Yearly Archives: 2005

Part 3: Newness of Life — Resurrection With Christ

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

(The following is the third in a series of excerpts from Pastor Stam’s classic work on true spirituality. Since this book never appeared as a series in the Searchlight, many of even our long-time readers may not be familiar with these selections.)

“Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

THE NEW BIRTH AND NEWNESS OF LIFE COMPARED

While the Old Testament Scriptures do employ the figure of resurrection in connection with Israel’s conversion and future blessing in the land (e.g., Ezek. 37:1-14) this figure like that of the new birth, is used with fuller, deeper significance in the great Pauline revelation regarding Christ and the members of His Body.

Also, the doctrine of our resurrection with Christ to a new life is an advance on what even Paul, by the Spirit, has to say with reference to the new birth.

Birth speaks only of a beginning; it does not contemplate the past. When Nicodemus asked: “Can [a man] enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” our Lord was quick to explain that in using the phrase “born anew”1 He did not mean being born again in the same way, but being born again in a different way. God does not undertake to improve the old nature or to induce the “old man” to begin all over again for, as we have seen, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh” and “they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (John 3:6; Rom. 8:8). No matter how intellectual or cultured or religious, “the flesh” is still that which has been generated by a fallen begetter and therefore cannot please God. Hence, “that which is born of the flesh” needs, not merely to be born over again and given another start; a new and different nature must be imparted; an entirely new life, begotten of the Spirit of God. This new life is separate and distinct from that which was generated at natural birth; in fact, is “contrary” to it. The conflict resulting from this will be discussed in a later chapter. Here we emphasize simply that the new birth speaks only of a new beginning and does not contemplate the past.

The new birth is the spiritual counterpart of natural birth. We do not speak of a new-born infant’s “past.” As an individual it has no past. It has barely begun to open its eyes and look about, unable even to focus its vision upon any particular object. Thus the new birth speaks simply of the beginning of a new life.

But now we go a step further and find that we receive this new life by identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, and the doctrine of our resurrection with Christ does contemplate the past. Resurrection presupposes a former life and death.2 The identity of the individual is preserved throughout. The individual who lived a certain kind of life, and died, is now raised to live a new life. Now, raised from the dead, he is the same person, yet not the same. Thus the Apostle Paul could say: “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” (Gal. 2:20).

It is true that Ephesians 2:1 teaches that we were already “dead in trespasses and sins” before ever having become identified with Christ in His death, but this does not change the picture, for even in that passage we go on to read that “in time past” we “walked according to the course of this world,” etc. Like the woman described in I Timothy 5:6, unbelievers are dead while they live, and can be quickened from their death in trespasses and sins only by identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, for the simple reason that He came to identify Himself with us in our death to bring us through with Him to resurrection life.

THE BELIEVER’S RESURRECTION WITH CHRIST

But how can one become thus identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection? How can one die to the old life and be raised to walk in newness of life?

The answer is: by grace through faith. What Christ has done for us by grace, we must accept and appropriate by faith. He, by an act of infinite grace, identified Himself with us, dying our death. We, by an act of simple faith, must identify ourselves with Him, confessing: “I am the sinner. It is my death He is dying. I will accept His grace and commit myself to Him for salvation.” The moment this is done we become one with the once-crucified, ever-living Christ.

Mark well, Calvary is the meeting place, the place where the identification is effected. No man was ever made one with Christ without being made one with Him in His death. “Know ye not,” asks the apostle, “that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?” (Rom. 6:3). And it is for this reason that we are buried with Christ, by that same baptism, and raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Ver. 4).

What a tragedy that the sublime truth of this passage has been obscured by the injection of a water baptism ceremony into it! As though water baptism could ever bring the believer today into any relationship to Christ! As though it could really bury the old man and help us to put on the new! Those who have fallen into this error have taken a ceremony which never did speak of burial but only of washing (Acts 22:16, etc.) and have confused it with our actual baptism by the Spirit into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Little wonder the apostle cries, with reference to this very subject: “Beware lest any man spoil [rob] you….Ye are complete in Him…In whom also ye are circumcised…Buried with Him…risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead” (Col. 2:8-12).

How perfect and wonderful is the divine plan! In grace Christ died our death. In faith we acknowledge it was our death He died, and trust in that death to save us. And there at the Cross we become one. The response of faith to grace has united us inseparably and eternally together.

THE REALITY OF OUR RESURRECTION WITH CHRIST

The judicial, or positional aspect of this truth is, of course, most important. We read that our Lord was “delivered for our offences, and was raised again for [on account of] our justification” (Rom. 4:25). In other words, His death paid the whole penalty for our sins and procured for us full justification. Therefore He was raised from the dead. And since His death was ours, the penalty for our sins, and we have appropriated this by faith, therefore the justification and resurrection life is ours also. As we recognize Christ’s death as ours, God reckons us one with Him, as having already died for and to sin, and having been raised to walk in newness of life.

Now this judicial, positional aspect of our identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection is far from mere theory. It is fact. It is vitally real. God’s just condemnation of us for sin was real. Christ’s suffering and death for us was real. And we had to exercise real faith in Christ’s finished work before God justified us and pronounced us righteous, counting us as having already died for and to sin.

It is on the basis of this judicial transaction that the apostle argues that we have no right to continue in sin. The sins we are so prone to commit after having been justified belong to the old life, not to the new which we have in Christ. Therefore we have no right to go on in sin. “How,” he asks, “shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:2). And pointing to the fact that Christ “died unto sin once,” but now “liveth unto God,” he goes on to say:

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:11-14).

But the judicial or positional truths we have been considering are only part of the whole doctrine of our baptism into Christ, for while these positional realities affect our experience as we appropriate them by faith, our baptism into Christ is also in itself a practical and experiential matter.

When the sinner acknowledges Christ’s death as his own and trusts Christ for salvation, not only does he receive a standing before God as having been crucified, buried and raised with Christ, but the Spirit seals the transaction, uniting him in a vital, living relationship with Christ. Thus the believer actually becomes a partaker of Christ’s resurrection LIFE. There is more than justice in view here; there is the need and the impartation of life and this life, while spiritual in its nature, is none the less real.

Once more we ask: Was not Christ’s death real? Was not His death really our death? Then just so real is our resurrection life! In the first place, when we accept Christ’s death as our own and become identified with Him, we actually die to the old life in the sense that we can never again go back to our lost estate. That condition is past forever. Furthermore, we now become partakers of the resurrection life of Christ, which we can never lose (Rom. 6:9) since it is His life. As the Father has raised us from the dead judicially, so the Spirit has raised us spiritually, in the sense that He has actually imparted spiritual life. It is now ours to appropriate and enjoy the fullness of that life by faith.

In Romans 8:2 Paul speaks of this impartation of life by the Spirit as a law which operates in every believer:

“For the law of the Spirit, [that] of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

And then the apostle proceeds to show that what the law of Moses “could not do” because of the character of “the flesh,” God sent His own Son to accomplish:

“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4).

Thus, besides the moral reason why we should not continue in sin, there is also a very practical reason: the new life which the Spirit has begotten within us. This the apostle emphasizes in Romans 8, as he goes on to say:

“But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [give life to] your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh” (Vers. 11,12).

This passage is sometimes supposed to refer to the future bodily resurrection of the dead, but note that the Spirit, who dwells in us, energizes our mortal (not dead) bodies. Thus we are debtors—not to sin, but to God. We cannot excuse ourselves by saying, “I am only human after all,” or “the flesh is weak,” for we have the Holy Spirit within to strengthen our mortal bodies and help us to walk in newness of life.

The judicial and practical aspects of our resurrection with Christ are, however, closely intertwined. Ephesians 2:4-6 seems to refer to both at the same time:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us,

“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Thus the believer’s position is already in heaven, and by faith, through the power of the Spirit, he may occupy that position and enjoy its blessings experientially. This is why the apostle opens the Ephesian epistle with the doxology:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

And this is why he challenges the Colossians:

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1-3).

Notes:

  1. Lit., “from above,” but used to express: from the top, from the start, from the very beginning.
  2. We are aware of the fact that the Greek word for actual resurrection (anastasis, lit., standing up) is used almost exclusively of bodily resurrection. The words, zoopoieo, to quicken or reanimate, and egeiro, to awaken or rouse up, are the ones mainly used in connection with our present subject. This does not mean, however, that resurrection is not here contemplated, any more than that quickening or awakening are not contemplated where bodily resurrection is concerned. It is simply a matter of emphasis, for in the doctrine we are here considering, the impartation of resurrection life is mainly in view. All three words: zoopoieo, egeiro, and anastasis are used in I Corinthians 15 with reference to the resurrection of Christ.

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Part 5: The Importance of the Local Church

Posted on by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

WORSHIP IN THE LOCAL CHURCH

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

When man was created in the beginning God instilled in him the desire to worship. Man was designed to worship God. According to the Scriptures, God rested on the seventh day after He completed all of His creative acts. Although the Sabbath, as we have come to know it, was not introduced until Moses, the seventh day gave man his first opportunity to worship His Creator. Before the fall, Adam and Eve naturally sought out the presence of God when He entered the garden in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). Think of it, they communed daily with their Creator face to face in all His glory!

After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, to their dismay their eyes were opened—they had sinned against their Creator with devastating consequences! As they fled from the presence of God they hid themselves among the trees of the garden, and ever since that day long ago the natural man has been running and hiding from God. It is telling that our first parents sought to conceal their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together to make themselves aprons (Gen. 3:7). By the works of their hands they were attempting to cover themselves in order to be acceptable before God. This is the first religious act recorded in the Scriptures, which was unacceptable to God because without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11:6). Thus, the fig tree is often a symbol in the Scriptures of meaningless religious acts.

The desire of man to willingly worship the Creator was corrupted by sin. Sadly, grave damage was done that can only be corrected through redemption. The natural man hates God and the things of God, but ironically he is inherently religious. Ancient history bears witness to man’s insatiable desire to worship the “gods of the universe.” The Egyptians, for example, worshipped a pantheon of gods—Re, the sun god; Osiris, the god of the Nile; Ptah, the god of Artificers; these are just a few of the hundreds of gods to whom they paid homage. The Canaanites worshipped the gods of fertility, and Baal, the god of thunder. In the days of the Judges the Philistines paid homage to Dagon, the god of the sea (fish) and Ashtaroth, the goddess of propagation. All these nations knew about the true and living God, but chose to defy Him and worship the creation rather than the Creator.

“Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female….And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven” (Deut. 4:16,19).

God, in His infinite foreknowledge, foreknew that fallen mankind would have a propensity to worship the heavens (Psa. 147:5 cf. I Pet. 1:18-20). This would be especially true of the sun seeing that it appears to sustain life upon the earth. Interestingly, God chose not to create the sun until the fourth day of creation, which more effectively accomplished His purpose. He demonstrated to the ages that He is greater than the sun and, therefore, able to sustain life upon the earth apart from this heavenly body. God transcends His creation!

The finished work of Christ at Calvary is the answer to the sin question. Those who place their faith in Him are transformed from being worshippers of self to true worshippers of God. Only the believer in Christ can worship God in spirit and in truth.

THE MAJESTY OF GOD

In 1715, Louis XIV of France died. Louis, who called himself “the Great,” was the monarch who made the infamous statement: “I am the State!” His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was spectacular. His body lay in a golden coffin. To dramatize the deceased king’s greatness, orders had been given that the cathedral should be very dimly lighted, with only one special candle set above his coffin. Thousands waited in hushed silence. Then Bishop Massilon began to speak. Slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle, saying, “Only God is great!” (1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Edited by Michael P. Green, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, pg. 168.)

Amen!! Only God is great and greatly to be praised for the things He has done! Sadly, Christendom has moved far away from a proper view of the majesty of God. The attempt of some to water down the attributes of God has robbed believers of an accurate understanding of His true essence. The Church at large has sought to humanize God, to conform Him to their way of thinking. But the Lord has this to say about this type of reasoning:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8,9).

The magnificence of God goes far beyond our human comprehension; therefore, we bow before Him in humble adoration. He is God! He deserves all the glory and honor that is rightfully due Him! Consider for a moment, God simply spoke and worlds supernaturally came into being! He is the Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth and all things visible and invisible.

Astronomers who turn their telescopes to the heavens readily admit they cannot number the stars of heaven. It has been said: “The total number of stars in the observable universe is estimated to be 1025 (1 followed by 25 zeros). Nobody knows the actual number.” But God has not only numbered them, He has also named each and every one of them (Psa. 147:4). We marvel, as did David, that “such knowledge is high.” Infinite!!

He parted the waters of the Red Sea with the breath of His nostrils so that they stood upright as a heap, which provided safe passage for His own, but death for the Egyptians. Outside of creation itself, perhaps the greatest demonstration of His power was when He raised His only begotten Son from the dead. Such power is infinite (Psa. 147:5; Eph. 1:19,20).

When the false prophets sought to deceive Israel, supposing that God was inattentive and really didn’t care, He inquired of them: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD” (Jer. 23:24). Amazing! As the old saying goes, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”

If you read the history of the Church it is evident that reverence for God and the things of God are at a low tide today. We are living in a day when our worship services are more like social gatherings. While there are exceptions, many church services begin with the chatter of brethren trying to work out a business deal or someone catching up on the news in the community. Usually the volume is such that the one leading the service has to make two or three attempts to get everyone’s attention. The song selections are oftentimes unknown by those present and could probably be sung at a worldly concert with little or no objection. If there is time to open the Scriptures, the best you can hope for is a devotional message. Now we are not advocating that the worship service should be like a funeral dirge. What we are saying is that when we gather to worship there should be a reverence for the things of the Lord.

The English word “worship” means to attribute worth to someone or something. In the biblical sense, God is worthy of our adoration, reverence, praise, and thanksgiving because of who He is and what He has accomplished. We are to acknowledge the supremacy of God who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. The heart of our worship is the living Word of God. As we gather together on the first day of the week it is to be challenged by a capable teacher of the Scriptures that we might grow in grace and praise Him for all of His benefits. This is why regular attendance at your assembly is so important. It is essential for your spiritual growth.

Our worship of God, however, is not to be limited to a Sunday morning worship service. This is a good beginning, but it is not meant to be an end in itself. We should be in a continual attitude of worship every day of the week. This means studying the Scriptures daily that we might know the Lord in a fuller and deeper sense (Phil. 3:10). I was doing this very thing one evening when I came across a passage in the Book of Psalms that caused me to pause, and say, “Wow, how true!”

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psa. 10:4).

Although God doesn’t reside in the thoughts of the unbeliever, the Psalmist strongly implies that He does or should fill all the thoughts of the believer. I rarely, if ever, thought of God when I was in unbelief. If I did, I turned my attention to other things so I didn’t have to ponder my lost condition. I was blinded by the things of the world.

Since my conversion to Christ, my how things have changed! He now fills my thoughts throughout the day. Every time I see a sunrise or sunset that graces the horizon I marvel at the beauty of His creation. I was sitting in the doctor’s office recently for my yearly physical; on the wall was a picture of the human anatomy, which reminded me of the handiwork of God. Like David, I was led to praise Him that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

The other day my wife and I had the privilege of watching the grandkids. These opportunities have given me a much greater appreciation for those people they call referees! About midday little Katie informed Nana that Pap-pap was taking a nap in his chair (I wasn’t on duty). By the end of the day as we collapsed into bed, the last thing I remember was offering thanks to God for each of the grandkids and the little addition on the way. He fills the thoughts of those who love Him!

Paul says in Romans that we should present our bodies a living sacrifice “holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” This, too, should be done daily. The Old Testament saints worshipped God by offering burnt offerings. As the aroma of the sacrifice rose heavenward it was well-pleasing to the Lord. Under grace we worship Him by offering ourselves a living sacrifice on the altar of service. This is what is acceptable to God today. But sometimes the fire on the altar needs to be stirred up to remind us that the “things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Cor. 4:18). More on this next month!

As you can see our worship of God should not be limited to Sunday morning, as the above demonstrates. Our lives should be filled with these types of acts of worship everyday as we humble ourselves before Him who is worthy of our praise and adoration.

THE PLACE OF WORSHIP

Seeing that worshipping God is a spiritual experience, our worship of Him is not confined to a “church” building. But it is pleasing to God when we join with others of like-precious faith to worship together as a group. In fact, we are instructed not to forsake the assembling of ourselves, which some are inclined to do. When we gather with other believers in worship it gives us an opportunity to fellowship together around the Word, rightly divided, and encourage one another in the faith. The Lord has given each of us different gifts and abilities that when brought together result in a symphony of praise to the One whom we’ve gathered to worship. In addition, interaction with other believers will help you have more of a balance in your Christian life.

As we stated in a previous article, it is important to attend a Grace assembly where you know the truth of Paul’s gospel will be proclaimed. This will ensure that your relationship with Christ is resting upon the right message. But what if there isn’t a local Grace assembly in your area? The concept of the church today is large buildings, with stained glass windows, and grand pianos. While there is nothing innately wrong with large facilities, the church is not brick and mortar; it is the Lord’s people. Wherever believers in Christ choose to meet together, we have a local assembly of the true Church, which is His Body.

“And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house” (Acts 18:7,8).

After the unbelieving Jews failed to heed Paul’s warning at Corinth, he walked out of the synagogue, leaving Judaism behind, and went next door to the house of Justus and established a Grace church. Initially the assembly at Corinth was few in number, but God honored it. The church that meets in someone’s house is on equal footing with the assembly which has two hundred in attendance.

I’ve led worship services in the home where I ministered the Word, we sang, gave testimonies, and had a wonderful time of fellowship. Since it was an informal setting everyone took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions, and we even addressed a few thorny issues. But what if there isn’t someone to teach the Word? Beloved ones, we have enough taped messages and literature from our Grace organizations and churches to keep you under the sound of the Word until the Rapture. You may be surprised to learn that many of our Grace assemblies originally started in someone’s home.

Whether your local assembly meets in a “church” building or in a house, those who come among us to worship are usually searching for the truth. They are dissatisfied with what they perceive to be the failure of denominationalism to meet their spiritual needs. They have been ministered to, to a point, but they desire to have a fuller understanding of His will. The Lord’s people want to hear the Word of God. We have something to offer them that the denominations have no desire to offer—the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery. Paul’s apostleship and message freed me from the legalistic ways of men and it will free you too!

It is one thing, however, to know the grace of God, but it is an entirely different matter to make an application of it in our lives. One of the perils of having an understanding of the Word, rightly divided, is that it can become an academic exercise, leaving assemblies cold and indifferent. And many times they are totally unaware of the problem. We talk about grace, but do we practice it? At Thessalonica Paul not only preached grace, he demonstrated it!

“But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us….Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children” (I Thes. 2:7-11).

Although Paul was already a spiritual giant by this time he was not condescending with these dear saints. Instead he nurtured them in the faith like a loving mother who nurses her children. Grace is patient! He received each of them, without prejudice, celebrating the fact that they were fellow members of Christ’s Body. They were all dear to him. Grace is thoughtful! Like a father, Paul took a personal interest in them. He knew who needed a word of encouragement and who was brokenhearted and needed to be consoled. Grace is understanding! These characteristics of grace should exemplify every Grace assembly. As the hymn writer so eloquently said, “Grace `tis a charming sound, harmonious to the ear.”

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Berean Searchlight – April 2005

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Part 2: The First Step to True Spirituality

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

(The following is the second in a series of excerpts from Pastor Stam’s classic work on true spirituality. Since this book never appeared as a series in the Searchlight, many of even our long-time readers may not be familiar with these selections.)

THE NEED OF A NEW NATURE

What man needs first of all, to become truly spiritual, then, is a new nature, begotten of the Spirit of God. Our Lord put it very plainly when He said to Nicodemus:

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).

In this passage again the term flesh cannot refer merely to the physical body, for at birth a spirit and a soul, as well as a body, are brought forth. Thus the flesh here refers to the fallen Adamic nature.

Similarly, the spirit which is born of the Spirit, here, cannot be man’s own spirit, for we have already seen that the whole natural man, body, soul and spirit, is “born of the flesh,” and the very point of this passage in John 3 is that therefore men need to be born, or begotten, again—this time “of the Spirit,” i.e., the Spirit of God (Vers. 6-8).

So much is involved, however, in the impartation of spiritual life to the believer—especially as related to the present dispensation—that God uses three metaphors to describe it: birth, resurrection and creation. No one of these could adequately set it forth; all three are necessary.

Let us begin, then, with the elementary figure of the new birth.

THE NEW BIRTH

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again [anew] he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

It is not surprising that the unsaved do not see their need of the new birth apart from the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Even among those who have themselves been born anew, however, there are those who hold that the figure of the new birth applies only to Israel, not to those who live under the present dispensation. They base this conclusion on the premise that our Lord spoke to a Jew about the Jews regarding the new birth, and that Paul does not mention the subject in his epistles. This premise is wrong, however, and so are the conclusions drawn from it.

First, it should be noted that our Lord spoke to Nicodemus in broad terms about seeing and entering into the “kingdom of God.” He did not use the narrower phrase “kingdom of heaven,” which has to do with the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth (See Dan. 2:44; Matt. 5:3-5; 6:10). This is because He was referring to something which involved more than entrance into the millennial kingdom.

That believers today enter into the kingdom of God as surely as do believers in any other age is made abundantly clear in the Pauline epistles (See Rom. 14:17; I Cor. 4:20; 6:9,10; 15:50; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5; Col. 4:11; I Thes. 2:12; II Thes. 1:5).

It should further be noted that our Lord also spoke in broad terms when He said that it was necessary for “a man” to be born anew to enter into the kingdom of God.

We have no right to assume that our Lord meant that it was necessary only for a Jew to be born anew to enter into the kingdom of heaven, when He said it was necessary for a man to be born anew to enter into the kingdom of God.

Does a reader object that our Lord must have had only Jews in mind since He was at that time ministering only to Jews and was here addressing a Jew? Then we must insist that our Lord’s discussion with this prominent Jew is here recorded especially to show that all men in every age need to be born anew to enter into the kingdom of God.

An unfortunate chapter division has obscured this important fact, for the story of Nicodemus in John 3 is but a demonstration of an important assertion made at the close of Chapter 2. We link the two together here to show the connection.

“Now when [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did.

“But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them; because He knew all men,

“And needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man.

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

“The same came to Jesus by night…” (John 2:23-3:2).

To demonstrate the universal need of regeneration, God chooses this outstanding character: a ruler of the Jews, highly intellectual, rigidly moral, profoundly religious and utterly sincere in his inquiry concerning Christ.

It must have been an impressive sight: a venerable Pharisee coming to a young man (as it appeared) of thirty, respectfully addressing Him: “Rabbi,” and acknowledging Him at the outset as “a teacher come from God.”

Yet this was one of those to whom the Lord would not commit Himself; one of those who had “believed” on Him because of His miracles. As Nicodemus himself put it: “We know that Thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:2).

But this does not, nor did it ever, save a man. Thus, sweeping the ground from under Nicodemus’ feet, the Lord replies that what he needs—what any man needs—is a new life. Regardless of all his intellect, morality and religion, he must be born again—of God.

But what about the argument that the phrase “born anew” is not found in the Pauline epistles?

The answer is, first, that arguments from silence are often treacherous and, standing alone, prove nothing. Even if the Pauline epistles did not refer to the new birth, the new birth would still be a basic necessity for entrance into the kingdom of God according to the words of our Lord. But, secondly, while the exact phrase “born anew” does not occur in the Pauline epistles, the doctrine of the new birth is taught there as clearly as in any other part of the Bible.

First, it is taught by clear implication. Referring to believers, the apostle uses the words nepios: a babe, or small child, and huios: a fullgrown son. Moreover, he looks for spiritual growth in believers.

Positionally, to be sure, all believers are recognized as fullgrown sons of God from the moment they are saved, with all the rights and privileges of sonship (See Gal. 4:1-7). But in these studies we are not dealing basically with position; we are dealing with experience—the impartation of spiritual life to the sinner, and the enjoyment of it by the saint.

The righteous standing before God, which Christ purchased for all men, is of no avail to the sinner until it is accepted by faith. In the same way, the position of sonship which is ours in Christ, and the blessings that go with it, are appropriated and enjoyed only by faith. Hence the apostle rebuked the Corinthians for their carnality, calling them babes who had to be fed with milk because they could not yet digest solid food (I Cor. 3:1,2). The Hebrew believers, too, were reproved because they were still spiritual babes, when, for the length of time they had been saved, they should have been teachers of the Word (Heb. 5:12-14).

Similarly, we are told in Ephesians 4:12-15 that God gave to the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, “for the perfecting of the saints…

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine…

“But speaking [holding] the truth in love, may grow up….”

Further, Paul writes in I Corinthians 16:13:

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith; quit you [conduct yourselves] like MEN [i.e., seasoned men] be strong.”

Surely the apostle does not refer, in these passages, to the infancy, growth and maturity of the natural man. He refers to the new life which was, to begin with, begotten of the Spirit.

The words men, sons, babes, used of the spiritual life, clearly imply spiritual birth. The seasoned man had at some time in his experience come to a place of spiritual maturity. Before that he was a babe. And this, in turn, implies that he was born, for there was a specific time when the babe came into being.

In addition to all this there are two passages in Paul’s epistles which teach the new birth in a most positive manner. The first is Romans 8:16,17, where the apostle employs the word teknon: born-one.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children [born-ones] of God:

“And if children [born-ones] then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ….”

Could anything bear clearer testimony to the fact that believers under the dispensation of Grace are born anew? Surely we did not become born-ones of God by natural birth.

The other passage is Titus 3:5, where we read:

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration [Gr., palingenesia] and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

Out of the twenty-four versions of the New Testament which we have at hand, this word palingenesia is rendered regeneration by twenty, new birth by three and renaissance by one. Not one of them departs from the basic idea of new birth.

Finally, we would emphasize the fact that in the nature of the case men born of Adam must be born or begotten again to be saved. A new and different life must be imparted and begun. It is true that the life which the believer receives is Christ’s life—eternal life—which has no beginning; that in Christ the believer is immediately considered an adult. But this is a deeper truth which must be considered later. Spiritual life does have a beginning in the experience of every believer, and the need for this is given as much emphasis in the epistles of Paul as it is in the recorded words of Christ on earth.

As our Lord impressed upon Nicodemus the fact that man at his best cannot enter into the kingdom of God, since “that which is born of the flesh is flesh,” so Paul, by the Spirit, also insists:

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (I Cor. 15:50).1

Thus, while it is true that our Lord taught the new birth during His earthly ministry to Israel, it does not follow from this that this subject concerns only the nation Israel. What our Lord said concerned mankind, as such, without respect to race or time.

Notes:

  1. It is true that the apostle here contends particularly for the necessity of a new body for physical entrance into God’s presence, but does not this strengthen the argument that man in his natural state is unfit for the presence of God?

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Part 4: The Importance of the Local Church

Posted on by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

Several years ago my wife and I had the opportunity to minister the gospel of the grace of God in San Francisco. While we were there we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, which is one of the engineering wonders of the world. What many may not realize is the south pier of the bridge rests on the San Andreas Fault zone. It is said the Golden Gate had to be designed and built to withstand an 8.0 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale. Consequently, the engineers knew they needed two things—a sure foundation and flexibility!

The two towers that grace the center of the bridge were sunk deep beneath the floor of the bay and rest squarely on bedrock. The upper part of the span is secured with thousands of steel wires which provide flexibility. According to the specifications, the bridge can sway 20 feet at the center without collapsing. While all of this may be true, I wouldn’t want to be traveling across it during an earthquake!

Like the Golden Gate Bridge that is dependent upon its foundation, those who provide spiritual leadership for the local assembly must be securely anchored in the Lord. They must tower above the circumstances by setting an example for all to follow. But effective leadership also entails being flexible. Paul instructed Titus to choose elders who were “not self-willed,” that is, someone who always has to have his way, overbearing, inflexible (Titus 1:7). While a leader must never compromise the faith, he should stand ready at times to bow to the collective wisdom of those with whom he is serving in the administrative affairs of the Lord’s work. I’ve had the privilege of working with godly men over the years who didn’t always see eye to eye, but by the grace of God we were able to work through the circumstances and come to a general consensus for the sake of the ministry. We all desired His will to be accomplished, not ours!

QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ELDER

“A bishop [overseer] then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous” (I Tim. 3:2,3).

The long list of qualifications the apostle addresses here is a solemn reminder to the local church that great care should be taken in the selection of spiritual leaders. Having touched on the first two qualifications in our last lesson, the apostle adds that those being considered for the office of overseer must also be:

Vigilant: Although this term in the original is usually associated with abstinence from the drinking of wine, seeing that the apostle addresses strong drink later in the list, he is undoubtedly speaking figuratively of being spiritually sober. An overseer must not have his senses dulled by the things of the world, but have full use of all his faculties. This will enable him to be watchful, alert, observant and more cautious. In other words, he will be attentive to what’s going on in the local assembly and community in order to prevent sin and error from taking hold.

Sober: This particular word has to do with being temperate, earnest. While there is a place for humor in the pulpit, it is inappropriate to turn a worship service into a comedy show. The Lord’s people are less likely to take a pastor’s ministry seriously if he’s always trying to impress everyone with his comedic skills.

Good behavior: The Greek word Paul uses here is kosmios, which has the idea of being well arranged or orderly. In the Pastoral Ministry class that I help to teach at the Berean Bible Institute, I always share with the students that their messages should not be like a shotgun blast that hits every subject under the sun. Rather, they need to organize their thoughts and presentation so everyone can follow the theme they are weaving throughout the message. Furthermore, the demands of the ministry call for someone who does all things in an orderly fashion.

Hospitality: In biblical times, it was fairly common for someone to open their home to a guest. But being hospitable had far more in view than simply inviting a Christian friend over for dinner. Travelers were often invited to stay for days and even weeks, especially during times of persecution when many believers were left homeless or destitute. Although some may have feared for their lives for hosting the persecuted, the leaders of the assembly were to set the example by opening their homes to Christian strangers.

Apt to teach: This is one qualification we strongly believe every overseer who is considered for the office should possess. The thought is, not one who might teach, but one who is skilled and willing to teach if called upon to open the Scriptures. During a time of crisis in the local assembly those who have willingly ministered the Word are more qualified to resolve the problem, and less likely to be the problem (II Tim. 2:24,25).

Not given to wine: While wine was freely used in biblical times at meals and feasts (John 2:7-11), it was not to be abused. Drunkenness is a sin! Since strong drink is so closely associated with worldliness, we feel it is best for believers today to abstain altogether for the sake of the Lord’s work. This is particularly true of those who hold positions of leadership in the assembly.

No striker: This is an individual who is quick-tempered. There are times in the ministry when the spiritual warfare becomes so intense you can cut the atmosphere with a knife. The last thing that is needed at such times is someone in a position of leadership who’s short-fused and flies off the handle. A leader must be calm under fire! Great care should be taken here by those involved in the selection process of an elder.

Not greedy of filthy lucre: The Scriptures are clear that the workman is worthy of his hire. Seeing that a pastor and his family live in the same community as his congregation, the price of housing, utilities, groceries, gasoline, and other expenses are basically the same. Therefore his salary should be equivalent to the average income of those whom he is serving. While the local church is responsible to meet the needs of the pastor, he is not to be a lover of money. If he is preoccupied with personal gain it will distract him from fully dedicating himself to the ministry of the Word. It is important that he has his priorities in place.

Patient: A leader is to be forbearing. Those called to a new assembly to minister the Word oftentimes have high expectations of the members of their congregation. Normally what they find after the first few months is that many of their people are struggling in the faith. Then there are those who should be teachers that need to be taught again the first principles of the Word of God. Pastors and teachers need to think in terms of years, not months, when ministering to the Lord’s people. This is what leadership is all about—it’s patiently teaching, challenging, and encouraging the saints.

Not a brawler: An overseer is not to be contentious. He isn’t to be looking for a good fight because he’ll probably find one, in short order. The opposite of brawler is peacemaker! It is enjoyable to work with godly leaders that are gifted in defusing an emotionally charged discussion. They are skilled in the fine art that a little honey goes much farther than a full measure of vinegar. In other words, they understand the difference between “tact” and “contact” in maintaining good relations among the brethren.

Not covetous: There are those who selfishly enter the ministry for all the wrong reasons. And they do so at their own peril! Since the apostle already dealt with the issue of the love of money he is apparently addressing other lustful desires, such as coveting what others possess, hoping to be rewarded by them in some way. There are also some ministers of the gospel who merely desire fame and popularity. Consequently, they use the Lord’s people to catapult themselves into the lime light. A pastor who humbles himself before the Lord is more precious than fine gold.

A SUPERINTENDENT OF GOD

“One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)” (I Tim. 3:4,5).

In these passages, Paul gives the local church a general guideline to follow in the appointment of a ruling elder or a pastor. The word “ruleth” here has the idea of one who presides over his home. A husband and father who upholds his God-given responsibility in his own house is usually a good candidate to serve the household of God. Leadership begins at home! If a man cannot manage his own family it is unlikely he will be an effective leader in the assembly. For example, if his children are swinging from the church balcony and fail to obey the warning of their father, why would we think children of God would heed him? They won’t take him seriously any more than his children do.

According to the Scriptures, the role of a husband/father is to serve as a household manager. Therefore he understands the importance of delegating authority in the home. If his wife is organized and enjoys working with the budget he may want to call upon her to manage the financial affairs of the home. He also takes the initiative to assign each of the children specific chores around the house to help ease the burden on Mom and Dad.

The same is true in the church. Although most local assemblies are convinced their pastor is Hercules, the truth of the matter is he’s human, frail, and given to bouts of exhaustion after working a 60-hour week. It’s little wonder that the most effective pastors in the ministry are proficient at delegating authority to others. It’s called survival!!

Delegation! A pastor should call on others (preferably two other elders) to assist him with hospital visits. The more outgoing members of the assembly can help him with the visitation of shut-ins and newcomers. The church services should always be conducted by someone from the congregation who feels comfortable in front of others, which includes leading the congregational singing. Throughout the week the church secretary or a volunteer should field phone calls for the pastor and assist him with all of his correspondence. By spreading the responsibilities of the ministry among the assembly it eases the burden of the pastor and involves others in the work of the ministry.

I am sure there are those reading these lines thinking to themselves, but we hired the pastor to do all this work! In fact, we pay him a good salary! But what do the Scriptures say? Please read prayerfully Ephesians 4:11-16! The concept of a “One-Man Band,” is not what the Lord had in mind for the ministry of the pastor.

The pastor of the local assembly is God’s superintendent. While he should oversee all of the above ministries, and even be involved in them from time to time, his primary responsibility is to research, study, and open the Scriptures so all can grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. When I had my pulpit ministry I used to deliver four messages per week, so I can speak from personal experience that it takes time, lots of time, to prepare messages that are edifying. In addition, a block of time is needed to go over each message to give an adequate presentation. Add to this the hours your pastor spends counseling those who are overcome with sorrow and you have a full schedule.

“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:8,9).

Our Grace Pastors and Bible teachers are to be commended for their willingness to stand in the defense and confirmation of Paul’s gospel. Our message holds out hope to all those dear saints who are entangled in the confusion of denominationalism. However, we are seeing a troubling trend in the Grace Movement. A growing number of pastors and teachers have taken up strange doctrines while others seem to always be dwelling on secondary issues. Essentially they are majoring on minors! The danger here, of course, is that the Mystery is increasingly becoming unimportant and even neglected in order to promote these teachings, which are questionable at best. We fear Satan is attempting to get the brethren sidetracked on peripheral issues.

We believe our time and energy is far better spent on preaching Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery and confirming the fundamentals of the faith that are time-honored. This we can and will fulfill by the grace of God. Paul never wavered in his proclamation of the Mystery. Can the same be said of us? There needs to be a redirection in the movement back to winning lost souls to Christ, making known the Mystery, and comforting the destitute with our blessed hope. In short, we need to return to the simplicity of Paul’s gospel.

When we consider the privilege of having an understanding of the Word, rightly divided, we should have an attitude of thankfulness like that of Matthew Henry, who after being robbed counted his blessings. Shortly after being accosted by thieves and robbed of his wallet, he wrote these words in his diary:

“Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because, although they took my wallet, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because, it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.” (Encyclopedia of 7,000 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, Assurance Publishers, Rockville, Maryland, page 1456.)

May we be thankful first, for those who taught us the Mystery; second, for the God-given responsibility to make it known to others; third, for those of like-precious faith that we serve with in the local assembly; and fourth, for the opportunity to pray for one another.

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In Christ — The New Man

Posted on by Pastor Joe S. Leftwich

(Pastor Joe Leftwich recently retired from the pulpit ministry after years of service in the Evangelical Free Churches of America. During this period, he writes, “There was never time, it seemed, to just study and sense more of His presence.” We are happy to report that the fruits of his study have brought him to an understanding of the Mystery. We’re sure you are going to rejoice, as we did, at how far he has come in such a short period of time.)

In Christ we were made “a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17). “Even when we were dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5). “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 2:6). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).

The Scriptures declare that the things above have already been done (past tense) to and for the believer in Christ! What part did we play in the above actions? Zero!

Not only are the above statements true, but there are many other descriptive elements in having been made new creatures in Christ. We died to sin (Rom. 6:2). We were “baptized into His death” (Rom. 6:3). We were “buried with Him” (Rom. 6:4). We were raised with Him in our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:4). Our “Old Man” was crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6). Our “body of sin” has been done away with (Rom. 6:6), so we should not let sin reign in our mortal bodies (Rom. 6:12).

We were washed, sanctified, and justified (1 Cor. 6:11). We were made “complete” in Him (Col. 2:10). Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). We were made ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). We reign in grace, in Christ and “in life” (Rom. 5:17). We reign! We can choose to offer our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1). We reign! We can choose “not to be conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2). We reign! We can choose to renew our minds that we might “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:2). We can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

Does this list of things God has already done in and for every believer in Christ for eternity surprise you? Everything in Scripture from Genesis through mid-Acts has been leading up to this crowning of God’s love for mankind and is now being revealed by His Apostle Paul, today, in this age of Grace.

God’s chosen people, the Jews, had lived through many generations and several administrations (dispensations) in which God had been revealing Himself to His people in many ways: through His Law, for instance, given through Moses. But even while the Law was being delivered by God to Moses in the mountain, His chosen people were involved in gross sin down below. God had delivered them out of Egypt and had led them through the wilderness, by the supernatural pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day. He also gave them supernaturally, manna from heaven and water out of the Rock.

The list could go on, but these things are not new to most people with a cursory knowledge of Scripture. God had promised His people a Messiah, and they looked for Him with great anticipation. It is recorded in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, that God had sent their Messiah, Jesus Christ, into the world to be Savior of the world. It is stated simply but magnificently that, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11).

The four Gospels covered the administration of the old covenant under the Law. The New Covenant could not begin until the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ which of course came at the end of the four Gospels. Therefore, one could argue that the choice of those translating and publishing the Bible arguably could have put the four Gospels as the last four books of the Old Testament.

The emphasis of this article will be on the importance of knowing Paul’s message to both Jews and Gentiles during this age of Grace, with a special emphasis on the application of his message to the lives of believers. In this article we will be focusing on the Mystery which has been hidden from (past) ages and generations which God is now revealing through His Apostle Paul to His saints, and through His saints to the world, which is, “Christ in you” (Col. 1:26,27).

“Christ in you” is the seminal truth of our lives as Christians here on this earth; the root, stem, branches and fruit of this truth as it blossoms in our understanding of who we are, and this growing realization that there is a whole new you, created in Christ Jesus. This understanding of our new identity makes us capable of fulfilling all of His expectations of how He wants us to live in this world, in this present lifetime, as new creations in Christ dwelling in our old mortal body of flesh, well pleasing to Him.

We, as Christians, have a tendency to be negative about our ability to live our lives well pleasing to God. We tend to emphasize what we can not do. The enemy is just too powerful, it is said. Our “old nature,” it is argued, has habits that are systemic and demand constant gratification, that are beyond our ability to control even if we are Christians. This, they say, is our dilemma.

The reasoning in this article assumes that the reader has believed the gospel and has been baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ. This is essential because the “natural man” cannot understand the things of God.

How would you describe the average Christian’s understanding of what it means to be “saved” and how he should live the Christian life in today’s world? Who does he believe himself to be? How does he understand his relationship and responsibilities to God?

Most conservative Christians believe that they are saved, usually quoting John 3:16. Most believe that they should attend church, get involved in Bible classes, support missions and the local church in its endeavors to spread the gospel. And most have pastors who preach ninety-five percent of their Sunday messages with texts from the four Gospels. Their pastors probably cover the essential beliefs and activities as Christians until Jesus comes again to rapture His Church, His Body.

Now let us look at the contrast in messages as given by Paul in his epistles and those given by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4 that Jesus was born under the Law. God’s administration here on earth covered by the Gospels was a life under the Law. The Apostle John wrote in John 1:11: “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” What gospel was being preached by Jesus? Mark 1:14,15: “Jesus came, into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” And in Matthew 4:17: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'”

Where, by whom, and to whom was this message of the kingdom of God to be preached? This is recorded in Matthew 10:1-8: “And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease….These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils….”

The message, the messengers, and the ones to whom the message was given were all a different administration than what one finds in Paul’s epistles to “the Church which is His Body.” Surely this is enough material to make the case that the four Gospels were written to the Jews, and purposely excluded the Gentiles when Jesus said specifically, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles.” Another clear indication of the difference between the Gospels and the other books of the New Testament was the whole way of life at that time.

Let’s review the period of the Gospels: The Law, the Temple, and the offerings were in full operation during all of the life of Jesus on this earth. God made His offering of The Lamb of God, His Son, “without blemish and without spot” for the sins of Israel.

Through past ages and generations the prophets spoke of the coming Messiah, who would be the Great Deliverer of the Jews; Jesus was that Messiah. He was born under the Law. He came to His own while under the Law and His own received Him not. There are hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The Father’s giving of His Son as an offering for sins through Israel and the Son’s coming to give Himself are recorded in John 1:1-14. John wrote in Verse one, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;” and in Verse 14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory….”

Jesus, to fulfill the requirements of the Law concerning His being offered by God as “The Lamb of God” for sin, must be observed for the required period of time to be declared that He was without blemish. Jesus fulfilled this requirement by living among them for thirty-three years and was declared to be without blemish. He was the only acceptable offering for the sins of the world. He lived His life and ministered among His people right up until it was time for Him to be offered by His Father for the sins of all mankind, from Adam and Eve to every man, woman and child who will ever be born into this world, which was ultimately revealed “in due time” through Paul’s gospel (1 Tim. 2:3-7).

So the four Gospels were all about God’s coming to His own as their Messiah. He loved them and had a feast prepared for them but they would not come to the table. He came to His own and His own received Him not. The Son also gave Himself up as an offering for us Gentiles. The offer is still open.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have recorded for all eternity the coming of the Son of God into the world as a baby born to Mary and Joseph, His life as a child, His ministry to “His own,” the Jews, reaching, teaching, healing, and performing miracles. I don’t know of any references in the Gospels about Christ coming to the Gentiles. Therefore, I urge that we understand and accept the obvious purpose of the Gospels.

I believe it is a grievous mistake for Gentiles to claim the Gospels as their guide for being born into the Body of Christ. The writings of the Apostle Paul contain God’s invitation to the Gentiles: I Corinthians 15:1-4: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved….For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

The four Gospels on the other hand record Jesus, born under the Law, coming to His own (the Jews), preaching to them day after day, demonstrating His Messiahship, and proclaiming His love for them and giving Himself as an offering for sins, first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles. God’s gospel, given to Nicodemus, is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This was the message of John to his people, the Jews, that they might enter the kingdom of God.

Why am I emphasizing that the Gospels were written primarily to the Jews? Because there are a great number of Christians, including many pastors, who live in the Gospels with John 3:16 as their salvation verse and missionary programs patterned after them. The missionary program Paul proclaims is that of every believer having been appointed as a living ambassador for Christ, permeating the world as messengers for Christ. God sent another message and another messenger to the Gentiles: the message of Grace through His messenger, the Apostle Paul.

So hopefully, we have proved that the four Gospels are not the source of God’s message for this age for which Paul has been chosen as God’s apostle to reveal His message to the Gentiles. Hopefully, we have also proved that the four Gospels, precious as they are, do not reveal this mystery that the Apostle Paul has been divinely chosen to reveal. So let us seek to understand this great revelation of God’s Mystery: Christ in you the hope of glory.

I see Romans 5:9,10 as being the transition statement of God from life under the law of sin and death to life under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. So, my fellow believers in Christ, reason with me as we look at these two verses that describe this transition: “Much more, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” and “much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Think with me for a minute, why does Paul use the phrase “much more”? Notice where he uses it. He uses it just before “having been justified and saved by His blood from the wrath of God.” What could possibly be “much more” than being saved from the wrath of God? I thought this was what being saved was all about! But Paul tells us there is something “much more” than being saved from the wrath of God. What is it, Paul? Paul answers briefly and succinctly, “We shall be saved by His life.”

“We shall be saved by His life.” This is really what all the rest of our study is about. It is about our being in Christ, new creatures in Christ, and we will find that this is what it means to be “saved by His life.” Before you were saved from the wrath of God, you were dead in trespasses and sin. But when you believed the gospel you were made alive in Christ! You were dead in trespasses and sin but now you are being saved by His life.

We are going to learn together what this life in Christ and being saved by His life is all about. The Christian is unique, he is a “new man” in Christ! This is what is meant by being “saved by His life;” “Christ in you, the hope of glory”! We can understand being saved by His death, burial, and resurrection, but then we must discover an adequate meaning for our “being saved by His life.”

Frankly, my mind is settled on the question. I have been made alive in Christ and I have been made a new creature in Christ; my life in this mortal body, this body of flesh, is being saved by my being in Christ. “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life”!

We have looked at the message, now let us look at the messenger. The designated messenger to the Gentiles is the Apostle Paul. In Acts 9:15,16, the Lord sent Ananias to minister to Saul, telling him, “Go thy way; for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.”

Conclusion: it was Paul and Paul alone that was called to go to the Gentiles. I am a Gentile, so I reason that God would have me go to the writings of Paul for instructions about who I am, what God expects of me and what provisions He has given for my being able to carry out His instructions. Why do we Christians who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ go to the Gospels, which were written to the Jews who were under the Law, for instructions about how we are to live our lives under Grace? 1

God’s gospel to the Gentiles now includes the resurrection of Christ, and is proclaimed by Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth in I Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures: And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Paul’s salvation message includes Christ’s resurrection and adds the fact that the believer is baptized into Christ. This baptism is not symbolic. We believers have been placed into the body of Christ. There are about 55 phrases using the phrase “in Christ.” We can now say that Paul teaches that every believer in the gospel, as he has given it, is a new creature, or creation, in Christ.

I submit that today’s popular mixing of these messages given by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to the Jews and that of the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles is a confusion of God’s administrations of Law and Grace. Those living under the Law could, as Jesus told Nicodemus, be “born again” and have eternal life; but nothing is said to Nicodemus about being “new creatures in Christ.” If one understands even a little bit about what God has done for the believer in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, he will not confuse these messages.

As a new creature in Christ, God can now reveal spiritual truths to you about His will for your life. A part of this revelation to us is found in Colossians 1:27: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Stop in some of these places and just memorize and meditate. These are majestic statements. Think about it! God willed, God exercised His will to make known the “riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles” defined as “Christ in you the hope of glory”! If we are to attempt to understand a revelation of this magnitude, we must study the Scriptures in which it is revealed.

Paul has defined the core meaning of this revelation as being “Christ in you.” Think about it! God through Paul is revealing this “Mystery” to “His saints,” you and me who have believed His gospel. Ask yourself, what fits this explanation better than what we are now studying? It fits exactly this extraordinary truth of God taking us, who were dead in trespasses and sin, and making us alive in Jesus Christ, and making us new creatures in Christ.

With this in mind, read this benediction from Paul: “Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith” (Rom. 16:25-26).

God has prepared us with power and promises to carry out any instructions He gives, so that we can live our lives in the flesh, in this world, well pleasing to Him. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. He wants us, you and me, to act in our own lives to carry out His will. For example, look at something God asks you to do that would have been impossible before becoming a new creature in Christ. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Paul wrote these words to the Corinthian Christians in II Corinthians 7:1.

Given our preparation by God as explained in the list of things God has done in every believer to prepare us to live a life well pleasing to Him, what should your response be to His request? How about, “Yes Father, I know that You would not ask me to do something that I could not do. I will start identifying those things in my life that are contrary to Your will and do some cleansing of myself from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

We know that we will never “perfect” holiness; we will never do a complete cleansing of ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit while we are living here on this earth in this mortal body of flesh, which has a nature of strong desires it wants satisfied, but we can be “perfecting” (working on) it. So let us take a look at what we are faced with in regard to our flesh. Our flesh has appetites and is constantly suggesting to our minds that we fulfill these appetites whether or not they are moral, legal, or healthy.

Even though we are “renewing our minds,” we will still have old memories of the things we did in the flesh that were contrary to God’s will, but were very pleasing, and our flesh, calling on these memories, constantly suggests that we do those same things we enjoyed so much. This is a lifetime battle, “for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:17).

The Scriptures list three sources of temptations: the lust of the eyes (coveting); the lust of the flesh (food, sex, etc.), and the pride of life (vanity, arrogance: Look at who I am, or what I have, or what I have done!). Are you able to distinguish between lust and the natural healthy desires one has, to succeed and enjoy the good things of life? One difference is that lust will lead you to break God’s laws. The natural enjoyment of our desires that are in accordance with God’s will is what life is all about. Adam and Eve were meant to enjoy gratification of the natural desires that God had given them for food, beauty, sexual relations and having children.

One lust is the desire for sexual fulfillment outside of God’s will. Enjoying God’s gifts is wonderful. Lust is disastrous. Lust is never satisfied! Lust knows not logic; it knows only: “but I want it.” But you can now say, “You can’t have it!” It may take many repetitions and a period of time to put to death these deeds of the flesh, but we are directed to make this a lifetime quest. Lust begins in the brain as a thought that enters the ear gate or the eye gate. This is an extremely important subject and is worthy of more time than we have in this basic core study of Scriptural observations about lust. Lust is a strong desire for something that will bring immediate personal, sensual gratification without regard as to whether it is moral or lawful. Biblical lust carries the idea that it has gone beyond just being tempted. Lust cares not a whit about what damage is done or who it offends or hurts.

You, believer in Christ, are living in and ruling from, your brain. This is made clear from such instructions from Paul as Romans 6:12-13: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” One’s brain is the only part of who we are in which information is taken in, thought about, and in which decisions are made and sent out as commands to the members of our body to carry out.

These are direct instructions to Christians in this verse, “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Can you refuse to obey your lusts? God says you not only can, but that you should. God does not ask you to do something that you cannot do. As we discovered earlier, we can be using Romans 8:13: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Let’s highlight this last half of this last sentence, “But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Satan tempts by bringing thoughts to one’s mind. The thought itself is not sin. What one does with that thought determines whether it becomes sin. Is the thought entertained, encouraged and enjoyed, or recognized for what it is and rejected? Satan put some thoughts into the mind of Jesus that if they had been entertained and acted on would have been sin. But Jesus, knowing His enemy’s strategy, immediately answered with quotations from the Scriptures. Satan can put thoughts, terribly wrong thoughts, into our minds, but if they are immediately recognized for what they are and rejected, it is a victory of our new man’s battle with the flesh.

The natural man doesn’t have concern about such things. To him they are just natural appetites to be satisfied any way they can. I Corinthians 2:14: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The Christian, on the other hand, has guidelines to follow. Under Law or under Grace, it is still wrong to lie, commit adultery, cheat, or steal. In fact, the believer has a higher standard, he is not to commit adultery in his heart.

While we are doing battle, it is comforting to know that as believers under Grace our actions do not determine our eternal destiny. That has already been settled for eternity. The believer has already been seated at the right hand of God in Christ Jesus in heavenly places. He wants us to know that we are secure in Him, and God never changes His mind!

The law has no power to change a man’s heart. It can only reveal trespasses: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4). Because of what God has done, even though we now walk according to the flesh, God has made it possible for us to walk according to the Spirit!

Remember, “they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit,” and “to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:5-6). What kind of a “mind-set” do we have?

Romans 8:9: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”

This tells us that the believer is “in Christ.” We, as spirit beings, were dead in trespasses and sin, but now have been made alive in Christ and raised up with Him and seated with Him at the right hand of God in heavenly places in Christ. This is our eternal position.

To affirm the obvious, the Scriptures say that we are right now seated at the right hand of God in heavenly places in Christ. And yet experientially we are alive in our old mortal body of flesh here on earth; here on the battlefield of this world, living our new lives in Christ as ambassadors for Christ in our old body of flesh with all its old natural desires and appetites. This, from a natural point of view, seems to be an untenable position, but from a spiritual point of view we have already been assured of the victory.

These spiritual truths cannot be proven by science and are not experienced by natural man’s senses: thinking, seeing, feeling, hearing, or tasting. The things we learn from God are learned only through faith, believing what the Spirit of God has said to us through the Holy Scriptures.

I pray that you have a good grasp of this situation because it is from this description of who we are in Christ that we are going to study Paul’s epistles, discovering, interpreting and implementing his instructions as to how we can and should live our lives in a manner well pleasing to God.

We are called “His workmanship”: “For we are His workmanship, created in Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

Please see this: that God has made it possible for you, a believer in Christ, to partake and participate in your own spiritual growth and development. We, being who we are “in Christ,” can “by the Spirit of God” be putting to death the deeds of the body, thereby “perfecting holiness”; not “PERFECT holiness” but “PERFECTING holiness.” These are God’s words not mine!

Paul, by the Holy Spirit has asked us to “cleanse ourselves”: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). Why would Paul ask us to do this? Do you think he really wants us to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit? Absolutely! Will we be completely successful? Absolutely not! But we can constantly be applying ourselves to the concept of putting to death the deeds of the flesh in the spirit of obedience to His Word.

Do you agree that Romans 8:13, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live,” is a good verse to implement 2 Corinthians 7:1: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”? This is an ongoing perfecting of holiness in our lives that we can and should be doing for the balance of our lives here on earth in our flesh.

If you would like to drop Brother Leftwich a note of encouragement you can contact him at: 217 W. Miami Street, Broken Arrow, OK 74011.

Berean Searchlight – March 2005

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Part 1: True Spirituality

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

(The following is the first of a series of excerpts from Pastor Stam’s classic work on true spirituality. Since this book never appeared as a series in the Searchlight, many of even our long-time readers may not be familiar with these selections.)

“He that is spiritual judgeth [discerneth] all things, yet he himself is judged [discerned] of no man” (I Cor. 2:15).

The truly spiritual man is so far above the wisest sages of this world, yes, so far above the mass of Christians with whom he comes into contact, that he can understand them, but they can never quite understand him.

We should all long to be truly spiritual, but what is true spirituality? This is the question we seek to answer in this book by the Scriptures—and the Scriptures rightly divided.

Our libraries contain many books on this subject, written by able men of God. The reason for the appearance of this, still another, however, is quite simple.

The professing church has so long built upon the false premise that the present dispensation began at Pentecost with the “pouring out” of the Holy Spirit, that the vast majority of the books written on spirituality take their readers back to Pentecostal days to find the pattern for true spirituality. Most of these necessarily do this with reservations and qualifications, since the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost was accompanied by tongues, healing and other miraculous demonstrations, along with a communal way of life which is incompatible with God’s program for today, as revealed through the Apostle Paul.

We “believe, and are sure,” however, that the present dispensation began, not with Peter and the eleven at Pentecost, but with Paul, to whom the risen, glorified Lord later revealed His will and program for our day. We therefore believe, further, that the truth about the Spirit’s operation today is to be found in Paul’s epistles and such other Scriptures as are compatible with them.

True Spirituality first appeared as a series of articles in Truth magazine, the official organ of Milwaukee Bible College. With a few minor changes and corrections we now send it forth in book form, praying that God will graciously use it to lead many into a sane, balanced and truly spiritual Christian experience.

SCRIPTURAL SPIRITUALITY

What is meant by such terms as “he that is spiritual” (I Cor. 2:15) and “ye which are spiritual” (Gal. 6:1) in the Scriptures? What is true spirituality in the Bible sense of the word?

In proceeding to answer this question we must first observe that true spirituality does not consist merely in the domination of a man’s life by his spirit, rather than by his soul or his body, for with the entrance of sin man’s whole being was “alienated from the life of God” (Eph. 4:17-19) and he became, spirit, soul and body, a fallen creature. Moreover, as we have seen, man’s perverted soul now, rather than being the seat of simple self-consciousness, became that of self-importance and self-interest, and this had a devastating effect upon his spirit, setting the whole inner man at enmity against God (Rom. 8:7; Col. 1:21).

An examination of the Bible usage of the word pneuma will soon dispel the notion that the quality of spirit is in itself necessarily good. Again and again we read in the Scriptures of “unclean” and “evil” spirits (Mark 1:23; Luke 7:21, etc.). In I Peter 3:19,20 we read of “spirits in prison,” who were cast there for their disobedience to God in the days of Noah. Satan himself is, as we know, “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2) and believers are explicitly warned that their warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12). Indeed, the fact that we are called upon to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of “the flesh [referring to the physical man when thus linked with the spirit] and spirit” (II Cor. 7:1) and that some do seek to be “holy both in body and in spirit” (I Cor. 7:34) indicates clearly that man’s spirit did not remain undefiled in the fall.

Hence it is not enough that our lives be dominated by our spirits. The whole man, spirit, soul and body, must be dominated by the Spirit of God. Spiritual men, in the Bible sense of the term, are those who possess “the Spirit which is of God” (I Cor. 2:12) appreciate and respond to “the things of the Spirit of God” (I Cor. 2:14) are “led by the Spirit of God” (Rom. 8:14) and thus bear “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22).

That Scriptural spirituality has to do with the work of the Spirit of God in the believer, is clear from I Corinthians 2:11, where the Apostle Paul points out that just as no one could understand “the things of a man” if it were not for “the spirit of man which is in him,” so no one can understand “the things of God” except by “the Spirit of God.”

The mere fact that fallen man himself is, or has, a spirit does not help him to understand God or to be more like Him. This fact should be carefully noted by those who seek to please God by constantly—and vainly—attempting to attain to their “higher” selves.

THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH

In this connection the Pauline epistles have much to say about the flesh (Gr., Sarx) in an ethical sense, as signifying, not merely the physical body, nor even the body and the soul, but the fallen, Adamic nature in man, as it affects his whole being, including even his spirit.

In the flesh, says the apostle, “dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:18). He calls it “sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3). He tells us that “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit” (Gal. 5:17) that it seeks “occasion” to do wrong (Gal. 5:13) and that “the works of the flesh” are all bad (Gal. 5:19-21).

It is important that we understand that more than the physical body, or even the body and the soul, is meant by the term “flesh” in such passages as these. The apostle refers to the old nature as it operates in the whole man.

Often, to be sure, man’s fallen nature expresses itself in the abandoned gratification of sensual passions, but on the other hand it may express itself in an attempt to control those passions. The “old man” may be outwardly moral and upright and, indeed, quite religious. He may faithfully observe fasts and feasts and holy days. He may strive to keep his body under control, disciplining himself by participation in ascetic practices in “a voluntary humility,” while actually he is all the more displeasing to God because he is “puffed up by his fleshly mind,” supposing that he is making something of himself. And meanwhile the “ordinances” to which he “subjects” himself and even his “neglecting of the body” fail to prove “of any value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Col. 2:18-23) for the simple reason that all these efforts merely represent an attempt by the flesh to improve himself.

Little wonder that we read not only that “he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption” (Gal. 6:8) but that even “to be carnally minded is death…. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:6,7).

“So then, they that are in the flesh [I.e., live in the realm of the old nature.] cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8). This is important to remember. No matter how educated or cultured or religious the natural man may be, he CANNOT PLEASE GOD.

We have dealt with this subject at some length in order that the reader may not be misled into supposing that if only his spirit could somehow get control over his body he would be a better man, for his spirit, soul and body are from infancy controlled by the fallen Adamic nature—the flesh.

What the sinner needs is a new nature, begotten of the Spirit of God, so that God Himself may have control.

PREVALENT FORMS OF PSEUDO-SPIRITUALITY

Before explaining from the Scriptures how sinners may become “partakers of the divine nature,” something further must be said about what spirituality is not.

In addition to sincere, though vain, attempts by the unsaved to improve the old nature, there are various forms of pseudo-spirituality which many, even among God’s people, have mistaken for the real thing, supposing that they evidence a working of the Spirit of God within.

With some, pure emotionalism is taken for spirituality. Natural emotional reactions to touching stories, impassioned appeals or beautiful sacred music is thought to be the working of the Spirit within, and those who react readily to these things are thought to be quite spiritual.

With others solemnity is taken for spirituality. They feel that true believers should be always grave and so they go about with bowed head, a long face and a generally sober bearing or, perhaps, try to affect deeper spirituality by so doing, while others—who do not know them well—remark on their piety.

With others again it is the very opposite. They mistake cheerfulness for spirituality and look upon those who are quickest to shout “praise the Lord,” or who seem always happy, as being most spiritual.

Very often, of course, mere ceremonialism is confused with spirituality. Observing a “sacrament,” gazing at a “sacred” picture or statue, kneeling at an altar; such things may be, and often are, mistaken for spirituality.

Perhaps the most prevalent counterfeit of true spirituality is that which believers are least apt to suppose they would ever be deceived by: superstition, which plays so largely upon the imagination. A young man seeks to determine the Lord’s will for his life by flipping his Bible open and letting his finger alight at random upon some passage which is supposed to indicate the leading of the Lord. A housewife seeks guidance for the day by taking a promise at random from a “promise box”—a promise which may not at all apply to her and which she will have to “spiritualize” in some way to make it fit. Another says: “I talked with the Lord about it and He said….” Often the most unscriptural practices or courses of action are justified in this way. When people tell us this we generally inquire further into the matter. We ask: “Just what did the Lord say to you?” “How did He say it?” “Did you hear His voice?”

We believe that God does indeed speak to His children directly in His Word and indirectly through circumstances, but even in Bible times it was comparatively seldom that man ever heard the voice of God. Generally what “the Lord said,” in such cases as the above, was nothing more than some wholly human emotion felt or opinion arrived at—and as wholly unreliable. If what “the Lord said” was a genuine conviction, based on the revealed will of God, then it may be said that God spoke to the individual through His Word, doubtless in answer to prayer, but the impression should not be given that the Lord “said” or “whispered” something, while the individual was engaged in prayer. Those who imagine that they have such experiences and suppose that this reflects some degree of spirituality on their part should search the Scriptures and learn that in the days when God did speak to men by word of mouth, or by angelic appearances, He did so to the wicked and ungodly as well as to His saints. Doubtless our adversary would gladly have us occupied with imaginary “voices” and “revelations” and so displace the now-completed revelation in the Holy Scriptures.

Let us not be misunderstood. We do not say that emotional reactions or sincere solemnity or cheerfulness are wrong. We simply say that they should not be confused with true spirituality. The unsaved can experience similar emotional reactions to those which are felt by the saved. The unsaved too may be cheerful or grave. Certainly ceremonialism and superstition have a large place among the unsaved. Yet the unsaved, whatever their emotional experiences, however solemn or cheerful, however given over to ceremonialism or superstition, are far from spiritual.

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Part 3: The Importance of the Local Church

Posted on by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

If we were to choose a model of leadership from the Old Testament, the honor would probably go to Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer of the Persian King Artaxerxes. The cupbearer essentially tasted all the food and drink before it was served to the king to ensure it wasn’t laced with poison. It was one of those high-risk positions that came with hazardous pay. The concept was: carry out the cupbearer in a basket dead, but “long live the king.”

Cupbearer was a prestigious position that was only given to those who were highly respected by the king. Since leadership is best defined as influence, a leader must first earn the respect of others. Artaxerxes held Nehemiah in such high esteem that he didn’t hesitate to grant his servant’s request to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall of the city. He even gave him the building materials to complete the project (Neh. 2:5-8).

Another characteristic of effective leadership is action. Leaders are people who get things done while others are pondering all the obstacles. When Nehemiah learned that his countrymen were suffering afflictions at Jerusalem, the walls of the city lay in ruin, and the gates burned, he immediately sought the Lord in prayer. He humbly confessed the sins of his nation, in which he included himself, and reminded the Lord of His promise to Moses that if the nation turned back to God, He would restore them (Neh. 1:5-11). Although the problem seemed to be insurmountable, Nehemiah faced the crisis head-on. This is the mark of a good leader. Rather than run for cover or dwell on the problem, he sought to find a solution to the crisis (Neh. 2:11-18). Usually the Lord’s people are quick to point out trouble, but when the volleys begin to cross the bow of a conflict, they are usually nowhere to be found when the smoke clears. Consequently leaders often find themselves standing alone!

According to the law of physics, anytime something moves it causes friction. This is also true in the things of the Lord; not everyone is going to agree with a leader’s decisions. No sooner had Nehemiah announced his plan to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem when opposition arose to the project in the form of personal attacks and death threats (Neh. 2:19; 4:1,7-11). Discouragement is often the weapon of choice for those who oppose the will of the Lord. Leaders are those who are willing to roll up their sleeves and become personally involved. They lead by example, yet at the same time they know how to delegate authority to others to ease the burden. Essentially, Nehemiah had a hammer in one hand and a sword in the other (Neh. 4:6,17,18,21-23).

LEADERSHIP IN THE LOCAL CHURCH

“This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work” (I Tim. 3:1).

Godly leadership in the local church is essential to the spiritual life of the assembly. Those who hold these positions are given the moral and spiritual oversight of the church, which is something that should never be taken lightly. In regard to the appointment of elders, the Lord strikes a balance between the human side and the divine side. Humanly speaking, a man must desire the office of an overseer. On the divine side, Paul states to the Ephesian elders: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Note that God the Holy Spirit “made” or “appointed” the Ephesian elders as overseers to give guidance to the assembly. Here then we have two sides of the same coin—human and divine. Both are necessary in the calling of an elder.

“If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless….Likewise must the deacons be grave….For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree” (I Tim. 3:1,2,8,13).

Before we consider the authority structure which God has ordained for the local church, we must first define our terms and address an unwarranted tradition. The term “bishop” is the Greek word episkopos, which has the idea of overseer. Its corresponding part presbuteros or elder is defined as one who is older and more mature. These two terms are often used interchangeably and refer to the same individual. For example:

“For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders (presbuteros) in every city, as I had appointed thee….For a bishop (episkopos) must be blameless” (Titus 1:5,7).

While some denominations point to Paul’s usage of “the office of a bishop” to establish a hierarchy over their churches, we fail to see any such teaching in his epistles. Denominationalists essentially believe that a bishop presides over other ministers and has a superior rank in the administrative affairs of their assemblies. However, as we have seen, the terms “bishop” and “elder” are synonymous; therefore, the office simply refers to the function of overseeing. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers [bishops], to feed the church of God” (Acts 20:28). Notice that the Holy Spirit refers to the bishops (plural) as ones who were collectively working together to govern the assembly at Ephesus. The responsibility of those who hold the office, especially those who labor in the Word and doctrine, is to feed the church of God (I Tim. 5:17).

The bishop/elder then is an overseer who provides spiritual leadership for the assembly. In addition to faithfully teaching the Word of God he is to manage, maintain order, investigate grievances, and generally watch over the things of the Lord.

The other office to which Paul makes reference in his epistles is deacon. “Likewise must the deacons [Gr. diakonos] be grave…” (I Tim. 3:8). The deacons are those leaders who attend to the physical needs of the local assembly. Thayer describes those who hold this office as “one who executes the commands of another…a servant, or attendant. One who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use.” Under the direction of the elders, the deacons are responsible to attend to the offerings, distributions to the needy, building and grounds, etc. They, too, are to be spiritually minded as they carry out the duties of their office to the glory of God (Acts 6:1-7 cf. I Tim. 3:9,13).

Administratively, the positions of elder/overseer and deacon are the only two offices found in the special revelation given to Paul (Phil. 1:1).

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

As we noted earlier, the term “elder” implies age. Those chosen to hold this position in the local church should be seasoned and well-grounded in the faith. But what is the age requirement, if any, taught in Paul’s epistles? Although a specific age is never given, there does seem to be a hint in the prophetic Scriptures as to what God deemed to be the age of maturity. Under the law the priests, who were the ministers of God, were not permitted to serve in the tabernacle until they turned thirty years old (Num. 4:3). We also know that our Lord didn’t begin His earthly ministry until He turned thirty, which was apparently classified adulthood in Israel (Luke 3:21-23). I can speak from personal experience that after I passed over this threshold I began to look at things more objectively. It amazed me how insightful my father and grandfather became almost overnight.

In some cases, a younger man may be more mature than a man many years his senior; therefore, the leadership of the local church must exercise due diligence in the selection process.

Interestingly, there is always plurality of leadership in the local assembly. According to the Scriptures, there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. In other words, “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” As Paul and Barnabas retraced their footsteps on Paul’s first apostolic journey, Luke records: “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord” (Acts 14:23). There are two classifications of the position of elder—the teaching elder and the ruling elder. Paul wrote to Timothy regarding this matter accordingly:

“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the Word and doctrine” (I Tim. 5:17).

The teaching elder is the pastor or primary Bible teacher of the local assembly who opens the Scriptures for all to partake of the riches of God’s grace. The ruling elders on the other hand are those who serve with the pastor to provide spiritual direction for the assembly. While the main responsibility of the ruling elders is to govern they, too, must be prepared to minister the Word, if called upon (I Tim. 3:2). Like the cream that rises to the top, the teaching elder will surface from among the governing elders to serve as the pastor of the assembly. This is why they are counted worthy of receiving double honor. Thus they are the point of the sword and as President Truman once quipped: “The buck stops here!”

The practical application of the above is seen in the ministries of Paul’s companions. Titus was instructed by the apostle to remain at Crete to ordain elders (ruling) and set in order the things that were wanting (Titus 1:4,5). But it was Titus that served as their teaching elder who was challenged by Paul to “rebuke them [Cretians] sharply, that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13). He was the one who was to “put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1). Another example is Timothy, who headed up the work at Ephesus. We know there were ruling elders ministering on behalf of the saints there, but Paul admonishes Timothy who served as their pastor in this manner: “I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (I Tim. 1:3 cf. Acts 20:28). We also know the above to be true today experientially in our churches.

The question is often raised as to whether the spiritual leadership of the assembly or the congregation should appoint an elder to the office. A fairly strong case could be made for either position, but the Scriptures seem to emphasize the spiritual leadership making the selection. They, of course, are the most qualified to make the decision on behalf of the assembly. Note the emphasis placed upon the leadership appointing elders for the churches:

“And when they [Paul and Barnabas] had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord” (Acts 14:23).

“For this cause left I thee [Titus] in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee” (Titus 1:5).

Regarding the appointment of elders, during the years I conducted my ministry in the local church I recommended that the board of elders nominate two candidates, both of whom were qualified to fill the position. At our annual meeting we would have the congregation cast their vote for one of the two nominees. This procedure allowed everyone to be involved in the process. It also gave me the consolation that the Holy Spirit could speak through the congregation to appoint the man of His own choosing (II Cor. 8:16-24). But what if no one is qualified to hold the office according to the guidelines outlined in I Timothy 3? Our counsel would be to leave the position vacant until there is a suitable candidate.

A plurality of leadership is the key to a ministry that honors and glorifies God. We’ve always been leery of a leader who refuses to have others serving with him. Paul himself was accountable to the leaders at Antioch who had sent him out on his apostolic journeys. A group of elders provide a check and balance in the ministry, thus insuring that the best interest of the Lord’s people is always in view.

QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ELDER

Paul writes to Timothy, “This is a true saying,” that is, it is trustworthy, reliable, credible, “if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” But how does a young man determine whether his desire to be a pastor is of the flesh or truly a longing to be used of the Lord? We believe there are two prerequisites that must be met to make this determination.

First, does his Christian experience align itself closely with the qualifications to fill this office? (I Tim. 3:1-7). Second, is he willing to enter into a rigorous training program to prepare for full-time ministry? (II Tim. 2:2). This may take the form of a “Paul, Timothy” type of training program where a senior Grace Pastor takes a pastoral candidate under his wing to prepare him for the Lord’s service. Of course, the other option is to attend a Bible School specifically established for training workers for the ministry. Whichever path is chosen the key word is discipline. If a man is unwilling to endure the discipline of three or four years of training, it is highly unlikely he will remain in the ministry very long.

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach” (I Tim. 3:2).

The long list of qualifications set forth here by the Spirit is the measuring stick for those who have a desire to be an elder. God has set the standard so high that there are few, if any, who have attained to such a lofty goal. This is the ideal; therefore, we are to choose those who are earnestly striving to fulfill the standard. A good rule of thumb is to look for men who measure up to the standard, not to shape the standard to fit the man!

Although the portion before us is primarily addressed to the leadership of the local church, Paul’s words are far-reaching. This is a very practical section that is beneficial for every believer in Christ. If this is the divine standard for the spiritual leadership of the church, should we not all strive to meet this goal? How do you measure up?

Blameless: The conduct of the one considered for this office must be above reproach, lest the name of Christ be brought into disrepute. Not sinless, but unimpeachable! Expositors says: “It is not enough for him to not be a criminal; he must be one against whom it is impossible to bring any charge of wrongdoing such as could stand an impartial examination.” We believe this statement is true of both those within and without the household of faith. It is our firm conviction that an elder must abstain from even the appearance of evil.

The husband of one wife: Those who hold this position must be standing on the moral high ground. An elder must not be a womanizer! He is to be the husband of one wife and she is to be the apple of his eye. Paul’s statement here has raised the question: should only a married man hold this office? While it is preferable, we do not believe it is a prerequisite. As far as we know, Paul was unmarried during the entirety of his apostolic ministry (I Cor. 7:7,8). It also appears that both Timothy and Titus were single, yet both were greatly used of the Lord.

Having said this, we believe a wife adds a woman’s point of view to the ministry which can be very beneficial to her husband. Most men function best when they are dealing with one issue at a time. Some would say we are focused, which basically means we’re oblivious to other things going on around us! On more than one occasion my wife has made an observation during a time of crisis that sailed right by me. Her insights over the years have been invaluable. A pastor’s wife brings a whole new dimension to the ministry, a dimension that greatly enhances the Lord’s work.

Men can be rough around the edges at times, but a wife is God’s perfect tool to chip away at our imperfections, not to mention to keep us humble! Dr. & Mrs. Ironside were having a spirited discussion after holding a number of meetings one Sunday when Dr. Ironside reminded his wife he had spoken five times that day. “I’m tired!” Mrs. Ironside replied, “Yes, dear! But please don’t forget that I was the one who had to listen to you five times today!” I wonder if Dr. Ironside enjoyed his slice of humble pie?!

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Ultra-Dispensationalism: A Personal Testimony

Posted on by Pastor R. B. Shiflet

(R. B. Shiflet was one of our Grace Pastors who faithfully stood in the defense and confirmation of Paul’s gospel for longer than any one can remember. As the founding pastor of Eleventh Avenue Church in Mineral Wells, Texas, where he pastored for 60 years, and as author of a number of popular booklets he brought many dear saints into a fuller knowledge of the Word, rightly divided. Brother Shiflet went to be with the Lord in November 2012.)

I have never met a man who admitted that he was an ultra-dispensationalist. I have never heard nor read a satisfactory definition of one. I know that ultra-dispensationalism has a synonym, “hyper-dispensationalism.” Thus the propagandist who enjoys resorting to name calling may have his choice of the Greek prefix (hyper) or the Latin one (ultra) to hurl at this victim. I am aware that these terms are sometimes thrown about promiscuously by Bible teachers who have status in conservative circles. The terms are also repeated parrot-like by thousands who are simply seeking notoriety among fundamentalists.

Usually someone is referred to as an ultra-dispensationalist if his system of dispensational interpretation of the Bible goes beyond one’s own. That, of course, is the meaning of the prefix “ultra”—over or beyond.

There is another, and perhaps even more deadly, ultra-dispensationalism, for which little rebuke seems to be forthcoming from any of the publications dedicated to the right dividing of the Scriptures. I consider this form of ultra-dispensationalism as practical ultra-dispensationalism, rather than doctrinal. I submit to you that when we become guilty of any of the following practices, we are “ultra” or “hyper” in our dispensationalism: that is, we go beyond the Scriptures and become practical ultra-dispensationalists.

Make a Sect of our Dispensationalism. We refuse fellowship with any who do not agree with us in every facet of our teaching on right division of the Word. By way of example: not long ago a woman called our home to inquire about our church services. She was fundamental in her beliefs and dispensational according to the Scofield-Darby system, but she belonged to an independent fellowship of fundamental churches. When she discovered that our church was not affiliated with her denomination with its system of dispensationalism, she became aloof and would not attend our meetings, even though we assured her of the soundness of our teaching and that she would be made welcome in our assembly. This woman was so ultra in regard to her denomination and its system, that she could not see the many, many things we had in common and missed the sweet fellowship we could have enjoyed together as fellow believers.

To be honest, we must admit that some of the most sectarian groups we have ever encountered were dispensationalists who took pride in the fact of their non-sectarianism. Many who boast in their being “non-sectarian Christians” are so hidebound in their dispensationalism that they refuse to admit to their fellowship any who vary even slightly from their particular “norms.”

Mutilate the Scriptures by our Dispensationalism. Foes of right division of the Scriptures have often accused us of taking only a portion of the Word of God and casting the remainder aside. A well-known fundamentalist, who has been loud in his condemnation of dispensational Bible study, used to say that we took a slice of bread of God’s Word, while he took the whole loaf. He was, of course, inconsistent. He claimed to preach the “Great Commission” of Mark 16, but at the same time attacked with all his might the “healing preachers” who were attempting to carry out the sign program of the same commission. But the other side of the picture is that we of the “Grace Movement” have often been guilty of preaching the Mystery and Pauline truths, while neglecting or ignoring the remainder of the Bible. The error is not in preaching the great truths of Paul’s Epistles; it is in failing to give a balanced message, and so appearing to disregard or cast aside the rest of the Book. The revelation of truth concerning the Body of Christ needs the background of the Gospels. The Gospels would not be understandable without the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets. Therefore, we need the whole Book. Let us not become so ultra in our emphasis on dispensationalism (wherever we find the boundaries) that we neglect parts of the Word.

Miss the Sweetness of Spiritual Applications. Closely associated with neglecting the Word of God other than Paul’s letters, is the failure to see spiritual applications from portions belonging to other dispensations. Dr. E. W. Bullinger said in his excellent book, How to Enjoy the Bible:

“All the sweetness, all the blessing, all the truth can be obtained by a wise application, without in the slightest degree impairing the true interpretation. This may be left and preserved in its integrity, and yet something really spiritual may be appropriated by application—all, in fact, that can be desired—without doing any violence to the Divine Word….”

I think it was Dr. Henry Grube who called attention to the fact that I Corinthians 10:11 authorizes four types of Bible study: (1) “Now all these things happened”—I can study the Bible as literally true, because these things actually happened; (2) “unto them for examples” (Greek, tupos, TYPES)—I can study the Bible for types and shadows; (3) “and they are written for our admonition”—I can study the Bible for spiritual applications; (4) “upon whom the ends of the world [ages] are come”—I can study the Bible to distinguish the ages or dispensations.

Surely some of God’s elect from among the Plymouth Brethren have done the Body of Christ a great service through their detail studies regarding spiritual applications of Old Testament truths! Who among us has not rejoiced with C. H. Mackintosh in many of his studies in shadow and type? If we become so dispensational that we miss the sweetness of these spiritual truths in type and shadow, we are Ultra.

Manifest the Spirit of Continuous Criticism. I believe that, by the grace of God, most of us who love Pauline teaching have grown out of this to a degree; but who among us cannot remember the time when a believer new in dispensational truth was almost afraid to open his mouth around older believers for fear of being criticized for his choice of words, choice of hymns, etc.? We did not dare refer to the Old Testament or the New without a dissertation on just when the Old was replaced by the New. We dared not use the words “Christmas” or “Easter,” lest someone think we were observing days. It was heresy to sing “Stepping in the Light” because we surely were not “Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior.”

In our zeal to stress the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ was a Jew according to the flesh, made of a woman, made under the Law, living on Old Testament ground, and coming to die for our sins, not showing us the way but coming to be The Way, we forgot another side of the picture. While we do not follow our Lord in His Jewish religion with its Sabbaths and ceremonies, we do (or should) strive to “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” As far as His humility, His kindness, His graciousness and His love are concerned, we must remember that He left us an example that we should follow in His steps, not to be saved, but because He lives in us. In our zeal to “know Him no more after the flesh,” we may have put a stumblingblock in the path of weak Christians who did not even know what we were talking about. If our life is a pattern of criticizing those who fail to agree with us in that which has almost become dispensational jargon, we are Ultra.

This message is not an appeal to minimize or de-emphasize the precious truths of right division, nor is it designed to discourage anyone from making known the Dispensation of the Mystery. Surely, too few are doing enough to make these rich truths known. But I am convinced that Satan sometimes uses the friends of dispensationalism to be its greatest hindrance. This truth given to us by the risen Christ, through the Apostle Paul, was meant to stress the unity of the Spirit, the oneness of all believers in Christ. It is a sad commentary on our depravity that our message, through these forms of ultra-dispensationalism, has become a source of division.

A man of God of whom I have heard, and whose sweet spirit has been an inspiration to me, even though I was never privileged to meet him face to face, was Brother Elmer Leake, a Texas pastor, who, before any of us was born, was standing for many of the truths we hold dear. He was quoted as having said, “Brethren, if a wall of separation or sectarianism is ever built between us and any other believers, let’s let them do the building.” In other words, this dear brother loved all believers and desired fellowship with them through the Lord Jesus Christ. Brother C. R. Stam once wrote, “We look forward to the day when, in God’s grace, denominational walls will fall and we can all enjoy our oneness in Christ. Meantime we seek what fellowship we can find with those who love and trust our Lord in truth, whatever their denominational affiliation.” This statement climaxed an article that Brother Stam wrote on, “The Practical Effects of the Mystery,” in which he gave an impressive, clear-cut message on the preciousness of the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery, showing the practical effects this message should have in our lives.

When we become so concerned with the minute details of dispensationalism that we lose the realization of our oneness in Christ, we have become Ultra.