Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Love of God - A.W. Pink



There are three things told us in Scripture concerning the nature of God.

First, “God is spirit” (John 4:24). In the Greek, there is no indefinite article and to say “God is a spirit” is most objectionable, for it places Him in a class with others. God is “spirit” in the highest sense. Because He is “spirit” He is incorporeal, having no visible substance. Had God a tangible body, He would not be omnipresent, He would be limited to one place; because He is spirit, He fills heaven and earth.

Second, God is light (1 John 1:5), which is the opposite of “darkness.” In Scripture, “darkness” stands for sin, evil, death; and “light” for holiness, goodness, life. God is light, means that He is the sum of all excellency.

Third, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). It is not simply that God “loves,” but that He is Love itself. Love is not merely one of His attributes, but His very nature.
There are many today who talk about the love of God who are total strangers to the God of love. The Divine love is commonly regarded as a species of amiable weakness, a sort of good-natured indulgence; it is reduced to a mere sickly sentiment, patterned after human emotion. Now the truth is that on this, as on everything else, our thoughts need to be formed and regulated by what is revealed thereon in Holy Scripture. That there is urgent need for this is apparent not only from the ignorance which so generally prevails, but also from the low state of spirituality which is now so sadly evident everywhere among professing Christians. How little real love there is for God. One chief reason for this is because our hearts are so little occupied with His wondrous love for His people. The better we are acquainted with His love—its character, fullness, blessedness—the more will our hearts be drawn out in love to Him.

1. The love of God is uninfluenced. By this we mean, there was nothing whatever in the objects of His love to call it into exercise, nothing in the creature to attract or prompt it. The love which one creature has for another is because of something in them; but the love of God is free, spontaneous, uncaused. The only reason why God loves any is found in His own sovereign will: “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you because ye were more in number than
any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved thee” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). God has loved His people from everlasting, and therefore nothing of the creature can be the cause of what is found in God from eternity. He loves from Himself: “according to His own purpose” (2 Timothy 1:9).

“We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). God did not love us because we loved Him, but He loved us before we had a particle of love for Him. Had God loved us in return for ours, then it would not be spontaneous on His part; but because He loved us when we were loveless, it is clear that His love was uninfluenced. It is highly important if God is to be honored and the heart of His child established, that we should be quite clear upon this precious truth. God’s love for me, and for each of “His own,” was entirely unmoved by anything in them. What was there in me to attract the heart of God? Absolutely nothing. But, to the contrary, everything to repel Him, everything calculated to make Him loathe me—sinful, depraved, a mass of corruption, with “no good thing” in me.

“What was there in me that could merit esteem,
Or give the Creator delight?
‘Twas even so, Father, I ever must sing,
Because it seemed good, in Thy sight.”

2. It is eternal. This of necessity. God Himself is eternal, and God is love; therefore, as God Himself had no beginning, His love had none. Granted that such a concept far transcends the grasp of our feeble minds, nevertheless, where we cannot comprehend, we can bow in adoring worship. How clear is the testimony of Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.”

How blessed to know that the great and holy God loved His people before heaven and earth were called into existence, that He had set His heart upon them from all eternity. Clear proof is this that His love is spontaneous for He loved them endless ages before they had any being. The same precious truth is set forth in Ephesians 1:4,5, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him. In love
having predestinated us.” What praise should this evoke from each of His children! How tranquilizing for the heart: since God’s love toward me had no beginning, it can have no ending! Since it be true that “from everlasting to everlasting” He is God, and since God is “love,” then it is equally true that “from everlasting to everlasting” He loves His people.

3. It is sovereign. This also is self-evident. God Himself is sovereign, under obligations to none, a law unto Himself, acting always according to His own imperial pleasure. Since God be sovereign, and since He be love, it necessarily follows that His love is sovereign. Because God is God, He does as He pleases; because God is love, He loves whom He pleases. Such is His own express affirmation: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:19). There was no
more reason in Jacob why he should be the object of Divine love, than there was in Esau. They both had the same parents, and were born at the same time, being twins; yet God loved the one and hated the other! Why? Because it pleased Him to do so. The sovereignty of God’s love necessarily follows from the fact that it is uninfluenced by anything in the creature. Thus, to affirm that the cause of His love lies in God Himself, is only another way of saying, He loves whom He pleases.

For a moment, assume the opposite. Suppose God’s love were regulated by anything else than His will, in such a case He would love by rule, and loving by rule He would be under a law of love, and then so far from being free, God would Himself be ruled by law. “In love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to”—what? Some excellency which He foresaw in them? No; what then? “According to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:4-5).

4. It is infinite. Everything about God is infinite. His essence fills heaven and earth. His wisdom is illimitable, for He knows everything of the past, present and future. His power is unbounded, for there is nothing too hard for Him. So His love is without limit. There is a depth to it which none can fathom; there is a height to it which none can scale; there is a length and breadth to it which defies measurement, by any creature-standard.

Beautifully is this intimated in Ephesians 2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us: the word “great” there is parallel with the “God so loved” of John 3:16. It tells us that the love of God is so transcendent it cannot be estimated. No tongue can fully express the infinitude of God’s love or any mind comprehend it: it “passeth knowledge,” Ephesians 3:19). The most extensive ideas that a finite mind can frame about Divine love, are infinitely below its true nature. The heaven is not so far above the earth as the goodness of God is beyond the most raised conceptions which we are able to form of it. It is an ocean which swells higher than all the mountains of opposition in such as are the objects of it. It is a fountain from which flows all necessary good to all those who are interested in it (John Brine, 1743).

5. It is immutable. As with God Himself there is “no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17), so His love knows neither change nor diminution. The worm Jacob supplies a forceful example of this: “Jacob have I loved,” declared Jehovah, and despite all his unbelief and waywardness, He never ceased to love him. John 13:1 furnishes another beautiful illustration. That very night one of the apostles would say, “Show us the Father;” another would deny Him with cursings; all of them would be scandalized by and forsake Him. Nevertheless “having loved His own which were in the world, He love them unto the end.” The Divine love is subject to no vicissitudes. Divine love is “strong as death ... many waters cannot quench it” (Song of Solomon 8:6-7). Nothing can separate from it: Romans 8:35-39.

“His love no end nor measure knows,
No change can turn its course,
Eternally the same it flows
From one eternal source.”

6. It is holy. God’s love is not regulated by caprice passion, or sentiment, but by principle. Just as His grace reigns not at the expense of it, but “through righteousness” (Romans 5:21), so His love never conflicts with His holiness. “God is light” (1 John 1:5) is mentioned before “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God’s love is no mere amiable weakness, or effeminate softness. Scripture declares, “whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth”
(Hebrews 12:6). God will not wink at sin, even in His own people. His love is pure, unmixed with any maudlin sentimentality.

7. It is gracious. The love and favor of God are inseparable. This is clearly brought out in Romans 8:32-39. What that love is from which there can be no “separation,” is easily perceived from the design and scope of the immediate context: it is that goodwill and grace of God which d etermined Him to give His Son for sinners. That love was the impulsive power of Christ’s incarnation: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Christ died not in order to make God love us, but because He did love His people. Calvary is the supreme demonstration of Divine love. Whenever you are tempted to doubt the love of God, Christian reader, go back to Calvary.

Here then is abundant cause for trust and patience under Divine affliction. Christ was beloved of the Father, yet He was not exempted from poverty, disgrace, and persecution. He hungered and thirsted. Thus, it was not incompatible with God’s love for Christ when He permitted men to spit upon and smite Him. Then let no Christian call into question God’s love when he is brought under painful afflictions and trials. God did not enrich Christ on earth with temporal prosperity,
for “He had not where to lay His head.” But He did give Him the Spirit “without measure” (John 3:34). Learn then that spiritual blessings are the principal gifts of Divine love. How blessed to know that when the world hates us, God loves us!
From The Attributes of God.

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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Calling All Calvinists: A Call To Repentance (Monica Dennington response)

Here is Monica Dennington, unleashing her diatribe against Calvinism and Calvinists on Tic Toc Ministries. Again, this is another example of people who have a belief system that whatever they say is scriptural and if you do not agree with them, you do not agree with God himself. Here is her video and a couple of video responses, one of which is by Dr. James White and the other by YouTube channel JoshnJesus.









It is evident by her very poor attempt to dismantle Reformed Theology (Calvinism) that she is ignorant of several things. She does not know church history at all and why we even have Christianity in the USA. She does not even know what the core doctrines are in scripture, that we who are reformed in our theology hold fast to. She did not mention one. Monica, also for some reason can't seem to get it in her head that just as Charles Spurgeon said "It is a nickname to call it Calvinism". Just as it is a nickname to call Monica's theology "Arminianism" No one is following John Calvin, just as Monica is not a follower of Arminius.

Again, these attempts to say that Calvinists follow Calvin and that are not saved are outlandish and ignorant. And what is even more outlandish is that Monica herself has a non-biblical view of the Trinity. Saying that the Holy Spirit is a girl and feminine in gender which is biblically in error and ridiculous.


She is not the first one to make these claims about Calvinism. I have even heard a very popular preacher in Midland, Michigan also make the similar claims that Calvinism is a "Damnable Doctrine" and that it will "Damn your soul". This was very, very disappointing to me!

So Monica is calling all Calvinists to Repent. Here are just a few of these Evil Calvinists, dead and alive. I guess the living ones better repent, because the dead ones must be burning in hell according to Monica's call to repentance.

Historical Preachers/Teachers that where Calvinists:

Augustine
A.W. Towzer
Richard Baxter
Thomas Boston
John Calvin (the devil himself who studied the text verse by verse/authored the Christian Institutes)
Jonathan Edwards (preached sinners in the hands of an angry God)
John Flavel
A.A. Hodge
John Knox
John Newton
A.W. Pink
John Bunyan (Author of Pilgrims Progress/10 years in prison for preaching the gospel)
John Owen
Charles Spurgeon (another "Evil" Calvinist who preached repentance and Christ Crucified)
Thomas Watson
John Gill
Martin Luther (started the protestant reformation)
C.S. Lewis - (quite the Calvinist when it comes to the mortification of sin)

Here are just a hand full of current "Evil" Calvinists:

Dr. R.C. Sproul - (several of his theological books are used in many churches today)
Dr. James White
Steve Camp
Dr. John Frame
Dr. Wayne Grudem - (wrote Grudem's Systematic Theology, used in many colleges and churches today, many do not know he is a "Reformed Charismatic" and they us his material.
Sinclair Ferguson
J.I. Packard
Dr. D. James Kennedy
Dr. Albert Mohler
Paul Washer
Dr. Thomas Ascol
Dr. John Piper
Matt Slick - Reformed Charismatic
Mark Kielar - Cross TV
Dr. John MacArthur
Kirk Camereon -(guilty by association)WOTM radio
Ray Comfort -(guilty by association) WOTM radio
Todd Friel -(host of Wretched Radio)
Del Tackett - the author\teacher of the "Truth Project" and founder of New Geneva Seminary.


I think that this goes to further prove how ridiculous Monica's claims are that these people need to repent or else. Folks need to study the scriptures/church history and stop taking everything the Dennington's and even a Midland, Michigan preacher's word as gospel truth!

We need to study the scriptures just as intently as the men listed above have done!

by His Grace alone,

Bill

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Monday, January 4, 2010

What is Reformed Theology?

This is a question I frequently get "What is Reformed Theology?". So, I thought I would start out the new year with 3 short video posts by R. C. Sproul answering this very question. Here are the videos on a brief introduction of Reformed Theology.


Please bare with the audio/video sync issues:





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Monday, November 30, 2009

New Blog Discovery: Calvinistic Cartoons

Here is a great site if you are like me and love a little theological satire Calvin style. Please check it out. It is Eddie Eddings blog Calvinistic Cartoons.




















Felix was comfortable with his new New Testament

until someone at work wanted to borrow the Sports section.

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Emergent-cy... We need to recover the gospel !!!! In this contemporary culture...


Encore Presentation:


The emergent church continues to wander further and further away from true christian orthodoxy! Doug Pagitt and Brian Mclaren continue to eliminate the "faith" and appeal to the culture.

There are three main errors of the church/movement.

1.) The desire to contextualize the Christian faith in adapting it to culture.

2.) The lack of reverence for God and His Word.

3.) The absence of the preaching of God's Word.


Here is a special PBS did on the Emergent Church:





Here is a discussion with Al Mohler, Ravi Zacharias and R.C. Sproul on the Post Modernism and the Emergent Church.



By His Grace Alone,

Bill

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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving from Christ Centered Research

The Original - Thanksgiving Proclamation








Simply click on the photo and when it comes up larger, click again and you should be able to read it...

In God's Strong Love,

Bill

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Are you a good person?

There is not a week that goes by that I don't hear the phrase "I'm not that bad, I have never killed anyone, I've never been in prison, I'm not racist, overall I'm a good person."

This seems to be the perspective of many, it was with me at one time. But yet we are sinners and we are born that way. David affirms this in Psalm 51 when he declares: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. (vs. 5, ESV).”

Psalm 58 says this of “the wicked,” which we can easily apply to every man, “Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies (vs. 3).”


Scripture says a lot more:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. -- Genesis 6:5

The heart is deceitful above all things,and desperately sick; who can understand it?
-Jeremiah 17:9

10 as it is written:“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” --Romans 3:10-18



These verses expose our desperate condition that we are sinners by nature from the day of our birth. Not only are we sinners, but every intent of the thoughts of our hearts is only evil all the time. Our hearts are so desperately wicked that they cannot be known truly by anyone but God.

We would chose our own selfish desires at every turn. We do not do any good; we are lying, deceitful, cursing, violent, blasphemous, people who have no fear of God at all.

So, in light of the biblical texts just sighted. I ask the question again. Are you a good person?

by His Grace Alone,

Bill

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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Persecution: A price to pay for being a Christian?

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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Is Context Key in Bible Interpretation? Examination of 2 Peter 3:9

Here is an example of why context is critical when studying the text. Here is 2 Peter 3:9 and example of proper exegesis and why context matters. Exegeted by Dr. James White...




by His Grace Alone,

Bill

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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Psalm 145 - A Song of Praise

Today I simply just wanted to share a Psalm of Praise to the Lord... Psalm 145, take time and meditate on it today! (ESV)

In God's Amazing Grace,

Bill


Great Is the Lord
A Song of Praise. Of David.

145:1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

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