Biblical Reform that Leads to Biblical Revival, pt. 3

May 30, 2013May 30, 2013 / Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

In this series of posts I have been demonstrating the reforms that lay the groundwork for biblical revival. Those can be found here and here. Just as a caution, I don’t want to overstate my case. These are not sure-fire steps that lead to certain revival. There’s enough of that nonsense in the church today. The Bible doesn’t give that sort of prescription. But as we have seen, the Bible does teach through precept and example. In this case, we have looked at the reforms of Kings Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah along with the observations of Jonathan Edwards and his participation in the Great Awakening.

Previously we have seen that biblical reform must come in the areas of leadership and a high regard for the Word of God. Today we will look at the need to reject everything that is contrary to God’s Word and will.

3. Rejection of Everything Contrary to God’s Word and Will-2Chron 17:6; 30:14; 31:1; 34:3-5

King Jehoshaphat was clear about the prohibition of idol worship. So had all the other kings before him that had allowed it. But in 2 Chronicles 17:6, it tells us that Jehoshaphat did something about it. The text says that “his heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord.” This courageous heart sought to obey the Lord in all things, including the destruction of the popular high places of worship and the Asherim.

For his part, King Hezekiah did similarly brave acts recorded in 2 Chronicles 30:14 and 31:1. And Josiah at the ripe young age of 20 likewise followed in the godly footsteps of these two kings (2Chron 34:3-5), making sure to defile the graves of the pagan priests.

We see that often times the problem isn’t knowing what the will of the Lord is or where we can find counsel in His Word. The problem so often in the church is that it lacks leaders with backbone and deep conviction of heart to risk losing everything in order to bring things into biblical alignment.

Jonathan Edwards wrote that when the Spirit began to actively sweep through New England, not only was there the fruit of godly leadership and a respect for the Word of God, but the people began to show signs of radically changed lives. Edwards described them as people who lived not for the pleasures and amusements of this world but for the breaks in between their daily work and their free time to engaged in spiritual activities. These renewed Christians prayed and read the Word together; they put aside their sinful amusements and picked up new, godly habits. Edwards wrote that hardly a conversation was had that didn’t include talk about Christ. True biblical fellowship began to sprout afresh in New England.

Our culture is saturated with filth and worldliness. But it seems that there is a massive pipeline that pumps that filth right into Christian homes. And if it comes into our homes, it is often coming into our churches. Our churches are becoming Corinthianized–adapting the church to fit into the sinful elements of our culture instead of reaching out to the sinful world we live in with the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ.

What we need is a return to the Word. We need to realize that our too many Christians are being entertained to death. They are overwhelmed with cable TV, streaming movies, the internet, streaming music, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. I know that many of these social media sites can be used for good purposes (including blogging), as well as for evil. We must help our churches, and for some of us, even our own families, see what God outright rejects as, while we teach them what he expects. This begins with a reformation of the heart. Only when the heart is changed will those attractions of the world begin to lose their luster and Christ will be seen for the treasure that He truly is.

Law Versus Gospel

November 3, 2012November 3, 2012 / Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

The knowledge of God is of two types. The first is the sort of knowledge that the law preaches, namely, that there is a God, that he is a just judge, that he repays evil for evil and good for good. This kind of knowledge is something that even the Gentiles had to some extent. There has never been a people that has not known that it must have a god, even when it has been ignorant of what god it ought to have. . . . This knowledge of God is necessary, but it is not enough for salvation, because since we are sinners by nature, we get nothing from this knowledge except damnation. We know that God is a just judge. From that basic understanding of God comes all the idolatry in the world that we see among both Jews and Gentiles. It is also the source of the idolatry and ungodliness that we find among the hypocrites, the Muslims and other nations. Because they know that God is a just judge and acknowledge their own sinfulness, they invent various forms of worship in order to placate him and propitiate his wrath* . . . There is, however, another kind of knowledge of God, and this is the kind that the gospel proclaims. It says that God is a merciful Father through Jesus Christ and that he forgives the sins of those who believe in Christ. He counts such believers righteous not because of the merits of their works but only because of Christ by faith. This alone is the true knowledge of God, which is not known to us by nature but is learned through the gospel, whose author is the Holy Spirit. –Johannes Brenz, Explanation of Galatians.

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

January 17, 2012April 18, 2012 / Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

There is a bestselling financial book by Robert Kyosaki entitled Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Its purpose, like most books of this type, is to share with the reader financial secrets in order to make you financially wealthy.

In these ever-tightening financial times, people are more concerned than ever that they get their financial house in order, fearing an economic recession is just around the corner, if not at our doorstep.

I think that taking care of your family financially is not only wise, but also biblical. Paul told Timothy, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1Tim 5:8).

Yes, financial responsibility is definitely an important part of a stable life, even for a Christian. But, there is an even more crucial issue that we must prepare for, we must seek after—it is spiritual poverty.

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:1-3

“Blessed,” in simplest terms means “happy.” But it is so much more than a “dopey smile on your face giddiness.” It is a deep-seated, satisfying contentedness. Dr. Lloyd-Jones made an insightful comment about happiness. He said,

Happiness is the great question confronting mankind. The whole world is longing for happiness and it is tragic to observe the ways in which people are seeking it. The vast majority, alas, are doing so in a way that is bound to produce misery. Anything which, by evading the difficulties, merely makes people happy for the time being, is ultimately going to add to their misery and problems. That is where the utter deceitfulness of sin comes in; it is always offering happiness and it always leads to unhappiness and to final misery and wretchedness. The Sermon on the Mount says, however, that if you really want to be happy, here is the way.” (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, p. 24).

So, whom did Jesus say would be blessed? Notice that I did not say, what would make us blessed—as if an object could make us happy—I asked, who is the happy man or woman? Who is the one who is blessed? It is the one who is poor in spirit.

“Poor in spirit” is not about money. “Poor in spirit” does not refer to your bank account, or it would be a virtue to be penniless. There are many among the poor who are just as spiritually starved as those that are rich in this world. While some wealthy folks may trust in their riches, it is equally true that some who are poor are repeatedly telling themselves and others, “If only I had a little more money, things would be different…”

But money doesn’t buy happiness or heaven. Luke 18:9-14 contains probably the best snapshot of the rich dad and poor dad, spiritually speaking. In this story, Jesus is speaking to men who were not spiritually poor, but thought of themselves as spiritual millionaires. They were religious and quite satisfied with themselves. Verse 9 tells us that because of this smug attitude, they looked down their nose at others who were not their spiritual equals.

Let’s look at a few features of the spiritually self-sufficient man, the rich man, and then we will look at the other guy.

First, notice that he had no need. The spiritually “rich” do not see their need for God. They may not be particularly religious. They may be downright wicked. Or, they may be especially skilled in the art of religiosity and morality. Yet, this is the point, they think to themselves, “I am not like these others who need God. I am fine as I am. I don’t need all of this religion and such. It’s not for me.”

Second, they are spiritually blind. The spiritually rich are blind to their own faults. They soothe themselves with thoughts of their own goodness, in comparison to others. But they will not compare themselves to God, because if they did, they would not see themselves as rich, but wretched and poor. Consider what the Bible says about all people:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

“As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Rom 3:10-12

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Isa 64:6

Third, these spiritually “rich” are really spiritually bankrupt. Yes, those who would consider themselves in the best spiritual state, so good in fact that they have no need for God, are in fact bankrupt. They are spiritually rich only in their imagination. They just don’t want to face the truth. Like people today who live off of credit until it catches up to them, the spiritually rich live like they are close to God until one day God says to them, “Depart from me, I never knew you…” (Matt 7:23).

Let’s go back to Jesus’ story in Luke 18:13. Here we have a man that is spiritually poor, or as Matthew 5:3 says, “poor in spirit.” Let’s look at his character:

First, his actions come from an inner attitude. The thumping of the chest, the averted eyes, the crying out to God with a passionate heart, these originate in a heart that is changed. These come from how he views himself—he calls himself, “a sinner.” He is not merely saying a spiritual platitude-“I am a sinner, but who isn’t?” No, this man feels in every fiber of his being that he is a sinner.

Second, this sinner has come to a terrible realization. This sinner realizes that his sin puts him in a very frightening place with almighty God. He cries out, “be merciful to me.” Cries of mercy recognize their guilt. Mercy begs that the offended one would withhold the righteous judgment and wrath they so richly deserve.

Third, the changed attitude and this terrible realization affect his worship before God. This is why the tax collector will not look up. He is guilty before God and he is ashamed. He beats his chest in shame and disgust at his own sins. This man has nothing to offer God. No excuses. No self-righteousness. No good works. No spiritual bargaining chips. HE IS POOR IN SPIRIT.

Fourthly, his brokenness before God; his spiritual poverty, is found acceptable in God’s eyes. In Matt 4:3, Jesus said that the poor in spirit are blessed, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Heaven belongs to, is enjoyed by, and is inhabited by those who are poor in spirit.

Jesus said of the tax collector in Luke 18, that he went home justified—right with God—not the other.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Which are you?

No need? No desire for God or what you call religion? Feeling good about yourself? You’re the rich dad who is spiritually bankrupt. You are not right with God, and you will never be right with God with that attitude.

The last sentence in Luke 18:14 said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Humble yourself. See yourself as you really are before God. Beg his mercy, and he will hear your pleas and will forgive you your sins. You can be justified by God today.

Do you see yourself as a sinner? Do you see yourself with God’s eyes? Are you broken and remorseful over your sins? Ask God for mercy. His mercy is abundant and will forgive any and every sin. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”