R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 584

Columns from Tabletalk Magazine, June 2011

The June edition of Tabletalk is out and it asks this question: How should Christians view and observe the Sabbath? This issue looks at four prominent views of the Sabbath and how it is applied to the Christian: seventh-day sabbatarian, Sunday sabbatarian, Baptist, and Lutheran. Contributors include R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Carl Trueman, Collin Hansen, Peter Hitchens, and R.C. Sproul Jr.

We do not post all of the feature articles or the daily devotionals from the issue, so you'll have to subscribe to get those. But for now, here are links to a few select columns and articles from this month:

"Keeping the Lord's Day" by Burk Parsons
"Defining the Debate" by R.C. Sproul
"Whitewashing History?" by Carl Trueman
"The Perils and Promise of Social Media" by Collin Hansen
"Old Answers to the New Atheism: An Interview with Peter Hitchens"
"The Rest of the Story" by R.C. Sproul Jr.
"Caring for Our Families" by John Piper

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If you have not subscribed yet, you should. It's only $23 for a year, and $20 to renew. You save even more if you get a 2- or 3-year subscription (as little as $1.36 per issue). Special discounts for churches or businesses are available for those who want multiple copies of each issue. Start receiving Tabletalk by calling one of Ligonier Ministries' resource consultants at 800-435-4343 (8am-8pm ET, Mon-Fri) or subscribe online.

The Children's Crusade

The month of June is almost upon us, but before turning to that page in the calendar, we'd like to draw your attention to one more article from the May issue of Tabletalk. In that issue R.C. Sproul Jr. penned an article titled "The Children's Crusade." It begins in this way:

The Devil delights in false dichotomies. When he persuades us that our choices are between this foolishness and that weakness — heads, he wins; tails, the kingdom loses. When we are lukewarm in our commitment, when we think the kingdom of God is just some ethereal thing that no one can see, the Devil encourages us in just this direction. We see the kingdom as only future, and so we sit on our hands waiting. Such is not, of course, a passionate seeking of His kingdom or His righteousness.

The Devil is not afraid, however, of kingdom zealots. Those whose passion burns to make known the reign of Christ receive a whole different temptation from the Devil. These the Devil encourages to take up arms, to bear the sword. He seduces them into thinking they can make the kingdom come by force.

The first option is a denial that we are at war. The second option is a denial that our weapons are not carnal. The biblical truth is that we are at war and that our armory is stocked with potent, spiritual weapons.

You can read the rest at The Children's Crusade.

TrueU: Is the Bible Reliable? DVD Set

In 2009, Focus on the Family produced the TrueU: Does God Exist DVD set with Dr. Stephen C. Meyer of the Discovery Institute. In this first series of ten lectures, Dr. Meyer examined the abundant evidence in nature for the existence of God. In this second series of lectures, Dr. Meyer examines the claims of the Bible to be the revelation of the God, whose existence is clearly revealed in nature.

For the last two hundred years, the Bible has come under intense criticism from those who have adopted a naturalistic worldview. The criticisms that have been made have filtered down to the popular level in magazine articles, books, and movies. Many today assume the Bible has little to no relation to real history and that it is likely a collection of myths and fairy-tales. Sadly, such critical views of Scripture are even found in seminaries where future ministers are trained.

In his series of lectures, Is the Bible Reliable?, Dr. Meyer introduces viewers to some of the abundant historical and archaeological evidence that demonstrates the reliability of the Bible. He looks at the arguments of the critics and then shows why they do not stand up in light of the facts. The topics covered in the ten lectures are:

The Patriarchal Narratives and the Documentary Hypothesis
The Exodus: From Egypt to Canaan
The Israelite Conquest
The United Kingdom of David and Solomon
Historicity of the Old Testament: A Tale of Two Conquests
The Babylonian Conquest of Judah
Canons of Historicity: The New Testament
Early Composition of Luke and Acts
External Corroboration
The Trial of Jesus

Dr. Meyer’s years of classroom experience enable him to communicate in a clear and understandable manner about sometimes complex issues. Dr. Meyer patiently explores each critical argument, answers student questions, and provides a rational response. An abundance of visual aids and charts helps to clarify his lectures. 

Highly recommended for high school and college students who are encountering arguments against the Bible’s reliability.

A Leader’s Guide and Discussion Guide are also available.

Work, Identity, and the Effect of Sin

Probably every man has tasted at some time the deep satisfaction of a job well done. Why does labor have this inherent value? Because we were made for it. God placed Adam in the garden and put him to work. Therefore, because God is good and has chosen to be glorified through our labor, we are able to enjoy work and find a significant part of our identity in it. In fact, as we keep work in proper balance, retaining our primary identity in Christ, God wants us to invest significant passion in our work and find true meaning in it.

At various times, all of us struggle with the temptations of worldly glory, self-serving power, or the sinful pleasures that can be associated with work. Sometimes we may find that far too much of our identity has become wrapped up in who we are professionally. Of course, none of this is work’s fault. It all grows out of our sinful hearts and our tragic ability to stain anything we touch with idolatry and selfishness. Yet our sinfulness does not alter the fact that work is a man’s sacred calling, received from the very hand of God himself.

In fact, although the introduction of sin into the garden changed the nature of work, God’s calling for man to work is entirely holy and good. Bruce Waltke rightly says, “Work is a gift of God, not a punishment for sin. Even before the fall humanity [had] duties to perform.” It was after God told Adam to be fruitful—by means of his work—that God declared that creation was “very good” (Gen. 1:31).

After Adam’s fall, it remained good for man to work. But due to God’s curse on the earth because of human sin, it became necessary for man not merely to work, but to work hard:

Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. (Gen. 3:17–19)

In our fallen world, shadowed by the curse of death and futility, we either work hard or our families suffer. According to the book of Proverbs, industry is an essential characteristic that men should cultivate: “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Prov. 10:4); “Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth” (Prov. 12:27). Yet I sometimes hear pastors or Christian psychologists tell men they should never be late for dinner or have to travel away from home for work. I disagree. It’s true that men should not pursue their work so single-mindedly that family duties are excluded or consistently compromised. But in our fallen world, men have an obligation to hustle and give their all in the workplace—and this may involve some late nights and business trips. Of all men, Christians should work especially hard, giving more than an honest day’s work for a day’s wage.

In thinking about how the need to work is hardwired into men’s souls, and the pleasure we can derive from work, I find it interesting that even many of the things we designate as hobbies are really forms of work. Some men like to relax through woodworking, which is, of course, a matter of working with wood. Other men like to work in the garden or restore cars. Some men like to go fishing, which is a kind of work, and others like climbing mountains, which seems like a lot of work. My love for following baseball involves detailed mathematics, which makes the pastime all that much more fun for me. Even in our leisure, we see that men are made for work.

 

Daily Echoes of Genesis 2

Have you noticed that, almost every time, the second subject that comes up when two men meet involves work? I sit next to a man on an airplane, and what does he ask? “What’s your name?” I answer, “I’m Rick Phillips.” The next question is amazingly consistent: “What do you do?” How we answer tells people what to think of us.

There are a number of ways I can answer the question. I can say, “I’m an author,” in which case the man thinks I’m an interesting person with lots of insight. Or I can say, “I’m an educator.” Then he thinks I’m a person with specialized knowledge, and he questions me further to find out what that area of knowledge is. If I say, “I’m a preacher,” he starts looking out the window, afraid I’m going to hassle him about his sins. (Usually, the answer I choose to give depends on whether I am interested in talking or not.) The point is that the answer to “What do you do?” tells people most of what they want to know about a man.

In a world in which God has called men to work, this should not be surprising. Do you see the theological tie-back here? In this mundane example, we catch a glimmer of the profundity of Scripture, the kind of glimmer we notice all the time if we’re paying attention. The simple who-is-this-guy conversations we have with strangers are not random events. They sprout from the theology of work and calling rooted in the garden and recorded in Genesis 2.

Excerpted from The Masculine Mandate.

Twitter Highlights (5/29/11)

Here are some highlights from the various Ligonier Twitter feeds over the past week.

Reformation Trust You have unlimited room for growth in holiness because Jesus is the bottomless well of salvation. -Joel Beeke



Ligonier God Himself supplies the necessary condition to come to Jesus, that's why it is sola gratia - by grace alone - that we are saved. -Sproul



Tabletalk Magazine "As Christ has a scepter to rule His people, so He has a shield to defend them." - Thomas Watson



Reformation Bible College You have to stop thinking logically to argue that the universe came into being by itself, out of nothing. - R.C. Sproul



Reformation Trust Every soul is considered as having been born in Adam until it has been reborn in Christ. -Tertullian http://bit.ly/kofEvr



Ligonier We can disappoint God, we can disobey God, we can offend God, we can grieve God, but we can never again be estranged from God. - R.C. Sproul



Reformation Trust Where Adam collapsed, Jesus conquered. Where Adam compromised, Jesus refused to negotiate...The 2nd Adam triumphed for Himself & for us. -RC

You can also find our various ministries on Facebook:
Ligonier Ministries | Ligonier Academy | Reformation Bible College
Reformation Trust | Tabletalk Magazine

Humility: In the Name of Love

One of the deepest theological and exegetical conundrums is found in Mark 13:32: "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” We know that Jesus, touching on His humanity, was not omniscient. But we don’t know how it could be possible for God the Son not to know. That may not be what Jesus is saying, but it sure seems that way. This we do know, that it is a good thing from time to time for even the most astute theologians to find themselves giving this most astute answer to some hard questions: I don’t know.

We know in turn that it takes rather a lot of pride to respond to this text how Harold Camping did: “Jesus did not know the day or the hour, but I do.” One did not need to dig deep into Mr. Camping’s mathematical calculations to find the problem. It was always out there for all of us to see, his pride. How he dealt with difficult apocalyptic texts, and how they inter-related was beside the point, because he couldn’t deal with this text in Mark. It’s a tough text, but the last thing one should get out of it is “I can know the day and the hour.”

Was then the devil dancing that he was able to spread the evil of pride first into the heart of an 89 year-old man who had once done so much for the kingdom? Is he excited that this same man infected tens of thousands with that same pride virus? Perhaps so. We would be wise to remember, however, that the serpent is more crafty than any of the beasts of the field.  I suspect his real goal is rather more grand in scope.

That night thousands of Camping’s followers went to bed disappointed and confused. Their pride bubbles deflated rather quickly when 6:01 came. The next morning, however, millions of evangelicals woke up not with rapture fever, but with a bad case of pride. We woke up this morning praying, “Lord, I thank you I am not like other men. I don’t follow embarrassing  gurus. I have a nice and respectable millennial position. I don’t cause you embarrassment on the national news, giving the devil room to laugh” and of course, the devil laughs, roars in fact, his plan a success.

It is not my desire to make light of Camping’s errors.  I want neither to mock them nor to minimize them. They are egregious, his views on the church most egregious of all. It is my desire, however, to own my sin, to guard against my own temptation more than to point and laugh at others. It is my desire daily to hope that Jesus would come back, and that He would find me not pointing and laughing at others, not either looking up to heaven in expectation, but looking to the ground in humility, beating my breast and praying, “Lord be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Today's $5 Friday Sales

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Christian Exiles

"In a profound sense, this world is not our home. When we are away from our bodies we will be “at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). We are not to be 'conformed to this age' (Rom. 12:2). Our lives 'are hid with Christ in God' (Col. 3:3). We have been 'transferred out of the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved Son' (Col. 1:13). We have 'passed out of death and into life' (1 John 3:14). We are exiles and strangers here." This truth, that we are exiles in this world, is the basis for John Piper's article in the May issue of Tabletalk magazine.

"The fact that we are exiles on the earth (1 Peter 2:11) does not mean that we don’t care what becomes of culture. However, it does mean that we exert our influence as very happy, brokenhearted outsiders. We are exiles. 'Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ' (Phil. 3:20). 'Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come' (Heb. 13:14)."

Continue reading "Christian Exiles."

VIDEO: CrossReference: A Brand from the Fire

Eight weeks ago we introduced you to a new series from David Murray and HeadHeartHand media on the Old Testament appearances of Christ as the Angel of the Lord. Today brings the ninth episode in this 10-part series, which will be available to view for one week.

You can watch the first two episodes of CrossReference: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament here, and the remaining video will be available next week at the Ligonier blog, Challies, and HeadHeartHand. 

The DVD and study guide (sample here) are now available for purchase. Or you can download the films in HD.

Episode 9: A Brand from the Fire

The Secret of Contentment

After 24 years in pastoral ministry I’ve realized there are some constant issues with God’s people:

I’m going to have a certain percentage of people who seem to struggle with the  assurance of salvation over and over again (I’ve seen some people agonize for decades).
I’ve recognized that a (growing) number of marriages  are chronically troubled &need almost constant care.
I’ve found that a disturbingly large percentage of my people are going to grapple with discontentment. Which, paradoxically, seems to grow –the more affluent they become!

Each of these are pastoral issues that call for careful teaching of the Scriptures (both from the pulpit AND personally), wisdom and patience, and a measure of gracious sensitivity, but the final issue (discontentment ) is one that requires particular skill.

Thankfully, an excellent new resource that displays all of these characteristics is available:  Dr. Bill Barcley’s excellent book The Secret of Contentment (Presbyterian and Reformed, 2010).

Dr. Barcley repeatedly acknowledges his deep dependence on two Puritan classics on this subject: Jeremiah Burroughs The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment and Thomas Watson’s The Art of Divine Contentment. Barcley does for these classics what Kris Lundgaard did for John Owen on mortification, when he penned The Enemy Within. Barcley puts the best teaching and insights on contentment into a punchy, readable, brief (under 170 pages) format.

I would encourage this tome to you with the recommendation that Barcley’s work is eminently pastoral. I would strongly recommend to you pastors that you keep a few copies of Barcley’s book on hand to give out as “homework” to your members that are struggling in this area. Chapter Five alone is well-worth the price of the book: “Finding contentment in the midst of affliction”.

Dr. Barcley does more than tell you that you should be content; he convinces you that you should pursue contentment (Chapter 2) by giving you seven strong reasons why you should. He also holds the mirror up to your heart/face and shows you how discontentment looks, and it isn’t pretty! The Scripture has consistently harsh words for grumbling, murmuring and all other manifestations of discontentment. Barcley even shows you the current and future danger of the grumbling, discontented person (Chapter 3).

One of the excellent features of the book is its strong exegetical grounding. Dr. Barcley is an Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, and it shows in his excellent handling of the foundational texts on the subject. In fact, an added bonus with the book is that you get a “mini-commentary” on the principle passages from Philippians!

Along the way Barcley addresses some thorny theological issues. One is the charge made against Puritan and Reformed thought that it is “overly introspective.” Barcley effectively debunks this old canard and fleshes out a full-orbed doctrine of sin  and repentance, and mortification (chapter 6). Another is Barcley’s wise demonstration of how important our eschatology is (chapter 7) and that it is at the core of our contentment! In addition, Barcley gives a wonderful treatment of the doctrine of “union with Christ” (chapter 8).

The second half of the book is where Barcley truly shines. Here he carefully takes you to “contentment school,” showing that you can (as Paul said in Philippians 4) learn to be contented, and lays out the means for attaining it.

Buy this book and savor it. Don’t read it hastily. Soak in it. Other suggested uses:

It would be perfect for a Sunday School or Bible Study Class, reading a chapter per week. There are even some helpful reflection questions at the end of each chapter.
As previously mentioned, pastors should master this material to use in counseling the perpetually disaffected and discontent, and to give out to them as homework.

Carl Robbins is Senior Minister of Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church in Simpsonville, SC.