Friday, September 30, 2011

Bloodlines Documentary - John Piper


Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.

I really look forward to reading this book this fall. Thanks to John Piper for speaking about this issue and taking the time to put this together. 




Tuesday, September 27, 2011

How Can We Best Interpret Scripture - Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears

I have been reading Mark Driscoll's and Gerry Breshears' book, "Doctrine" recently and found this to be very helpful in explaining the question of how we can best interpret scripture. Here are four questions that Driscoll and Breshears suggest for interpreting the Bible. I will not quote the book at length, but only a few places that summarize the specific questions. The bold emphasis on the questions is mine.
 "The first question to ask is, what does the Scripture actually say? God wants to speak to you through the Bible. One error is to under-read the text, missing what is there through lack of attention. The opposite error is to over-read the text, putting preconceived opinions, ideas, or perspectives into the text, which is called eisegesis. Therefore, the goal is to humbly read the text to hear from God, which is called exegesis....

"The second question is, what does the Scripture mean? In this step you should look for what Scripture is teaching, especially in the original context. Much of the Bible was written to specific people in specific historical situations. The task is to discover that meaning and to understand the meaning of each text in its own terms, categories, and thought forms, beginning with the questions and issues the writer deals with, not the questions we bring. You will want to ask, what is the author trying to accomplish? What ideas or values is he trying to communicate? It is often helpful to write out your observations of the specifics of the text in a journal designated for personal Bible study."

"The third question is, what timeless principle truths is this section of Scripture teaching that apply to all of God's people in all times and places? There are many questions to ask to find the timeless universal principle. Is the text describing an event or belief, or is it prescribing (commanding) a practice, precept, promise, or value?"

"The fourth question is, how should I respond to what God has said? Here we are seeking to understand how the Bible's teaching applies to our life individually as Christians and corporately as a church today. The Bible shares content with an intended purpose, expecting that we will respond with belief and in other ways, depending upon what it says."

Friday, September 16, 2011

Identity in Christ

On Thursday I had the privilege to speak at VCU's Inter Varsity campus ministry. I spoke on having an Identity in Christ and the text I focused on was John 8:1-11. This passage deals with the woman who was caught in adultery, and was thrown before Jesus feet by the Jewish rulers so that they might trap him in His judgment of this woman. What was her identity prior to finding herself in the dust at the feet of Jesus, and what would be her identity upon hearing the grace filled words from Jesus' mouth "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." ? Her identity along with our identity, if we trust in Jesus, goes from criminal to Christ, and this identity is not based on anything we can do or have done, but rather, it is based on what has been done for us, namely the punishment absorbing substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross for our sins. The audio of the message is below....

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Bloodlines Trailer - John Piper

From the Crossway Blog:
This month marks the release of John Piper’s latest book, Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian. Crossway will also be releasing an exclusive Bloodlines video documentary featuring Pastor John as he walks through his personal story of growing up in the racist South. His personal story boldly champions the transforming power of the gospel and the beauty of racial diversity and harmony in Christ.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Bonhoeffer on Psalms, Guilt, Justification and Prayer.....

Yesterday, I began reading "Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and I must say that these 84 pages contain some very valuable content concerning prayer and how to pray the Psalms. For a more in-depth review of the book, check out this review by Shelby Murphy on the Redemption Hill website. The chapter that has hit home the hardest for me is the one on guilt. Often, I have looked at the Psalms where the psalmist seems to promote his integrity and uprightness before God and I say to myself "That's not me", and begin to wrestle with guilt, simply because I feel I cannot make such statements. Granted, I know that this is wrong to do, and the gospel is the only way that I am able to confidently say that I am free from guilt and condemnation in Christ, but statements like these are sometimes hard to bear:
"The Lord judges the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me." (Ps. 7:8) 

"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering, Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness..." (Ps. 26:1-2) 

These are only a few statements like these in the Psalms, but if I'm honest, sometimes I look at such verses and think "How can he (the writer) say that?!" "Isn't that self-righteous?!" The answer: NO! Bonhoeffer clarifies why the Psalmist makes statements like these as often as he makes statements concerning repentance, confession of sin, and spiritual depression. Ill quote him at length.  

"It is often particularly striking and offensive to evangelical Christians that in the Psalms the innocence of devout people is spoken of at least as often as is their guilt. (cf. Psalms 5, 7, 9, 16, 17, 26, 35, 41, 44, 59, 66, 68, 69, 73, 86, and others.) Here it seems obvious that there is a vestige of the so-called Old Testament works righteousness, with which the Christian can no longer begin. Yet this outlook is completely superficial and knows nothing of the depth of the Word of God. It is clear that a man can speak of his own innocence in a self-righteous way, but do we not also realize that a man can pray the most humble confession of sin very self-righteously? Talk about ones own guilt can be just as far from the Word of God as talk about one's innocence. But the question is not which possible motives may stand behind the prayer, but whether the content of the prayer itself is appropriate or inappropriate. And here it is clear that the believing Christian certainly has to say not only something about his guilt but also something about his innocence and his justification. It is characteristic of the faith of the Christian that through God's grace and the merit of Jesus Christ, he has become entirely justified and guiltless in God's eyes, so that "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). And it is characteristic of the prayer of the Christian to hold fast to this innocence and justification which has come to him, appealing to God's word and thanking for it. So not only are we permitted, but directly obligated - provided we take God's action to us at all seriously- to pray in all humiliation and certainty: " I was blameless before him and I kept myself from guilt" ( Psalm 18:23); " If thou testeth me thou will find no wickedness in me" (Psalm 17:3). With such a prayer we stand in the center of the New Testament, in the community of the cross of Jesus Christ." 

We are "permitted" and "directly obligated" on the basis of God's justifying us as sinners, to say and to pray with confidence and with assurance, with all humility and thankfulness, that " I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt". This is wonderful! Christ is praying through the Psalms on our behalf, and because His righteousness and perfect obedience has been imputed to us, God now sees Christ in his blamelessness and perfection when He sees us. We are able to pray with this same assurance as the Psalmist because the cross is before us, and Christ's blood and righteousness has been counted to us.

Monday, August 29, 2011

3 Gifts: Gospel, Faith, Suffering

Last Sunday, I preached at Springfield Baptist Church. The text was Philippians 1:29 and the focus of the message was on the 3 Gifts that God gives to His people as seen in that passage. God gives us the Gospel: He gives us Jesus. On this basis, God gives us the faith to believe on Him, and He also gives us suffering so that we may be conformed more into His image in the trials and afflictions of this life.







Saturday, August 27, 2011

Hurricane Days and the NBA Lockout....

Here is my tribute to the NBA Lockout.Just some highlights I've been looking at during this wonderful weather we are having in Richmond...Long live the League!... Enjoy!


Allen Iverson's crossover.....on MJ...Classic




Vince Carter's Olympic Dunk




JDub's Elbow pass





D.Wade on Anderson Varejao



Some college cat crushed this guys ankles.....

Thursday, August 25, 2011

What is the Gospel - Paul Washer

A fresh reminder by Paul Washer on "What is the Gospel". Washer's preaching and passion communicate the message of the gospel in a way that leaves you on the edge of your seat. His words are crushing, yet encouraging, and he always lifts high the beauty of Jesus Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection for sinners. Enjoy.


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Thoughts on The Grace of God - J.I. Packer

" We can only claim from him justice- and justice, for us, means certain condemnation. God does not owe it to anyone to stop justice taking its course. He is not obliged to pity and pardon; if He does so it is an act done, as we say 'of His own free will,' and nobody forces His hand. 'It does not depend on man's will or effort, but on God's mercy'(Rom. 9:16 NEB). Grace is free, in the sense of being self-originated and of proceeding from One who was free not to be gracious. Only when it is seen that what decides each individual's destiny is whether or not God resolves to save him from his sins, and that is a decision which God need not make in any single case, can one begin to grasp the biblical view of grace."

J.I. Packer - Knowing God

Sunday, August 14, 2011

The Perfect Storm




Last Sunday I was given the opportunity to preach at the church I attend, Redemption Hill. The text I preached from was Acts 27:1-44 and the title of the message was "The Perfect Storm". In this sermon, I focused on how God works not in spite of, but in and through the sufferings of His people, to accomplish His mission of advancing the gospel to the world. Next to the sufferings of Jesus, Paul the Apostle was a great example of how God providentially worked in and through suffering for His glory and for our good. This hurricane that Paul encountered in Acts 27 was just another opportunity for God to be glorified as the Lord saved all 276 men on board the ship, and supernaturally confirmed to Paul that he would arrive at Rome safely.

Just as all 276 sailors, soldiers, and prisoners were delivered from the storm and were saved for the sake of Paul, we too are saved from the hurricane of God's wrath and delivered from the power of darkness only for the sake of Jesus.It is because of His perfect life and substitutionary death on the behalf of sinners that we are able to be reconciled to God and brought safely to Him.

The audio of the sermon can be found here

Friday, August 12, 2011

The Kind of Preaching God Blesses - Steve Lawson




This was a great sermon and exposition of 1 Corinthians 1:18-24. In this sermon, Lawson talks about the need for modern day preachers to preach nothing but Christ crucified. Philosophy, the wisdom of this age, and "sharing" of opinion and ideas in the pulpit will not glorify God in the preaching of the gospel.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Paradoxes - Valley of Vision

This prayer crushed me as I was reading it this morning....Thought I'd share it.

"O changeless God,
Under the conviction of Thy Spirit I learn that
the more I do, the worse I am,
the more I know, the less I know,
the more holiness I have, the more sinful I am,
the more I love, the more there is to love.
O wretched man that I am!
O Lord, I have a wild heart,
and cannot stand before Thee;
I am like a bird before a man.
How little I love Thy truth and ways!
I neglect prayer,
by thinking I have prayed enough and earnestly,
by knowing Thou hast saved my soul.
Of all hypocrites, grant that I may not be
an evangelical hypocrite,
who sins more safely because grace abounds,
who tells his lusts that Christ's blood
cleanseth them,
who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell,
for he is saved,
who loves evangelical preaching, churches,
Christians, but lives unholily.
My mind is a bucket without a bottom,
with no spiritual understanding,
no desire for the Lord's Day,
ever learning but never reaching the truth,
always at the gospel-well but never holding water.
My conscience is without conviction or contrition,
with nothing to repent of.
My will is without power of decision or resolution.
My heart is without affection, and full of leaks.
My memory has no retention, so I forget easily the lessons learned,
and Thy truths seep away.
Give me a broken heart that yet carries home
the water of Grace."

Monday, July 11, 2011

Just Like You - Lecrae




Saw this today, pretty good video concept. The last verse is pretty awesome too....

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

God's Love Defined - J.I. Packer

" God's love is an exercise of His goodness toward individual sinners whereby, having identified Himself with their welfare, He has given His Son to be their savior, and now brings them to know and enjoy him in a covenant relation."

- J.I. Packer, "Knowing God"

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Confession and Petition - Puritan Prayers

Holy Lord, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, of failure to find Thy mind in Thy Word, of neglect to seek Thee in my daily life. My transgressions and short-comings present me with a list of accusations, but I bless Thee that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ. Go on to subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my spirit into subjection, but do Thou rule over me in liberty and power.

I thank Thee that many of my prayers have been refused. I have asked amiss and do not have, I have prayed from lusts and been rejected, I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness. Go on with Thy patient work, answering 'no' to my wrongful prayers, and fitting me to accept it. Purge me from every false desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to Thy rule. I thank Thee for Thy wisdom and Thy love, for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject, for sometimes putting me into the furnace to refine my gold and remove my dross.

No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin. If Thou shouldst give me choice to live in pleasure and keep my sins, or to have them burnt away with trial, give me sanctified affliction. Deliver me from every evil habit, every accretion of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of Thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in Thee. Then I shall bless Thee, God of jeshurun, for helping me to be upright.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Sermonette on Rock of Ages

I was recently given an opportunity at the church I attend to give a sermonette on the content of a verse from the song "Rock of Ages". I have also embedded the song 'Rock of Ages' that the Redemption Hill band recently recorded below. The audio for the sermonette can be heard here

Rock of Ages by RedemptionHill


My thoughts are below:

Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to the cross I cling
Naked, come to Thee for dress
Helpless look to Thee for grace
Foul, I to the fountain fly
Wash me, Savior, or I die


Three words immediately stand out in reading this verse: Naked, Helpless, and Foul. These words describe who we are apart from God’s grace, and they display why our need for grace is so great. While we may look at our own lives and hesitate to identify ourselves by any of these words, the Bible clearly states that because of our sin we have become depraved, willfully and actively plunging ourselves into darkness, away from the presence of a Holy God. We may compare ourselves to others, make a resume’s worth of good deeds that we have done, or we may even sweep our dirt under the rug of our own justification, but all of these actions only serve to confirm the reality that apart from grace we are naked, helpless, foul and destitute.

In our nakedness, we become like our first parents, stricken with guilt because of our sinfulness, ashamed because we fail to meet the required standards of God’s law, and condemned because we feel the weight of the judgment we deserve. In vanity, we attempt to hide from the light, blame others for our transgressions, and we seek to cover ourselves with fig leaves of self-justification and pride. We become Laodiceans, deceiving ourselves by thinking that we are rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing, when the truth is that we are wretched, pitiable, poor blind and naked. We need covering.

In our helplessness, we are weak, enslaved by sin, and steadily stumbling over the sin that so easily besets us. We are powerless, like the invalid man at the pool of Siloam, unable to help ourselves after so many years of inability. No amount of labor, efforts, or emotion can save us. Apart from grace, we are guilty in a courtroom where all the evidence is stacked against us and the victim is the Judge: helpless. We need strength.

In our foulness, we are like Lazarus, dead – in our sins and transgressions, lying in the tomb we have made for ourselves, and everyday without Life is a day that we become more soiled and polluted. Our attempt to wash ourselves with the rags of our own righteousness only ends in failure because our rags are soiled too. We need cleansing.

The sum of the state of our nakedness, helplessness, and foulness equals to nothing, and therefore there is nothing that we can bring to The Most High to atone for our sins. Our hands are as dirty as they are empty and in the realization of this there remains only one thing to say: Wash me Savior or I die! At the cross we find cleansing and fullness.

At the cross we have clothing for our nakedness, garments of skins for our fig leaves, righteousness for our sinfulness. At the cross we have grace for our helplessness, strength in our weakness, and an Advocate for our trial. At the cross we have a fountain of cleansing from our filth, beauty for our ashes, and resurrection at our funerals. Wash me Savior, or I die! Wash me Savior or I die! Wash me Savior or I die!

Monday, April 18, 2011

How Can I Tell if I Know God?....

Do we worship the one true God in truth? Or are ideas of God such that in reality we do not believe in the Christian God, but in some other, just as the Muslim or Jew or Jehovah's Witness does not believe in the Christian God, but in some other?

You may say, how can I tell? Well, the test is this. The God of the Bible has spoken in his Son. The light of the knowledge of his glory is given to us in the face of Jesus Christ. Do I look habitually to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ as showing me the final truth about the nature and the grace of God? Do I see all the purposes of God as centering upon him?

If I have been enabled to see this, and in mind and heart to go to Calvary and lay hold of the Calvary solution, then I can know that I truly worship the true God, and that he is my God, and that I am even now enjoying eternal life, according to our Lord's own definition, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent"(John 17:3)

-J.I. Packer "Knowing God"

Saturday, April 16, 2011

What is the stigmatic animosity toward the term "religion"? Is it a wrong to say that Christianity is a religion. The book of James uses it. Do you think it's fair to start making a distinction TRUE religion and FALSE religion?

I’ll start from the scripture in James. James 1:26-27 says “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” The word for religious/religion in verses 26 and 27 is the greek word θρησκεια (* yes, I copied and pasted…I do not know Greek) which can be used interchangeably with worhip/worshipping. Colossians 2:18 uses the same word when it says “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels…” So, if we were to use the word worship in James 1:26-27 rather than religion, it seems to clarify what James really thinks about religion or worship. “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person’s (worship) is worthless. (Worship) that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this….” With this understanding, I don’t think it’s wrong to say that Christianity is a religion, and I do. Saying Christianity is a religion is no different than saying basketball is a religion, or shopping is a religion, or stockbroking. Sinful humans religion (used as a verb) anything and everything. We worship things and people. We talk about them with the utmost delight, we spend serious amounts of time with them, and we devote and sacrifice for the things we worship – thereby making the objects of our affections our religion. I’m guilty of making basketball a religion; Lust a religion; People’s opinions of me a religion. I really did nothing different than a Bhuddist or a Muslim. I sought to please a god, namely, myself and I was doing everything I could to appease that god. I think religion is worship and true religion is true worship of God: Father, Son and Spirit. Jesus says that true worshippers worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23). The only TRUE religion and TRUE worship is centered on God: Father, Son and Spirit. Any other religion is false in the sense that its worship is centered on something or someone other than God. It’s really worship, it’s just really false. It is possible for people to even worship Christianity and not worship God. Worship of going to church, getting into community, and worship of doing what Christians do is all worship of Christianity, and a person may do these things and not be worshipping God at all. This is why I think it is wrong in a sense to say Christianity is a religion. If people do "Christianity" on the grounds of trying to appease a deity, either themselves or God, then “Christianity” becomes like every other system – a false “religion” or worship. Also, when I hear people say “It’s not religion, its relationship.”, I sort of scratch my head. True, Christianity is firstly and foremost a relationship with God, but if we leave it here, then it is left where any other relationship is, just a correlation between friends. But Christianity is a religion because it involves worship. It involves devotion and submission and obedience (although not dead ritualistic practices), and these things are all grounded on a relational factor: love and grace. So my answer to the question “Is Christianity a religion or a relationship?” is …Its both.

Ask me anything

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

"But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:13 "By your endurance you will gain your lives." Luke 21:19 -- Although objectively justified, are an individual's efforts the source of his/her endurance to the end?

Great question! Through scripture, I’m convinced that the answer is yes. Yes, our individual efforts are the source of our endurance to the end. It’s what’s behind our individual effort that really matters. The Christian will be saved and will be brought to final salvation in the end only because of the merit of Jesus Christ. Because of His life, death, and resurrection, all who believe and trust in Jesus and His work on the cross will be saved and kept by His power. John 10:27-29 states “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Jesus saves His sheep. Jesus gives His sheep eternal life. Jesus keeps His sheep to the end. The Father gives these sheep to Jesus. The Father makes sure that His sheep are kept unto the end. Therefore, the credit for our arriving justified on the last day goes only to God and His Christ. There is a human part to endurance though. Although our efforts are not the grounds on which we are saved, they do matter and what Matthew says is true “the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Every day the Christian must fight, he must war with sin, temptation and the flesh. Here is the connection between God’s part in keeping His sheep and our part in fighting as sheep; the only reason that the Christian can fight is because God is keeping Him and enabling him to fight. The only reason the Christian has the strength to endure is because God is keeping him and giving him strength to endure. I think Paul deals very well with this topic of endurance in Philippians. Philippians 1:6 states “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Paul is basically saying God began the initial work of salvation. God will finish the work of salvation. Hebrews 12:1-2 states that Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. What God begins He finishes. Salvation and the keeping of it belongs to God and there is rest for the Christian when he realizes that God is the Savior and Protector of his soul. Based on this knowledge of God as Savior and Protector, Author and Finisher, the believer has all the provisions and strength to fight and endure in the Christian life because he already knows God is protecting him and keeping him. In Philippians 2:12, Paul encourages the Philippian believers to “work out” their salvation with fear and trembling. “Work out” means to literally “get it done” concerning their salvation. Now, to the person who reads this and discards the fact that God keeps His sheep primarily, it would sound like “I keep my salvation” and “My working out is the reason I am saved”. But one does not need to go too much further in Paul’s writing to see that much more is going on in this “working out” than merely our human efforts. Paul says in the next verse that the ground for our working is “for (because) it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” God is responsible for our working. We run the race of endurance because God is moving our muscles in the stride. We fight the good fight of faith because God is working AND willing in us to fight. To use the illustration of sports, it is God who works in the team to play the game, its God who causes the team to win the game and it is God who is the arena for the team to play in. We are called to suit up and play – and play hard. We are called to go teach, make disciples, war with sin, examine ourselves, kill the flesh, and resist the devil but God is at work both in keeping us so that we can do all these things and in working through us, willing and working for His glory. Endure to the end means just that: endure to the end.

Ask me anything

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Divine Support - Valley of Vision


Thou art the blessed God, happy in Thyself, source of happiness in Thy creatures, my maker, benefactor, proprietor, upholder. Thou hast produced and sustained me, supported and indulged me, saved and kept me; Thou art in every situation able to meet my needs and miseries.

May I live by Thee, live for Thee, never be satisfied with my Christian progress but as I resemble Christ; and may conformity to His principles, temper, and conduct grow hourly in my life. Let Thy unexampled love constrain me into holy obedience, and render my duty my delight. If others deem my faith folly, my meekness infirmity, my zeal madness, my hope delusion, my actions hypocrisy, may I rejoice to suffer for Thy name.

Keep me walking steadfastly towards the country of everlasting delights, that paradise-land which is my true inheritance. Support me by the strength of heaven that I may never turn back, or desire false pleasures that will disappear into nothing. As I pursue my heavenly journey by Thy grace let me be known as a man with no aim but that of a burning desire for Thee, and the good and salvation of my fellow men.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Finally, Somebody Said It.....




I dont usually blog too much about basketball, but after I saw this, I couldn't say it any better (besides a word or two of it)...Chuck, you got it right, NUFF SAID!

Likewise, this finish in UConn's game was epic...the kind of stuff you dream about (and he smashed McGee's ankles) ...WOW!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Thoughts on Sanctification

Just recently, I had the opportunity to speak to a few brothers about Romans 6 and the doctrine of sanctification. I wanted to write a few thoughts about some things that the Spirit brought to my attention as I prepared to talk and share with these guys.
Romans 6:12-14
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.


Paul's basis for giving this command seen in Romans 6:12, "Let not sin reign..." is founded upon verses 6-11 which tell of how Jesus defeated sin in His death and therefore since we were "baptized" with Him in His death, we are dead to sin, and we ought to "reckon" ourselves dead to sin. When Jesus was resurrected, He showed that He had defeated the power of sin and death and the one who believes in Jesus is also free from this enslavement to sin and death. Through Christ's death and resurrection He has absorbed the wrath of God and the borne the punishment for sinners, and He has broken the fetters of sin and death for those who believe. Therefore sin has no power over the one who trusts in Jesus's work.
So Paul's command in Romans 6:12 is not a command to dethrone sin in our own power. Rather, Paul tells his readers to keep dethroning sin because it has been dethroned. Jesus has defeated sin once and for all and so sin has absolutely no power over the one who trusts in Jesus. The command "let not sin reign.." is based upon Jesus already having defeated sin. This gives us rest.
Romans 6:12-13 presents a real command and responsibility on our part as patients resurrected by the Doctor, to not return to the sin that enslaved us and trapped us in spiritual death. Everyday we must fight sin passionately, resisting temptation, wrestling with the flesh, and violently cutting off ourselves from sinning. But this war on our sin is not the grounds for our salvation. Our work in fighting sin is not the merit that earns us righteousness. Jesus's once and for all cancellation of sin and death is the rock upon which our righteousness and salvation rests. So the only way that we are able to fight is because He has fought.
When I had previously read Romans 6:14, I had always believed that this verse was Paul simply stating a fact, or giving encouragement to the believer to execute this command he just gave, but recently I have found that this statement "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.", is a promise, rather than just a "good luck, homie...Im praying for you" encouraging sentence. I guess what I believed previously was that this was Paul's encouraging statement, but recently I have seen that this is the Almighty God's promise. Sin WILL NOT have dominion over you! It came off the pages as a protective, Fatherly sounding promise that says "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (John 10:27-29)
Furthermore, after reading this promise, I began reading these three verses backwards in my head, saying "Sin will not have dominion over you, because you are not under the law but under grace, therefore let not sin reign in your mortal body..." Sin will not win the war because Christ has already won the war, so go fight! I am an avid basketball fan, and I enjoy playing far more than watching, so when I read this, an image came to mind. The parallels will not match everywhere, but you'll get the point. Imagine that a team is in its locker room before the final game of its season. They are nervous in facing an opponent that is highly ranked and greatly feared. Just before the game, God Himself walks into the locker room and informs the coach and the players that they will win by 15 points, says "This team will not beat you, now go play", and then walks out. This would be way more than encouraging to the players in the locker room and it would completely remove any stress, tension or worry about what the outcome of the game would be. I think God does way more for us when it comes to us fighting sin, and this was a very trite illustration, but I think this is generally what is happening in Romans 6:12-14. The promise takes the burden off of the command.
Thinking more about these verses in Romans 6, I was looking for confirmation of this promise/command thing in other places in Scripture. I came across several Old Testament passages where this pattern of promise and command happened for God's people in many instances of war and battle.
Deuteronomy 2:30-33 states
"But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day. And the LORD said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.’ Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. And the LORD our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people."

In these verses, the promise from God is given to Israel before the battle takes place. "I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you." is the promise from God to His people that Sihon didn't stand a chance against them. Next is the Lord's command to them to "begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land."

Deuteronomy 3:1-3 was another passage that confirmed the same thing.

"Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ So the LORD our God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him down until he had no survivor left. "

Here, another king, Bashan, comes out against Israel and the Lord promises His people that "I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand." The command to "do to him as you did to Sihon" follows and once again Israel has success. When God makes these promises before the battle occurs in these verses, from His reality and perspective these enemies of Israel have already been defeated. This is the same reality that is true with the Christians war on sin. "Sin shall have no dominion over you, it has been defeated in Jesus' death and resurrection, so kill it."

One last passage in the Old Testament that displays the same pattern is Joshua 10:8-11 which states
And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

What makes this passage different from the previous two is that in these verses God is more active in this battle than in the previous two. When I say "more active", I mean that His work is more clearly seen and identified , in throwing the Amorites into confusion and then throwing down large hailstones from Heaven on them. God is always at work for His people and He never abandoned them to fight on their own, and they only fought in His strength; but in the previous two battles mentioned Israel violently pursued their enemies fully resting in the promise God had given beforehand. In this battle in Joshua 10, I'm sure combat was a lot easier for Israel's army when their enemies are suffering panic attacks from God in front of them while God later crushes their army with heavenly hailstones. In our fight with sin I think this is how God works as well.
There will be times where we will fight sin vigorously in God's strength, resisting temptation, anger, lust, pride, fear and so forth. We will have to wrestle and war violently with these sins through prayer, fasting, confession, scripture meditation and more, and this is all done while resting on the same promise that sin has already been defeated at the cross. But there will also be times where God will seem to be "more active" in our battles with sin. He may supernaturally take away evil desires, or supernaturally crush sinful habits, or make ways of deliverance in situations of temptation that only He can make. The Christian should be on lookout for God's working at all times in either of these ways , because ultimately He is at work in both of these sin fighting situations. We must always be at work as well.
Philippians 2:12-13 states
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

In our rigorous fighting against sin, God is at work. In our sudden abandoning and conquering of certain sins, God is at work. He is at work in our wills and in our work, and the work that He began at salvation in our hearts, He will bring to completion. Therefore we should rest in His promise that our greatest battle has been won already. Our sins and the principalities that chained us to them have been canceled and made an open show of. The professor has given His students an "A" at the beginning of the course and tells them to enjoy and learn the material. Jesus has defeated sin on the cross once and for all and all who believe and trust in His work, can find rest and rejuvenation in Him to beat the sin already defeated, and to take possession of the land already given to them.

Monday, February 21, 2011

History of The Modern Gospel 2 - Toxic Intelligence



Wow! This was all I could say after seeing this video. May we never choose knowledge over Jesus. Rather, may our knowledge come from Jesus and point directly back to Jesus in worship. Enjoy the video!

Friday, February 11, 2011

History of The Modern Gospel - Intro

This will be a 5 part series that was recommended to me by a dear brother on "The History of the Modern Gospel". Firstly, Ill say just as the man in the video that for a long time, what I believed about the gospel was a deception. Why do I know this? Because I can remember the period of time in my life when I had heard they gospel, yet I didn't treasure it. It was basic to me, it was "easy" and simple. I didn't really value or treasure the worth of the gospel for many reasons. One main reason I can think of is because I hadn't truly seen the reality of what the scriptures said about me as a sinner. Also, I found myself like the Galatians, following after every other gospel it seemed and forgetting about the gospel that comes by grace through faith. So, here goes the first video.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Eric Mason on Counterfeit Repentance

Counterfeit Repentance from Epiphany Fellowship on Vimeo.



This is a great sermon by Eric Mason on Counterfeit Repentance. May God help us to change our minds concerning sin and not just change our sins.

Friday, January 28, 2011

5 Reasons to Urge ALL to Repent and Believe - Ken Askew

Five reasons why we must urge all men to repent and believe the gospel:

1. Because all men are ignorant (Acts 17:30). People craft a god of their own imagination when they remain in ignorance. “What qualifies a man to hear the gospel? Is he breathing? (laughter)”

2. Because God himself commands all men everywhere to repent. This is what the Spirit of God does through his preacher; “repent and believe the gospel.” God’s commands are not meant to be considered. God’s commandments are meant to be obeyed. It is the sinner’s responsibility to repent, repent, repent! It is appropriate to command people to repent.

3. Because all men will one day face the judgment of God (Acts 17:31). The standard of God’s judgment will be the righteousness of Christ. Yet we have all fallen short of that perfection. No man can attain the standard on his own. Assurances of these truths are contained in Christ’s resurrection (Acts 17:32). This nation needs faithful preachers to stand up and proclaim these truths.

4. Because, thanks be to God, some will repent and believe (Acts 17:32-34). To see someone cling to Jesus, to come to saving faith, makes the trials of ministry worthwhile. “God’s sovereign plan is to save some by preaching the gospel to all.”

5. Because this is our calling. God calls us to proclaim the gospel to all people. This is our life, our calling, our sacred duty. This ought to be our passion, to urge all men to repent and believe the gospel.

Conclusion: Congregational call to all to repent, and believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Truth Matters articles are available online at www.truthmatters.us. Comments may be sent to kenaskew@me.com.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

What Billy Graham Would Do Differently - John Piper

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Billy Graham was just interviewed. Here is what he said to the question,

If you could, would you go back and do anything differently?

Yes, of course. I'd spend more time at home with my family, and I'd study more and preach less. I wouldn't have taken so many speaking engagements, including some of the things I did over the years that I probably didn't really need to do—weddings and funerals and building dedications, things like that. Whenever I counsel someone who feels called to be an evangelist, I always urge them to guard their time and not feel like they have to do everything.

I also would have steered clear of politics. I'm grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; people in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn't do that now.

It seems to me these are wise words for pastors. “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” (2 Timothy 2:4). And there are even “military” acts one can do too many of. Focus on the main things and work with all your might.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Qualified While Unqualified

Here is the audio for the sermon I preached this past Sunday, January 16, 2011, entitled "Qualified While Unqualified". The text for this sermon comes from Colossians 1:12-14, and the purpose of this sermon is to focus our hearts on giving thanks to God for qualifying us for an eternal inheritance, even while we were unqualified and even disqualified from it of ourselves. God qualifies us for this eternal inheritance by delivering us from the power of darkness and transferring us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. The basis for this qualification, deliverance and transference, is Jesus Christ and Him alone. By His perfect life and substitutionary death on the cross, absorbing the wrath of God for our sins, God is able to declare us righteous in His sight and is able to adopt us as sons. We must be careful to not think that our works or anything that we can do will qualify us. These acts are by grace alone, and they are received by the empty hands of faith alone.










Friday, January 14, 2011

How The Gospel Can Transform Marriages - Between Two Worlds

This is an article I came across on Justin Taylor's blog, "Between Two Worlds". Very encouraging and insightful to read.

How the Gospel Can Transform a Marriage

Gary and Betsy Ricuchi, Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace (Crossway, 2006), pp. 22-23:

  • Because of the gospel, Christians have become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Therefore, in our marriage, our past does not define us, confine us, or determine our future.
  • Because of the gospel, we are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7). Therefore we can live free of all guilt and condemnation for every sin, and we can trust that God, in his mercy, will be gracious to us.
  • Because of the gospel, we can forgive, just as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). Nothing done against us compares to our sin against God. Therefore all offenses, hostility, and bitterness between Christians can be completely forgiven and removed.
  • Because of the gospel, we are accepted by God (Romans 15:7). Therefore we are not dependent on a spouse for who we are or what we need.
  • Because of the gospel, sin’s ruling power over us is broken (Romans 6:6, 14). Therefore we can truly obey all that God calls us to do in our marriage, regardless of any circumstance or situation.
  • Because of the gospel, we have access to God through Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16). Therefore we can at any time take any need in our marriage to the One who can do all things.
  • Because of the gospel, we have hope (Romans 5:1-4). Therefore we can endure any marital difficulty, hardship, or suffering, with the assurance that God is working all to our greatest good (Romans 8:28).
  • Because of the gospel, Christ dwells in us by his Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:13-14). Therefore we are confident that God is always with us and is always at work in our marriage, even when progress is imperceptible (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
  • Because of the gospel, we have power to fight and overcome remaining sin, which continues to dwell and war within us (Romans 7:19-21, 24-25; Galatians 5:16-17). This indwelling enemy represents the essence of what is called the doctrine of sin.

These are just a few of the ways the gospel can transform a marriage. Sometimes it’s not easy to live in the reality of these truths. But it is always possible—and not because of our strength or determination, but because of God’s empowering and enabling grace.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

I'm starting my Bible in a Year program and I pray by God's grace that I finish. Question: What presuppositions and/or assumptions must one have about God and the Bible before reading it to get to understand the TRUE GOD!

I’m actually beginning my Bible Reading in a Year plan too, and so far it’s going well. I think that an important assumption to make or a few important assumptions to make are 1) Remember that God is completely Sovereign and that all things in His Word are for His Glory. Colossians 1:15-18 states “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” If we approach scripture with this perspective in mind, then we will see that all things from genealologies, to sinful trees to parting seas and resurrected believers were created for His glory. Everything that God does in creation and redemption all throughout scripture in the most glorious miracles to sovereignly working mankind’s heinous sins for good, is for His glory. Demons don’t disrupt His plans and sinful man cannot thwart His purposes. The true God of the Bible always accomplishes what He intends. 2) Identify His attributes and stare them squarely in the face when you encounter them in scripture. Upon seeing His holiness, justice, mercy, goodness, and love, let these attributes grip you and cause you to bow down before Him as Moses did before the burning bush. Let scripture interpret scripture and let God be God. 3) Don’t rule out incomprehensibility. When it comes to the trinity, Divine Sovereignty and human responsibility, things such as election, predestination, examples of the wrath of God, be comfortable in knowing that a loving and holy God is behind these wonderful things that sometimes our human minds cannot fully comprehend.

Ask me anything

Thursday, January 6, 2011

What's one of the most influential books in your life?

The knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer is one of the books that caused me to radically change my view about who God is. Highly Recommended

Ask me anything