Behold the Lamb of God

John the Baptist said of Jesus Christ

grunewald-crucifixion-JohntheBaptist

“Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

What could he mean?

The lamb’s place in the religious history of Israel was clear enough. Lambs were around for sacrifice. At Passover, one of the greatest religious feasts in Israel, a pure, male lamb was slain. Its blood was sprinkled on the doorposts, and the lamb was then eaten along with a carefully composed meal. It commemorated the time in Egypt when God delivered the Israelites out of slavery and bondage there.

John says Jesus was the Lamb of God—“who takes away the sin of the world.” What did John mean? He meant that Jesus had come to die. Jesus would offer Himself as our Passover Lamb. By His blood, Jesus would free us from the just wrath of God, and we would be freed from bondage to sin.

grunewald-crucifixion-lamb

We know how John regarded Jesus, then. But how do you see Him? It will not do if you only think of Him as a great Teacher, or just a good example to follow. He is that, but He is so much more. As the Lamb of God, Jesus is our Savior! He is the one provided for us by God Himself. God the Father cares for us and has sent us Jesus. How well did Robert Robinson put it in his hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” :

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.”

©The Parson, 2011-2012. All rights reserved. Originally published in the Flemingsburg Gazette.

Receiving…a key word for the Christian life.

“Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:5

Once again, the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”) is at the back of these words.

Proverbs 2:5 shows us that if we set the fear of the Lord as our life’s aim, He will grant us His spiritual knowledge. This is a blessing that we should not underestimate, for it is a truly great thing.

The “fear of the Lord” is the reverence of the Lord in worship and service. We are to come before the Lord in complete humility as a child, recognizing that we are all spiritual beggars. When our posture before the Lord is one of worship and dependence, then He assures us that He will give us the gift of spiritual wisdom. We know that wisdom exists. We must also know and believe that God has got to be the One to give it to us.

Receiving is the key word for so much of the Christian life. Our striving after wisdom is not so much the point of these Scriptures as our dependence on God for it is. We are dependent on Jesus for salvation, and we are dependent on Him for wisdom.

We need to be reminded of Scripture’s assurance that the Lord is the “giver of every good and perfect gift,” (James 1:17). God delights in giving us the spiritual graces He knows we need, from salvation to the wisdom we need to live every day.

 

©The Parson, 2011. All rights reserved. Originally published in the Flemingsburg Gazette and used here with permission

No authority to innovate…

St Paul and St Timothy

From 1 Timothy 1–“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling” (KJV)

This is a letter from an aged Apostle Paul to a young man who was just getting started in his pastoral work. Timothy is a very popular Bible figure, because what we learn about him is that he wasn’t a “stained glass saint”, as theologian John R.W. Stott explained. He was a real person, complete with a bad stomach, off and on timidity that hindered his effectiveness, and he may have even entertained thoughts of quitting the work he had been called to do because it was so hard at times.

He was fortunate in that he had the Apostle Paul to encourage him. St. Paul was willing to take the time to encourage Timothy and make sure that he stayed on course. It was not child’s play that Timothy was called to do: he was at a rough church, the Church at Ephesus. Ephesus had its share of problems, like many, if not most, churches do. There were no perfect Christian churches back then, just as there are no perfect churches today.

Ephesus had its good points, to be sure, but it was the rough spots Timothy had to work on. Paul shows us some of those difficulties: he noted that there were potential problems with the doctrine at Ephesus. There were also potential problems with the worship at Ephesus. Not only that, it appears that Timothy needed to work on getting proper leadership installed at Ephesus. He is given instructions on who is a qualified candidate to be an Elder (Presbyter) or Deacon in the church. All in all, Timothy had his work cut out for him.

What he confronted at Ephesus is still going on today, though. The problems may have been in the first century, but they are still with us in the 21st century church. Doctrinal problems, worship wars, and issues surrounding leadership still exist. Paul pointed out to Timothy that he had to address the tendencies of false teachers to become more interested in obscure, fanciful matters. Instead, Timothy was to teach the pure word of God and the plain message of the cross, forgiveness, and the salvation made available in Jesus Christ. The false teachers which had Paul concerned then have an equivalent today.

Remember when we had the “Gospel of Judas” news, which purported to change what everyone knew about Christianity? How strange that so many people were willing to read and learn about something that was neither a Gospel, nor written by Judas! Then we had the Leonardo Da Vinci claims, complete with nonsensical, outlandish and completely untrue claims about Jesus. These fanciful notions got a great deal of attention. Sometimes it seems to me that the more outrageous view someone can put forth about the Bible, the more the public appetite for it grows!

Yes, Paul could have written his message of I Timothy just for our times. Also notice in our passage that St. Paul told Timothy to stop anyone from teaching anything “new” or “different” from what had been handed down from the Apostles. His counsel needs to be heeded today. Novelty in Christian teaching is not something that pleases God.

A former Archbishop of Canterbury once wrote “The Church has no authority to innovate.”

He meant that it is the old, old story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus which must ever be the teaching of the Christian church. New doctrines and novel teachings that depart from historic, orthodox Christianity have no place in the Church of God. The pressure was on at Ephesus to scrap the Biblical message about sin and salvation, forgiveness and grace, and the blood of Jesus. Paul urged Timothy not to forget what he had been taught. Preaching the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus must never go out of style.  

©The Parson, 2008-2012

“True Saints are Seraphims…”

And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. (30) And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: (31) Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

What does it really mean to glorify God? Technically speaking, to glorify (doxazo) God is to praise Him, to adore Him, to magnify Him, and to celebrate Him. This business of glorifying God ought to be of uttermost concern among Christians.

In this passage, we are told that Jesus came near to the Sea of Galilee, climbed up on a mountain, and was seated there. While He was there, the Bible says that “great multitudes” came to Him, and brought with them people who were sick with a wide variety of ailments and serious conditions. We are told that “He healed them;” the catalog of maladies that people had was astounding. Their illnesses were no match for Jesus’ power. As a result of this, the great multitude marveled when they beheld all His miraculous healings. It prompted them to do something. They “glorified the God of Israel.”

Most people could not imagine that there was anything better than being healed physically of some grave problem. The crowd rightly praised God because Jesus healed those no one else could. However, we should note that all those signs and wonders Jesus did by healing physical maladies were to point to the way He could deal with their spiritual maladies. Sin sickness is far more serious than even the worst physical sickness. Jesus can heal both; there is no doubt of that; but of the two, the Bible portrays our sin condition as the most serious. We must ask Jesus to heal us from our sin condition if we hope to have everlasting life with Him.

Jesus came, He healed, and the crowd glorified God. Being around Jesus prompted people to praise God. You know, if we spend time with Him, it will prompt us to do the same.

Are you interested in learning more about the biblical concept of glorifying God? Certainly if anyone understood this concept, the Puritans did. As an example, I can cite one of Thomas Watson’s sermons in the book A Body of Divinity, which is a commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith. Here are two excellent quotations:

The Rev'd Thomas Watson

“The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. The end of every [person’s life] should be to glorify God. Glorifying God has respect to all the persons in the Trinity; it respects GOD the Father who gave us life; GOD the Son, who lost his life for us; and GOD the Holy Ghost, who produces a new life in us; we must bring glory to the whole Trinity.”

“This is to love God indeed; the heart is set upon God, as a man’s heart is set upon his treasure. This love is exuberant, not a few drops, but a stream. It is superlative; we give God the best of our love. True saints are seraphims, burning in holy love to God. …to love God is to glorify him. He who is the chief of our happiness has the chief of our affections.”

©The Parson, 2010-2011. Portions originally published in the Flemingsburg Gazette and reproduced here by permission.

Growing in Grace in the New Year

2 Peter 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Growing in grace is a theme we should contemplate as we prepare to enter a new year. Believers in Jesus should not desire to stay static in the life of faith, but should wish to grow closer to our Lord. Is this possible? Yes.

The Rev. John Newton

Anglican John Newton (1725-1807), the author of the well known hymn “Amazing Grace” wrote about this. In a letter to a friend, he outlined the way that we can become stronger Christians.

“By reading the word of God, by frequent prayer, by a simple attention to the Lord’s will, together with the use of public ordinances [Baptism and the Lord's Supper], and…the Lord watering and blessing with the influence of His Holy Spirit, may we grow in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior; be more humble in our own eyes…more fixed on him as our all in all….” LETTER XXV, “On Faith, and the Communion of Saints,” Forty One Letters on Religious Subjects, 1780.

What he wrote was not profound, but what he wrote needs to be heeded. We do not need to look for a more complex method of Christian growth. What Newton suggests is simple, but what he advised is often overlooked. The means God has appointed for our growth are not complicated. He has given them to us for our own good, and as means of our growing in grace. Read the Word, pray often, attend church, receive the Sacraments of the Lord, and depend on the Holy Spirit—all these things will be used of Him to mature our faith.

©The Parson, 2010-2011. All rights reserved. Originally published in The Flemingsburg Gazette.

Calling All Shepherds…Lessons from the Manger Scene

Luke 2:15-20  When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over toBethlehemand see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  (16)  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  (17)  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  (18)  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  (19)  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  (20)  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

It was a brief moment when the veil was lifted, and for a short while earth-bound men were permitted to see the spirits the above. Short though it was, it was real and electric and unforgettable. Men who had kept watch over their flocks by night for years on end had never seen or heard anything like it. But there they had been: angels appearing in the sky above! Angels who praised God and declared God’s good will toward men. Quickly it began, and quickly it had ended.

No matter the duration, this was one of those things you just do not forget. The impression the angels made on these shepherds was indelible. It just was not something they were accustomed to seeing, and it was not something they could ignore. 

 I. The Shepherds Were the Sort of Persons We Should Strive to Imitate

You see, their words reveal something about them, about their character. These men may have been on the outskirts of civilization, and they themselves may have been the rough sort of person that does not always get on real well with others, but they were men who knew something of the Lord. They were not people of great means—but they were beloved of the Lord.

 Remember what James 2:5 says, “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”

Yes, these men were both knowers of the Lord and were known of the Lord. How do I know? Well, it is simple really. It is revealed in their words and their actions. Most of us would have been dumbstruck by a visit from angelic beings. But these men were not. And, they knew that the angels were not themselves the originator of the message. They knew something of the Lord. And they recognized these angels as having come directly from Him to them.

 “Happy is that life which keeping an open eye over the flock, keeps too a heart open towards heaven, ready to listen to the angelic music, and ready to transfer its rhythm to their own hastening feet or their praising lips.” –Henry Burton, The Expositor’s Bible, Vol. 4, p. 25

 So they did what they had to do. They looked at each other after the visitation ended and they seem to have said all at once, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” These shepherds “went with haste.” They had faith—they did not discount this heavenly vision. They had belief—they recognized it as coming from the Lord. And they had action—they got up and went to check it out.

I like that action and spirit they showed, don’t you? This is a picture of faith in action. It is meant to be demonstrative to you and me! The Christian faith is not a thing that lends itself to idleness or indifference. There is too much at stake, too many needs. Does that describe us? Are we the sort of Christians who are known for our actions as well as our orthodoxy?

My friends, there is a time and place for caution and reflection. But not when it comes to worship and obedience. We ought to make haste to see and serve Jesus every day of our life! Commenting on this very thing, Dr Joseph Parker, a pastor in 19^th centuryEngland who packed out his massive church Sunday in and Sunday out, said

“Christianity will not wait a moment. Christianity says the people are dying. Wait? By whose authority? Christianity is instantaneous, urgent, passionate, and earnest. Meet Christianity where you like, and its arms are out for battle or for salvation, and its voice is lifted up saying, ‘Come now, let us reason together.’ Christianity says if we cannot do everything we must do something; we must begin today; tomorrow the people may be dead!” –The People’s Bible, Vol. XI, p. 203-205

II. The Shepherds made known their experience in two ways, and so must we.

First, they told what they saw.

• Luke 2:17  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

 This is the simple, but effective means God intends for the Gospel to go forward. One person hears the Gospel news, and then simply repeats it to others. Once a person receives the Lord, then he or she should tell. There is no magic formula for church growth in the Bible, and it is not a great secret how to practice evangelism. Simply tell. You see, the same means are available today as were available in the days of the apostles. We open our lips and show forth the praise of God.

 Second, they worshipped.

Just as you have come here today to worship the Christ, so did those shepherds. What happened when they left the manger? 

• Luke 2:20  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

They returned. Back to the field, back to the sheep, back to the old scenes. But everything is now charged with a new purpose and a new depth of meaning for them. Life could never be the same. Nor should it be for us. We have gathered around the manger today. Soon, we will go back to our homes. We will “return.” What then? Will we tell? Will we worship? Will we “glorify and praise God” for all that we have heard and seen? I believe God desires nothing short of that for you and for me. Let us worship the Holy One of Bethlehem. Let us realize what the Incarnation means for us every day, not just on Christmas day.

Let me close with a meaningful prayer from Johann Starck, in his prayerbook. It is a prayer for Christmas Day.

“O my Jesus, by Thy Incarnation Thou art become my brother; how rich, how happy dost Thou make me! In Thee I now have all things. By Thee I can obtain all things. With Thee I can undertake and accomplish all things. Henceforth I will not despair in any tribulation, but will turn to Thee and confidently say: Jesus, My Brother, help me! No distress and no affliction henceforth shall discourage me; but I will firmly rely on Thee, because Thou art my Brother, and because as such Thou lovest me and wilt surely have mercy on me.”

 Yes, Christmas has come. Let us be like the Shepherds and be Christians of real faith, real action, real witness, and real worship. Let us ponder the meaning of God with us—Jesus Christ, our Immanuel!”

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

(c) The Parson, 2011. May be freely used as long as citations are provided.

Jesus: Our Immanuel

Just over two thousand years ago, an angel appeared to Joseph, a humble carpenter from Nazareth, and the husband-to-be of a young woman named Mary. The angel told Joseph that his wife to be was carrying a child—a child Who was conceived from the Holy Spirit. Joseph was told that this was the fulfillment of prophesy, and that this Child would be called “Immanuel.” The name, given in Matthew 1:23, is really a title. It means “God With Us.”

For Jewish people like Joseph, God was to be worshiped, and God was to be feared. God’s presence was something terrible, dreadful. Joseph’s religion taught had taught him that sin separated them from God, and rightly so. The high priest could go into the Holy place of the Temple and make offerings for their sins, but the ordinary people could not, lest they die. There was even the prospect that the high priest would die in the presence of the Lord in the Holy of Holies. God’s presence might just prove deadly for the sinners who found themselves in His presence. So then, the angel’s tidings were all the more startling: the Child would be called Immanuel, God with us. How could that be?

And yet, Joseph believed. He acted on it, and did his part to see the Child brought into the world safely. Christmas is the recognition that God kept His promise, made through prophets of old, that He would indeed come and dwell among us, walking among men as a man. Jesus, Immanuel, came to us, bringing salvation through His death on the cross. He truly is God with us. The birth of Jesus shows us that even though we have failed, we may be loved, and accepted with God. God is with us. What does that mean?

T.C. Hammond, an Irish Anglican who went to Australia and headed the great Moore Theological College there wrote,

“Scripture, in almost every case of reference to the incarnation, suggests redemption as its purpose.” (In Understanding Be Men, p. 97)

In other words, God the Son came down from heaven, to be “with us” to save us, first and foremost. Our Redemption is the reason of Christmas.

©The Parson, 2009-2011. All rights reserved

Praying for an Obedient Heart: John Calvin on Law and Grace

John Calvin was a biblical scholar of great note, beside being an important theologian during the Protestant Reformation. While his views on predestination are not popular with some, Calvin wrote commentaries on almost every book of the Bible, and they offer careful and helpful insights on the biblical text. They can be accessed online at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

One thing Calvin emphasized again and again was the need for Divine grace in correct interpretation of the Bible, and for Divine grace to live the Christian life. Calvin simply did not believe that we humans, in and of ourselves, could discern the meaning of the Bible apart from the Holy Spirit. Moreover, Calvin was certain that we cannot live the Christian life in our own power and strength: Divine grace is absolutely necessary. These insights are also integral to a correct understanding of Law and Gospel.

 

John Calvin

Here is a comment that shows his views on Law and Gospel quite well: Psalm 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

“By these words [the Psalmist] shows, as he has often done before in other places, that the only rule of living well is for men to regulate themselves wholly by the law of God. On the other hand, he confesses that to do this is not within their own will or power. God’s law, it is evident, will not make us better by merely prescribing to us what is right. David, then well instructed in the law, prays for an obedient heart being given him, that he may walk in the way set before him.”–John Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 119:133

Thanksgiving That is Genuinely Christian

Thankfulness, as a basic human virtue, is a good thing. We all appreciate being thanked, and ingratitude is pretty well universally despised. Apart from any reference to faith, religion, or God, we are reminded that being thankful is the way to be. No one wants to be like the proverbial hog, who eats the acorns that fall from the tree without ever looking up in recognition of where his food comes from.

We are taught to say “thank you” and “you’re welcome” as a matter of course, and as a part of our earliest childhood lessons on good manners. That is why there is no battle over whether or not it is ok to tell people “Happy Thanksgiving” as opposed to “Happy Day of Recognition of Past Blessings.” The reason for this is any person from any religion can be thankful—even an atheist can feel gratitude, I suppose, and would find little reason to object to Thanksgiving Day. But there is another kind of thanksgiving.

If we come to the Holy Scriptures, we will discover in them that there is in fact a specific Christian view of thanksgiving. If we took our Bibles and read through the New Testament alone, we would find the following facts: “Thanks” is found 36 times, “Thanksgiving” is found 11 times, “thankfulness” 2 times, “give thanks” 14 times “thankful” 1 time. (using the English Standard Version) But deeper than that, the more carefully we read, we would make a very important discovery through the Holy Spirit’s aid. There is something unique to a Christian’s thanksgiving that makes it different, deeper than any other kind of offering of thanks. For the Christian, thanksgiving that is really, genuinely Christian, is centered on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

I. The Biblical Record.

• Rom 6:16-18 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (17) But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, (18) and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (ESV)
• 1Co 1:3-9 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (4) I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, (5) that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge– (6) even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you– (7) so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, (8) who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (ESV)
• 2Th 2:13-14 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (14) To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

Do you see the theme running through each of those passages? Every time the Apostle Paul breaks into thanksgiving for this or that, the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ comes front and center in his prayers: In the Romans passage, his thanksgiving revolves around being freed from slavery to sin…and it was through Jesus Christ that this happened. In the I Corinthians passage, it was thanksgiving for grace…God’s unmerited, undeserved blessing and favor in salvation that comes THROUGH Jesus Christ! In II Thessalonians, Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians because they were “brothers beloved by the Lord…” and they were called through the Gospel. It comes back to Jesus! Thanksgiving that is truly Christian revolves around the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ’s love for us is immense. It is boundless. It is gracious and it was self-sacrificing. Jesus suffered, bled and died in our behalf. The New Testament strikes no uncertain sound that the greatest blessing anyone can receive is the gift of salvation, purchased, won and secured by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is available to all without price—to all who will believe. The genuinely Christian form of thanksgiving cannot stay away from Jesus and what He has done. We come back to Him and His work because it is well…so awesome, so wonderful, so fully glorious…it takes over all our thanksgiving…it has a tendency to swallow up all else because in comparison to it, nothing else compares!

II. Let me illustrate further. In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England (there are other versions in other Episcopal and Anglican Churches), there is a prayer that is called the General Thanksgiving. It is not a prayer that is used just on Thanksgiving Day, but can be prayed any time. Here is how it goes:

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

Did you catch that prayer of praise in the middle of the prayer? (Emphasis is added.) The composer has prayed to God the Father, thanking Him for “all” His goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all men…the persons praying this prayer express gratitude for “creation, preservation, and all the blessings of life.” That pretty well catches it all. But…and there is that little word that is so important “BUT ABOVE ALL, FOR THINE INESTIMABLE LOVE IN THE REDEMPTION OF THE WORLD BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!”

BUT…the word here is a conjunction, and it means HOWEVER…so that we may understand the prayer to say: ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; BUT ABOVE ALL==HOWEVER, GOD, ABOVE ALL OTHER THANKS WE OFFER, WE OFFER TO YOU OUR THANKS FOR YOUR INESTIMABLE (that which cannot be estimated, invaluable, priceless) LOVE IN THE REDEMPTION (our buying back from the bondage of sin and death) OF THE WORLD BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

THAT is genuine Christian thanksgiving. It is centered on the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That kind of thanksgiving elevates the praise and thanksgiving that we offer as persons from just a generic kind of thanksgiving that says, Lord, we know all we have comes from you…there is nothing wrong with that kind of thanksgiving, but it is not specifically CHRISTIAN…but when we enter into truly, genuine CHRISTIAN THANKSGIVING we put our laser lock, our bead, our sights on the person and work of Jesus. How worthy is He of thanks! How worthy is Jesus Christ of our praise? Of all the thanks we offer, the thanks we offer for His death, burial, and resurrection—His crucifixion, His shed blood, His forgiveness, His deliverance—this is the best, most genuinely CHRISTIAN thanksgiving.

III. Now, let me close with an exhortation. This Thanksgiving Day, by all means, thank God for the turkey, for the roof over your head, for your health, your children, your freedom, your family and friends…but if you want to be genuinely CHRISTIAN in your thanksgiving…don’t forget to say thank you for the redemption brought to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Ah…Christian thankfulness…it is Christian because it the basis of it is always the Person and Work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A final thought on Christian thanksgiving from Colossians 1:

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, (12) giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (13) He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:11-14 ESV)

©The Parson, 2010-2011. All rights reserved. “Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Bishop Ryle on the Bible

“Let the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, be the rule of our faith and practice. Holding this principle we travel upon the King’s Highway. The road may sometimes seem narrow, and our faith may be sorely tried, but we shall not be allowed greatly to err. Departing from this principle we enter on a pathless wilderness. There is no telling what we may be led to believe or do. Forever let us bear this in mind. Here let us cast anchor. Here let us abide. It matters nothing who says a thing in religion, whether an ancient father, or a modern Bishop, or a learned divine. Is it in the Bible? Can it be proved by the Bible? If not, it is not to be believed. It matters nothing how beautiful and clever sermons or religious books may appear. Are they in the smallest degree contrary to Scripture? If they are, they are rubbish and poison, and guides of no value. What saith the Scripture? This is the only rule, and measure, and gauge of religious truth. ‘To the law and to the testimony,’ says Isaiah, ‘if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’ (Isaiah 8:20)’.

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke, Chapter X.

Ryle was a clear thinker and writer. Commenting on Luke 10:26, he wrote that people not succumb to appeals to authority unless the authorities (bishop, theologian, church father) are in harmony with Scripture. We would do well to heed his advice. Today, we might say “It matters nothing who says a thing in religion, whether statistician, pollster, successful pastor, cultural expert or church growth leader. Is it in the Bible? Can it be proved by the Bible? If not, it is not to be believed.”

If what we learn from the experts is Biblical, then good, we have profited. But if we do not square what the pollsters, experts, and statistics say with Holy Scripture, we have gone off the good path and may be entering a “pathless wilderness.” It is certainly something to consider.

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