A few more thoughts about God and His holiness

As I reflected on last night’s study, along with the tension of covering much material far too quickly, I believe I left some confusion about the sovereignty of God. So let me attempt to un-muddy the waters for you.

When we speak of the sovereignty of God, we are saying that God is in control, governing every circumstance of life. There is nothing that escapes His control and dominion. The life of Nebuchadnezzar was an excellent illustration of this truth (Dan. 4:35). We find this truth throughout the pages of Scripture:

• God is sovereign over nations (Ex. 12:35-36; Ezra 1:1; Mt. 2:14-15; Rom. 13:1-4).
• God is sovereign over nature (Job 37:3, 6, 10-13; Is. 45:7; Amos 4:7).
• God is sovereign over physical health, life and death (Job 2:9-10; Mark 1:33-34).
• God is sovereign over Satan (Mt. 4:10-11; Jn. 16:33; Rev. 20:7-10; note also that while Satan was the one who afflicted Job with illness, He attributes that illness as being from God).
• God is sovereign over individual’s lives (Prov. 16:9; 19:21; Eccl. 7:13; 2 Cor. 8:16-17; Js. 4:13-15).
• God is sovereign over salvation (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-6).
• God is sovereign over sin (Gen. 50:20; Acts 4:27-28; Rev. 17:17; John Piper’s sermon series “Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ” is particularly helpful in understanding this truth).

All these verses, and many more combine to paint a picture of the absolute control, authority, and governance of God over all His created world. (Another very helpful resource on this topic is Jerry Bridges’ book, Trusting God; I have read and referred to it many times and am always challenged and encouraged by it.)

That was what I was trying to say last night. And where I got side-tracked, creating confusion, was how men attempt to discover and know that sovereignty, which is where the terms “preceptive (moral) will” and “decreed will” entered the discussion. I should have just left that out — while a related topic, it is not central to the discussion of God’s sovereignty. [If you wish to read more about how to discover God’s will, read either Garry Friesen’s Decision Making and the Will of God (the older version is better than the newer version) or Garry Gilley’s Is That You, Lord? (a more concise explanation of the same topic covered by Friesen).

I hope that helps a little.

Then as I was reading my Bible this morning, I was struck by the repeated emphasis in the passages I was reading on the holiness of God. They are not inherently connected to each other, yet the themes of the greatness of God and His holiness run through them. This is what I wrote in my journal about God’s holiness as it was revealed in what I was reading

1. The motive for obedience to God is because His people have been set apart to Him (Dt. 14:21). The reason Israel had strict dietary laws was because they were holy to Him — set apart to His purposes, which is still true for believers (and me!) today.
2. In a similar vein, Isaiah notes that God says, “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness…” (42:6). The purpose of His calling is to produce righteousness (cf. also Titus 2:14); the authority for His calling men to that righteousness is His position as Lord (Yahweh — the covenant God of Israel). Yet in His authoritativeness, He also provides the ability for His people to be righteous.
3. His holiness is revealed to His people to evoke praise and gratitude (Ps. 99:8-9; 100; 103:1). We dare not come to His Word or presence only with a desire for knowledge and not also a corresponding zeal for worship and gladness in Him.

Lord, give me a yearning for You today — not for Your benefits alone, but because You have created me to enjoy You and Your perfections.

Book Review: Is That You Lord?

Fleeces, open and closed doors, impressions, "peace" (or a lack of it) — all these are common means for believers attempting to discover the sovereign will of God for their lives.

To that idea, pastor Gary Gilley counters in his book Is That You Lord? that there is a better, more God-exalting, Scripture-trusting, and freedom-giving way.

Following the lead of Gary Friesen (Decision Making and the Will of God [be sure to purchase the first edition of this book]), Gilley explains that there are three kinds of God's will — His sovereign (inter-Trinitarian, unknowable to man, Dt. 29:29) will, His moral (revealed in His commands and instruction in Scripture) will, and His individual will. As Gilley demonstrates, most people are attempting to find the latter, but their quest is actually an attempt to discover His sovereign will — "The real question people are asking when it comes to the individual will is, 'How can I know God's sovereign will for my life?' They want to know if God has given them a means whereby they can storm the gates of heaven and unlock the secret counsels of God."

That quest, Gilley argues, has lead to a mystical quest for God in which believers are tempted to place as much or more trust in extra-Biblical revelation from God than in the revealed Word of God.

…revelation from God, no matter what format or venue, is still revelation from God. It is not possible for God to give revelation that is not authoritative and demanding of obedience. All revelation from God carries the authority of Scripture.…Today many are claiming to hear from God, but what they are hearing, they say, does not have the status and significance of Scripture. This is logically impossible. Either God has spoken or he has not. If he has spoken, that message is as authoritative as Scripture. [pp. 60-61]

Rather than trusting impressions, Gilley argues briefly but convincingly, that the Bible's own counsel about making decisions is:

• always begin with Scripture — "When you begin with Scripture, in the realm of decision making, you will be able to make your decisions on the basis of solid biblical precepts, commands and principles. The Bible will not tell you what house you are to buy, but it will frame that decision with financial, ministerial and family guidelines."
• pray for wisdom — "we are not told [Js. 1:5-8] that the Lord will specifically make the decision for us through some form of prompting, only that he will provide wisdom for making a wise decision."
• [seek] wise counsel — "The counsel of wise, godly and scripturally knowledgeable people is an important source for making wise decisions, but we must keep in mind that such counsel is not infallible. It is a piece but it does not solve the puzzle."
• circumstances and opportunity — "[These] offer us options — options that should be carefully examined. But again these options are not obligatory mandates from God."
• desire — "God often works through our desires. What is it that we want to do? is a good question to ponder. [E.g., 1 Tim. 3:1]"
• freedom — "Surrounded by these principles, and others found within the New Testament, we are given freedom to make choices that we believe will glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31).…the good news is that God, within biblical parameters, has given us freedom and ability to make wise choices that honour him." [pp. 56-59.]
  

It is that last statement that makes many believers uncomfortable, yet Gilley does a good job surveying the Biblical landscape and demonstrating the normative pattern for God's interaction in people's lives to accomplish His sovereign purpose. God does not speak in "still, small voices" — when He speaks, it is articulate, clear, loud, unmistakable and carries a divine imperative that must always and unhesitatingly be obeyed.

The goal, as expressed in the New Testament, is not to find the will of God but to do the will of God. Since God wants you to do his will, be assured that he has not hidden it and then sent us on some kind of cosmic treasure hunt to find it. He is not daring us to discover the clues which will lead to his plan for our lives. Rather, his will is clearly imprinted on the pages of Scripture. It was to this end that Paul told Timothy to 'be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth' (2 Tim. 2:15). Many are simply unwilling to do the 'diligent' work necessary to accurately handle the word of truth and are looking for shortcuts. The Lord does not call for shortcuts; instead 'diligence' is prescribed. [p. 80.]

Are you still puzzled about the will of God for your life — which job? which house? which person to choose as a marriage partner? which church or ministry? where to vacation? who to disciple? This book will begin to give you an ability to make decisive, confident, God-exalting choices. If you want more detailed answers, read Friesen's book. If you want the concise answer, pick up this book.

Sunday Leftovers (1/20/08)

Christ and the Father are unified in all their purposes — including their purpose in hardening unbelievers. Yet there is a mystery remaining — the sovereign will of God negates neither God's compassion for the unbelief of unbelievers, nor their responsibility as they will one day stand under His judgment.

So, here are one more verse and two additional quotations that help clarify God's sovereignty over unbelief and unbelievers.

After entering the city of Jerusalem triumphantly, Jesus said this about His city:

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling" (Mt. 23:37)

He hardened them, and yet He had extensive compassion in which He longed to gather them to Him, and the only thing that prevented that fellowship was their own unwillingness. So, at the end of time, all men will be judged with righteousness: those who enter into eternal intimacy with God will do so not because of their work or merits, but Christs; and those who are banished eternally from God into everlasting condemnation will do so on the basis of their own rejection of and hatred for God.

The statements that I found helpful are as follows:

The present passage [John 12:39-40] ascribes everything to the will of God. Unless His hand is in it nothing is possible. But when John quotes 'he hath blinded the eyes…' he does not mean that the blinding takes place without the will or against the will of these people. So with the hardening of their heart. These men chose evil. It was their own deliberate choice, their own fault. Make no mistake about that. [Leon Morris]


[Speaking of 1 Pt. 2:7-8:] We must note that while Scripture is willing to affirm God's ultimate 'destining' of wrongful actions…the blame for these actions is always given to the moral creatures (men and angels) who willingly choose to do wrong; the blame is never given to God (Cf. Jb. 1:22). If we ask how God can 'destine' that something happen through the wilful choice of his creatures, yet himself remain free from blame (and not be the 'author' of sin in the sense of actually doing wrong himself), then we approach Paul's questions in Romans 9: 19, 'Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?' Yet here Scripture gives us no answer except to say, 'But who are you, a man, to answer back to God?' (Rom. 9:20).

…[Furthermore,] 'reprobation' (the passing over of those who are not chosen, and justly leaving them in their rebellion) is viewed as something which brings God sorrow, not delight (note Ezk. 33:11, and cf. Paul's sorrow in Rom. 9:1-2), and in which the blame is always put on the men or angels who rebel, not on God (Jn. 3:18-19; 5:40).

[Finally,] Peter intended this text as a comfort for Christians in the midst of persecution by hostile unbelievers.…It can best be applied that way today also (even as Rom. 8:28 and 1 Pet. 1:7) by any Christian facing any kind of abuse from non-Christians (note David's response to Shimei's cursing in 2 Sa. 16:10-12). [Wayne Grudem]

When life is bitter....

…trust promises, not providences.

This week I've had multiple conversations with people who have family or friends who are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. And the shadow is dark and foreboding, filled with more questions and uncertainties than just the matter of death.

One writer says that when the bitter experiences of life emerge, trust promises, not providences.

That is, don't come to conclusions about the love of Christ for you based solely on the circumstances of your life, but base your conclusions on the absolute promises of God.

It reminds me of the hymn written by poet William Cowper:

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;…

Judge not the lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

Into our lives, God regularly brings darkness, affliction, and even the sins of others to shape us into His image. No matter the harshness of the darkness, He is working a gracious plan to effect His grace in our lives. That is a truth I need to hear and heed when death is interjected into my life — and when any form of "discomfort" afflicts me.

Sunday Leftovers (10/21/07)

Some leftover quotations after thinking about God's purposeful (read: sovereign) intention to use all circumstances to make worshippers out of unbelievers:

"Our trials reveal the measure of our affection for this earth — both its good things and bad things. Our troubles expose our latent idolatry." [John Piper, Life as a Vapor.]


"In order to trust God, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith, not sense. And just as the faith of salvation comes through hearing the message of the gospel (Rom. 10:17), so the faith to trust God in adversity comes through the Word of God alone. It is only in the Scriptures that we find an adequate view of God's relationship to and involvement in our painful circumstances. It is only from the Scriptures, applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, that we receive the grace to trust God in adversity.

"In the arena of adversity, the Scriptures teach us three essential truths about God — truths we must believe if we are to trust Him in adversity. They are:

• God is completely sovereign.
• God is infinite in wisdom.
• God is perfect in love.

"Someone has expressed these three truths as they relate to us in this way: 'God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.'" [Jerry Bridges, Trusting God.]


"We are all idealists. We picture to ourselves a life on earth completely free from every hindrance, a kind of spiritual Utopia where we can always control events, where we can move about as favorites of heaven, adjusting circumstances to suit ourselves. This we feel would be quite compatible with the life of faith and in keeping with the privileged place we hold as children of God.

"In thinking thus we simply misplace ourselves; we mistake earth for heaven and expect conditions here below which can never be realized till we reach the better world above. While we live we may expect troubles, and plenty of them. We are never promised a life without problems as long as we remain among fallen men...." [A. W. Tozer, 12/18.]


"I would not have you think that any strange thing has happened to you in this affliction: 'Tis according to the course of things in this world, that after the world's smiles, some great affliction soon comes. God has not give you early and seasonable warning not at all to depend on worldly prosperity. Therefore, I would advise…if it pleases God to restore you, to lot [count] upon no happiness here. Labour while you live, to serve God and do what good you can, and endeavour to improve every dispensation to God's glory and your own spiritual good, and be content to do and bear all that God calls you to do in this wilderness, and never expect to find this world anything better than a wilderness." [Jonathan Edwards, writing to his daughter Esther after she had been seriously ill.]


"Behind a frowning providence he [God] hides a smiling face. We may see it in our lifetime, or we may not. But the whole Bible is written, and all the swans [great men of God who have gone before us] are singing, to convince us it is there, and we can and should 'exult in our tribulations' (Rom. 5:3)." [John Piper, The Hidden Smile of God.]

Enduring with Christ When Others Sin Against You

At the recent Desiring God Conference, "Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints," Jerry Bridges addressed the topic of how to endure, even when others sin against you:

“Life is frequently difficult, and it’s sometimes painful. And if you live long enough, you will experience both difficulties and pain. And if you want to endure to the end, if you want to stand firm in the face of life’s difficulties and pain then you must have a firm belief in the sovereignty and love of God, and we could add, the wisdom of God. Not only believe that God is in control of every event in His universe and specifically every event in your own life, but God in exercising that control does so from His infinite love for you. [In Lam. 3:37] the prophet says, ‘who has spoken and it came to pass unless the Lord has commanded it?’ This verse affirms God’s sovereignty over the actions of other people. So much of life’s pain is caused by the sinful actions of other people. And if you do not believe that God is sovereign and in control of those, then you’re tempted to become bitter, and when you become bitter, then you begin to peel off, and you will not stand firm. You will not endure — if you let other people’s sinful actions cause you to be bitter. And one of the ways that we can keep from becoming bitter…is to realize that God is in sovereign control, even over the sinful actions of other people.”

The rest of this message, along with the others from that conference are well worth hearing and heeding.

God, sin and sovereignty

One of the repeated questions people (both those who believe in Christ and those who do not) have about God is the relationship between sin and suffering, and God who is sovereign over all things. How can those seemingly contradictory statements co-exist and God still be God?

In his most recent sermon, John Piper addresses that question and after building an extensive argument, says,

I conclude, therefore, that God permitted Satan’s fall, not because he was helpless to stop it, but because he had a purpose for it. Since God is never taken off guard, his permissions are always purposeful. If he chooses to permit something, he does so for a reason — an infinitely wise reason. How the sin arises in Satan’s heart, we do not know. God has not told us. What we do know is that God is sovereign over Satan, and therefore Satan’s will does not move without God’s permission. And therefore every move of Satan is part of God’s overall purpose and plan. And this is true in such a way that God never sins. God is infinitely holy, and God is infinitely mighty. Satan is evil, and Satan is under the all-governing wisdom of God.

The important sentence there is, "If [God] chooses to permit something, he does so for a reason — an infinitely wise reason." There is a purpose in all of God's dealings with all men — even when sin intrudes into our lives. And that purpose could be stated succinctly as, "His purpose in His dealings with unbelievers is to bring them to Christ (1 Tim. 1:15-16; 2:6; 2 Pet. 3:9 — or to leave them without excuse for their rejection of Christ; Rom. 1:20); and His purpose in His dealings with believers is to conform them to the image of Christ (e.g., Rom. 8:28)."

So, when confronted with evil, we should respond in these ways, Piper notes:

How then should we relate to evil? How should we think and feel and act about Satanic evil — the death of little Zach at the attack of a pit bull? The deaths of three more miners trying to save their buddies? Five hundred dead in the Peru earthquake? The evil you confront in your own lives? Here is my summary answer. Eight things to do with evil. Four things never to do.

1. Expect evil. “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).
2. Endure evil. “Love bears all thing, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7; cf. Mark 13:13).
3. Give thanks for the refining effect of evil that comes against you. “Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 5:3-5).
4. Hate evil. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9).
5. Pray for escape from evil. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).
6. Expose evil. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).
7. Overcome evil with good. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
8. Resist evil. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

But, on the other hand:

1. Never despair that this evil world is out of God’s control. “[He] works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).
2. Never give in to the sense that because of random evil life is absurd and meaningless. “How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! . . . For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever” (Romans 11:33, 36).
3. Never yield to the thought that God sins, or is ever unjust or unrighteous in the way he governs the universe. “The Lord is righteous in all his ways.” (Psalm 145:17).
4. Never doubt that God is totally for you in Christ. If you trust him with your life, you are in Christ. Never doubt that all the evil that befalls you—even if it takes your life—is God’s loving, purifying, saving, fatherly discipline. It is not an expression of his punishment in wrath. That fell on Jesus Christ our substitute. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).

While listening to this sermon this morning, I thought back to one of his sermons that made a great impact on me, his exposition of Rom. 9:19-23, "How God Makes Known the Riches of His Glory to the Vessels of Mercy." Both of these sermons are helpful in understanding God's sovereign and glorious purposes in allowing sin into the world in general, and into our lives in particular.