The Discipline of Learning

The Christian life begins with learning — learning the gospel. No one is made right with a God about whom He knows nothing. No one is made right with God unless he learns about Him and His message to the world, a message of good news called the gospel. To know God, people must learn that there is a God (Heb. 11:6), that they have broken His law, and that they need to be reconciled to Him. They must learn that God’s Son, Jesus, came to accomplish that reconciliation and that He did so by means of His sinless life and His death on the cross as a substitute for sinners. They must learn of His bodily resurrection and their need to repent of their sins and to believe in Jesus and what He has done. Apart from people learning these things, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” (Rom. 10:14).

Intentional learning is implied in Jesus’ offer in Luke 9:23: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” So from the very start of discipleship, to follow Jesus implied learning from Him, for as did Peter, John, and the others, anyone would certainly learn from Jesus if they would follow Him. But Jesus is even more specific about learning from Him in Matthew 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” To accept the yoke of a disciple of Jesus means to commit to a lifetime of learning about Jesus and from Jesus.

To emphasize learning as essential to following Jesus is not advocacy for egghead Christianity. Like Jesus, we want both a heart for God and a head for God. Remember that the Great Commandment emphasizes loving God both with all the heart and with all the mind, as well (Mark 12:29–30). As R.C. Sproul once wrote, “Burning hearts are not nourished by empty heads.” God’s truth — which must be learned — is the fuel for the spiritual fire that flames in the Christian heart.

Lifelong Learning

The Christian life not only begins with learning, it proceeds through a process of lifelong learning. This includes deeper discoveries of intimacy with God, an ever-growing grasp of the Bible and its doctrines, a greater awareness of our sin, an increased knowledge of the person and work of Christ, further implications of what it means to follow Him, and more. A mature understanding of these things does not come quickly or without effort. Simply put, it is impossible to grow into a Christlikeness one knows nothing about. By the Spirit’s power, we must learn what Christlikeness means and how Jesus wants us to follow Him. We learn this through the Bible, of course, but it involves learning nonetheless.

Those whom the Bible considers wise and intelligent understand this. According to Scripture, “The wise lay up knowledge” and “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Prov. 10:14; 18:15). So the primary measurement of wisdom and intelligence is not your IQ or GPA but whether you pursue knowledge, that is, whether you discipline yourself to continue learning the things of God throughout your life.

Intentional Learning

A hunger to learn the Word of God, the ways of God, and the will of God expresses a hunger for God Himself. Those who love God long to be taught about Him and from Him. That doesn’t mean all Christians are to manifest an affinity for learning exactly the same things and in identical ways. But it is true that apathy toward learning the things of God is a mark of those who do not know God.

We are blessed to live in a time when the means of and opportunities for expressing a love for God through learning greatly exceed our ability to take advantage of them. But all these profit little if a person doesn’t pursue them. This is why learning must always be a discipl ine, for a person can be surrounded by wisdom and knowledge yet live without their riches if he or she does not possess the discipline to learn them.

Thus, learning is indeed a gospeldriven spiritual discipline; those who are not exerting themselves to learn the things of God will gain spiritual and biblical knowledge only by accident or mere convenience. By contrast, intentional learners will seek to learn the things of God and will do so individually as well as with the church, disciplining themselves to learn from those who are gifted by God and recognized by the church as teachers.

Article written by: Donald Whitney

And we know…. (Important Update)

 

After several months of discussion and prayer, the leadership and congregations of both Grace Community Church and Bigelow Church have decided to join forces and become one. The combined congregation will be officially known as “The Grace Community Church @ Bigelow” and will hold corporate worship services at the current location of Bigelow Church (415 Washington St.)

 

This process started just a few weeks after the death of Bigelow’s Pastor, Steve Schueren. It was at this time when the leadership of Grace Community Church received the following communication:

“On behalf of the elders of Bigelow Church I am writing to ask you to prayerfully consider, in the very near future, joining Bigelow Church for a combined Sunday worship service.  If God so leads we would be more than willing to reciprocate and join Grace Community Church in the same manner in a subsequent Sunday.

Steve spoke highly of the Gospel Centered efforts of Grace Community Church so we are very comfortable reaching out to you at this time.

We (Bigelow Church) find ourselves in a time when it may be beneficial in the short term for those in our congregation to not have the responsibility of filling the pulpit each Sunday, especially in the next few weeks. This short time may prove very helpful to our Church and we would welcome the opportunity to sit under your preaching.” (October 16, 2011)

 

I think it is very important to note what was going on at Grace Community Church at the time this request was received.  For nearly two years, Pastor Brad Howerton had been leading the congregation through a verse by verse study through the book of Romans.  According to the providence of God, we were preparing to land on the following verse:

 

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)

 

On Sunday, October 30^th, the congregations gathered together for corporate worship for the first time at Bigelow Church. The combined services continued as scheduled for a period of two weeks, in which we were able to join together in worship to the Lord through congregational singing, sharing of the Lord’s Table, and the preaching of the Word. In addition to our combined services, we were able to share in a fellowship meal that was served by the congregation of Grace Community.

 

Immediately following the second week of combined worship, both congregations decided to continue in this pattern of combined services.  It was then that the following announcement was presented to each congregation:

“Whereas, the leadership of both Bigelow Church and Grace Community Church desire to magnify Christ and His Church in Portsmouth, OH; and,

Whereas, the leadership of both Bigelow Church and Grace Community Church recognize the needs and strengths of each congregation are, in many ways, complementary to the other;

The leaders of both congregations have agreed to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the potential for merging the individual congregations in order to form a combined union stronger than the component parts.”

 

The aforementioned “Feasibility Study” was scheduled to continue for the remaining two months of 2011. We then spent the month of January holding combined congregational meetings, in addition to our continued pattern of scheduled worship services. The congregational meetings served as an opportunity to answer questions and to address any concerns regarding the practical outworking of this merger.

The “Feasibility Study” officially came to an end this evening (Feb. 12, 2012) as both congregations assembled together for the purpose of concluding this specific study. After a time of prayer and reflection, we once again shared the elements of the Lord’s Supper. The members of each congregation then expressed and affirmed their desire to connect the component parts as one local expression of the body of Christ.

This has been a very exciting and unique experience for everyone involved, as we recognize that each congregation represents a variety of factors: different age groups, backgrounds, circumstances, preferences, etc.  However, with Christ as our foundation and His word as our guide, we are committed to deny ourselves as we seek to glorify Him as we move forward.

We all stand amazed as we watch God’s providential hand orchestrating every detail surrounding this process and we can say with full assurance that “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

In Christ,

Gary Chaffins

 

 

This Trial Is For Your Good

There may be circumstances in your earthly lot which at this moment are peculiarly trying. You look around and wonder how this or that circumstance will terminate. At present it looks very dark–clouds and mists hang over it, and you fear lest these clouds may break, not in showers upon your head, but burst forth in the lightning flash and the thunder stroke! But all things are put in subjection under Christ’s feet! That which you dread cannot take place except by His sovereign will–nor can it move any further except by His supreme disposal. Then make yourself quiet. He will not allow you to be harmed. That frowning providence shall only execute His sovereign purposes, and it shall be among those all things which, according to His promise, shall work together for your good. None of our trials come upon us by chance! They are all appointed in weight and measure–are all designed to fulfill a certain end. And however painful they may at present be, yet they are intended for your good. When the trial comes upon you, what a help it would be for you if you could view it thus, “This trial is sent for my good. It does not spring out of the dust. The Lord Himself is the supreme disposer of it. It is very painful to bear; but let me believe that He has appointed me this peculiar trial, along with every other circumstance. He will bring about His own will therein, and either remove the trial, or give me patience under it, and submission to it.”

Source: J.C. Philpot

(The Subjection of All Things Under the Feet of Jesus)

Lessons Learned

As I sit here contemplating the recent death of a dear brother in Christ (Pastor Steve Schueren), my heart is heavily burdened for those who are left behind. The deep pain I feel for his family, his friends and his congregation can only be partially expressed in tears. The right words to say all seem wrong, so I pray that God, through His word, would speak the exact words needed to provide comfort to each one who is hurting as a result of Steve’s passing.

I have come to grips with the fact I may never fully comprehend the circumstances surrounding the nature of Brother Steve’s death. However, through the fog of this situation, God has used this and other events around it to remind me of many things. In which I would like to share a few of these things with you (in no particular order):

1) Our days on earth are truly numbered and yesterday’s number will never come again.

2) I can see more clearly why the Gospel is “Good News” to all who believe. (God has provided a Savior who took our sin upon Himself and in exchange, robed us with the perfect righteousness of His Son)

3) Why John Newton called grace “Amazing”

4) Psalm 119:9-11 must become a reality in my life

5) Spiritual warfare is real and we must view passages such as Ephesians 6:10-18 as our battle plan.

6) Never categorize sin by degrees (big and little). All sin must be dealt with!

7) The salvation of Christian is not earned by obedience to the law, but purchased on the cross over 2000 years ago by Christ.

8 ) The importance of demonstrating Godly character to my wife and Children

9) I never want to be found doing anything that I would not do in the last seconds of my life

10) How I live my life is just as important as what I say and teach

11) God does not need me to accomplish His plans, yet He has given me the privilege to be used in His kingdom

12) The importance of understanding the doctrine of Justification rightly

13) Self righteous hypocrites fail to see the weight of their own sin.

14) Every aspect of our salvation is bound up in our eternal union with Christ

15) The verse that is commonly known for its simplicity is one of the most profound passages in all of scripture:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

I give thanks to God for allowing me to come into contact with the life, ministry and friendship of Brother Steve Schueren. May God continue to use both his life and death for His own Glory!

In Christ,
Gary Chaffins

God’s Love: Defined by His Holiness

Source: Gary Chaffins (www.garychaffins.com)

Absolute Perfection

In this second blog post on the Holiness of God,  I think it’s important for us to understand that since this is very nature and essence of God, that God is Holy, that we understand that the outworking of His Holiness means that God would have to cease to be God to do something unholy or to allow any unholy or imperfect person or thing into His presence. That is to say, that if anyone or anything attempts to be in the presence of God they must come as one that is “Holy” in and of themselves, which the Bible has emphatically stated that there is none of this type but God alone.

“We cannot  grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or  something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are  capable of.  God’s holiness is not simply  the best we know infinitely bettered.  We  know nothing like the divine holiness.   It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and  unattainable.  The natural man is blind  to it.  He may fear God’s power and admire God’s wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even  imagine.”

-A.W  Tozer

No Sin In Him

In virtue of His Holiness, God can have no communion with sin! As previously stated God cannot sin, cannot take pleasure in sin, and cannot have fellowship with sin. Job tells us that “far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.” (Job 34:10). In another frightening passage we read “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” (Psalm 5:4-6). We also see this same concept throughout the New Testament, most clearly stated by John “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5).

The understanding of this aspect of Gods Holiness may best be defined in the word’s of Systematic Theologian Louis Berkhoff when he said “that perfection of God, in virtue of which He eternally wills and maintains His own moral excellence, abhors sin, and demands purity in His moral creatures”

The truth about God

If we were to poll one hundred strangers from the streets and ask them to describe “God” to us, I am confident that the majority of responses would be along these lines “God is love” and the outworking of this theology typically leads to statements such as this: “because God is love, He would never send anyone to Hell”. Although the love God is a very important and biblical attribute of God and in it we find much truth about who He is, we must understand that God’s love cannot be separated from His holiness. That is to say that we will never truly understand the love of God, properly, without understanding the biblical portrait of His holiness. The Holiness of God must be the root of our understanding of all other attributes.

To inflate the love of God at the expense of His Holiness is to distort the truth and ultimately paints a “god” that is very unlike the God of scripture. As previously stated, the nature of God is that He has no sin, nor can He even have sin in His presence. That is to say that God is not only sinless Himself but His Holiness naturally causes Him to hate sin and furthermore those who practice it. More precisely stated “For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 25:16). This confronts the culturally acceptable ideology of the nature of God. In light of our understanding of God’s Holiness we must realize that for God’s love to be Holy that it must hate! The commonly used phrase “God hates the sin, loves the sinner” needs to be re-evaluated based on passages such as “The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.” (Psa 5:5) The truth is that because God is Holy, He not only hates the sin, but His hatred is naturally manifested against those who practice it!

“Wrath, unlike love, is not one of the intrinsic perfections of God. Rather, it is a function of God’s holiness against sin. Where there is no sin, there is no wrath-but there will always be love in God. Where God in His holiness confronts His image-bearers in their rebellion, there must be wrath, or God is not the jealous God He claims to be, and His holiness is impugned. The price of diluting God’s wrath is diminishing God’s holiness.”

-D.A. Carson

Holy: What? Who?

Source: Gary Chaffins (www.garychaffins.com)

This is the first of a few blog posts regarding my thoughts on the Holiness of God.I hope that this serves as a help in your understanding of the nature and character of God by examining this important attribute. May God be glorified!

“Without such a vision of God’s holiness, true worship is not possible. Worship is not giddy. It does not rush into God’s presence unprepared and insensitive to His majesty. It is not shallow, superficial, or flippant. Worship is life lived in the presence of an infinitely righteous and omnipresent God by one utterly aware of His holiness and consequently overwhelmed with his own unholiness…If you have never worshiped God with a broken and contrite spirit, you’ve never fully worshiped God, because that is the only appropriate response to entering the presence of Holy God.”

-John MacArthur

As believers we are often confronted with truths throughout Gods word that nearly leave us speechless. Although we love God and have been accepted in His Son through faith, there are often points of theology that upon even a minute understanding can cause our entire view of God to turn right side up. I say that to mean that upon grasping the truth of God’s Word that He, seemingly, becomes more real, more intimate, and more beautiful and the list goes on and on. This is truly how I felt as I studied and considered this topic, The Holiness of God. As I stood face to face with the Holiness of the one True God, as found in the pages of Holy Writ, I began to find myself crying out with Isaiah “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”” (Isaiah 6:5)

Define Holy

The Hebrew word for “Holy,” quadash, takes its meaning from its root word “qad” which literally means to cut or separate. To say someone or something is Holy (quadash) “is used to denote someone or something that is inherently sacred or has been designated as sacred by divine rite or ceremony. It designates that which is the opposite of common or profane.” So our understanding of Holy should be, simply stated, “separated,” “marked off,” “placed apart,” “withdrawn from common use.” This word is regularly used throughout the Old Testament, primarily when speaking of “Yahweh”.

“Holy can be defined as “separate,” “set apart,” “distinct,” or “uncontaminated.” In reference to God, “holy” means that He is different from us. None of His attributes can be understood by comparison to his creatures… Holiness is not one of many attributes of God. It is his essential nature and seen in all His qualities.”

-Edward T. Welch

It is also important that we note that this understanding of the word Holy is not limited to the Old Testament. We see this same concept of the Hebrew word “quadash” revealed to us through at least two Greek words, “hagios” and “hagiazo”. “Its fundamental idea is separation, consecration, devotion to the service of Deity, sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from earth’s defilement.”

 God is Holy

The word “Holy” is often flippantly uttered off of the lips of both believers and non believers alike. Typically we will find it used in some very creative ways, which often ends with the word “cow”, “moly” (whatever that means) or something like that. It is tossed around so loosely that it is evident that they do not even realize what the word “Holy” means.

On the other hand you have those within the realm of the Church world who will say God is Holy, who will sing songs about His Holiness but when confronted with the truth of His Holiness, they will deny it, as if that cannot be the God of the Bible. In other words, to most professing believers; to call God Holy is just a phraseology of sort, it has no real impact or meaning to their lives. The “holy god” of their songs is typically a “holy god” made up in their own mind.

It is of my opinion that most of those that make up each of these groups really know very little about what they are saying when they speak of God being “Holy”.

We see passages such as 1 Samuel 2:2 that says “There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God” To say that there is “NO ONE Holy like the Lord” does not require any theological understanding to interpret. Simply stated, there is NONE, NO ONE, NO THING like the Lord. He is alone in His realm and there is nothing to else to compare Him with. To further prove this magnificent and vast, yet basic point we see passages such as Exodus 15:11 that says “Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?”

To say that God is Holy is to say that He is completely distinct from all of His creatures, that He is all together different and more specifically that this distinction stems from the fact that He is completely perfect and pure. God, by nature transcends all of creation and furthermore the fact that He is perfectly pure means that He is completely unapproachable by any unclean thing.

“The love of God is perfected”

“The love of God is perfected”

 

As I sat  in my office this morning, contemplating the pressures that the new day often brings, the Spirit drew my heart back to a passage that I read through last night.

 

“Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1 John 2:4-6

 

At first glance there is nothing there that seems to have the WOW factor such as passages like Romans 8:28.  However, upon a deeper examination of the text I think there is great comfort for those who love God, those who desire to be conformed to the image of Christ, those who find their sin to be exceedingly sinful, the brother and/or sister in Christ who loves God’s word and whose
heart bears witness with the Psalmist when he said “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” (Psalm 119:25).

We notice that text is warning us that those who claim “I know Him” but do not walk in line with His commandments, that is the teachings that are in sync with His word (as seen in vs. 5), are liars.  They demonstrate that they are false by not attending carefully to the truth of the Word.  This ignorance of doctrine, this failure to hold fast to the word makes it apparent that the Spirit is not leading them into truth and that they are liars.  Their profession is nothing more than words with no life to follow.  However, to the one who says “I know Him”,
the one who “keeps” His word….you are not a liar!

 I want to be sure that we don’t skim over and miss some very important words found in this text “whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected”(vs 5).  Did you catch that? If someone is consistent in their daily intake and application of Bible doctrine, something amazing is happening behind the scenes. The love of God is being perfected in them.  We should not take this to mean that God’s love becomes greater towards us as we keep His word; but we should take it to mean that Gods love manifests itself in greater measure as we dive into the riches of His word. His love is completed in us or as one commentator stated “In the Christian who maintains God’s truth, God’s love has truly come to fruition” in our lives.

The outworking of this truth is very evident; both objectively and subjectively, that is to say that the proof is in the pudding! As Gods love is perfected in us, we can know that we are of Him, because of how His love works itself out in our lives. In other words, as we experience the riches in Christ as revealed in the pages of scripture, the more we will seek a more intimate relationship with Him and the more we will desire to live like Him. This divine love that we experience through keeping His word becomes the source of love from the believer to God and to others.  This is a continuous process of growth and is vital to our understanding of the role scripture plays in regards to our sanctification.

As we take in God’s word, His love is perfected in us and through us; that is the proof that we are not liars and that the truth is in us.  The true believer loves the word, guards the word and responds to the word like Jeremiah when he said “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God
of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16).  As a result, you will continue on in a pattern of diligent study as the Spirit illuminates and applies His word to your heart and life. The effect of this is that you will desire to walk in a lifestyle of obedience as you are being conformed to the image of Christ.

So you may ask: where is this Romans 8:28 kind of impact? What’s the WOW factor? Please consider this, regardless of your circumstances,
regardless of how you feel, regardless of what others around you say and do; the believer can go to God’s word to find food for their soul.  As we listen to God’s voice as found in the pages of scripture, we are also taking in and experiencing His love, which causes us to “walk as He walked” (vs. 6)  and “By this we may know that we are in Him” (vs. 5). This should be the only WOW factor that the child of God desires! Please consider the following words from the song “My Hope” written by Pastor John MacArthur:

 “Oh to be like Thee dear Jesus my plea
Just to know Thou art formed fully in me
On with Thy beauty, Lord off with my sin
Fixed on Thy glory, Thy likeness to win

Oh to be like Thee, Thine image display
This is the Spirit’s work, day after day
Glory to glory, transformed by His grace
Till in Thy presence I stand face to face

To be like Thee Jesus
To be like Thee Jesus
For this I live, to the day I’ll die
It is my hope, my prayer, my cry

Oh to be like Thee, Thou lover of men
Gracious and gentle, compassionate friend
Merciful Savior, such kindness and care
Are only mine when Thy likeness I share”

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7)

Source: Gary Chaffins (www.garychaffins.com)