, and would require feminine pronouns), but to the entire idea expressed in the preceding phrase, the idea that you have been saved by grace through faith (Grudem, p.730). See Harold W. Hoehner for the same exegetical argument (Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, pages342—344).
But Grudem does use John 3:5 to say that regeneration precedes conversion and faith is the result of regeneration. “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
When Nicodemus did not understand this example, Jesus used the story from Numbers 21 of Moses and the brass serpent. If a dying Israelite looked, he lived. He did not first receive life and then look. To Nicodemus Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
John Walvoord, in discussing regeneration states that eternal life is received by faith . . . This fact must be kept free from all confusion of thought arising from the concept of regeneration which makes it merely an antecedent of salvation, or a preliminary quickening to enable the soul to believe (Walvoord, The Holy Spirit, p.132).
The various appeals to respond to the gospel imply that conversion results in regeneration: “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38;38). “And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).
This is not the position of Piper: So what verse 8 is teaching is this: We don’t cause the Spirit to bring about the new birth any more than we make the wind blow. Or to be more specific, the decisive act of will in the new birth is not ours. The Spirit’s will is decisive. To be sure, our will moves in the moment of the new birth. Change happens in us. There are perceptible effects of the wind—“ you hear its sound.”
God’s Call to Salvation, Part 2
The following is an impressive array of theologians who believe the Scriptures teach an effective, effectual call or efficacious grace.
Lewis Sperry Chafer
Since it is clearly indicated that one hundred percent of those predestinated are called, and one hundred percent of those called are justified, and one hundred percent of those justified are glorified (Rom. 8:30). . . .Likewise, there is a general call which may be felt whenever the gospel is preached, and it, too, may be resisted as it often is; but over against this is the efficacious call of Romans 8:30. In this passage, as before observed, it is assured that everyone whom God predestinates is called, and the precise numerical company, again, of those called are justified, and that same company—no more and no less—are to be glorified (Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. III Soteriology, Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, pages 211 and 216).
This divine call which results in salvation is called efficacious grace because it is certainly effectual in revealing the gospel and in leading to saving faith.
John Walvoord
In contrast to this work of God is the general call to salvation given to all who hear the gospel. In this sense, Christ said, “I come not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:13). The call to repentance and faith was not always heeded, as demonstrated by the fact that Christ also said, “For many are called, but few chosen” (Matt. 22:14). An examination of the many references to calling in the New Testament will reveal, however, that in most instances they refer to the efficacious call. Efficacious grace, then, stands in contrast to common grace as the effectual call stands in contrast to the general call.
For practical purposes, the grace provided is involved in the call given, and divine calling and the grace which is inherent in it are the same subject (John Walvoord, The Holy Spirit, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1991, p.120).
Dwight Pentecost
The word “predestination” is logically followed by the word “called,” which is to be understood in its normal designation in which God Cathose whom He has foreknown, those whom He has elected, those whom He has predestinated, unto Himself. The call of God to the elect of God—who have been predestinated unto glory—is the consummating act of God’s foreordination. God sees to it that His purpose will be accomplished. Those whom He has chosen for Himself will be brought to Himself, that His foreknown and predetermined program might be brought to consummation. The Apostle, in Roman 8:30, said, “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” The call, then, is a summons to Himself, because they have been predestined unto glory by His foreordained purpose and program.
God’s call is not a call to the human will, asking the human will unaided by divine grace, to respond. God’s call is also God’s enablement; and God, who issues the call, imparts the power through the ministry of the Holy Spirit to respond to that call, so that the sinner who is dead, who is without life, who is under condemnation and judgment, may hear God’s call; and although he has no power in himself because he is dead, and no desire to respond because God has been put out of his life, he is enabled by the Holy Spirit to respond to the gracious invitation (Dwight Pentecost, Things Which Become Sound Doctrine, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1965, pages 141, 142).
Charles Ryrie
Efficacious grace is the work of the Holy Spirit which effectively moves men to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. It is the work of the Spirit which moves men to believe; therefore, it may be said that no man is saved against his will (Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, p. 61).
Robert Lightner
Salvation becomes a reality when, at the moment of faith, the Holy Spirit imparts life to the believing sinner. When the Holy Spirit moves in this way upon the individual, His ministry is always 100 percent effective (note Rom. 8:28-30 that those called are glorified). This work of the Spirit in moving sinners to trust in Christ, the sin bearer, has been called efficacious grace, or effectual grace (Robert Lightner. Sin, The Savior, and Salvation, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, p. 154).
Hoyle Bowman
Such a position obviously separates the work of Christ on the cross from the Holy Spirit’s application of that work to the sinner. As has been stated the cross does not secure its own results. The effect must be prompted by another cause which is the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit issuing in saving faith (Hoyle Bowman, A Case for Unlimited Atonement, Winston/Salem: Piedmont Baptist College, p. 6).
Robert Gromacki
This general call is an expression of divine grace. It alone does not save nor does it always lead to salvation. Man must respond to this call. Paul wrote, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Ro 10:13). However, not every man answers God’s general call by calling upon Him. Many are called, but few are chosen. The chosen are those who are the objects of God’s effectual call. They are the called ones according to God’s eternal purpose (Ro 8:28). It is God’s direct will that these called receive all that is involved in God’s gift of salvation. Note Paul’s words, “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Ro 8:30). These called have already (according to God’s sovereign decree) been foreknown and predestinated. Their justification and glorification are just as certain as their calling (Robert Glenn Gromacki, Salvation is Forever, Chicago: Moody Press, 1973, pages 39, 40).
Millard J. Erickson
Special calling is in large measure the Holy Spirit’s work of illumination, enabling the recipient to understand the true meaning of the gospel. This working is necessary because of the depravity which is characteristic of all humans prevents them from grasping God’s revealed truth. Commenting on 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, George Ladd remarks that “only by the illumination of the Spirit can men understand the meaning of the cross; only by the Spirit can men therefore confess that Jesus who was executed is also Lord (1 Cor.12:3)” (Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology, Vol. 3. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985, 931).
Wayne Grudem
We may define effective calling as follows: Effective calling is an act of God the Father, speaking through the human proclamation of the gospel, in which he summons peope to himself in such a way that they respond in saving faith. It is important that we not give the impression that people will be saved by the power of this call apart from their own willing response to the gospel. Although it is true that effective calling awakens and brings forth a response from us , we must always insist that this response still has to be a voluntry, willing response in which the indivdual person puts his or her trust in Christ” (Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, 692-693).
From this list we see that both dispenstationalists and reformed theologians believe in the effective call. But there is usually a difference in the relationship between the effective call and regeneration. Reformed theologians believe that the effective call precedes the effective call and saving faith. For example, Wayne Grudem writes, “Scripture indicates that regeneration must come before we can respond to effective calling with saving faith” (page 700).
I agree with Millard J. Erickson who wrote that, “The logical order is calling, conversion, regeneration….The special calling is simply an intensive and effective working of the Holy Spirit. It is not the complete transformation which constitutes regeneration, but it does render the conversion of the individual both possible and certain. Thus the logical order of the initial aspects of salvation is special calling—conversion—regeneration” (pages 932-933).
This is where I disagree with Piper’s sermon: The Free Will of the Wind: “So what verse 8 is teaching is this: We don’t cause the Spirit to bring about the new birth any more than we make the wind blow. Or to be more specific, the decisive act of will in the new birth is not ours. The Spirit’s will is decisive. To be sure, our will moves in the moment of the new birth. Change happens in us. There are perceptible effects of the wind—“ you hear its sound.”
Even Grudem admits “that two passages suggest that God regenerates us at the same time as he speaks to us in effective calling:1 Peter 1:23 ’since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.’ And James says, ‘He chose to give us birth through the word of truth’ (James 1:18 NIV)” (Grudem, 700).
God’s Call to Salvation, Part 1
Here is an excerpt from John Piper’s sermon, “The Free Will of the Wind”
“This is what we mean when we use terms like sovereign grace or irresistible grace. We mean that the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, and therefore he is omnipotent and sovereign. And therefore, he is irresistible and infallibly effective in his regenerating work. Which doesn’t mean that we don’t resist him. We do. The Bible is plain about that (Acts 7:51). What the sovereignty of grace and the sovereignty of the Spirit mean is that when God chooses, he can overcome the rebellion and resistance of our wills. He can make Christ look so compelling that our resistance is broken and we freely come to him and receive him and believe him.” The entire sermon is at:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2009/3865_The_Free_Will_of_the_Wind/
Let’s examine Piper’s statement in the light of Scripture on the subject of God’s Call to Salvation.
Are we called to salvation like little Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 or Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9? Does the sinner hear an audible invitation from God? If not, then how does God call sinners to salvation? This subject is usually discussed by theologians in the two categories of Common and Effective Grace.
COMMON GRACE
“Common grace is the unmerited favor of God toward all men displayed in His general care for them. Common grace is displayed in three circles of activity” (Charles Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, Chicago: Moody Press, 1965, 55)
The first circle of common grace, according to Ryrie, is The General Providential Work of God in the World.
Louis Berkhof traces the development of this doctrine. It was indirectly addressed by Augustine, further expanded upon in the middle ages by the R.C.C. and finally developed into a doctrine by John Calvin to answer questions like how can rebellious sinners possess extraordinary talents and how the cursed earth produce such bountiful products?
Yet let us not forget that these are most excellent gifts of the Divine Spirit, which for the common benefit of mankind he dispenses to whomsoever he pleases . . . Now, if it has pleased the Lord that we should be assisted in physics, logic, mathematics, and other arts and science, by the labour and ministry of the impious, let us make use of them; lest, if we neglect to use the blessings therein freely offered to us by God, we suffer the just punishment of our negligence” (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication,1936, Book II,XVI, p. 297).
How can rebellious sinners possess amazing talents, like in the area of technology, and make important discoveries, as in the area of science. Because “The Lord is good to all” (Psalms 145:9) and “He is kind unto the unthankful” (Luke. 6:34), i.e., common grace.
How can the earth that is cursed because of Adam’s sin, produce so abundantly the staples necessary for life? Because God “makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44, 45). This is another description of God’s common grace.
God in his common grace also provided a Savior for the world of sinners (1 Timothy 4:10). God’s purpose in the general blessings of common grace is to lead sinners to repentance (Romans 2:4).
The next circle of common grace, according to Ryrie, is The Narrower Circle of The Restraint of Sin.
According to 2 Thessalonians 2:6, 7, the Holy Spirit is the restrainer of sin until the coming of Christ and then this one aspect of the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be removed and the Man of Sin will come on the world scene. The neuter participle with the neuter article in verse six indicate that this restraining influence is the power of God and the masculine participle with the masculine article in verse seven prove that this influence is the person of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit also uses preaching (Isaiah 63:10 11), the government (Romans 13:1-4) and believers who are salt and light. An example of God removing his restraining influence in sinners’ lives is recorded in Romans 1:24, 26, and 28. Here God gives the sinner over to the consequences of his desired sin.
The narrowest circle of common grace, according to Ryrie, is The Conviction of Sinners.
This circle of common grace would include the general call of the gospel and the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The external or general call of the gospel.
The gospel is to be shared with all. The biblical support of the doctrine is based on the use of the word “call:” In only a very few instances does the word convey a general invitation to elect and nonelect alike (cf. Matthew 22:14 and probably Matthew. 9:13). The vast majority of occurrences concern the effectual call which leads to salvation (Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, page 61).
When Jesus said in Matthew 22:14 that many are called, but few are chosen, he was saying that many are invited to respond to the gospel, but few are actually saved. According to 2 Corinthians 5:14, 19, 20, because Christ died for all (v.14), Christ should be offered to all (vv.19, 20). However, this universal offer of the gospel is a problem for those who believe in limited atonement as represented by Louis Berkhof.
There would be a real contradiction between the Reformed doctrines of predestination and limited atonement on the one hand, and the universal offer of salvation on the other, if this offer included the declaration that God purposed to save every individual hearer of the gospel, and that Christ really atoned for the sins of each one of them. But the gospel invitation involves no such declaration (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941, p. 462).
Thus Scriptures, contrary to this statement, command us to give the gospel to every person (Matthew 28:19, 20) and that Christ died for the world (John 3:16) and that God has commanded all people to repent (Acts 17:30).
The conviction of the unsaved by the Holy Spirit (John 16:7, 8) of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Ryrie comments about putting the conviction of sin under common grace rather than effective grace:
“To be sure, this might be classed under efficacious grace, but it probably belongs here since His work of conviction is not always efficacious . . . When this proving work of the Holy Spirit accompanies the preaching of the gospel, all who hear the message will be enlightened to the point of understanding that the message is true. Whether each individual who hears will go on to accept the truth is not guaranteed by this ministry of the Spirit. Acceptance would involve the work of regeneration; enlightenment involves only the giving of demonstrable proof of the truth of the message. But even that proving is a supernatural work (Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, p. 58).
My next two posts will examine the Effective Call.
“What is Man?” Or, “Who am I?” Sermon on Psalm 8
David is not having an Identity Crisis when he asks “What is Man?”
Dr. John Whitcomb said, “The 2nd leading group in America to commit suicide is university students who are searching for answers and can’t find them in secular humanism. The 1st group is psychologists who think they have the answers and do not.”
How would you answer the question, “What is man?” or “Who am I?” I am a failure,” “I am rejected,” “I am the greatest.”
David is not having an identity crisis but a worship experience! Psalm 8 is a burst of praise for who God is and what He thinks of you and me. “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth” (Psalm 8:1 and 9).
God is our LORD or Redeemer. God is also our Lord or Ruler. Psalm 8 does not begin and end with man, defining him. Psalm 8 begins and ends with God. Psalm 8 is not anthropology or psychology but theology. Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise to God who has redeemed us and rules over us.
We must answer the question “Who am I?” in light of “Who is God?”
1. Who Am I? I am the Focus of God’s Concern (8:1-2)
A. God is infinitely above me in 8:1. David praises God for His glory that is above the heavens. In Psalm 113:4-6, God in His greatness is above the universe like a scientist crouched over his microscope observing the universe as small drop of water.
“The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwells on high. Who humbles himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth.”
Psalm 113:7-9 leads to our next point that God is not only infinitely above us, but He is intimately involved with us: “He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes even with the princes of his people. He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise you the Lord.”
B. God is intimately involved with me (8:2). God, who is atop the universe uses the weakest and frailest of human beings, infants, to silence His enemies. Christ quoted this verse to his enemies, the religious leaders, who were upset that children were praising Him as their Messiah on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:16). With this verse, He silenced them.
Another infant was born, Jesus Christ, who totally frustrated and defeated God’s enemy, Satan.
You might be saying, “God could never use me. I am too poor, too ignorant, too socially retarded.” According to 1st Cor. 1:26-29, you are the perfect candidate for God to use.
2. Who Am I? I am the Climax of God’s Creation (8:3-5a)
A. The universe reveals God’s greatness (8:3)
Charles H. Spurgeon called Psalm 8, “The song of the astronomer.” David while tending his sheep at night could see 3 to 4 thousand stars with his unaided eyes and was breathe taken at God greatness.
The astronomer’s modern giant telescopes have made some amazing discoveries since 1920. In our universe,the Milky Way, there are 100 billion stars. And then beyond our universe are billions of universes, each with 100 billion stars.
All of this, David said, was “the work of God’s fingers.” John Wesley said, “God created the heavens and the earth and did not half try.”
B. The universe reveals man’s smallness (8:4a)
“What is man?” Man is an infinitesimal speck in space in comparison to the measureless universe. According to Psalm 144:3-4, man is a microscopic dot on the timeline of eternity. I know timeline is a contradiction to eternity.
Job asked, “What is man?” in frustration in 7:17-21 against God, whom Jobs thinks is making a big fuss over nothing in his life: “What is man, that you should magnify him? And that you should set your heart upon him? And that you should visit him every morning and try him every moment? How long will you not depart from me, or let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? I have sinned; what shall I do unto you, O you preserver of men? Why have you set me as a mark against you, so that I am a burden to myself? And why do you not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I sleep in the dust; and you shall seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”
Job in essence said, “I am under your magnifying glass. I can’t move without your notice and punishment. When I wake up, there you are. I can’t even swallow my spit without you micromanaging me. You have placed a bull eyes on my back. If I have sinned, forgive me and let’s move on. What is man to you? Why all the fuss?
C. The universe reveals God’s grace (8:4b-5)
1. When God is “mindful” of this infinitesimal atom in God’s universe and chooses him for Himself (Ephesians 1:3-4).
2. When God “visits” weak, frail, and mortal man. God not only chooses us but He cares for us.
3. When God made man in His image in order to fellowship with him. Psalm 8:5 states this truth two different ways. First, when David writes that God created man “a little lower than the angels.”
Here is how James Montgomery Boice explains the first truth: “The most interesting aspect of Psalm 8 is the way in which it places man in what has been called ‘a mediation position’ in the universe. Thomas Aquinas was one of the first to stress this, saying that Psalm 8 places man midway between the angels, which are above him, and the beasts, which are below. Man is a spirit/body being, according to Aquinas. Angels have spirits but no bodies. Animals have bodies but no spirits. Man, however, has both a spirit and a body and so comes between” (Psalms, Vol 1, Psalms 1-41. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994, 70). We know by this description from David that David was not an atheistic evolutionist or he would have written that man was created “a little higher than the animals.”
Secondly, not only does God have “glory” that is above the universe in 8:1 but God crowned man with His glory. Both of these statements equal the statement in Genesis one that God created man in His image. As great as the universe is, God did not make stars in His image. As measureless as the universe is, Christ did not die for planets, He died for you and me. God doesn’t desire fellowship with galaxies. We alone in God’s vast universe are made in His image and have the potential and privilege to fellowship with God.
3. Who am I? I am the recipient of God’s crown (8:6-8)
A. God created man to rule the earth.
In Psalm 8:6-8, David quotes Genesis 1:26-28 which is a reference to Adam before the Fall into sin. God crowned man with “glory and honor” which are attributes of a king. When Adam sinned, he was dethroned. Today man is not a ruler, he is a rebel. Man is not the sovereign God intended for him to be, man is a sinner. Today, man temporarily is not realizing Psalm 8.
B. Because of the fall of the first Adam into sin, God sent the Last Adam, Jesus Christ.
The Last Adam, Jesus Christ, has regained all that the first Adam lost in the Fall. God intended the first Adam to reign and but he rebelled and lost his control and reign. The New Testament quotes Psalm 8:6-8 and applies it to Christ. “You have put all things in subjection under his feet….But now we see not yet all things put under his feet” (Hebrews 2:8). “In reality Christ is at the right hand of the Father and everything has been subjected under his feet, but the full exercise of that power will not be evident until his return” (Harold W. Hoehner. Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002, 284).
1. Even while on earth Christ ruled the fish: a school of fish (John 21:6), a single fish (Matthew 17:27). Christ ruled the beasts: an unbroken colt (Matthew 21:2). Christ ruled the fowl (Luke 22:34). Additionally, Christ cast out demons, healed the sick, and walked on water. All of these were Old Testament prerogatives of the predicted Messiah.
2. Today, Paul says in Ephesians 1:22 that God “has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” An example of Christ reigning today is in Colossians 1:13. Every time a sinner is converted God delivers that sinner from the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son over which Christ reigns.
3. The full exercise of Christ’s power and reign will happen in the future at His second coming according to 1 Corinthians 15:24-27 where Psalm 8 is quoted again. “Then comes the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he has put all things under his feet.”
Michael Moore, film director of Fahrenheit 9/11, quotes Jesus who said, “Love your enemies” to defend his position that we should not attack terrorist nations. In Revelation 19, when 1 Corinthians 15:24-27 will be fulfilled, Jesus will destroy His enemies with the sword of His mouth. We are to love our enemies. But God has said, “You shall not murder innocent people.” The penalty for murder is capital punishment. God is a God of love but He is also a God of justice. In the OT if an intruder is trying to break into your house at night you can take his life in defense your life and your family’s life because life is sacred. On 9/11, the terrorists invaded our house and we must defend ourselves and our families against future invasion.
4. Because of Jesus’ death we can reign with Him. Jesus in His incarnation was made a little lower than the angels according to Hebrews 2:9. Jesus did not become an angel in His incarnation because angels don’t die and they are spirit beings. Jesus in His incarnation became man, who does die because he has physical body, “for the suffering of death.”
On the cross, Jesus was “crowned with glory (Hebrews 2:9).” For six hours the cross was Jesus’ throne. He was ruling and reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords, conquering Death, Hell, and the Grave. Because He lives, we live. Because He reigned we shall reign with Him. Because He was crowned with “glory” on the cross in Hebrews 2:9 we shall enter the “glory” of the millennium (Hebrews 2:10) and reign with Him and finally realize Psalm 8 and God’s original purpose for us.
Revelation 1:5-6 states the same blessed truth: “From Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
This is the same place Psalm 8 ends in verse 9: “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth.” We should praise the Lord because we are the focus of His concern, the climax of His creation, and the recipient of His crown.
DRTIMWHITE.COM
- Sermon: The Spirit Filled Marriage, Part 2
- Week 8: The Bible Institute on Ephesians: The Spirit Filled Marriage, Part 1
- Sermon: “Winning Souls by Prayer”
- Why the Popularity and Difficulty of Narrative Preaching? The Hermeneutic Paradigm Shift: Part 2c
- Why the Popularity and Difficulty of Narrative Preaching? The Hermeneutic Paradigm Shift: Part 2b
Week 8: The Bible Institute on Ephesians: The Spirit Filled Marriage, Part 1
Reading assignments: Read pages 271-305 in MacArthur and Eph 5:21-33 and comment on the two posts for week 8.
One of my teachers once said, “Marriage is like a besieged city. Those on the inside want out and those on the outside want in.”
Seriously, our churches will be no stronger than our families and our families will be no stronger than the Spirit filled individuals in the family. Like an inverted pyramid the weight is on the Spirit filled believer to make families, churches, and culture God honoring.
According to Paul, the Spirit controlled believer (5:18) will impact his/her marriage (5:22-33), family (6:1-4), and culture (6:5-9).
There are three results of the Spirit filled life: Praising God in our music (5:19), giving thanks for all things (5:20), and submitting to one another (5:21).
I want to spend a little time on “submitting to one another” because of it’s importance for the rest of Ephesians and so many of our life relationships. Submission means following the leaders in your life. For example, Paul uses a similar Greek word in Ephesians 1:22 when he writes of our submission to the headship of Christ over the church: God the Father “has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” We, believers, in the Body of Christ submit to the leadership of Christ our Head. It will take being Spirit filled to not only submit to Christ our Head but the other leaders in our lives.
As Howard W. Hoehner points out, “submitting to one another” is a hinge verse in 5:21 (Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, page 719). It is not only the last of the consequences of being Spirit controlled that Paul lists, but it is the catalyst that affects the three following life relationships in Ephesians. Hoehner also emphasizes the number of verses Paul writes in each of these relationships to show importance and priority (page 729).
1. The wife/husband relationship in 5:22-33. Paul devotes 12 verses to husbands and wives.
2. The parent/child relationship in 6:1-4. Paul writes 4 verses on this relationship.
3. The employee/employer relationship in 6:5-9. Paul writes 5 verses for those in the workforce.
Perhaps Paul is making a statement that the key relationship is between husbands and wives even over parents and children. If the husband/wife relationship is wrong, the parent/child relationship cannot be right.
The first Spirit filled life relationship is Wives and Husbands in 5:22-33.
First, Spirit filled wives will submit to their husbands’ loving leadership in 5:22-24. Headship means leadership. Paul writes that wives submit to their husbands “as unto the Lord.” The parallel passage in Colossians 3:18 helps us understand that Paul is saying that part of the wives’ submitting to Christ is submitting to their husbands’ leadership: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as it is fitting to the Lord.”
Headship or leadership does not mean superiority. In 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul gives his theological basis for confronting the women in the Corinthian church who were usurping authority over the leadership of the men: “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” Although the head or the leader of Christ is God the Father they are co-equal in Deity. That is why Christ said in John 14:28, “My Father is greater than I.” God the Father is not greater in essence but in leadership. Christ willingly submits to the authority of the Father. Similarly, the wife is not inferior to her husband; she has just been assigned by God a different role.
Someone compared marriage to a football team. The husband is the quarterback. The quarterback is not superior to the running back, as a matter of fact, the running back may even have a higher I.Q. than the quarterback. Someone, however, has to call the plays and that role has been assigned to the quarterback. In some ways my wife is superior to me and in some ways I am superior to her. I can beat her in arm wrestling every time. She can beat me Scrabble every time. But these strengths and weaknesses do not change our God ordained roles. In our next post, we will explore what Paul says about the Spirit filled husband.
The next post for Week 8 is “The Spirit Filled Marriage, Part 2.”