oasisCHURCH

God's Providence (Part 2)

In an email to a friend yesterday I had the privilege of sharing some insight that I have gained from reading Dr. John Piper's newest book, What Jesus Demands from the World. The chapters are actually a list of 50 different demands Jesus spoke, found in an exploration of the four Gospels. In doing so, Dr. Piper assumes first that the Gospels are true and they are unified. It also assumes that Jesus is not just someone who sets an example for us or does something for us, but he is God and has authority to make demands of us.

In this post I will be taking some words from one of the chapters, Demand #18: "Do not be angry—trust God’s Providence." It is based on Matthew 5:21-22 and Matthew 10:28-31. Because his outlook in that chapter was so encouraging to me as I read, I would like to share some of it here in light of yesterday's post on God's Providence and also in light of anything you may be going through at the moment which causes you to be angry, frustrated, confused, anxious, or concerned. When we say the words, "God is in control," do we really believe what we are saying? Or perhaps we believe it but only to a certain extent. The question I want you to ponder is: How much control does He really have over His creation and over the circumstances His creation encounters?

Below is a portion of the email, with the quotes from Dr. Piper's book.

One of the greatest truths that Jesus taught to help us be free from sinful anger is the truth of God’s all-encompassing providence—His wise and sovereign control over all things for the good of His children. The rise and strength of our anger should be governed by our trust in God’s providence—that He is ruling over the evil that makes us angry and will not let anything occur with us that is not ultimately good for us (even though it often does not seem as such).

The rage that could rise in our hearts when we are treated unjustly and when we watch loved ones treated cruelly is natural and strong. Interestingly, Piper points out, that when dealing with these kinds of threats, Jesus spoke directly to our fear, not our anger. But the implications for anger are plain. He said in Matthew 10:28-31, And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

The point here is, first, the smallest details of life on earth are governed by God—not a bird falls to the ground apart from Him. And the second point is that God is near, and His acquaintance with our situation is total—even the hairs on your head are all numbered. The conclusion is: Nothing will come to pass apart from His wise and loving providence over your circumstances. Don’t fear. And don’t be angry in a way that contradicts your confidence in God’s care over your life. God’s providence should change the way we experience circumstances that would otherwise be totally infuriating.

We have the assurance that God’s providence will govern all the evil that comes against us so that His good purposes are fulfilled. Yes, evil is being done. But it does not have the last say, and in the end even serves God’s hidden designs.

Rejoicing In Persecution

One of the clearest illustrations of how God's Providence overcomes the controlling effect of anger is Jesus' command that we rejoice when we are persecuted unjustly. He says, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12). Few things would ordinarily make us angrier than unjust treatment. Not only are we being hurt by this reviling and persecution, but Jesus emphasizes that it is "evil" and it is "false." These are the factors that tend to infuriate us.

But Jesus transforms that ordinary, understandable emotional experience of anger. Although he recognizes that the normal response of any human being would naturally be anger; meaning that we all have the "right" to be angry about this, Jesus demonstrates what happens with our "rights" when he is Lord of our life (my added thought). Instead of saying, "Be legitimately angry" or "Try to control your anger," he says the most incredible thing imaginable: "Rejoice and be glad."

Rejoicing does not mean that we approve of the treatment. It does not mean that we stop thinking it is unjust. It probably does not mean there is no anger whatsoever. Some kind of holy anger--strong emotional disapproval--may be emotionally compatible with joy. The human soul in the image of God is that complex. And we know, from all that Jesus taught us about God, that God experiences anger and joy simultaneously because he sees and responds perfectly to all evil and all good at the same time.

Our joy in the presence of persecution is possible because of God's Providence. Not a hair of your head will perish (when they kill you). Not a bird (or a hateful blow to your head; or a hateful word of slander to your name) falls without the will of the Father. Providence governs your suffering. And in the end, "Your reward is great in heaven." That is Jesus' argument why joy and not anger can dominate our experience of persecution: "Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12).

Last night these things came to mind as I was singing with Brock and Kaylee before their bedtime. The song we were singing was "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman. Whenever we sing songs together I usually like to take time to explain the words to them, where it is found in the Bible, and why we sing them (side note: this practice has certainly helped me to discover songs that are more biblically grounded and speak truth as well as move our spirits to worship).

Anyway, when we were singing the line, "You give and take away, you give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name," we stopped and talked about what that means. I explained to my kids that Matt Redman borrowed that line from the book of Job in the Bible. I told them the story of Job, how he was wealthy and felt very blessed by God. But God allowed Job to be used, perhaps as a reminder to Satan for how strong the relationship of faith in God is and how man's loyalty to God does not reside in the number of earthly blessings we are given. I told them about how in an instant all of Job's earthly blessings began to be removed from him one by one.

His sons and daughters, and property, and animals, and servants, and nearly everything he cared about on earth was taken away in the most amazingly treacherous set of circumstances one could ever imagine. And Job's response was why we sing the song. He cried out, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). And the author of the book then gives us this incredible reminder. I wonder if we truly understand the significance of this added line at the end of chapter one? He says, "In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong."

He did not charge God with wrong? But he recognized that God was still in control of the situation. That God can give (which we usually always attribute as a blessing to us), and that God can take away (which we usually always attribute as evil toward us). And we can recognize that both of those things come from God without being in danger of accusing God of wrongdoing.

How can that be? It must be because when we are seeing things as "wrong" and "terrible", God is using those very things for good, and He is accomplishing His good purpose in us, even when our circumstances are awful.

When Job became physically sick, with sores all over his body, he responded by saying, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" Then the author of the book again tells us that in saying this "Job did not sin or curse God with his lips."

So I reminded my kids that even in their most awful times of trial and pain, God is still involved and he is working in it for good. Do we always know how exactly that is happening? Nope. Can we always see clearly what He is doing in our times of pain? Nope. Job couldn't see it either. He did not know what was going on behind the scenes. He did not know that countless millions would still be reading and being edified by his story to this day.

The bottom line is this. I believe in God's Providence. My trust is not in a God who has no control over his creation. Nor is it in a God who may have control over his creation, but chooses not to exercise it because he would rather we do everything down here on our own. My trust is in a God who can and does have control over the most minuscule details as well as the most significant ones. And because of that I sleep well.

Hebrews 1:3

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,"

The most recent new worship song that has been introduced to our fellowship has been "Hebrews 1:3", a song written by Chad Dodson. I know Chad would never write a post like this himself, so I decided to write it. I also know that I can write this post, which praises Chad for giving us this amazing song, and have no fear that it will go to his head or that the glory will be misplaced. We know that Chad's heart is to glorify God in his song-writing and worship leading, and there is no question about that whatsoever.

Hebrews 1:3 is an amazing verse because it proclaims an essential truth about Jesus Christ, and it reminds us of why he is the center of our affections and our worship. It says that when you see Jesus, you see God. He is the exact imprint of His nature. If you take out a quarter from your pocket, how do you know it is a quarter? Because it is the exact imprint of other quarters you have seen and held in your pocket. The Hebrew writer tells it's readers that what they saw in the human being named Jesus was actually the radiance of the glory of God, an exact imprint of His nature. Want to know what God says? Listen to Jesus. Want to know what God does? Watch Jesus. They are one and the same.

Most analogies for this (such as my quarter analogy above) are quite imperfect and can even distort the real truth of the radiance of His glory if pressed too far. But let's try this one: Jesus relates to God the way the rays of sunlight relate to the sun. There is no time that the sun exists without the beams of radiance. They cannot be separated. If you put a solar-activated calculator in the sunlight, numbers appear on the face of the calculator. These are energized by the sun's radiance, but they are not what the sun is. The rays of the sun however are an extension of the sun. We see the sun by means of seeing the rays of the sun. So too we see God the Father by seeing Jesus for they are one God.

So how important is Jesus? Hebrews 1:3 answers that for us.

I know Chad does not have the song "Hebrews 1:3" recorded for us to post here yet, but I am beginning a campaign for that to be his next recording project. I have been singing this song for 8 days now (ever since the first time I heard it), and I can't wait to have a copy of it in my iPod.

In the meantime, here are the lyrics:

A dying son birthing righteousness
For the Father, for His Father’s renown
All have fallen low
All have failed to see
But mercy through grace
From the Father, to honor Him as He

Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God
All the universe stands by the power of His word
When He died He brought all I could not see
Without Him

For all You are
All in joy should raise all the praise that you deserve
For Your splendor, Your immaculate renown
Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God
All the universe stands by the power of His word
When He died He brought all I could not see Without Him

All hearts open here
See the grandeur, greatness, vastness of the King
You’re astounding; breathtaking
You’re astonishing; awe-inspiring
That’s You, I love you Lord, that’s You
That’s You, I love you Lord, that's You

I love singing this song. It's melody is so inviting. There are certain songs that when they get into your head you just cannot stop singing them ("You Make Everything Glorious" by David Crowder is one of them). Hebrews 1:3 is one of them. I don't want to stop singing it. Right now my top two favorite songs to sing in worship to God are both written by our own worship leader: "Sovereign God" and "Hebrews 1:3".

So let all boasting be in the Lord. Because He is the one who puts the new song in our hearts. He is to be credited for the lyric, the melody, and most importantly, the purpose and reason behind why we sing them. And thanks to those whom He calls to be faithful messengers so we can share in what He has given us.

Thank you, Jehovah God, for giving us Hebrews 1:3.

Thank you, Chad, for giving us Hebrews 1:3 to sing back to Him as praise and acknowledgement of our thankfulness and awe for what He has done.

Theology of Christmas Music, Part 2

The song that prompted me to make this post a couple of weeks ago was "O Little Town of Bethlehem." I was driving to Parkersburg to pick up some gifts and had some Christmas music on the iPod to set the mood. When this song came on I listened to the lyrics, perhaps more intently than I ever have before. They struck me. So I did some background study on the song. (Again I must credit LeaderU.com.)

"O Little Town of Bethlehem" was written in 1867 by Phillips Brooks, an Episcopal pastor from Philadelphia. He had been in Israel two years earlier and had celebrated Christmas in Bethlehem. This song describes the city not so much as it was when Brooks observed it, but as he thought it might have appeared on the night of Jesus' birth.

Most people recognize the first verse well:

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

The streets of our own cities are quiet on Christmas day; stores are closed and most people are at home. It is possible that Bethlehem was quiet on the night that Jesus was born, but we know that the place was full of people from out-of-town, and chances are that there were even more people on the streets than usual. But this song does not say as much about the level of activity in Bethlehem as it does about the fact that very few people even noticed the Baby who was born. One line from the second verse reads, "While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love"-- a situation that is true even today. The world goes on about its business, working, eating, sleeping, and playing, utterly oblivious to the spiritual realities around it. As Brooks wrote in the third verse of the song:

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

When Christ came into this world, He came quietly. The angelic announcement to the shepherds was the only publicity that accompanied Him. He was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough; He did not arrive with the pomp that one would expect of a King. For the most part, He still does not. When people today place their faith in Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that He comes to live inside them through the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:16-23; Rom. 8:9-11). There is not a lot of flash associated with an entrance like that, and some of your friends might not even notice the difference at first, but when you trust in Jesus Christ an incredibly significant event takes place. Your sins are forgiven and you are made a new person (John 5:24; 2 Cor. 5:17).

I love the lines, "God imparts to human hearts," and "no ear may hear his coming." How true this was then and how true it remains today. The human heart is deaf to Christ and will never turn to Him. It is God who imparts His will to save and extends the gift of grace. When we see and hear, it is evidence of this impartation of His gift of grace to us.

Jesus' coming means that Christmas does not have to be the lonely time that it is for so many people. We can experience His salvation and enjoy His presence as individuals, even though the world around us does not understand what is really going on. As the last verse of the song reads:

O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us we pray,
Cast out our sin, and enter in; be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel.

Oasis 101 Session Four Now Online

Just wanted to let you know that you can now download the audio and the notes for Session Four: "Creation & Sin" of The Gospel & Oasis 101 class on the Oasis Media Page. The session was recorded this evening (Wednesday, December 20) at Jim & Julie Durst's house.

The last three sessions at Jim and Julie's will also be recorded and offered online. Please contact me (Chris) if you have been going through the material online and would like to covenant with Oasis once all the sessions have been completed.

Remembering God's Name

Last night at Jim & Julie’s house I led the 3rd session of The Gospel & Oasis 101, which is centered on a discussion of God. We talked about His existence, His nature, His characteristics, His names, etc. One thing that has struck me as I have prepared this material is how reverent and hallowed the name of God is in Scripture. It is something that has certainly been lost in our day. We often toss God’s name around too casually, and sometimes even use it to express frustration, surprise, discouragement, or anger. How often we hear words like, “Oh my God!” and the speaker is not crying out in prayer. This is a blatant sin against one of the first commandments the Lord gave to Moses, “Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” What is He saying? He is saying be VERY careful with my name. Do not throw it around casually. Respect the name of God as higher than any name that is uttered from your lips. To use God’s name to express anything besides His glory is to use His name in vain.

So, the bottom line is, like the authors of the Scripture, we should remember God’s name. One of the best ways to do this is through prayer. Through constant, consistent prayer and reading of Scripture we see how important the name of God is. The psalmist tells us that he remembers God’s name at night. Set, consistent times of prayer, is a common idea in the Bible.

• Psalm 55:18 — in the evening, in the morning, and at noonday, I will complain and lament.
• Psalm 119:164 — seven times a day.
• Acts 3:1

Prayer in the world of ancient Israel involved setting set times for set prayers—that’s why we have the Psalms. They would say their prayers, and then let whatever kind of prayer they were praying structure their day. In Psalm 119:55, the psalmist announces that in his night prayers he remembers the name of God.

Remembering God’s name—as God remembers his promise (119:49)—involves calling upon the God who reveals his name (YHWH), who promises to be for them all that Israel needs (Ex. 3:14), and who has entered into covenant relationship with Israel (Gen 12; 15; Exodus 19-24; 2 Sam 7).

For the psalmist to “remember God’s name” is to be constantly reminded of God’s covenant to deliver them (save them) and to glorify His name through salvation.

You see, God’s name has a purpose. It is a glorifying purpose. The book of Acts, quoting from the prophet Joel, says that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The name of the Lord is directly linked to salvation. It is His name, and His name alone that can save. Therefore it makes perfect sense why He would not want us to use His name in vain. To use His name for any other reason besides how the Bible uses His name is to use His name in vain.

Today, remember the name of the Lord. Create a personal habit, a habit of remembering God’s name and holding it in the highest place of honor and glory in your life.

Reforming Christmas

The other night during our Sunday, pre-bedtime, family devotions we were talking about Christmas, and I shared that I would like to pray that everyone in our church and in our own family would be able to see the only true meaning of Christmas this year, and that it would outweigh everything else we do, see, or even participate in.

I know, I know. Every year we say the same thing. But this year I can see a particular interest in my children to discuss this true meaning. So I described to them how Santa Claus, Rudolph, decorations, giving and receiving presents, etc. are all things that have nothing to do with the actual Christian holiday of Christmas. They are all things that have been added to the holiday—many of which as a means to celebrate the joy and anticipation that the holiday symbolizes, but the negative effect they have had on the holiday is that they have almost completely overshadowed the entire purpose for why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

So I proposed a question to them. I asked, “What if we could have a do-over?” What if we could flip the switch on Christmas as we know it, and introduce a different, and better way to celebrate—one that is full of true joy and gladness, not the silly frivolity and careless gaiety most people settle for. To most people, Christmas is only a “season” of joy, which proves that it is not real joy at all. What do I mean by this? I mean that the supposed “joy” we experience at Christmas comes from things such as: warm memories, tradition, giving and receiving gifts, parties, cookies, decorating homes and trees, singing carols, etc. But what happens to many people when the “season” is over? It is well known that many people experience a depression of sorts after the holidays. In fact, some British scientists even did studies on depression and suicide, and discovered that January may in fact be “the most depressing month of the year.”

Does this happen to you? Is your joy “seasonal”? Is your joy contingent upon external circumstances or events, such as the events surrounding the Christmas holiday? If so, it’s time to look at reforming Christmas.

In John MacArthur’s book The Miracle of Christmas he tells a story of when he was in high school. He and a friend had been invited to a party. When they arrived, it was very dark and slow music was playing. Some couples were dancing, and some were in the corners doing other things, but everyone seemed to be locked in embraces. It wasn’t difficult to see what direction the party was headed. Neither of them really wanted to stay, but they suddenly had a better idea. They didn’t know if it would work, but it was worth a try. His friend looked at him and said, “Let’s change the complexion of this party.”

Next they went to the fuse box and flipped the switch that controlled the stereo. Everyone immediately got upset, but they didn’t exactly know what had happened. Then MacArthur and his friend appeared with an armload of games and led everyone into the living room. Some were so upset that they left, but most stayed. For the rest of the evening all those at the party had a great time playing games, and it turned out to be a great party.

What if we could do the same thing to Christmas? What if we could pull the plug on the world’s party, and introduce an even better way to celebrate? What if we could reform Christmas?

It would have to begin, of course, with realizing the true significance of Jesus’ birth. We would even have to reform all of the man-made, man-centered elements surrounding the nativity story, and ask ourselves, why was he born? If we all could see what Christmas really means, our immediate response would be worship.

Worship is probably the greatest missing element in the monstrosity that Christmas has become. I am not suggesting that there is anything inherently wrong with putting up decorations, giving gifts, spending extra time with our families, having parties and getting together with friends, or many of the other things we do to celebrate the holiday. Those things add to the joy of the season. But they must not—they cannot—provide the joy of the season. Here is where so many fall short. Apart from worship, these things are inadequate responses to the ultimate reality of the Savior’s birth. The first priority in all of our celebrating should be worship, and everything else we do should flow from our hearts of worship.

When this happens, the joy of the Christmas season is everlasting. It does not fade in January. True joy is not seasonal. Happiness, fun, and gaiety are seasonal, temporary emotions. But we are never commanded to seek those. We are commanded, however, to seek JOY in worshiping Jesus Christ as God.

If reforming Christmas means starting all over, then the obvious place to start is worship. But in saying that Christmas should be a time of worship, I am not suggesting that we eliminate everything except worship gatherings from our Christmas traditions and celebrations. I am just saying, let’s start over. And let’s let our worship dominate how we celebrate this holiday.

Let’s worship like the shepherds did in the nativity story. They dropped everything they were doing to attend His birth. There is a sense of urgency and determination in the way they came to Him. Furthermore, they shared the news with everyone around.

We can also worship like the wise men from the east did. They fell down and worshiped Him; and brought gifts and treasures to Him. We sort of do this. We give gifts to others at Christmas. Have you ever thought of giving Christ a gift at Christmas? How might this be done?

Another character in the nativity story, Mary, worshiped with quiet reflection. In the busyness and chaos of the holiday season, do you take time to meditate on Christ? Do you spend a few extra moments with your Bible open, allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to pour into your mind and heart as you soak in His Word?

The bottom line is that Christmas, like no other season in the calendar year, ought to overwhelm our hearts with gratitude and adoration. If that is not happening, then you are missing the whole point of Christmas. And truth be told, you should stop celebrating it altogether, flip the switch. Do something different, something that would bring out the worshiper in you; because that is exactly why you were created—to worship. And that is why Jesus came to earth and was born as a human baby boy—to reconcile us to God as the kind of worshipers He created us to be.

Without Jesus, we are worshiping something else. That is why Christmas has the potential to be nothing but massive idol-worship. Because if Jesus Christ—his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, and his great commission for all to believe, be baptized, and taught to obey him—is not the central focus of everything that involves Christmas, then what are we worshiping? What are we celebrating? The definition of idol worship is anything in our lives that takes the place of the glory of God. The essence of evil and sin is to not attribute the worth, honor, and glory that God deserves to Him—essentially, robbing Him of His rightful glory. So we must ask ourselves of our Christmas celebrations, is there anything that takes the place of the glory of God? Do we bring Him gifts? Or do we rob Him?

This is a gut-check for all of us. Myself included. In our home we are praying about and discussing ways we can change the complexion of this holiday for our family. Why don’t we use the comment section to brainstorm ways we can all do this. What is your family doing?

The Theology of Christmas Music

With so much Christmas music being played everywhere we go these days, I wonder how often we actually pause to reflect on what the songs are actually saying. Christmas carols are some of the most familiar songs in the world. Some of them are good and speak the truth about God, while others may not be so accurate. In the weeks leading up to Christmas I will be posting some of the history behind the lyrics of a few of the most popular Christmas songs we sing in church.

The following article (and each related article that will follow this one in the coming weeks) is actually a portion of an article provided by Probe Ministries. I have taken the article segments from a posting at the Leadership U website.

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Most radio stations play some type of Christmas music during the holiday season, but many of the songs have become so familiar to us that we no longer consider their content. In between the secular songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Up on a Housetop," you may hear the strains of an old hymn by Charles Wesley called "Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus." It was written in 1744, and it reads,

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine own sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne.

"Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" is a little heavier than most of the music we are used to hearing today, and if we are not careful we will miss much of the meaning. The first verse focuses on the fact that the coming of Jesus Christ fulfilled Israel's longing for the Messiah. As the one whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament, He is the "long-expected Jesus."

A few of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled are Isaiah 7:14, which spoke of a virgin giving birth to a child whose name would mean "God with us;" Isaiah 9:6, which told of a child whose name would be called "Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, eternal Father, the Prince of Peace;" and Micah 5:2, which said that from Bethlehem would come a ruler whose "goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."

These and many similar prophecies looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, and many devout Jews prayed earnestly for the day when He would arrive. Luke 2 tells of Simeon, a man of faith who was "looking for the consolation of Israel" (v. 25). When he saw Jesus as an infant, Simeon knew that this Child was the fulfillment of his messianic hope. Charles Wesley was borrowing from this passage when he described Jesus in this song as "Israel's strength and consolation."

Although He fulfilled Israel's prophecies, Jesus came to bring salvation to the entire world, which is what Wesley was referring to when he described Christ as the "hope of all the earth" and the "dear desire of every nation." More than that, He is the "joy of every longing heart." He alone is the one who can satisfy every soul.

The second verse tells us why Jesus can meet our expectations: He was "born a child and yet a King." As the One who is both God and man, Jesus was able to satisfy God's wrath completely by dying on the cross for our sins. When Wesley wrote about Jesus' "all sufficient merit," he was referring to Christ's ability to bring us to salvation.

"Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" is a great song for Christmas, focusing on the "long-expected Jesus" who was born to set us free from sin and to bring us salvation by His death.

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

Charles Wesley's best-known song is probably "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing." It has been altered slightly by editors, but most of it remains just as Wesley intended when he wrote it over 250 years ago.

As we generally hear it today, the song begins with a triumphant proclamation of Jesus' birth, describes the fact that He is both God and man, and then praises Him for the salvation He was born to provide.

The first verse reads, in part,

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled."

Talking about peace on earth is popular at Christmas time, and appropriately so, for Jesus did come to bring peace. Primarily, however, He came to bring us peace with God, which is what Wesley meant when he wrote, "God and sinners reconciled." We have all sinned against God; we have broken His commandments and thus made ourselves His enemies. When people become enemies, they cannot go back to being friends until their differences are set aside. Sometimes reconciliation involves the payment of reparations, and which is essentially what Jesus did when He died on the cross. He paid the price necessary to reconcile us to God. The price was really ours to pay, not God's, but Jesus was able to pay it because, though He was God, He became also a man, being born as a baby on that first Christmas day.

Charles Wesley described Jesus' birth in the second verse of this song. He wrote,

Christ by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.

Though He was the everlasting Lord, the second person of the Trinity (which is described in the song as "the Godhead"), fully equal in nature with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus became the "offspring of the Virgin's womb." He was "veiled in flesh," the "incarnate Deity." He was God, having become also a man. The name Emmanuel means "God with us," which is what Wesley was referring to when he wrote that Jesus was "pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel." He became a man, but in the process did not lose His deity. He was "God with us."

The idea that Jesus would lay aside His divine privileges for any reason is nothing short of incredible, but He did so in order to provide us with salvation. Wesley focused on this amazing occurrence in the third verse, where he wrote,

Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.

Jesus laid aside His own rights, coming to this earth and dying for our sins, that those who trust in Him might have eternal life. He was born that we might be born again, and that is good reason to sing "glory to the newborn King."

A Re-Visit

I know it's been a few weeks since our in-depth study of God's election of those who will be saved by faith, but if you are still thinking through the questions of it (which I hope you continue to do for the rest of your life), then I thought this quote would provide a really concise and clear definition of unconditional election in one paragraph.

"If all of us are so depraved that we cannot come to God without being born again by the irresistible grace of God, then it is clear that the salvation of any of us is owing to God's election. Election refers to God's choosing whom to save. It is unconditional in that there is no condition man must meet before God chooses to save him. Man is dead in trespasses and sins. So there is no condition he can meet before God chooses to save him from his deadness. We are not saying that final salvation is unconditional. It is not. We must meet the condition of faith in Christ in order to inherit eternal life. But faith is not a condition for election. Just the reverse. Election is a condition for faith. It is because God chose us before the foundation of the world that he purchases our redemption at the cross and quickens us with irresistible grace and brings us to faith." - Dr. John Piper

What does Oasis believe about Baptism?

Many of us in southeastern Ohio have come from one Christian tradition or another, which means we have been taught something regarding baptism and its role in salvation. Baptism is a topic that raises many questions. Therefore it is important for us to take some time to answer those questions by looking at how God’s Word deals with the issue of baptism.

Before beginning a discussion on baptism we must recognize that there has been historically, and is today, a strong difference of viewpoint among evangelical Christians regarding this subject. The position advocated by Oasis is that baptism is not a doctrine that should be the basis of division among Christians, but it is nonetheless a matter of importance for ordinary church life, and it is appropriate that we give it full consideration.

The position I will speak from in this message is a position that I believe to be consistent with the whole of the teaching of Scripture—namely, that baptism is appropriately administered only to those who give a believable profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

The Mode and Meaning of Baptism

The practice of baptism in the New Testament was carried out in one way: the person being baptized was immersed or put completely under the water and then brought back up again. Baptism by immersion is therefore the “mode” of baptism or the way in which baptism was carried out in the New Testament. This is evident for the following reasons:

(1) The Greek word baptizo means “to plunge, dip, immerse” something in water. This is the commonly recognized and standard meaning of the term in ancient Greek literature both inside and outside of the Bible, and this is the word that is always used in the New Testament writings when discussing baptism.

(2) When you consider the meaning of “immerse” it is the most appropriate word for the context of how several New Testament narratives regarding baptism are worded. For instance, in Mark 1:5, people were baptized by John “in the river Jordan” (notice it uses the word “in” and not “beside” or “by” or “near” the river). Mark also tells us that when Jesus had been baptized “he came up out of the water” (Mark 1:10). The text specifies that he came “out of” the water. The fact that John and Jesus went into the river and came up out of it strongly suggests immersion, since sprinkling or pouring of water could much more readily have been done standing beside the river, particularly because multitudes of people were coming for baptism. John’s gospel tells us, further, that John the Baptist “was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there” (John 3:23). Again, it would not take “much water” to baptize people by sprinkling, but it would take much water to baptize by immersion.

Additionally, when Philip had shared the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36 it says, “as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?’” Apparently neither of them thought that sprinkling or pouring a handful of water from the container of drinking water that would have been carried in the chariot was enough to constitute baptism. Rather, they waited until there was a body of water near the road. Then “he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:38–39). As in the case of Jesus, this baptism occurred when Philip and the eunuch went down into a body of water, and after the baptism they came up out of that body of water. Once again baptism by immersion is the only satisfactory explanation of this narrative.

(3) The symbolism of union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection seems to require baptism by immersion. Paul says,

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3–4)

Similarly, Paul tells the Colossians, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Col. 2:12).

This truth is clearly symbolized in baptism by immersion. When a person goes down into the water it is a picture of going down into the grave and being buried. Coming up out of the water is then a picture of being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life. Thus, baptism very clearly pictures death to your old way of life and rising to a new kind of life in Christ.

The Subjects of Baptism

The pattern revealed throughout the New Testament is that only those who give a believable profession of faith should be baptized. This view is often called “believers’ baptism,” since it holds that only those who have themselves believed in Christ (or, more precisely, those who have given reasonable evidence of believing in Christ) should be baptized. This is because baptism, which is a symbol of beginning the Christian life, should only be given to those who have in fact begun the Christian life.

We see evidence for this in the New Testament when after Peter’s sermon at Pentecost we read, “Those who received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). The text specifies that baptism was administered to those who “received his word” and therefore trusted in Christ for salvation. Similarly, when Philip preached the gospel in Samaria, we read, “When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women” (Acts 8:12). Likewise, when Peter preached to the Gentiles in Cornelius’ household, he allowed baptism for those who had heard the Word and received the Holy Spirit—that is, for those who had given persuasive evidence of an internal work of regeneration. While Peter was preaching, “the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word” and Peter and his companions “heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God” (Acts 10:44–46). Peter’s response was that baptism is appropriate for those who have received the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit: “Can any one forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” Then Peter “commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:47–48). The point of these three passages is that baptism is appropriately given to those who have received the gospel and trusted in Christ for salvation.

In addition to these indications from New Testament narratives that baptism always followed immediately upon saving faith, there is a second consideration that argues for believers’ baptism: the outward symbol of beginning the Christian life should only be given to those who show evidence of having begun the Christian life. The New Testament authors wrote as though they clearly assumed that everyone who was baptized had also personally trusted in Christ and experienced salvation. For example, Paul says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). Paul here assumes that baptism is the outward sign of inward regeneration.

Is infant baptism Biblical?

If baptism is a personal response, and outward sign of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit to bring a sinner which brings a sinner to repentance, then it is difficult to believe that this would have been true of infants. Paul could not have said, “As many infants as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” for infants have not yet come to saving faith or given any evidence of regeneration.

Paul speaks the same way in Romans 6:3–4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death.” Could Paul have said this of infants? Could he have said that “all infants who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” and “were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead”? But if Paul could not have said those things about infants, then those who advocate infant baptism must say that baptism means something different for infants than what Paul says it means for “all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus.”

A similar argument can be made from Colossians 2:12: “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” But it could not be said of infants that they were buried with Christ, or were raised with him through faith, since they were not yet old enough to exercise faith for themselves.

The Effect of Baptism

Since Jesus commanded his church to baptize (Matt. 28:19), we would expect that there would be a measure of blessing connected with baptism, because all obedience to God by Christians brings God’s favor with it. This obedience is specifically a public act of confessing Jesus as Savior, an act which in itself brings joy and blessing to a believer. Additionally, it is a sign of the believer’s death and resurrection with Christ, and it seems fitting that the Holy Spirit would work through such a sign to increase our faith, to increase our awareness of death to the power and love of sin in our lives, and to increase our experience of the power of new resurrection life in Christ that we have as believers. Since baptism is a physical symbol of the death and resurrection of Christ and our participation in them, it should also give additional assurance of union with Christ to all other believers who are present.

Since water baptism is an outward symbol of inward spiritual baptism by the Holy Spirit, we may expect that the Holy Spirit will ordinarily work alongside the baptism, giving to believers an increasing realization of the benefits of the spiritual baptism to which it points.

We have used language that suggests baptism symbolizes regeneration or spiritual rebirth. But does it only symbolize? Or is there some way in which it is also a “means of grace,” that is, a means that the Holy Spirit uses to bring blessing to people? Is there something in baptism itself that can cause us to say, “A person is not saved until they have been baptized?”

When baptism very closely accompanies someone’s initial profession of faith and is in fact the outward form that profession of faith takes, there is certainly a connection between baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter said this on the day of Pentecost, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Moreover, Paul says, “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Col. 2:12). The statement that it is “through faith in the working of God” that this happens reminds us that there is no magical property in the act of baptism itself, which causes a spiritual result to come about, yet the verse also indicates that when faith accompanies baptism there is genuine spiritual work in the life of the person being baptized.

The Necessity of Baptism

Is baptism necessary for salvation? The answer is both “yes” and “no”. Huh? While we recognize that Jesus commanded baptism (Matt. 28:19), as did the apostles (Acts 2:38), we must be careful not to say that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation. Why not? Because baptism is an act of your will; you do it. And the Bible is abundantly clear and consistent that salvation is by grace through faith alone, not by works so that anyone can boast (Eph. 2:8-9). To demand that baptism or any other action is necessary for salvation is to say that we are not justified by faith alone, but by faith plus a certain act or work, namely the act of baptism.

Another reason why we mustn’t argue that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation is that our justification from sins takes place at the point of saving faith, not at the point of water baptism, which usually occurs after a person has faith. Seldom do we ever see a person desiring to be baptized for no reason at all. Baptism is an appropriate response to saving faith.

So, though baptism is not absolutely necessary for justification to take place in a person’s heart, it is necessary if we are to be obedient to Christ, for he commanded baptism for all who believe in him. This describes why we answered both “yes” and “no” to this question. It is the same reason we would answer yes to the question, “Is it necessary to love others in order to be saved?” or “Is it necessary to forgive others in order to be saved?” or “Is it necessary to pray in order to be saved?” or “Is it necessary to read or listen to God’s Word in order to be saved?” The fact of the matter is that all true believers will be baptized. It is as much a part of being saved as any of the things mentioned above.

Two Remaining Questions Regarding Baptism

1.  Should churches be divided over baptism?

In spite of many years of division over this question among—not only the Romans Catholics and Protestants, but among Protestant churches themselves—is there a way in which Christians who differ on baptism can demonstrate greater unity of fellowship? And is there a way that progress can be made in bringing the church closer to unity on this question?

One way to move forward could be for those who have differing views on baptism to concede that the act of baptism in and of itself is not a major doctrine of the faith, and that they are willing to live with other views on this matter and not allow differences over baptism to be a cause for division within the greater body of Christ.

In the church (particularly Oasis) we have an “open hand” and a “closed hand” when it comes to theological issues. In the closed hand are beliefs and teachings that such as: the Trinity, the inerrancy of God’s Word, man’s sin and depravity, Jesus is the only way to salvation. In the closed hand are the issues we will not bend on. We will go to war for these things. But in the other hand, the open hand, are issues that we hold a strong conviction about, but we allow for differences of interpretation. These are issues such as: worship style, frequency of taking communion, charismatic or non-charismatic, eschatology (views of the end times). Likewise, in this open hand is where baptism would be held. Yes, we have a strong conviction regarding baptism, which you have seen from this teaching. But we respect the liberty of others to hold onto different convictions than us, and we still regard them as brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus.

2.  Who can baptize?

Some wonder about the qualifications for performing a baptism ceremony. Does it need to be an ordained pastor? Can a woman do it? Can a teenager do it?

As with anything we try to answer, we should look first to God’s Word. In doing so we will see that Scripture simply does not specify any restrictions on who can perform the ceremony of baptism. However, another consideration is this: since baptism is the sign of entrance into the body of Christ, the church (1 Cor. 12:13), then it seems appropriate that it be done within the fellowship of the church, and by someone who is in the fellowship of the church.

Questions for Personal Consideration
Have you been baptized? When? If you were baptized as a believer, what was the effect of the baptism on your Christian life (if any)? If you were baptized as an infant, what effect did the knowledge of your baptism have in your own thinking when you eventually learned that you had been baptized as an infant?

If you have not been baptized but would like to be, please contact us at oasis@bethechurch.com.

A Picture of God's Election versus Man's Choice

Several months ago I participated in a continuing email conversation with four other guys who were working through some of the issues brought up by the doctrine of unconditional election and God's sovereignty over man's choice. One of the guys in the group, David, sent this article that he had titled "Twin Peaks?" and I felt it provided a very good picture of the struggle that we saw. He wrote the article while he was asking some of the very same questions some of you have been asking. If God elects people and He sovereignly rules over all things, meaning He has ordained all that comes to pass, then does that mean we do not have legitimate choices? What is free will? And how does it look from God's perspective? From our perspective it obviously looks "free", but what about from God's perspective?

Read the following article written by David McNeil. David is an older brother of a very good friend of mine, Matt McNeil. I found this to be very helpful in my journey to understanding God's sovereignty. Feel free to comment. I am sure it will generate thought.

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TWIN PEAKS?

In reference to the subject of the sovereignty of God and man's “free” will I have heard theologians use the analogy that these two realities are like two parallel rails upon which we ride. And though they seem to never meet, somehow in the distance they do meet, therefore it must be one or the other. For instance, if God elects, then man does not have choice, and if man chooses, then God cannot elect. But is this so? Let’s look at this analogy in a different way. For the sake of this discussion I will describe them as peaks.

God's sovereignty in election versus man's “free” will: It seems to me that these are like two peaks, two big mountains that we see. God's sovereignty is one peak. Man's “free” will is another peak. When I read the Bible it seems apparent to me that both exist.

So what kinds of errors or problems do people have? Some acknowledge the one while denying the other. Denying man's “free” will ends up creating this hard, calloused view where someone can say “I can keep sinning because I am elect” or “I won't preach the gospel to them because they are reprobate”. On the other side, elevating man’s “free” will and denying the sovereignty of God seems to lead to a will-power religion in which people look to their strength to accomplish their salvation. Despite this, many will say that the two peaks are mutually exclusive and if one exists then the other cannot possibly exist. So not only do they only see one, but they assert that it is only possible to see one.

But it is rather obvious to most people that there are two peaks. I choose “peaks” because I don't see the two as “equal” like rails that a train runs on. Rather I see the sovereignty of God as this massive, beautiful, majestic, glorious, Holy mountain. Its heights disappear in the clouds above. Its foundation goes deeper than the foundation of the world. Its breadth is beyond all view. It is beautiful, it is full of light. It is glorious. And above all it is the ultimate reality because it simply “is”. Our Father is the one who “is” and therefore he is the ultimate reality. All things are from Him, and through Him, and to Him.

But what about the other peak—man's “free” will? In my mind it is quite different. It is much smaller. Much smaller. You can see the top. Its base is near. It is not so beautiful. It bears a vague resemblance to the first peak. And that is its source of beauty. But, it is very tarnished. In fact it is worse than tarnished; it is downright ugly in many ways. It is dark, it is evil, and it is dangerous.

Enough with the analogy for the moment. What is the real nature of these two peaks? The sovereignty of God, what does that mean? It means that He is in charge. All things exist to show His glory. Creation was created out of His overflow of goodness, not out of His need, and is created to find joy in Him and to give Him the glory for that joy. This means He is not passive. It is common in the church today to have a sense that “yes God can do miracles, but he's really mostly done with all that.” No, we are not deists, but we often live as though creation is just pretty much ticking away while God sits back and watches. On the contrary, a recognition of the sovereignty of God embraces a much more active and personal God; a God who is actively involved in the miracle of life. Seeds sprout, cells grow, we breathe, our hearts beat, the physical laws of the universe are enforced by an active God. Those are miracles. Specifically it is a recognition that all good things are directly from Him and all evil is directly allowed by Him. Not that he is the source of the evil, but as with Job or Joseph or Christ, the evil is explicitly allowed by Him. And not just allowed but used. He is weaving an amazing tapestry out of this world that will forever proclaim His glory. And He is using some dark threads to do that as well as some glorious threads. Did God ordain, plan, and choose for Christ to suffer and die. Yes, and not just that, but his sovereignty is seen in the gift of His Spirit. Under the new covenant God has seen fit to place His Spirit in us. And this isn't a seal in the sense of a little stamp stuck on us. This is a seal in the sense of a King's seal forming the wax of our souls into His shape (Jonathan Edwards reference). His Spirit brings power into our hearts to effect his sovereignty.

Now, what about “free” will? I keep putting “free” in quotes because I think it is a misnomer, an incorrect label. What does “free” mean? Does it mean unencumbered, without constraint? Without Christ we are in bondage to sin. Our problem is not a few sinful acts we have committed. Our problem is that we are by nature sinful. Our sin has warped our thinking and actions to the point that we can convince ourselves that sinning is either the only way to act or is the best way to act or is actually good. What else could “free” mean? That we are un-biased to make an independent decision? How can that be? I have just described how we are in bondage on the one side. On the other side we are bathed in God's grace every minute of our lives; from our life, to our brain, to our personality, to our parent's, to our education, to our mentors. All of these are God's grace being poured out on us. They do and should influence us. I suppose “free” is meant to mean we are free to choose. We can choose holiness or evil. But how does that work out? It is not a balance scale where if we choose six holy things and five evil things then we are holy. No. Holiness of ourselves is the result of always choosing holiness. Choose one evil thing and one hundred holy things and what do you have? Evil. Depravity. Impurity. And do we choose that much holiness to that little evil. It doesn't seem that way to me. Rather it seems to me that you can give me anything good and it is only a matter of time (a very short time) before I have spoiled it. Picture an unattended, grimy three year old picking up all of the sparkling, fragile crystal in a shop? How long before they are in pieces on the ground? So what do we do with our “free” will? We choose evil. But not all do. One man chose nothing but good. Jesus Christ. He chose to suffer. Yes he was sent by the Father, but he struggled through a life, exerting His will to accomplish the Father's will.

And so it seems deeply wrong to accentuate the peak of man’s “free” will too much. It is not an idol to be protected. It is our shame. It is a dark and dangerous place because I have made it that way. Yeah I have a “free” will. I am free to sin. With my free will I will never choose the good that God requires. I know this is true because the Bible is so explicitly clear on this point (see Romans chapters 1-3).

So are the peaks mutually exclusive or are they connected? Can we explain the connection? It seems to me that the base of the peaks are hidden in a mist. We see the two peaks but we can't see how they connect. How do you get from one to the other? People who explore there find deep and jagged crags between them. Dangerous places where it is easy to fall and it is hard to know which way to go. So maybe the experts can go there and map out the territory between. And I trust some to go there. But it seems doubtful that a casual observer with a little bit of theology and a dab of philosophy is going to come up with a clear explanation of how to resolve the two. And it seems quite possible that our finite brains cannot comprehend and make sense of the two together. But we can, based on the testimony of the Bible, assert the existence of the two peaks. We can see them. They are there. We can't say how they connect. But we know they are there.

How to proceed then, what do we do? To carry the analogy a bit further, it seems that we must fix our gaze firmly on the peak of God's sovereignty. The knowledge that God is doing a work in salvation, that He has reached His strong arm down to you, that His Spirit is in you working with power. These provide a solid foundation for our faith when we realize the limits of our abilities. Realizing that the Bible teaches that God chooses a people to be His is extremely meaningful to me. But the notion seems primarily useful in that context, as assurance to believers, rather than as a club to beat up un-believers. And in general it seems very dangerous to presume to take the perspective of God. His choosing is from His perspective, not ours. So we fix our gaze on the peak of His sovereignty as we scale the mountain of our sin. So we are called to climb and conquer the mountain of our “free” will by fixing our gaze on Him and in the power of His Spirit. So we strive with all of our might to allow the Spirit to accomplish His will in us.

And we won't make it. We will struggle every day of our lives with our “free” will. But then it seems that at the end He will accomplish it. It seems to me that our “free” will is gone at that point. I want it to be. I am sick of choosing evil. And it seems that his promise is that we will be held close in holiness for eternity. But until then, we climb. And we have God calling people like (Mike, or Peg, or Des, or Sherry, or Bill, or Chad). And Mike, of his own “free” will chooses to heed the call. And through Mike, God shows his mercy and love to Chad. And Chad of his own “free” will follows his Savior. So God chooses Chad through Mike. Who can unravel that mystery? God is working His sovereignty through influencing the choices of man? Go figure.

And then maybe at the end, in heaven, we will see clearly. The mist will clear, and perhaps we will see that the “mighty” peak of man's “free” will was really just one little outcropping on the mountain of God's sovereignty. But for now we say “God chooses” and we say “whosoever will may come”.

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Thanks to David for letting me use his picture of the two peaks. It is my intention to give you as many analogies and illustrations as I can to help these teachings make sense to you. However, it ultimately boils down to your trust in God and His Word. We constantly must be brought back to what does His Word say. It may not always make the best sense to our human reasoning. But it can be trusted, because we have a great God who is trustworthy and powerful. I take refuge in the complete and total sovereignty of God. And, to be honest, when I see God for who He really is and myself for who I really am, it makes absolute perfect sense to me.