The Kingdom of God

Being Sunday, I have a brief article today. My thoughts were spurred by a post I saw on Facebook. The entry contained a quote from R. C. Sproul.

“The kingdom of God is not of the people, by the people, or for the people. It is a kingdom ruled by a King, and God does not rule by the consent of His subjects but by His sovereign authority. His reign extends over me whether I vote for Him or not.”

What a tremendous statement teaching the sovereign rule of our great God! With humility I would add just a few more words to Dr. Sproul’s final sentence.

“His reign extends over me whether I vote for Him or not or whether I believe in Him or not.”

I know some people who were raised in the church, professed Christ, were baptized, then strayed and now confess they do not believe God’s Word, nor do they believe there is a God. Obviously, they were never born again. These are true apostates, always separated from God and will be forever separated from Him unless they repent and trust Christ.

Learning of such a betrayal causes me to ponder why. What could have led to this complete denial? Well, it’s their sinful nature. Though they knew God’s truth, they never surrendered to Him or His Word. But why do they remain so firmly against God now? They are comfortable living in their sin, know, from their earlier teaching, it is sin, but enjoy that sin so much, the only way they can continue to live is to deny it is sin. And, to accomplish that trick, they must deny the Word and even deny God’s existence.

Oh, my prayer is that Christ have mercy on them over this Christmas season. May the Spirit draw them back towards the Lord and may they finally and completely repent of their sin and turn to Christ in true saving faith.

 May the Lord Jesus be exalted for His life, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His forever reign as a merciful, gracious, and just King!

 

"The Prayer of the Lord": A Book Review

It is probably safe to say that Christians who read contemporary literature of any depth or worth are familiar with the name of R. C. Sproul.  Dr. Sproul, founder of Ligonier Ministries, is a well known author as well as a well known speaker in Christian circles.  Many, including myself, recognize his writing not only as bringing glory to our Lord Jesus Christ but also nourishing our souls.  "The Prayer of the Lord" is no exception.

This particular work focuses on what we commonly know as "The Lord's Prayer".  It recognizes the prayer to be a model for the prayers of all believers, an example for us on how to prayer.  The prayer was given by our Lord in response to a request from His discisples to teach them how to pray.

The book is a mere 130 pages (including indices) but is loaded with a wealth of practical advice.  There are 10 chapters, 8 of them focusing on the actual phrases of the prayer (e.g., "Hallowed Be Your Name").  Dr. Sproul begins the book by discussing what prayer is not to be  since that is where the Lord began his response to His own disciples.  The 10th and final chapter are questions and answers on the matter of prayer.

Here are some samples from this work:

"You should remember who is being addressed and who is doing the speaking.  That is, the first thing you are to remember in prayer is who it is you're talking to, because nothing will condition your prayer life more deeply than remembering that you're in conversation with God, the sovereign Creator and Ruler of the universe.  Second, you are to remember who you are.  You are not God.  You are a creature.  So prayer is not a conversation between peers; it is not a fireside chat among equals.  This is the creature speaking to his sovereign Creator." 

"Thus, far from teaching the universal fatherhood of God, the Bible teaches the particular fatherhood of God.  Therefore, to call God 'Father' in the New Testament sense of the word, in the sense of the word the way the church expresses it as the family of God, is to affirm the very uniqueness of Christianity. ...The brotherhood of which the New Testament speaks is the brotherhood or sisterhood of fellowship enjoyed by all those who are adopted into the family of God and who are in Christ. ... Not all men are my brothers, only those who are in Christ.  However, all men are my neighbors, and I am required by God to treat these people as I would expect them to treat me.  I am required to love my neighbor as much as I love myself.  Jesus made it clear that the neighborhood is not restricted to the brotherhood."

"...come to God in a spirit of humble dependence, asking Him to provide what we need and to sustain us from day to day.  We are not given license to ask for great riches, but we are encouraged to make our needs known to Him, trusting that He will provide."

"Jesus taught His disciples that their prayers should be centered on the glory of God, and it is only after we spend time praising on the glory of God, and it is only after we spend time praising and adoring Him that we should shift to focusing on our needs..."

"We may come to God and speak to Him in these terms of personal intimacy, in a familial way, for we are part of His family.  However, we must keep the rest of the character of God in mind.  We must always remember that this One whom we address as Father is holy."

Yes, I loved the book.  Get it.  Read it.  Learn from it. 

"The Truth of the Cross": A Book Review

One of the benefits of attending this year’s “Together for the Gospel” meeting in Louisville was receiving many FREE books. Among these “friends” was a small gem (167 pages), “The Truth of the Cross” by R. C. Sproul. 

Dr. Sproul beautifully presents the meaning, significance, and purpose of the cross according to the Scripture and he does so in an easy to read, enjoyable way. As is typical in his writings, this work includes great illustrations both from the author’s own life as well as from history. For example, to introduce a discussion on the vicarious atonement, Dr. Sproul recalls his attendance at the deciding game of the NBA Eastern Conference championship between Orlando and Indiana. He brings his illustration to a close in this way:

…if we like the outcome, we have a tendency to say, “We won.” We identify so closely with our favorite teams that when they’re victorious we include ourselves in the victory. …This is what is known as a vicarious experience.

But the book is not simply a collection of personal illustrations. It is loaded with Biblical truth and solid application. Early in the book, Dr. Sproul discusses people in general and the subject of the atonement.

…I came to the conclusion that people are not concerned about an atonement. They are basically convinced they have no need for it. They aren’t asking: “How can I be reconciled to God? How can I escape the judgment of God?” If anything has been lost from our culture, it is the idea that human beings are privately, personally, individually, ultimately, inexorably accountable to God for their lives.”

Or, here is another classic paragraph from this work on the matter of justification:

The prevailing doctrine of justification today is not justification by faith alone. It’s not even justification by good works or by a combination of faith and works. The prevailing notion of justification in Western culture today is justification by death. It’s assumed that all one has to do to be received into the everlasting arms of God is to die.

“The Truth of the Cross” opens with a description of mankind’s condition. It moves to a discussion of the person of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. With a firm Biblical understanding of man and of Christ, Dr. Sproul then uses the Scripture to explain the nature and purpose of the atonement. And he does all this clearly and concisely.

I strongly recommend reading this book. Those who do not know Christ will be presented with the truth of their condition and their need for the atoning work of Jesus. Those who are believers will be encouraged and strengthened in the faith by what they read.