 “Surely I spoke about things I don’t understand, things too wonderful for me to know…therefore, I reject my words and am sorry for them.” Job 42:3b, 6
In the final chapters of the book of Job, he openly spoke about his innocence, and because of that, he couldn’t make sense of what God was doing in his life. His confusion gave way to a level of accusation against God for what his life had become. In chapters 38-41, God responds to Job by proclaiming in detail His sovereignty and absolute control and care of everything He has made…from hailstones and lightening to deer and donkeys. When God gets done talking, Job is completely humbled. Part of his response is the verses above.
0 Comments
 In my last post I argued that Christ’s kingly office is perhaps his most misunderstood office among reforming Calvinists. In my experience, Calvinistic Baptists distinguish Christ’s priestly office as exercised solely for us, from his kingly office which is all about our response. Their message is summarized like this: because Christ is king, he needs to be obeyed - and if you are not obeying him, then you are not saved! This seems to be a reaction to the Arminian and antinomian circles out of which many Baptists come, where it is posited that all that matters is that you have made a decision for Christ and how one lives is optional. Disturbed by this kind of teaching, Calvinistic Baptists are zealous to point out that because Christ is king he must be obeyed or you’re not his!
 We live in a time of unparalleled resources and yet we seem to know less. Here are some places that may be helpful for you.
 "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream." Amos 5:21-24
 The inscription on the small oak log read: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” As a young boy, I often read these hand-painted words on a decoration in my parents’ bathroom. The meaning eluded me for many long years, but the Lord had etched the words on my mind. Anyone in Christ is a new creation. How are these words from 2 Corinthians 5:17 to be encouraging to a Christian--a new creature? What is this new creation? And what does this have to do with Jesus Christ?
 Scripture is a story. We are beginning to see the story. God created everything good. Adam and Eve then made a bad mistake. We call this the fall. They were kicked out of the Garden and life got much harder. The bulk of Scripture is then the story of redemption. How is God going to restore us to a right relationship with Him? When will the promise of Genesis 3:15 come true? Of course it comes true in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. He came to earth, rightly handled the Word of God, satisfied the just wrath of God, put an end to death and crushed the head of the Snake.
 Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday, it is an expression of gratitude. It’s not just something we do, it’s who we are. It is a word that shapes character, reveals the heart and colors our every word and action. In all our conduct, we either display a spirit of joyful thanksgiving or discontented grumbling.
 In my latest series of posts I have been talking about why our Lord Jesus Christ is an all-
sufficient Savior. In doing so, I wanted to explore his three-fold office as Mediator. What it means for Christ to be a mediator is for him to be in the middle between us and God in order to bring us to God. In executing his saving work as our Mediator and Redeemer, he fulfills a three- fold office of prophet, priest, and king. I have been working through the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689), Chapter 8, paragraph 10, which nicely summarizes these three offices of Christ. In my last two posts I covered Christ’s prophetical and priestly office. In this post I cover Christ’s kingly office.  How are we to understand the crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus? What are
we to understand him as doing? Unless we understand Jesus as our Great High Priest who is actively offering something to God on our behalf, we are going to miss altogether the significance of his work. |
