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Theology

Who Should Be Baptized?

Posted on by Dan Dodds

by Pastor Dan Dodds

Of all the issues that we deal with in the introductory class at WRPC, the one that is the biggest stumbling block for most newcomers—more than creeds or worship—is baptism: who should be baptized and how.

Generally the most pressing question about baptism is “why do you baptize infants?” The best way to answer this question is not by a direct approach, but by looking behind the question to more fundamental issues, and it is here that we find the most productive conversation about baptism.

In American Christendom, there are two schools of thought on a overall approach to Scripture. The two schools are called Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology.

In the Dispensational Model the general approach is to see Biblical history as a series of time segments in which God deals with His people in different ways, such as, for example, before the fall, after the fall, pre-Moses, post Moses.

Changes between these Dispensations do not reflect a development or unfolding of God’s plan—but a change to it. Each one is a kind of fresh start. Especially significant is the change that takes place between the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT) in which the Jews reject Jesus and God ushers in a new Dispensation; the Jews are put to one side and Gentiles are brought onto the main stage as God’s people. This is known as the Dispensation of the Church. In this approach, all that was taught the Jews (commands, principles etc.) was addressed to them as a Theocratic Nation having little to say for us as either Gentiles or as NT believers.

A key to understanding Dispensationalism then is to see this change between Old and New not as a maturation or growth of God’s plan, but as an interruption and as God’s ushering in of a new way of dealing with His people. OT laws and principles are not carried over to the NT because they were for the Jews. Though there is some similarity between the two testaments we must be careful not to confuse or mix them.

We see several covenants described in the OT such as the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David. Finally comes the New Covenant (Testament).

Covenant Theology thus teaches that unless a command or principle from the OT is rescinded we assume it to be still binding. Because the ceremonial, dietary and sacrificial laws are specifically abrogated in the NT (see Acts and Hebrews) they are no longer binding. The Ten Commandments are still binding, as they have not been rescinded.

What does all this have to do with baptism? Only everything! If you hold to Dispensational Theology you will not look to the OT for any binding principles or commands, you will only look at the NT. When you do not read of the need of any passages that call for the baptism of infants or see any (explicit) examples of it you assume that baptism is only for those who profess faith in Christ.

If you hold to Covenant Theology you note continuity between the sacraments of OT circumcision and NT baptism (see Colossians 2.11-12) – both are signs of initiation into God’s covenant people. In the OT children of the Jews were considered members of the covenant people of God – this is taught explicitly in Genesis 17 and this principle – children as covenant members – is not rescinded in the NT and thus it is still binding. Thus: infants should be baptized. There is a very clear line from the OT to the NT in this thinking.

I recognize that this answer does not address the question that naturally arises from this discussion: how do you know which of these approaches (Dispensationalism or Covenant Theology) is true? At WRPC, as Reformed Presbyterians, you should know that we hold to Covenant Theology; but as to why we do so that is for another day and another article!!

 

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Christian Living

We Become What We Worship

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Pastor Scotty Anderson

Several years ago, I was introduced to a most interesting biblical insight in terms of understanding the consequences of idolatry. It came through the writings of Greg Beale, a conservative scholar who loves to write exhaustive treatments of subjects in biblical theology. His book, We Become What We Worship (the title I’ve borrowed for this article) explores this critical element of idolatry and its most devastating consequences.

Beale’s main premise, which he introduces on the first page is simple and memorable, “What you revere you resemble, either for ruin or for restoration.” Repeat that to yourself about a dozen times and let it sink in. His point is that whatever we make the object of our worship, we begin to take on the qualities of that object. It tends to make the objects of our worship rather important, doesn’t it?

The Scriptures paint a realistic but unfavorable picture of the viability of idols. Unseeing eyes, unhearing ears, ignorant hearts. This is the idol in Isaiah 42:17-20 and also of the one who succumbs to idolatry in Isaiah 6:9-10. The equating of the two is obvious in Isaiah 43:8-10 and 44:8-20, esp. v. 18,

“They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.”

Throughout the Bible there are literally hundreds of cases that illustrate this: Lot’s wife becoming salt (Gen 19:17, 26, Deut 29:23), Solomon’s many wives leading to the division of his kingdom (1 Kings 11), the “belly-gods” of the Judaizers (Php 3:18-19), the creature worshippers in Romans 1:18-32. Psalm 115 gives us the locus classicus of this doctrine in v. 8:

“Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” These remind us that idolatry, whatever form it takes, will not leave the worshiper unchanged, untouched, or undamaged.

What’s the value of understanding such a concept? In the first place, when you understand the end of idolatry, it makes saying “no” to the idol much more appealing. If you consider the possibility and probability that you will end up taking on the characteristics of that which you worship, you may be more willing to consider the object of your worship. But there is also the fact that in knowing the ugly results, you might be more inclined to repent, especially when someone points out, “You are not the person you used to be.” Idolatry may well be at work.

Consider some contemporary idols. For one, the old hand-carved, sit on the mantle with incense burning nearby type idol is no longer a joke. Anyone familiar with the work of Dr. Peter Jones in drawing attention to One-ism, Eastern Mysticism, and New Age theology would not be surprised to learn that you have people in your neighborhood who either dabble in or fully embrace the worship of crystals, trees, and other inanimate objects. It’s not just the religion of “backward” people on the other side of the planet. It’s mainstream America.

I once spent an hour on an airplane with a very bright and articulate art dealer. This was a well-educated man. He had also fully embraced Buddhism and had even had a shaman move into his home to instruct him and his wife in the pursuit of nirvana – the deliverance of mind. In the process, his wife committed adultery with the shaman and eventually left her husband for him. The poor man was broken in spirit but because he felt like he had achieved some measure of nirvana he lost the moral categories to process his wife’s infidelity and his own stupidity. We become what we worship.

The blatant nature of that type of idol should not allow us to escape the danger of forming other less obvious idols. The Apostle Paul battled the Corinthian culture and the rampant idolatry that infected the church. We can easily dismiss that as not being relevant until we learn that many of the local trade guilds had their own organizational idol. If you wanted the inside track on business, you literally had to dance with the devil, or at least eat with him if you wanted to succeed (1 Cor 10:14-22, esp. v. 21). Contemporary idols are perhaps not that hard to spot: money, traditions, celebrity, sports, sex, success, attention, and self. Each has its own flavor and each has the same tendency: to make its worshiper take on its characteristics.

What happens when you worship money? You become all green and wrinkly! No, in reality, you do start taking on the characteristics of money. Money has no feeling, no sympathy, no moral compass. It’s thin, fleeting, and does not offer forgiveness. No wonder that those possessed of this idol reflect those same qualities. Sports? The same might be said again: fleeting glory, wildly varying highs and lows, seasonal absences. Does that not picture those who are consumed by sports? They live in the past, become bipolar with their moods, and check out of life at key times on the calendar. How about celebrity worshipers? Their objects of worship are frequently self-absorbed, shallow pretenders. Those preoccupied with celebrity most certainly imitate their idols, emphasizing externals to the neglect of the heart. It’s not a pretty picture.

But, while worshiping idols has a terribly destructive effect on the worshiper, true worship has a reward. Those who worship God become like Him. If we worship God, we become conformed to His image. That is of course the design in the creation of man and woman, that they reflect their Maker in his communicable attributes (Gen 1:27). Our Standards would say, “…In knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures” (WSC 10). That is the call on every believer in the New Covenant, that he would be conformed more and more to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29, 12:2, Php 3:21). We extol Christ-likeness as the most encompassing description of the highest aspiration which we have for ourselves and for one another.

How interesting that doxology (giving glory to God) is not merely the result of sanctification, but also leads to sanctification.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1–2

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Theology

Christ Our King

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Pastor Carl Robbins

Because we live in a nation that has not had a monarch for over 230 years, we don’t understand what it means to be under the rule of a King. We like our rulers folksy, populist, and a lot like ourselves. We especially like them to have limited power. This hampers us, however, when we seek to understand the Kingship of Christ. Let me remind you what the Holy Scriptures teach about the reign of King Jesus.

The Scriptures repeatedly assert (as we’ll see below) the present reign and Kingship of Christ.

The Psalmist says (Psalm 103:19) “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules overall”. We don’t make Christ anything-He is the Lord over his creation. His throne is in heaven, and he is king over creation. This kingship is His official power to rule all things in heaven and on earth, for the glory of God, and for the execution of God’s purpose of salvation. If Christ is not presently ruling in this capacity, we must ask ourselves, just who exactly is minding the store? 

Our catechisms agree when it asks (in Shorter Catechism 26) “How doth Christ execute the office of a King? Christ executeth the office of a King, in subduing us to Himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all His and our enemies”.

Almost 2,000 years before the birth of Christ, it was prophecied  (in Genesis 17:6) to Abraham that “Kings would come from him”. This was certainly a prediction of the King, who would be a descendant of Abraham’s, namely the Lord Jesus!  Several hundred years before the advent of Christ, Isaiah prophecied of the coming Redeemer(in Isa. 9:6) “the government will be upon  His shoulders ”  When the angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell that she would be the mother of the Messiah, he informed her that her Son would be given  “the throne of His Father David, and He will reign….forever” (Luke 1:32-33).

When the Lord Jesus begins His public ministry He declares that He has inaugurated a Kingdom (in Mark 1:14-15). Who can do that, but only a King? When He enters Jerusalem in the Triumphal Entry all the inhabitants of Jerusalem sing with gusto “Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38). Early on Good Friday when Jesus is asked directly by Pilate if He is a King, Jesus says “It is as you say” (Luke 23:3).

When Jesus describes His own role at the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:34,40), He speaks of Himself as a King exercising His regal prerogatives.

Scripture repeatedly insists that Christ is King over all other monarchs. He is “the King of Kings” (per Rev. 19:16) and the “ruler of the Kings of the earth” (according to Rev. 1:5)

All throughout eternity, the Kingship of Christ will be a subject of praise for believers. In Revelation 11:15-17, we find that the heavenly inhabitant’s lips are filled with adoration for Jesus since “You have taken Your great power and reigned !”

How did Jesus become King? According to Psalm 2:6-7, the Father has set the crown upon His head. In Matthew 28:18-20, we are told that “all authority has been given to Him”.

What impact should the Kingship of Christ have on you and me?

  • If Jesus is on the throne, stop worrying! Martin Luther’s protégé, Philip Melancthon, was a notorious worrier. One evening as they sat down to dinner, Luther noticed his young friend fretting. Luther said, “Philip, quit trying to rule the world. Jesus is King”.
  • If Jesus is “the everlasting King of Kings”, don’t labor for temporal kingdoms that are passing away (before our very eyes !). Pour your energies and resources into the Triumphant Kingdom that will last forever.

Ever serving the King,

Pastor Carl

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Theology

The “Elements” of Saving Faith

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Pastor Carl Robbins

Every Christian should have a strong understanding of the basics of saving faith since it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb. 11:6). Some of the basics concerning faith would include:

  • God sovereignly gives saving faith as a gift (Eph. 2:8-9)
  • An understanding that faith isn’t “optimism” (“Ya gotta have faith that Clemson’s going to win the ACC next year”).
  • Saving Faith must be IN the right object: namely the Lord Jesus Christ (John 8:24, 6:29-47, John 7:38, Acts 16:31).

Let’s analyze what makes faith …”saving faith”. The Protestant Reformers uniformly taught that saving faith had three distinct elements: notitia, assensus and fiducia. Don’t get confused by the Latin, I’ll explain.

Element Number One- Notitia

This simply refers to a knowledge and understanding of the content of the Gospel. A person cannot believe the Good News of the Gospel until he knows what the Good News is! There is a knowledge that is indispensable to faith. We must know who Christ is (i.e. His deity and humanity) and what He has done (His Sinless Life, Substitutionary Atoning Death and Triumphant Resurrection) in order to be saved. Faith must have objective, propositional (“Christ died for our sins”) content.

But, Notitia alone is NOT saving faith. The Jews (according to John 5:47) had knowledge, but not saving faith. The Roman Catholic church has long taught that it is not necessary to even have notitia to be saved, saying that “blind faith” or “implicit faith” (i.e. I believe whatever the Church believes, I may not have any idea what that is- but I believe it ) can be saving faith. Obviously, we reject such an idea.

Element Number Two- Assensus

Assent is a confidence that my knowledge of the facts of the Gospel is absolute truth. Notitia claims “Jesus rose from the grave”. Assensus takes the next step and says “ I am absolutely persuaded that Jesus rose from the grave”. Assent is a deeply held conviction.

There have been groups and individuals thru church history that have said the first two elements (notitia and assensus) are sufficient for salvation. The Sandemanians come to mind, which was a denomination that flourished in the British Isles from 1730-1900. They preached “Believe that events occurred exactly as the apostles relate them and you’ll be saved”

But this “historical faith” is not saving faith. How do I know this? Devils (James 2:19) and Judas (Matthew 27:3-4) possessed this kind of faith and they are in hell.

Element Number Three- Fiducia

There is a final element that must be present in order for faith to be saving faith.

When you go to the bank and leave your money with them and walk away, expecting that your money will still be there months later- you are placing your personal trust in them. That is why they are called a “fiduciary” institution, which means trust. This is the final and necessary element of faith.

After I have understood my need and the person and work of Christ and assented to the truth-claims of the Bible, I must place my trust in Jesus to save me. I must transfer my reliance upon myself and my righteousness to Christ alone for salvation. Saving faith cannot be merely intellectual, it must also be volitional.

Real faith is knowledge passing into conviction and conviction passing into confidence in Christ.

Knowing, Assenting and Trusting,

Pastor Carl

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Christian Living

False Faith

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Pastor Dan Dodds

Is there such a thing as a ‘false faith?’ We could answer this in at least one of two ways.

First, we can understand the question to ask: “Is the faith that we have false?” i.e. is it possible that what I believe to be faith is not faith at all? Of course, the answer to that is ‘yes,’ we can delude ourselves into believing we have faith in something when we do not.

Generally, it would not be too difficult to identify this condition by some reflection on how we live and act in relation to our alleged faith. We see this situation described by James in James 2:14 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” Here is a case of someone who deludes himself into thinking he has faith when in fact he does not; his is a false faith.

But we can also think of false faith in another manner. It may be that we truly do have faith and our lifestyle and choices reflect the reality of that faith. The problem is that the faith is placed in something or someone that cannot deliver on that which the faith requires.

My children may look at me now and think that daddy can do anything. But they will find with time that daddy cannot do everything and in fact, daddy has many faults and sins over which he must repent regularly.

In this case, the kids had real faith, but the object of the faith fell short of that which the faith had hoped – once again it was a false faith.

This condition is not just found in children, adults are guilty of this kind of false faith as well. We have to look no further than the Psalms to see the multitude of warnings about putting our faith in something or someone that cannot provide for that which the faith is calling.

In Psalm 20:7, for example, David writes “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” In other passages, David or other Psalmists warn of trusting in Egypt, man, princes, or riches. There is no want of options to trusting in God but the old saying is true, the value of your faith is only as good as the object of your faith (see related article in this issue).

How do you know if you have false faith? The Westminster Confession of Faith is quite helpful in this regard in two locations noted below. May I encourage you to read the following and to reflect on your own faith as you do so?

WCF 11.2  Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. 

WLC 72  What is justifying faith? A. Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

May the Lord work true, saving, justifying faith in us so that we would be true to Him and faithful in our calling.

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Christmas

The Christmas Story in John’s Gospel

Posted on by Scotty Anderson

9 That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. ~John 1:9-14

Not many of us think to turn to John’s Gospel as we enter the Christmas season. John doesn’t give us the dramatic details which bring to mind so many of the classic stories from our childhood. Nothing is said of Mary and Joseph, the angels and shepherds, the magi, and the manger. But that doesn’t mean that anything is lacking in John’s account. Rather, he gives us three aspects of the Christmas story that can never be left out.  He speaks to the Incarnation, the Humiliation, and the Exaltation of the God-Man. In so doing, John brings together the spiritual and material realities as concisely and as profoundly as could be done.

Look at what John is saying in the passage above. First, John tells us that Christ is the true light. He is the one who makes sense of all of history. He is also the one who was coming into the world. [1]He was incarnate, a living person with a real body and soul just as we. He was nothing less than can be said of any baby, youth, man, or woman. How glorious a mystery that the One through whom the world was made should enter into His world and become subject to it.

And the mystery continues as John tells us that the world was not able to grasp His coming. The Maker had come into His own and His own world did not recognize Him. A few foreigners, some shepherds, two very old people, and His earthly parents, a mere handful of people welcomed Him. The rest either ignored or despised him. We marvel at the world’s stupor, and yet it continued throughout His ministry and continues in the world today.

But John reminds us of a third truth. Though the world did not receive Him, there is no reason to be concerned. God’s plan was not thwarted. He did not sit in heaven frustrated with the pathetic reaction to his Son’s incarnation. John assures us some did receive Him.  Some did believe in His name. These are those born of the Almighty’s conscious will and they are those who became children of God.

These did see Him. They saw Him for who He was and what a glorious sight! As of the only begotten of the Father. No one else could ever be compared to him. Jesus alone was the true light in the world. He alone was full of grace and truth.  He alone could reveal his Father to men. What joy for them it was to see and to believe.

The joy of Christmas is the glory of the incarnation, the one revealed in the Scriptures. No front yard plastic nativity scene can do the doctrine justice, even if the light stays on all night. Guard yourself this season against those who would corrupt the glories of the Incarnation.  Some want it to be a matter of mere nostalgia, a heart-warming anecdote that encourages you to buy hot chocolate, power tools, and pajamas. Don’t be misled. Christmas is a celebration of the greatest mystery of all time: the Word become flesh, the advent of the God-Man, the arrival of the One who alone could give life to sinners. If there is no Incarnation to our Christmas then that star on the tree is a sham. There is no peace on earth because we are unreconciled to God. But, praise God. Christ has come and we have believed in Him and we are children of God.

[1] The original points to Christ as the one coming, not each man, as may be construed by the NKJV.

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Christian Living/Family/Worship

The Duty and Importance of Family Worship

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Pastoral Intern Mark Kuo

Many in our day sadly neglect the important duty of family worship. Many Christian parents ignore their responsibility to teach children to fear and obey God. Instead, they might assume that it is enough to send children to Sunday schools. One of the reasons that covenant children fall away from faith is the lack and even absence of family worship. Also, many Christian husbands ignore their duty to nourish their wives in truth for holiness. They tend to think they have done enough if they make a living for their families. The absence of family worship causes families to drift away from godliness to worldliness. The decay of family spirituality will also detriment the health of the church, as the church is made up mostly of families. Beeke rightly observed:

“Few seriously grapple with why many adolescents become nominal members with mere notional faith or abandon evangelical truth for unbiblical doctrine and modes of worship. I believe one major reason for this failure is the lack of stress upon family worship. In many churches and homes, family worship is an optional thing, or at most a superficial exercise such as a brief table grace before meals. Consequently, many children grow up with no experience or impression of Christian faith and worship as a daily reality.” (Joel R. Beeke, Family Worship: Grand Rapids, Mich: Reformation Heritage Books, 2009)

On the contrary, if a household faithfully conducts family worship, with the blessing of the Holy Spirit, the members will flourish in godliness through all that they think, say, and do. They will thus be more consciously dependent on God, more active to mortify their sins, and more please and glorify God in their daily duties in the household. Family worship dost not downplay children’s ministry at the church. But it cannot be substituted by children’s ministry either. Thus, it is vital that Christians, especially those who are heads of households, understand the duty and importance of family worship.

Sound interpretation of the Scripture requires the use of “good and necessary consequence.” This means that there are truths of God, including the duty of family worship, that flow unavoidably and logically from the Scripture as we compare different places in the Scripture. These truths deduced by good and necessary consequence are to be obeyed as much as those that are expressly taught in the Scripture. There are many passages in the Scripture that, in one way or another, mandate the Christian duty of family worship.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 is the most explicitly prescriptive passage that teaches the duty and importance of family worship.

“1 Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:1-5)

In verse 1, God commanded Moses to teach Israelites God’s statutes and rules, which are summarized in verse 5 as loving the Lord, the only one God, with all their heart, soul, and might. Why did God teach Moses all these things? According to verse 2, it is because by doing so, God’s people who have heard Moses’ teaching here, as well as their descendants (you and your son and your son’s son), may fear the Lord their God and obey His commands. But how could those children learn to fear and obey God, since they were not present, or even had not yet been born when Moses taught God’s commands to their parents? The answer cannot be clearer. They must come to know and obey God through their fathers diligently teaching them to obey what Moses had taught about God. In other words, the purpose of Moses’ teaching is not only that the adult Israelites would obey God’s commands, but also that they should teach their children to obey. The implication is that the means of grace which God ordinarily uses to save the covenant children is their fathers’ faithful instruction of God’s word. How then does the father teach their children?

“6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

Firstly, verse 6 teaches that the father should first and foremost keep God’s word in his heart, before he teaches his children. He is not just teaching the right knowledge about God, but also worshiping God heartily and experientially before his household and his God. After all, how could a father teach his children to love and fear the Lord, if he himself does not live out this life? Secondly, verse 7 teaches that he should teach God’s word diligently to his children. Who does it mean by “diligently?” The second half of verse 7 illustrates: “…talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise”. Sitting, walking, lying down, and rising are literally daily activities for everyone. Certainly, this does not mean that the only thing the father can talk about with his family is the Bible. But this does mean that the father should try his best daily to make his household God-honoring according to His word. God cannot be honored daily, unless His word is daily taught, read, heard, believed, and obeyed daily. Verse 8 and 9 picture how the households should treat God’s word: “…bind them as a sign on your hand…as frontlets between your eyes….write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Whether taken literally or metaphorically, these outward actions beautifully picture that God’s word should guide our minds (frontlets between the eyes) and deeds (on your hand) which produce all activities of the household (on the doorposts). Are we not using our minds and hands daily for every activity, and thus do we not need God’s word daily for strength and reminder? It is the daily job of the head of the household to bring God’s word to his family, and he cannot do so without daily gathering his family to worship God by singing, hearing, learning, and praying God’s word.

Therefore, this text, by good and necessary consequence, unavoidably requires every husband and father to conduct family worship daily, provided there is no providential hindrance. If there is any legitimate hindrance for the father, then the mother should lead the family worship on behalf of the head of the household. The New Testament has the same teaching built upon that of the Old Testament. We see the same pattern and command of family worship in the New Testament. This continuity shows even more clearly that it is God’s command for every household to worship Him domestically. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) The necessary inference is that since parents bring up children daily (it cannot be otherwise), and since they ought to do so by the discipline and instruction of the Lord which is centered on worshiping God, therefore, they must lead children to worship God daily.

Family worship does not need to be long. Nor does it need to be like a Lord’s Day worship. The key thing is regularity and faithfulness, making the worship of God a daily priority in the family. Simply reading the Scripture with brief comments, singing hymns, and praying together would be sufficient. A good material that provides brief comments on each Scripture passage, is Family Worship Guide by Dr. Joel Beeke. It can be very useful for explaining and applying the Scripture very concisely during family worship. To learn how to lead family worship, see Family Worship by Dr. Beeke as well. If any man really does not know how to lead family worship, he should go to his pastor or elder for help and demonstration. May God cause more and more Christian fathers to lead family worship daily and faithfully for God’s glory, for the family’s highest good, and for the growth of the church.

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Christian Living/Marriage

Communication in Marriage

Posted on by Scotty Anderson

by Pastor Scotty Anderson

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4–7

When we talk about communication in marriage we most often deal with the words that come out of our own mouth. And, yes, that is extremely important. The sins of the tongue are manifold. Need a refresher? Sinful anger, not communicating willingly, blame-shifting, exhumation, scolding, put-downs, manipulation, harshness, lying, prophetic speculations, poor timing, disrespect, false accusations, sweeping generalizations, name-calling, hasty words, and not asking for forgiveness are just a few. All of these are real sins against both God and your spouse. And these can make for a lot of unresolved conflicts and a generally unpleasant home.

But I’d like to focus on the other side of the coin. Communication is a two-way street and too frequently we miss this truth. Sins of hearing may be just as devastating to our ability to live at peace as sins of speech.

Let’s start at 1 Cor 13:4-7 – the famous “Love Chapter” that has been read at so many weddings. There’s a sentimental way of saying these words (but more importantly, hearing them) that misses their point. When we actually listen to the words, it’s not so much talking about happily ever after, but commitment in unhappy circumstances leading to happiness in the “ever-after”. What the Apostle Paul says about love draws our attention away from ourselves and toward others who are hard to love. These few verses then have much to say about how we listen in our marriage communication. Here are four specific love-commitments we make as we hear our spouse:

Love does not behave rudely – The idea of rudeness here is closer to immodesty. Immodesty in listening is most frequently seen in interrupting, something universally despised in civil discourse. How many times have you been trying to work through an issue, and you could not wait to get your words out, so you stepped on their words? Was this your way of communicating to them you thought they were saying something important? Was this a demonstration of humility on your part? I’m pretty sure you know the answer. Interrupting is verbal bullying and it flies in the face of God’s requirement that we are quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19).

Love does not seek its own – One manifestation of being self-seeking is inattentiveness. When we either: a) don’t turn off the TV, or b) let our mind wander off to a happy place, or c) start formulating our rebuttal before our spouse has finished his or her thought, then we are being self-seeking. We’ve let a thing or idea or point rise above a person. It’s not that the other person can’t wait if necessary or helpful, but the appropriate response, if not to shift your attention to your spouse, is to at least make an appointment to devote yourself to the issue (Mt 22:39).

Love is not provoked –  When you love the other, you don’t view what the other says as antagonistic toward you. This involves real self-control in thoughts. And it goes beyond just recognizing that something wasn’t meant to be provoking, but has to account for the fact that you may have been intentionally needled by your other half. To not be provoked when provoked requires the Holy Spirit’s help (Gal 5:22).

Love does not think evil – How well are you at believing the best about the one who is speaking to you. That means, that even though you may disagree, you are still going to put the most positive spin on what is being said and the motivation for saying it. Consider this example: “Sweetheart, I’m going to need $200 for new clothes”. Thinking evil interprets this as – “I selfishly want to waste money on unnecessary extravagances.” Believing the best as “I have stretched my current wardrobe and as far as I can discern, it’s a necessity to replace a few things.” The right interpretation might actually be the bad one, but love demands starting with the second and working your way back to the first through discussion. It’s as simple as treating others as you want to be treated (Luke 6:31).

More could obviously be said about this passage and on the subject of listening well. But the underlying principle remains the same. Be humble. Look outside your self. Focus on the other person for the moment. I’m actually embarrassed to say it because it’s more than a little circular, and yet still it needs to be said: to hear, we need to listen.

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Prayer

God’s Providence and Our Prayer Life

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Pastoral Intern Cilas Menezes

Few aspects of the Christian life are more neglected than the cultivation of a habit of personal and private prayer. According to the well-known preacher of the 20th century Martin Lloyd Jones “everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.” One of the most astonishing testimonies about the reality of the sinner’s struggle with prayer, however, comes from the pen of one of my heroes, the puritan John Bunyan. Pay careful attention to what he wrote:

“May I but speak my own experience, and from that tell you the difficulty of praying to God as I ought; it is enough to make you . . . entertain strange thoughts of me. For, as for my heart, when I go to pray, I find it so reluctant to go to God, and when it is with him, so reluctant to stay with him, that many times I am forced in my prayers; first to beg God that he would take my heart, and set it on himself in Christ, and when it is there, that he would keep it there. In fact, many times, I know not what to pray for, I am so blind, nor how to pray, I am so ignorant; only (blessed be grace) the Spirit helps our infirmities (Romans 8:26).”

Maybe you can relate to him. Or maybe you are so accustomed not to pray that you don’t realize your weakness in this regard. It is my hope however, that you will use Bunyan’s words as an encouragement to engage in self-examination with the disposition of becoming a prayer warrior.

But this is not all that I wish! I want to share a truth with you that has been a tremendous source of encouragement to me as I strive against my own prayerlessness. Did you know that God, in His absolute sovereignty and freedom, decided to govern the world using the prayers of the saints to carry out a significant portion of His will? Let me give six examples:

  • The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was God’s answer to the outcry of the oppressed: Gen 18:20,21 and Ezekiel 16:49,50
  • The deliverance from the bondage of slavery in Egypt was an answer to prayer: Exodus 2:23-25 with 3:7-9
  • Your conversion here in America is the answer of prayer both of saints of the Old (Psalm 67:3-5; 117:1) and New Covenant (Romans 15:8-13)
  • Christ’s resurrection was the answer to his prayer on the cross (Psalm 22:19-22)
  • The effusion of the Holy Spirit was an answer to Christ’s prayer (John 14:16)
  • The conversion of Saul in Acts 9 was, arguably, an answer to the prayers of believers who, being taught by Christ to pray for those who persecuted them (Matthew 5:43,44), prayed for him.

For this, you might ask: Are you saying that we change God’s mind or plan by our prayers? Or even that we play a role in determining God’s will? “No!.” I am saying that the Lord cannot be bound by anyone except himself. Think about it. There is no necessary connection between means and ends. In fact, the law of causality is simply the result of a decision made by the ruler of the universe. There is no ultimate connection between the food we eat and the improvement of our bodies, or in the fact, that water extinguishes fire, or even between the cultivated ground and the expected harvest. Understanding this will give us a deeper appreciation of biblical truths such as this “And what do you have that you did not receive? Now, if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7).

Can you see now how majestic the privilege of prayer is? Although God could carry out all His purposes instantaneously by the word of His power (just as in creation) He chose to operate by means and He has made it our duty to observe them. We are so inclined to dwell on the visible surface of the effect that we are in danger of crediting it to the mere machinery in the hand of the LORD, that agency which ought to be referred to the efficiency of God Himself. Hence, while the Bible inculcates the diligent use of the means of grace in general, and of prayer in particular, at the same time cautions against resting in those means. We must, therefore, look through and beyond them to their divine Author, who alone can make them effective.

What are you waiting for? Go to your secret place and lift up your prayer to our Heavenly Father; and I hope to see y’all at our next prayer meeting!

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Christian Living

Presence is Greater than Presents

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Zack Groff, Pastoral Intern

The months of May and June are bursting with birthday celebrations in my family. Colorful drawings of balloons representing grandmothers, aunts, sisters, brothers, cousins, and close friends adorn our wall calendar, and such is a cause for great rejoicing. Though these festivities had a common purpose – to celebrate the birth of a loved one – there was one big difference that stuck out to me this year: the relative importance of material gifts.

For most children, birthday gifts are critically important for making the party a success, even if those gifts are largely forgotten within a week or two. For adults, gifts may be entirely absent. The presence of loved ones ranks much higher on the scale of importance for making the celebrations of adult birthdays worthwhile. As we grow older, the importance of trinkets and toys dissipates entirely as we recognize the immeasurable value of our loved ones in whose company we delight. The more mature the birthday boy, the more mature the nature and grounding of his rejoicing. This reflects a central teaching of Christ’s earthly ministry: Christians are called to rejoice in their salvation as Christ rejoices in their salvation, for Christ Himself is their salvation. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in Luke 10:17-24.

At the beginning of Luke 10, Christ commissioned a group of seventy missionaries to go into the Galilean countryside to preach the coming of the kingdom of God. In verse 17, we read that they returned with joy, rejoicing in the fact that they were victorious against demons in the prosecution of their commission. As the divine authority on Christian faith and practice, Christ explained how it was that they experienced such wonderful success, highlighting the reality that they had been given authority to subjugate “all the power of the Enemy.” At this point, it is clear that these followers of Christ were right to rejoice in the gifts which God had bestowed upon them as laborers in His kingdom. However, Christ had more instruction to give as He promoted their maturation in faith and understanding.

In verse 20, He redirected their excitement and joy to something of infinitely greater significance by instructing them, “Yet do not rejoice in this, namely, that the spirits to you all are subject. Rather, rejoice all the more that your names are recorded in heaven.” This unexpected caveat on Christ’s part pushed His hearers to meditate on the source of any spiritual power and authority they possessed. Like a good father or mother, Christ was concerned about the maturity of those under His care. He would not let them get so caught up in the good things which they had received that they would end up neglecting the best thing about their spiritual status as the elect of God.

Having called them to consider their salvation, Christ then proceeded to model true Christian rejoicing in verses 21-22. Exulting in the Spirit, Christ gave wholehearted and unreserved praise to the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Christian rejoicing in salvation is effusive, exuberant, and exultant. He specifically praised His Father for choosing not wise or intelligent men, but rather “the simple.” The electing decree of God is not based on any merit of our own, but on the unconditional love of the Father, mediated through and by the Son Who reveals Him. Therefore, mature Christian rejoicing is in response to God’s great grace toward sinners, to His unshakeable decree to save them in Christ, and to Christ Himself.

The fact that mature Christian rejoicing is in response to Christ Himself is the point of Christ’s words to His closest students – the twelve disciples and perhaps a few others – in verses 23-24. Their ears have heard His words, and their eyes have beheld Him in action as He brought the kingdom of God to earth. Whereas prophets and kings of Israel’s past had beheld only shadows of He Who was to come, Christ’s small band of students had sat at His feet to receive His teaching. This seeing and hearing continues today wherever Christ’s Spirit is at work instructing His people in holiness and truth, namely, in the church

The Father has given innumerable gifts to His church, but the fountainhead of all spiritual benefits is Christ Himself, Who is Himself the sum and substance of Christian salvation. Like children opening birthday presents, you may for a time find great joy and excitement in the gifts which you have received from the Father’s hand. Such rejoicing is appropriate. Yet do not allow yourself to stop short in your growth in grace. As mature believers, “rejoice all the more that your names are recorded in heaven.” Rejoice that the Spirit of God Himself is present with you through Christ with Whom you have been mystically united. Perhaps you can envision the joy of a parent or grandparent at your birthday presence – of infinitely greater value than any birthday presents you may have been able to give. Such is the joy of a mature person, of one who knows what is of lasting value in this life. May we be mature in our spiritual rejoicing in Christ Who is greater than any benefit we might receive from His hand, to the glory of the Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth.

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Worship

What About the Lord’s Supper During COVID-19?

Posted on by WRPC Admin
by Pastor Scotty Anderson

Given the approach of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, many people have asked the pastors and elders if there is any thought of practicing some kind of virtual communion. We want to answer that here. This is taken from a response to one thoughtful member of our church.

Wanting to receive the sacramental is a godly desire in which we all share. At the same time we have very good reasons for not trying to administer it outside of regular congregational worship and I’ll try to explain below:

First, the Lord’s Supper was initiated as communal (in community). All the Gospels (Mt 26:20, Mk 14:17, Jn 13) note that Jesus instituted it with the disciples corporately. It even says specifically in Lk 22:14–17 14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you (plural) before I suffer; …17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves…” 

Second, it’s still expected to be communal: Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:16–17 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Verse 16 focuses on our communion with Christ. V. 17 on our communion with one another.

Third, we have no record of a private communion happening anywhere in Scripture and nor would we expect there to be because of the communal aspect of the Supper. It’s nature is to be a shared meal, and not a private meal.

Lastly, I think this is kind of an important and often missed aspect of who we are as Presbyterians. Unlike many of the European reformed churches and Anglicans who practiced weekly communion, Scottish Presbyterians had a higher view of the sacrament, which required a heavier emphasis on spiritual preparation in accordance with 1 Cor 11:24, 25, 27-32. Historically that has meant less frequent celebrations of it. We are actually intentional in not having communion weekly because we believe it requires extra self-examination about our faith and our submission and obedience, and our love for the brethren. Less frequent communion of course doesn’t guarantee that anybody does this well, but it does at least foster a more circumspect approach. Private communion does much the opposite. It fosters the idea of private religion which is also completely outside biblical thinking. On the rare occasions that we administer communion to someone shut in their home for health reasons, it’s always in the company of a pastor, other elders and with a brief preaching of the word and regular administration of the sacrament…in short, a typical corporate worship service on a smaller scale.

The Book of Church Order requires an announcement to the congregation ahead of time: PCA BCO 58-3. “It is proper that public notice should be given to the congregation, at least the Sabbath before the administration of this ordinance, and that, either then, or on some day of the week, the people be instructed in its nature, and a due preparation for it, that all may come in a suitable manner to this holy feast.” See also, 58-8.

So all that said, I can’t speak for the Session as a whole, but to do a virtual communion or something similar would seem to run counter to Scripture, the confession, and our standards. Added to that, a few years ago a group was censored by the PCA General Assembly for having done that very thing. So I’m not saying we would never do it, only that it would be a huge stretch for us and require some serious reconsideration to so radically modify what we believe and practice.

Again, I want to put all that into context. We believe the present crisis is a temporary situation for our church and nation. We believe that in the not too distant future we will return to what the church has practiced for almost 2,000 years. When we do, we will be very hungry for the Lord’s Supper along with the full communion of the saints when at last the situation allows for us to enjoy being physically together. So in the mean time, be patient, and look for Christ in His word which we are so blessed to possess.

Pastor Anderson

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Christian Living

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Pastor Carl Robbins

One of the Great Bequests of the Reformers was the establishment and promotion of a Protestant Work Ethic. Up until the Reformation, the Roman Catholic church had taught that only “sacred work” (i.e. the priesthood) was meaningful.  So called “secular callings” had limited value and worth. But the Reformers shattered the dichotomy and claimed all of life for Christ and declared that the laborer digging a ditch could glorify God just as much as the minister preaching a sermon.

Let me remind you of the basic planks in the Protestant Work Ethic:

  • Work is a creation ordinance (per Genesis 2:15), like Marriage and the Sabbath. Work is NOT a product of the Fall, but was instituted before the Fall.
  • Work has dignity, because God is a worker (per Genesis 1:31, 2:3), and therefore we mirror His image when we labor.
  • EVERYONE should work- since everyone is made in God’s image
  • Work is a discloser of character. What God made reveals His nature. What YOU do reveals YOUR character. When God works, it is orderly, beautiful, well planned and timely
  • Working HARD is good & noble (Prov. 18:9, 19:15). Don’t be moderate about your work.
  • Work is satisfying , man was not made to dread labor, but to be fulfilled by it (Prov. 14:23). Our work is to be permeated with purpose.
  • God promises blessings to the hard worker; included in them are restfulness (per Ecclesiastes 5:12, The sleep of a laboring man is sweet).
  • All legal professions (yes, there are professions and jobs that are not lawful for the Christian to do) are honorable. The fact that the Eternal Son of God worked as a manual laborer is a testimony to the sanctity of work !
  • Work is a necessity to provide for your household (1 Timothy 5:8). Begging  (though viewed as holy by Rome) was seen to be a nuisances and unlawful.

The Proverbs are chock full of warnings against laziness. They identify the lazy man, calling him/her “the sluggard”. A quick survey of Proverbs 6:6-11, 12:24-27, 18:9 and 24:30-34 will give you some brilliant insights into the destiny of the lazy man. But all the Biblical writers line up to agree with this premise: Laziness is wickedness.

Laziness is wicked because God made you to work and when you don’t, you are not living for the purposes for which you were created!

Laziness is wicked because it robs God. When you are not laboring you rob Him of the honor and service you might have done Him by your diligence.

Laziness is wicked because it robs others. Instead of doing good TO them, you are forced to take from them.

These are some of the reasons that Paul forbade the Thessalonians to even share a meal with lazy professing Christians (per 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 10-12) and gave the inspired maxim: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat! 

Martin Luther, in his commentary on Ecclesiates 9:10 ( Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might) says in his direct manner: “God doesn’t want you to succeed without work. He doesn’t want you to sit home and pray for a fried chicken to fly into your mouth….that is tempting God!”

The famous Methodist evangelist Sam Jones (who died in 1906) used to have what he called “quitting meetings” for his new converts. People would come and publicly confess their sins and repent of them. He encouraged people to swear off everything from drunkenness and profanity  to immorality and gossiping. Jones asked one woman what it was she planned to quit.

She replied “ I ain’t been doin’ nuthin and I am going to quit that”!

-Happily Working for God’s glory,

Pastor Carl

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Christian Living/Theology

Thoughts on Apostasy by Pastoral Intern Mark Kuo

Posted on by WRPC Admin

Recently a renowned Christian pastor and author announced his departure from the faith and divorced his wife. Apostasy is indeed sad.  Yet what is worse is that some Christians tend to rationalize apostasy. They think apostasy provides a good opportunity for the apostates to reflect on what they believe and thus help them find truth. Some Christians, on the other hand, because of obvious examples of apostasy, tend to think Christians may lose their salvation by apostasy. What then should Christians think about apostasy, and how should they guard themselves from apostasy according to the Scriptures?

First, apostasy DOES NOT mean that a person once has salvation but later loses it. The Bible warns professing believers against apostasy (Heb. 4:4-6, 10:26-29). Professing believers include both true and false believers. True believers, though they may fall into grievous sins, will never lose their salvation and will certainly persevere in faith by God’s persevering grace (Jn. 10:28-29; WCF 17-1). False believers, however, if they never come to saving faith, will eventually deny faith when persecution or tribulation comes. Notice that when they apostatize, in fact they have NOT lost their salvation, because they have NEVER had salvation. Apostasy implies the absence, rather than the loss, of salvation.

Second, God uses warnings against apostasy as one of the means to preserve His elect so that they will persevere. Knowing our spiritual sluggishness and feebleness, God sovereignly uses severe warnings to keep us humble about our weakness and sinfulness, watchful to surrounding temptations, dependent upon God’s grace, and diligent to use all the means of grace, which, by the Spirit’s power, help produce our perseverance. That is why, after the warnings in Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26-29, the author shows confidence that those who heeded the warnings would persevere: “But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. ” (Heb. 6:9); “But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” (Heb. 10:39)

Sometimes God may even use such warnings to awaken false believers to examine their hearts which leads to their conversion.

Third, apostasy dishonors Christ. For those who once profess faith in Christ and yet later deny Him, their sin is in a sense more grievous than those who never profess, because they “crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame” (Heb. 10:6). Thus, whenever anyone goes on in apostasy, we ought to feel holy grief and wrath for the sake of Christ’s glory. Apostasy does nothing but trample Christ again after all that He has done for sinners.

Fourth, apostasy damages the soul. Hebrews 6:4-6 cannot be clearer: “For it is impossible… if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance”. There is never anything positive about apostasy, period! Jesus says, “whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matthew 13:12). Those who hardened their hearts after hearing and seeing so much of Jesus’ words and works, even what they had already heard would be taken away as a divine judgment. Thus, apostasy by its own nature would most likely lead to God’s judgment and more stubbornness, instead of the discovery and embrace of truth.

Fifth, there is no excuse for apostasy, because it denies the undeniable truth which has been clearly taught to them and understood by them. 

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Here are some commonly alleged reasons for apostasy: God cannot be loving if He sends people to hell; God cannot be good if He allows this or that to happen in my life. Some Christians have hurt me so badly that that I cannot believe in God anymore. The Bible is full of contradictions, and/or is not in harmony with modern scientific researches so it is not trustworthy. All these statements share a thesis in common: “My ultimate authority of faith and practice will be anything but God and His Word. As long as God’s Word and works do not fit my chosen authority, I’ll leave God anyway”. The ultimate reason for apostasy is not a lack of knowledge, but the absence of faith in God’s Word, and the problem lies not in the Bible but in the unregenerate heart. Thus, no apostate can ever have any excuse.

Sixth, bulletproofing against apostasy is to make diligent use of all the ordinary means of grace. God is sovereign in saving and preserving His elect. Yet God does so through the divinely ordained means of grace (i.e. word, prayer, and sacraments). Thus, we are responsible to use such means in order to persevere in faith, especially when our faith seems weak and shaky.

In Hebrews chapter 6, preceding the warnings, we are taught to keep growing in grace unceasingly “to perfection”, and not stop in the very “foundation”(6:1). Following the warning, we are taught to show “diligence” in order to obtain “assurance of hope until the end” (6:11), and not “become sluggish”, but imitate the example of “those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (6:12). Likewise, in Hebrews chapter 10, preceding the warning, we are taught not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together” but to “stir up love and good works…exhorting one another” (10:25).

The Bible not only NEVER rationalizes or excuses apostasy, but also unequivocally and seriously admonishes believers to fight against apostasy by using all the means of grace. Jesus says: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (Jn. 10:27). So a true believer with a new heart, however weak he or she may be, will have a desire for God’s word and consequently a desire for the word-based means of grace: hearing the word being read, taught, and preached, praying according to the word, and partaking the sacraments as visible pictures of the word. And we rely not upon the means themselves, but upon the Spirit who powerfully effectuates those means unto our salvation which includes our perseverance.

May we walk with the Lord by faith and not by sight, working out our “own salvation with fear and trembling”, relying not on ourselves but on the grace of God, who first “works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12a-13).  Amen.

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History

The Divine Hammer of the Reformation

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Zack Groff

Martin Luther (1483-1546) gets a lot of press this time of year, and for good cause. We recognize him as the human instrument God was pleased to use to launch the Protestant Reformation. Something about him – his blunt and forceful personality, perhaps – evokes images of a hammer. In fact, the most celebrated moment in Luther’s biography is the (likely apocryphal) account of his swinging a hammer to nail his famous 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517.

Whether Luther possessed a hammer-like personality or he used a literal hammer to reform the church is irrelevant. There is a better reason to associate Luther and his reform-minded proteges with a hammer motif, and it has to do with the divine hammer of God’s Word.

In Jeremiah 23:28-29, God declares, “The prophet who has a dream let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD. “Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” The power of God’s Word – poignantly illustrated in these verses – has shaped every genuinely Christian treatise, publication, creed, and sermon ever published, proclaimed, recited, or confessed. It is on the sufficiency of God’s Word that Christianity stands or falls. The Protestant Reformers were first and foremost men of God’s Word.

Commenting on his role in instigating the Protestant Reformation, Luther confessed, “I simply taught, preached, wrote God’s Word: otherwise I did nothing…. I did nothing: the Word did it all…. I did nothing: I left it to the Word.” Luther did not so much downplay his part in the Reformation as he did magnify and exalt the might of God’s Word.

Such was the confidence of Luther’s contemporaries and pupils as well. To take one example, consider the following words from English Reformer William Tyndale (1490/4-1536), quoted by Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Professor Dr. James McGoldrick in Luther’s English Connection.* In his Parable of the Wicked Mammon (1528), Tyndale exhorted his readers, “Seek the word of God in all things; and without the word of God do nothing, though it appear ever so glorious. Whatsoever is done without the word of God, that count idolatry.”

Tyndale’s words are but an echo of God’s Word in places such as Isaiah 8:20, “To the law and to the testimony! If they (those who are mediums and wizards, in verse 19) do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Our own Westminster Confession of Faith reflects the primacy of God’s Word for our faith and practice by opening with a chapter entitled, Of the Holy Scripture.

As you reflect on the anniversary of the first hammerfall of the Reformation, consider your allegiance. Do you turn to the Word of God with a posture of humble submission to Christ and reliance on His Spirit, regarding His Word as sufficient, authoritative, and powerful?  Do you find relief and satisfaction in God’s Word for your every spiritual need? Do you trust God’s Word to shatter the rocks of remaining sin, temptation, and irrational terror in your life?

Tolle Lege! Take up and read the Word of God. In so doing, you will find life as God the Holy Spirit wields the Word as a sculptor’s hammer and chisel to shape your heart after the pattern of Christ.

* To read more about Martin Luther’s influence on the English Reformation (to which we Presbyterians are deeply indebted for our own Westminsterian theological heritage), visit gpts.edu/luthers-english-connection-mcgoldrick and get Dr. McGoldrick’s book from GPTS.

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Book Review

Thoughts On the Incarnation

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Justin Salinas

I was greatly edified recently by reading through a small book called On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius. St. Athanasius was an early church father in the fourth century. This little excerpt from some of his larger works reflects on the sinful condition of man and how the Lord, descending from heaven, took on flesh and worked to save his people from their transgressions and iniquity.

To give you a little recap, Athanasius thinks about the choices our Creator could have made toward the regeneration or judgment of the human race. He asks questions like, why, when man fell, did God not just waive his judgment and let corruption slide? Ultimately, this would make God a liar because he promised judgment to Adam and Eve if they were to eat the forbidden fruit. He also asks why, when man fell and became more and more wicked did God not just destroy his creation and start over?  Ultimately, Athanasius comes to the conclusion that this would go against God’s nature, which contains his perfect truthfulness, goodness, and justice, and so there remains only one reasonable path. His belief is that God, being the “God Word,” glorifies himself in overcoming the corruption of the fall by offering redemption in order to bring the corrupted man to cleanliness.

In order to offer this gracious redemption and satisfy perfect justice, a perfect sacrifice must be made. Athanasius says it like this:

“For the Word, realizing that in no other way would the corruption of human beings be undone except, simply, by dying, yet being immortal and the Son of the Father the Word was not able to die, for this reason he takes to himself a body capable of death, in order that it, participating in the Word who is above all, might be sufficient for death on behalf of all, and through the indwelling Word would remain incorruptible, and so henceforth cease from all by grace of the resurrection.”[1]

Athanasius continues:

“Whence, by offering to death the body he had taken to himself, as an offering holy and free of all spot, he immediately abolished death from all like him, by the offering of a like. For being above all, the Word of God consequently, by offering his own temple and his bodily instrument as a substitute for all, fulfilled in death that which was required; and, being with all through the like [body], the incorruptible Son of God consequently clothed all with incorruptibility in the promise concerning the resurrection.”[2]

We can see in Scripture that the author of Hebrews makes the same point. Hebrews 2:9-10 says, “9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

What a glorious message of mercy offered by God to his creation! We must always remember that the hope of redemption comes only through Christ Jesus, the Son of God. He alone was a fitting sacrifice to satisfy the divine justice of the Father and pay the great debt of our sin so that we might have eternal life. I highly recommend this book to you, Christian. It will do your heart good.

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[1] St. Athanasius the Great of Alexandria, On the Incarnation, Popular Patristics Series 44b (Yonkers, New York: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2011), 58.

[2] 58.

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History

Early Reformation in Brazil: The Guanabara Confession

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Miguel D’Azevedo

As a seminarian and candidate for the Gospel ministry, I am thankful to be able to study at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and to be an intern at Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church. There is nothing more beneficial than integrating classroom learning and ministry experience under faithful ministers of the Gospel. As I plan to go back to Brazil to plant a reformed church, this integration of knowledge and practice is fundamental, especially in the context of the church in Brazil. The church in Brazil struggles in many ways, and a reformed and confessional pastor is still not always welcome. Reformed pastors are still persecuted for standing for sound doctrine and holding to their vows regarding the Westminster Confession of Faith and its Catechism. Early Christians from all times, along with those who brought reformation to Brazil, have not compromised their faith to avoid persecution and even death. They instead preferred to suffer and be persecuted for the cause of the Gospel.

The period of the Reformation has become officially known as a schism in early 16th century Western Christianity, initiated by a German priest named Martin Luther. It was a movement that brought the practices and beliefs of the Christian faith back into line with the Word of God. Through defamation, persecution, torture, and war, the Roman Catholic church attempted to silence and stop the Reformation movement. However, the Reformation spread rapidly to other European countries over the 16th century. In an effort to resolve the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, two meetings were held in the city of Speyer in 1526 and 1529.  These meetings became known as the 1st and 2nd Diets of Speyer. At the Diets, Lutheran members protested against the measures of the Diet which they understood to be contrary to the Word of God; their action prompted the term “Protestants”, which is still used today.

The Protestants produced summaries and defenses of their theological agreements and disagreements in relation to Rome, many of which are still in use. Conservative Lutherans still hold to the articles of the Augsburg Confession produced in 1530. Dutch Reformed churches and subgroups hold to the “Three Forms of Unity,” as contained in the Belgic Confession of 1561, Canons of Dort of 1619, and the Heidelberg Catechism of 1563. Orthodox Presbyterians hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith of 1647.

During the time of the creation of these documents and expansion of the Reformation in Europe, political conquests were also being made. One such conquest was of a faraway land later to be called Brazil, discovered by the military captain, navigator, and explorer Pedro A. Cabral on behalf of the Portuguese crown in the year 1500.

In the year 1555, the French vice-admiral Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon arrived with 600 soldiers and colonists to a small island called Serigipe in the Guanabara Bay located in the Brazilian colonial city of Rio de Janeiro. At that time, Rio de Janeiro had not yet received significant Portuguese settlements, so it was an easy target for the French invasion of Portuguese territory and marked their first attempt to establish a French colony on the American continent. The invasion lead by Villegagnon was successful and resulted in a French settlement named France Antarctique. To gain support for his enterprise in Brazil, Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon sought the favor of French nobleman De Coligny and convinced him to help, on condition that France Antarctique would be a refuge for the Huguenot Protestants of France who were fleeing the persecution of the Roman Catholic church.

Villegagnon sent a letter to the city of Geneva in order to gain further support for his new settlement. In his letter, he requested that John Calvin send one or two preachers to “establish a Reformed Church according to the word of God”, as well as more people to colonize the land.

In 1557, fourteen Huguenots of France led and guided by Philippe de Corguilleray (or Lord du Pont), arrived in France Antarctique. Among them were the pastors of the church of Geneva Pierre Richier and Guillaume Chartier, and the student of theology Jean de Lery, who would later publish his testimony in the book History of a Voyage to the Land of Brazil.

A week after the Huguenots’ arrival, Villegagnon made an attempt to show his good intentions towards the Reformed faith by prescribing that aside from the public prayers, which were held every evening after day’s work, the ministers would preach for an hour on all working days and twice on Sundays. Furthermore, he “declared that he intended the Sacraments to be administered according to the pure Word of God, without any human addition.” Following this ecclesiastical policy, the Lord’s Supper was celebrated for the first time on Sunday in the Fort of Coligny in France Antarctique.

Everything appeared to be going according to the plan of establishing a refuge city in Brazil for the persecuted Christians of France. However, soon after the Huguenot’s settlement in France Antarctique, Villegagnon received a letter from Cardinal de Lorriane, the “Grand Inquisitor of France,” “reproving him very harshly for leaving the Roman Catholic religion, so that Villegagnon suddenly changed his plan out of fear.” Villegagnon then declared that he changed his mind about John Calvin, and called Calvin’s doctrine of the Lord’s Supper heretical, and started persecuting the people sent by Calvin to minister and to help in the construction of the Fort of Coligny.

Eventually, Pierre Bourdon, Jean du Bordel, Matthieu Verneuil, Andre La Fon, and Jacques Le Balleur, were imprisoned by Villegagnon because of the Gospel.  Villegagnon then “formulated a list of question about the faith, and sent it to the five Calvinists, giving them twelve hours to write their answer.” After praying and asking the help of the Holy Spirit, the four man, who were no theologians, and had only a copy of the Bible in their hands, started to write their answers. Their answers became known as the Guanabara Confession of Faith. Jean Bourdel was elected to write the document since he was the most educated among them and was fluent in the Latin language.

The confession was written in the form of a credo starting with “we believe.” However, its style, extension, and variety of subjects categorized it as a confession of faith from the time of the Reformation. The seventeen articles can be divided into six parts: 1-4 deal with the being of God; 5-9 deal with the sacraments. The authors of the confession were aware that the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was a great point of controversy between them and Villegagnon; therefore, they spent four articles about the sacraments in order to explain the real meaning of the Lord’s Supper according to Reformed faith that emerged from Geneva.  Article 10 deals with free will and 11-12 deal with the power of the ministers to forgive sins. The authors of the confession quoted Augustine, saying, “pardon of sins belongs only to the word of God.” Articles 13-15 handle the matter of divorce, religious marriage, and celibacy vows. Their explanation about divorce asserted the Bible as the rule of life and broke with the Catholic teaching about marriage. The last part, 16-17 of the Guanabara Confession deal with intercession to the saints and prayers to dead.  The authors stressed that Jesus is the only intermediary between men and God. And that the Bible prohibits to prayer in favor of the dead.

In summary, The Guanabara Confession of Faith is a reflection of the controversies and teachings of the time of the Reformation. Its content is not vague, as would be expected from a confession formulated in 12 hours with only one Bible at hand. It is a clear and assertive confession written by lay men, yet it expresses a solid doctrinal foundation. The confession reveals a cohesive structure even though the authors wrote it in direct response to the questions made by Villegagnon. The text of the confession reveals a great knowledge of the Bible, theology and the history of the church by the authors. References are made to the Council of Nicaea and its creed, as well as to various Fathers of the Church: Augustine, Tertullian, Ambrose, and Cyprian. The document has a strong biblical and reformed content, highlighting points such as the centrality of Scripture, the symbolic nature of the sacraments, the supremacy of Christ, the importance of faith and election, among others. This confession is more than a set of doctrines written in the mid-sixteenth century. It is a monument erected by the mysterious and wise hand of Providence, urging future generations of Brazilian Christians to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”  (Jude 3).

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Bibliography

Crespin, Jean. A tragédia da Guanabara: a história dos primeiros mártires do Cristianismo no Brasil. Translated by Domingos Ribeiro. Rio de Janeiro: Typo-Lith Pimenta de Mello, 1917. [Tragedy of Guanabara: The History of the Firsts Christian Martyrs in Brazil] (Translated by my-self)

Léry, Jean de, and Janet Whatley. History of a Voyage to the Land of Brazil, Otherwise Called America. 1. paperback print., [Nachdr.]. Latin American literature and culture 6. Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of California Press, 2006.

Pierre Bourdon, Jean du Bordel, Matthieu Verneuil, and Andre La Fon. “The Guanabara Confession.” Translated by (Translated by my-self, 1558.

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Theology

The Christian’s Diligent Use of the Outward and Ordinary Means of Grace

Posted on by WRPC Admin

by Mark Kuo, WRPC Pastoral Intern

Serious Christians care about how we may continue to grow in our faith, and how we may evangelize non-Christians effectively. The Bible clearly teaches that God has ordained certain ways which He ordinarily uses to save and mature His people. Reformed theologians call these ways “The Ordinary Means of Grace.”

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 88 explains the means of grace as:

“The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are, his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.”

Christ purchased redemption for His people by His life, death and resurrection. Christ then communicates the benefits of redemption to the believer by His Spirit under the Old and New Covenants. The benefits of redemption include justification, adoption, sanctification, and other benefits accompanying or flowing from them.

The key question is: “How does the Spirit apply, or how does Christ communicate such benefits to the elect?”

As the third person of the Godhead, the Spirit is able to apply them without using any means, but out of God’s divine wisdom, the Spirit ordinarily uses means to apply such benefits. The means are not something devised by men but ordained by God alone, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer.

Through baptism and teaching the Word, by the work of the Holy Spirit, the New Testament Church was built up. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commissioned His disciples to bring the gospel to all nations and build churches therein. Jesus promised to empower them by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1) and entrusted them with the means of grace. In Matthew 28:19-20:

”Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

In Acts 2:41-42, we see the consistent pattern of using the means of grace in the life of the early church:

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Believers of the early church were not only baptized, but they also continued learning God’s Word set forth in the apostles’ teaching, took communion (the breaking of bread), and prayed corporately. God uses the preaching of His Word to regenerate, to give saving faith unto, and to sanctify and preserve His people. God uses the sacraments as a sensible and vivid picture to illustrate and ensure the covenant of grace and all its benefits to His people. God uses prayer for His people to commune with Him in fellowship and worship, and to receive daily the spiritual and physical blessings they need.

The New Testament is a continuation of this same pattern of the means of grace from the Old Testament. God commanded His people to teach His Word to their children on a regular basis (Deu. 6:6-9) which was the primary way for the covenant children to know the Lord. Levitical priests were responsible for teaching the law to God’s people for their sanctification (Lev. 10:11, Deu. 24:8). God also commanded His people to circumcise their male children as a sign of the covenant of grace (Gen. 17:10-11), and to celebrate the Passover feast to remember God’s redeeming them from the Egyptian slavery and God’s wrath (12:24-27); both ceremonies were sacraments in the Old Testament. The book of Psalms includes numerous prayers to instruct God’s people to pray not only privately but also corporately.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 88 describes the means of grace as “outward and ordinary.” They are outward because they involve human participation. The Word needs to be preached by preachers and received, the sacraments need to be administered and received, prayer assumes the act of praying, not only privately, but also corporately for and with one another. While we believe in God’s absolute sovereignty, we should also use the means of grace diligently for our sanctification and for the salvation of others.

The means of grace are outward, because they are distinguished from the inward blessing and power of the Holy Spirit to effectuate our salvation. That is why Jesus promised His disciples His presence and the outpouring of the Spirit. The outward means of grace can be effectual to our salvation only when the inward blessing of Christ by the Spirit accompanies it. Thus, we should not rely on the means, but on the Spirit with a prayerful heart that He would use the preaching and sacraments to save and edify God’s people.

The means of grace are ordinary, because they need to be practiced regularly. We tend to expect dramatic things, and dislike long-term and painstaking labor. We may want to see a big crowd of new converts after one sermon; we may want to see a major transformation in our lives within short periods of time. But the ordinary pattern for the conversion of sinners and for the growth of believers is our diligent, patient, and consistent use of all the means of grace. We must pray for the unbeliever patiently, inviting them to church actively, sharing the gospel with them faithfully, and living a gospel-reflecting life humbly before them. The believer also grows in grace by listening to the preached Word week after week, reading the Bible day by day, taking the Lord’s supper regularly, watching baptisms when administered, and praying with and for other believers constantly. The Lord uses all the means to sustain, feed, strengthen, and mature our spiritual life, so that we can persevere.

The means of grace are ordinary according to worldly wisdom: simple and humble. The purpose of preaching the Word is not to explore profound knowledge, but simply to expound and apply God’s Word faithfully, clearly, and passionately. Baptism is nothing extraordinary, but simply water sprinkled on the head. The Lord’s Supper is not a gourmet meal, but simply bread and wine. Prayer is simply pouring our hearts out to God with praises, confessions, thanksgivings, and supplications uttered according to God’s Word. With the Spirit’s blessing, the means of grace are simple but powerful, ordinary in form but extraordinary in power.

When the church makes faithful and diligent use of the ordinary means of grace, we can and should expect the Lord to bless the church by saving unbelievers as well as sanctifying believers. Much like starving our bodies from proper nourishment, it is a pity for the believer to neglect the means of grace. What a joyful privilege that we have all the necessary means of grace sufficient for our daily growth in grace and our witness to the world. May we make diligent us of the outward and ordinary means of grace!

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Theology

Jesus Christ as Pastor

Posted on by WRPC Admin

By Zack Groff, WRPC Pastoral Intern

We often refer to Christ as our Prophet, Priest, King, Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and God. Have you ever thought about Jesus Christ as pastor? Indeed, it is Christ Himself Who sets the standard as the ultimate pastor. What does this standard look like? In other words, what do we know about Pastor Jesus from His earthly ministry? John 4 and John 8 show us the major features of Christ’s pastoral ministry: His compassion, authority, and aim. These two chapters show us how Jesus Christ is the Servant of the Lord described in Isaiah 42. They also illustrate how Jesus Christ is the church’s paradigmatic pastor.

First, Christ demonstrates compassion in addressing spiritual needs through addressing felt needs. In John 4, Christ addressed the felt needs of the Samaritan woman because “He needed to” do so (John 4:4). This principal aspect of His ministry determined even His travel itineraries. The reality of need (for water, for marriage, for worship) was central to Christ’s ministry to the woman at the well. All along, He knew that sin lurked underneath the felt needs of water and relationship. John 8 amplifies the need to address adultery, for there a woman’s life is on the line. Christ rendered judgment to save the woman from her accusers (John 8:7). In both accounts, Christ as pastor related to human beings with human problems. By His Word and Spirit, Jesus continues to minister to our felt needs. He ministers to us as whole people in need of pastoral care in every area of our lives.

Second, Christ exercises authority in his pastoral ministry. His authority drives the narratives at their respective turning points of John 4 and John 8. In John 4, Christ drove the dialogue away from felt needs and to spiritual needs in the second half of verse 17.  Some commentators think that the Samaritan woman threw up a diversion in verse 20. Yet this is the point at which Christ’s authority most comes into play. It is Christ alone Who can direct those who would presume to worship God. Consider the result.  The Samaritans of Sychar confess His authority as “the Christ, the Savior of the world” (John 4:42). In John 8, Christ caused the Pharisees to abandon their case against the woman caught in adultery (John 8:9). Christ’s words defeated the Pharisees’ case against the woman. His words also convicted the Pharisees in their consciences. His authority most shines forth in His words to the adulteress, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11). He pardons her for the past, and He commands her for the future. As suggested in the following verse, it is the Light of the world that banishes the darkness. In so doing, He provides sight to a people burdened by the blindness of sin.

Christ’s authority characterizes His pastoral ministry as the sole Head of the church. This authority works through the ordained officers of the church: elders and deacons. Men who serve as church officers steward an “alien authority” that belongs to Christ. Officers deny Christ’s authority whenever they overstep the biblical limits of their callings. They endanger Christ’s church whenever they operate apart from Christ’s authority. They impede the church’s expansion when they fail to exercise the authority granted to them. They bless the church insofar as they advance Christ’s Kingdom as His stewards. It is the advancement of His Kingdom that was (and is) Christ’s great spiritual aim in His pastoral ministry.

Third, the spiritual aim of Christ’s pastoral ministry is the full harvest of souls. This feature is prominent in Matthew 13, Isaiah 40 and 42, and in John 4 and 8. In John 4, Christ taught His disciples of the great harvest of the Kingdom of God. He exhorted them to “lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest” (John 4:35). He was speaking of spiritual realities, and His aim was spiritual. Jesus was about the business of searching for and saving lost souls (Luke 19:10). In John 8, Christ saved the life of the adulteress. He also revealed Himself as “the light of the world” (John 8:12) that liberates slaves from sin (John 8:32). It was for truth that the Servant of the Lord came to bring forth justice (Isaiah 42:3). Likewise, it was for truth that Jesus Christ saved the adulteress from the Pharisees and her sin. Something fundamental underlies the compassion, authority, and aim of Christ’s pastoral ministry.

Jesus Christ was (and is) the only man ever to have lived in a state of perfect righteousness. In the accounts found in John 4 and 8, Christ proved Himself to be the Servant of the Lord promised in Isaiah 42. He demonstrated His compassion for sinners by addressing felt needs. He functioned with authority, confounding the Pharisees and religious hypocrites around Him. He did this for the sake of the great harvest of souls ordained by the Father, and begun by the Spirit. The fundamental goal of Christ’s pastoral ministry was the glory of God. Christ’s salvation of sinners in John 8 glorifies and praises God, as pictured in John 4:39-42. The triad that shaped Christ’s pastoral ministry rests upon the fundamental note of the glory of God. When we know Christ as pastor, we should burst into praise and worship. When our pastors call us to worship each Lord’s Day, they do so as men under authority. They do so by the example of Christ our ultimate pastor. They follow Christ in ministering to us for the sake of God’s glory, worship, and praise.

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Christian Living

Step By Step

Posted on by Dan Dodds

by Pastor Dan Dodds

It was freezing cold. I looked up the mountain and saw that the climb was going to be long and hard. They had named this spot “Kneebuster Pass” and it was easy to see why. I just wanted to get it over with, but I knew if I tried to hurry, I would exhaust myself and become discouraged.

The team leader stopped us and said, “this is how we’re going to get up this mountain. I don’t want you looking at the top, just look at the next step you will take and then take it; one step at a time and you will see that in just a little while you will be at the top.”

I did what he said and before I knew it, I was looking over the Gore Range from the top of this ten-thousand foot ridge. And I learned an important lesson: small steps faithfully taken over time worked better than giant leaps every once in a while.

The same is true for reading your Bible. As Christians, we know it is important to read the Word but we put it off until we feel so guilty that we try to jump in and take on too much, only to get discouraged. 

But the best way to read the Word is to take daily time, to read small amounts – perhaps two or three paragraphs or chapters a day – and just stay at it. You will find that over time you have not just read the Bible through but that you understand it more and more.

And you will find passages that remind you of other passages and themes that show up throughout the Word. Bible characters will become familiar to you and you will be able to converse about various topics. Personal applications will develop, and you will find yourself more and more in love with and in awe of the Author.

The Psalmist understood this. He reminds us in the first chapter of the Psalms that the godly man meditates on the law of the Lord day and night. Not on Sundays only. Not on and off. Not in huge chunks once in a while. But regular, consistent reflection upon and study of the Word.

Joshua was instructed by the Lord to make reading the Scripture a daily practice. Note Joshua 1.8: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Daniel understood this principle in his prayer life. He didn’t wait for the weekly prayer meeting to pray, the Bible tells us that “Daniel… knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”

The most effective dieters that I have ever witnessed were not those who got on crash diets and lost a ton of weight. The pounds all seem to return after just a short while. But those who decided to everyday forego dessert and sodas seemed to lose weight over time and to keep it off as well.

This is an important practice not just for individuals, but it should be the practice of the heads of households in family worship. It is best not to wait for problems to teach Scripture. And a family cannot live on conferences or Sundays alone.

Every day (every meal?) it is a good idea to read a small portion of Scripture. This ‘diet’ over time will be the healthiest approach for your family and will become a valued part of your Spiritual diet.