2009-05-10

MacArthur writes on the essential nature of the resurrection of Christ. i) The resurrection is necessary because if he wasn’t raised, then sin won over Him, which means it is victorious over us, ii) and every saint – every believer – who has died is in hell, and iii) Christians are to be pitied for having served and suffered and counted on such a worthless hope. But Christ has been raised (Romans 4:24-25; Corinthians 15:20; Acts 5:30-31), and we too shall live (John 14:19). Remembering the Resurrection

DeYoung preached on Hebrews 2:1-4, and reminds believers not to simply drift along or drift away, for they must recognize that the Gospel is a reliable message, and they must pay attention closely to this message. When waters get rough, or when a more enjoyable beach is found, or maybe even by just drifting, Christians can lose their spot on the river. This isn’t teaching that one can ‘lose’ his salvation, but rather that those with mere external connections to Christ will not be saved. Drifters on a Friday Afternoon

DeYoung responds briefly to Tony Jones denying substitutionary atonement and reducing Christ’s work to merely being one to ‘identify’ with our experience. DeYoung quotes Lev. 16:20-22; Isa. 53:4-6; Mark 10:45; Hebrews 2:14-17: “Praise God that he sent his Son not just to share in our weaknesses, but to bear our iniquities… that the Suffering Servant was not just wounded for our identification, but for our transgressions… that the Son of Man came not just be a restoration of our humanity, but a ransom for our sin… that our perfect Brother shared not just in our humanity, but shared in our humanity that he might become a high priest in the service of God, a high priest who offered himself once for all as our eternal redemption. Because without the shedding of blood Jesus could have still been human, but without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” Jesus Christ Died to Save Us Not Just to Identify With Us

Here are some points from Solapanel: It is right, as Gospel ministers, to call people to follow our example, meaning it must be worth following, yet simultaneously the goal is to make disciples of Christ, not ourselves. Teaching is by word and by life, with no dichotomy, and the teacher must model the way of the cross. The trainer must both impart true knowledge of God and demonstrate this in his own life. Thus integrity is essential – the teacher is more important than the curriculum. At the heart of apprenticeship is participation, learning through association and example. A lecture may teach truth, etc. but watching real counseling will communicate the trainer’s compassion, etc. Christian modelling part II (Factotum #10 continued)

Patton writes that there are conflicting and various accounts of the deaths of the apostles, probably embellished as some believers would have wanted their homes to be the last resting place of an apostle. The reason for their deaths is the same in all accounts, though. “They were killed because they proclaimed to have seen Christ die and then to have seen Him alive. They all died because of an unwavering, unrelenting claim that Christ rose from the grave.” Patton lists off a number of stories of the deaths of the apostles and grades them (worth the read). Some object that people do die for what they believe, but that doesn’t make it true. Fair enough. But there is a big difference in dying for something that you believe having received the basis for that belief from someone else and dying for something that you believe because you witnessed the events that establish the belief. The apostles died while holding to the claim that they saw the risen Lord in the flesh. It is more likely that they were telling the truth, and it’s a great leap of faith to think they died for something that they knew was a lie and would not save them. Hence the evidence compels us to accept that Jesus was raised. So here are the options: “i)  They died for a lie and knew it (unsustainable due to lack of any reasonable motive). ii) They were all delusional and crazy (but this would take more faith than any option since you would have to explain how they all had the same delusion and craziness—many being at different places and different times). iii) What they said was true. Christ did rise from the grave and is who He said He was.” What Happened to the Twelve Apostles- How Their Deaths Evidence Easter

Ferguson says that the imputation of the righteousness of Christ is the glory of the Gospel, and it means that the Gospel doesn’t take us back to Eden for a second chance, but rather, we have the same standing before the Father that Christ Himself does. Sinclair Ferguson on Imputed Righteousness