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Part one: Legalism
07
Theme verses
Philippians 1:9-11
Editor
Andy Hambleton God’s thoughts towards His people.
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Jeremiah 29:11
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2
FIRST WORD
Over the last few months, the news has been filled
with dozens of sordid revelations exposing the dark
secrets of numerous well-known figures. From film
producers, to Hollywood actors, to sports personalities If we are honest with ourselves, that is a scary thought!
and politicians: it feels like every time you have turned Imagine it – every single word, and thought and action
on the television or opened a newspaper recently, yet we have ever committed - exposed and brought to light,
another prominent person has been accused of grossly before the Lord and Judge, Jesus himself! The things we
inappropriate behaviour. are most ashamed of. The secret sins that no one else
knows about. Even the sins which we ourselves have
In the opening words of Luke chapter 12, Jesus speaks What is the hope for us, in anticipation of that day? Our
of a coming day when people’s darkest secrets will be only hope is in Jesus himself, who died for his people,
laid bare. Much as, in recent days, the secrets of many carrying the burden of all of their sin – secret and
people have been exposed, a greater day will come otherwise. The record of debt that stood against them
when all secrets have the light of truth cast upon them. with its legal demands has been cancelled! It has been
Jesus says, “Nothing is covered up that will not be set aside, nailed to the cross! (Colossians 2:14) On the
revealed, or hidden that will not be known.” (Luke 12:2) day when all secrets are revealed, it will also be openly
acknowledged that all of our sin has been paid for in
Jesus is speaking in the first place about the Pharisees full, and there is therefore no condemnation for those in
of his day, whom he describes as ‘hypocrites’. That Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
is, they put on a show of being good, upstanding,
religious people, but underneath it all they are proud, And there’s more! Unlike us, Jesus has lived a sinless,
hard hearted, and opposed to Jesus. One day, he says, perfect life. He has nothing to be ashamed of. No dark
the truth of what is really going on in their hearts, and secrets. No hidden misdemeanours. He had all the
what they say and do behind closed doors in “private power in the world at his disposal, and yet he never
rooms” will be revealed and made known, “heard in abused it in order to indulge a selfish desire. He lived a
the light” and “proclaimed on the housetops.” Like with life of utter perfection and righteousness.
those celebrities, the truth of who they really are will be
exposed for all to see when Jesus returns. The façade This perfect, spotless righteousness he now gives as
will come crashing down, and the truth will be brought a free gift, by sheer grace, to all of those who trust in
to light. him. He takes away all their guilt and shame having paid
for it all at the cross, and he clothes his people in his
However, that day will not only reveal the secrets of the righteousness, counting it as theirs, so his people can
Pharisees. The writer to the Hebrews says, “no creature be accepted and declared ‘right’ by God in his eyes. For
is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed them, the day when ‘what is hidden will be made known’
to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” holds no terrors – only the joy of sins forgiven, and the
(Hebrews 4:13) full enjoying of God unto eternity!
3
W hen I was about 7 years old, my family went on holiday
over to France. We had taken the car with us, and
I remember vividly the last day of that holiday. We got up
incredibly early that morning in order to drive up to Calais to
catch the ferry back over to England. We set off whilst it was
still dark, and to begin with we had to drive along a narrow,
the Gospel
one side of the road, with the nose of the car pointing up out
of the ditch. Obviously, this wasn’t something we had planned,
and we needed – somehow - to get the car out of the ditch.
Part one:
The difficulty was, though, that if we revved the car up and
managed to drive out of this one ditch, we could very easily
have overshot this narrow country lane, and ended up going
Legalism
into the other ditch on the other side of the road. Somehow
we managed it. We managed to get out of one ditch, and avoid
ending up in the other ditch. And here I am to tell the tale!
In this first article, we are going to think about the ditch on the
right-hand side of the path of Christian obedience, the ditch of
legalism, before looking at the ditch of antinomianism in part
two, next time.
The first thing I want to think about is: what do these two
ditches have in common? In some ways, they are very very
different – but it’s important for us to understand that they
are very much related to one another. What they have in
4
common is this: both of them are misunderstandings of the of acceptance by God themselves; under their own steam,
relationship between the law of God and the gospel of God. through their own religious obedience. They thought of the
The true nature of that relationship between law and gospel law as a kind of ladder to climb in order to reach acceptance
is really the key idea I want to get across in these articles. Get from God.
that relationship right, and you stay on the road. Get it wrong,
and you end up in one ditch or the other. In verse 15, Jesus shows us three reasons why having that
approach to the law of God is so wrong.
So let’s look into the ditch of legalism…
Firstly, it is proud. Notice, Jesus says, “You are those who
Legalism justify yourselves before men.” You see, a mixed motive
inevitably creeps into the heart of the ‘hard’ legalist who uses
In what way does legalism misunderstand the relationship God’s law like a ladder. They are doing all of these religious
between law and gospel? It does so by viewing the law in such a works because they want to earn the approval not just of God,
way that it displaces the gospel. but of other people too. They want other people to look on
and think, “Wow, look at that person! Look how his life is so
Now, legalism can manifest itself in a number of different religiously perfect! They never put a foot wrong!” Do you see,
ways. Not all legalism is the same, and so I want to distinguish underneath it all they are motivated by pride?
between what I am going to refer to as ‘hard’ legalism and
‘soft’ legalism. We’ll start with ‘hard’ legalism because it is Secondly, using the law as a ladder is also hypocritical. Jesus
more obvious and more easily understood. continues, “but God knows your hearts.”
i) ‘Hard’ Legalism The implication is that, though this kind of person may look
very impressive on the outside, what is on the inside is very
What I mean by ‘hard’ legalism is simply using obedience to different.
the law of God as the basis of God accepting you. So, in this
form of legalism, the gospel is completely displaced by the Such a person sees sin as merely an external problem; a
law. We might describe this by saying that it is like using God’s problem in our behaviour, rather than a problem in our hearts.
law as a “ladder” to reach up to God. So they misdiagnose the disease – and they address the
external symptoms, rather than the internal disease itself. And
We need to climb up this ladder, rung by rung, commandment so they focus all their energies on modifying their behaviour
by commandment, through painstaking obedience, until we on the outside, but they are unchanged on the inside. It’s all a
reach the top of it, and we’ve done it all, and we meet God façade.
there at the top and he says, “Well done, you’ve passed the
test, you can enter heaven.” Also, using God’s law as a ladder like this is an abomination
to God. Jesus says, “For what is exalted among men is an
A lot of people assume that that is basically what the law of abomination in the sight of God.”
God is there for, don’t they? “Follow these rules, live a good
life, and if you climb high enough up this ladder, God will Why is doing this so appalling in God’s eyes? Why does God
accept you.” hate it when people think that by performing works of the law
they have earned their way into his good books? Well, not only
Many of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day had a similar kind of is it proud and hypocritical – as well as that it steals the glory
outlook. In Luke 16 v14-17, Jesus addresses this issue. Jesus that belongs to God alone.
says to the Pharisees in verse 15, “you are those who justify
yourselves.” To be justified means to be declared right by God Salvation belongs to the LORD. It’s all of his working, and
in his eyes. It means God looks at you and he says, “I accept therefore it is all to his glory. And when we say that, actually,
you as someone who has kept my law perfectly.” salvation is in our hands, and it’s about our working, we’re
taking God’s glory for ourselves. It exalts man, rather than
The Pharisees, who were trying to justify themselves, were God.
therefore making the claim that they had got to that level
5
This is the approach of the ‘hard’ legalist, and it is false as soon as you become a Christian!
teaching that cannot save. The apostle Paul writes, “all who
rely on works of the law are under a curse… it is evident that Very often, Christians who have started thinking this way
no one is justified before God by the law.” (Galatians 3:10-11) struggle greatly for assurance. They spend their Christian
lives fretting about their level of obedience. They have a bad
Now, I would guess that we are probably pretty aware of the week, and they feel condemned. They don’t doubt that Jesus
danger of ‘hard’ legalism. That’s not to say we’re immune to has done “his bit”, but they wonder if they are doing enough.
it, but we are aware of it. Their assurance is in pieces – and they feel crushed by the
law. It’s because of this kind of ‘soft legalism’. They are not
But that’s not to say that none of us are in the legalism ditch. unconverted ‘hard’ legalists, but this more subtle form of soft
Because there are other manifestations of legalism which I legalism has crept into their mind, and it is robbing them of
am going to bunch together and describe as ‘soft’ legalism. their joy and their assurance.
That is, types of legalism which are more subtle, less obvious,
and much more likely to creep into the mind-set of Reformed Another way that soft legalism can manifest itself is through
Christians, and where the law is used to displace the gospel, adding extra requirements to the law of God. So a Christian
to some extent. person, rightly, understands that as a Christian they are
called to a life of obedience to God’s law. However, their
ii) Soft Legalism understanding of what the law requires goes further than
the law itself goes. So they have a tendency to become very
What does soft legalism look like? strict, very regimented, in how they live their Christian life. It’s
almost like they have a list of do’s and don’ts for the Christian
Firstly, it can manifest itself in thinking that, though you are life. “A Christian must look like this, dress like this, behave
saved by grace, the way that you keep yourself a Christian, and like this, vote like this, and have this kind of personality type.
advance yourself as a Christian is through your own strength. And a Christian must never touch this, do that, go there, or
associate with those kind of people.”
Paul speaks about this again in the book of Galatians.
He writes: Actually, when you take that mental list of do’s and don’ts,
and compare it to what the Scriptures really say, you see
“Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works that it has added a whole load of extra requirements on top
of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having of God’s law. Christian liberty on those issues has gone out
begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the of the window, and has been replaced by a set of man-made
flesh?” (Galatians 3:2-3) laws.
Here, Paul is addressing this misunderstanding of the As Reformed Christians, we’re usually very good at calling out
relationship between the gospel and the law. It was through ‘hard’ legalism, but often these kinds of ‘soft’ legalism get in
hearing the gospel and responding with faith in Christ that the back door.
the Galatians received the Spirit. It wasn’t through works of That’s the ditch on the right hand side of the path of Christian
the law that they became Christians – it was by grace alone, obedience; the ditch of legalism. We need to steer well clear
through faith alone, in Christ alone. of it!
But then, later on, this legalistic mindset has set in. They have In the next article in this series we will look into the ditch on
started to think that in order to keep themselves Christians, the left hand side of the path of Christian obedience; the ditch
and in order to grow as Christians, it is now all about them, of antinomianism, and we’ll see how in that ditch the gospel
and what they do in their own strength. So they have got is wrongly used to displace the law, before in the final two
this unhealthy view of the Christian life, that at the start it articles we will explore the Reformed understanding of how
is about grace and faith and Christ, but after that it is about the law and the gospel relate to one another.
law and works and me. Jesus has got me in, but now it’s up to
me. Do you see, to a certain extent the law has displaced the
gospel? As Jerry Bridges put it, it’s as if God’s grace runs out
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God’s thoughts towards His people.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the 29:1). It’s interesting to note that prior to the captivity God
LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future had many hard things to say to these people about their sin
and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). and the coming judgment. However, now that they were in
captivity, He spoke words of comfort to them, words which
7
been logical for them to conclude that the Almighty had now “the secret things”. What do I mean? Well, God has particular
forsaken them. But that was not the case. God had a plan in blessings in store for us that are not yet revealed, and we
bringing them there and it included good and not evil, as our can only know them as providence unfolds them. Cowper
text reminds us. The Almighty had good thoughts towards mentioned them in his famous hymn: “Ye fearful saints fresh
a distraught people, a people who were in captivity - that’s courage take, The clouds ye so much dread, Are big with
encouraging, because that’s when we most need God to think mercy and shall break, With blessings on your head.”
about us - when we’re in trouble.
Here is an example from the life of Stuart Olyott. He has
Do you remember the time Hagar gave birth to Ishmael? At several adopted sons and on one occasion he took one of
Sarah’s suggestion, Abraham went in to her in an attempt to them for an interview. The young man thought he did well
hasten the fulfilment of God’s promise. It was a disastrous and was disappointed when he was told that there was no
move and this “kindling of their own sparks” resulted in them job for him. However, some weeks later Stuart’s phone rang
“lying down in sorrow” (Isaiah 50:11). Understandably, not and the caller said “Sorry, wrong number.” However, before
long after the child was born, the home was filled tension. he could put down the receiver Stuart recognized his voice.
Sarah became jealous and Hagar was He said: “You sound like the man who
forced to flee with her new-born child. That’s encouraging, interviewed my son recently for a job.
Imagine the pitiful sight of that poor girl Now that you’re on the phone, has
sitting by a spring of water out in the and when we’re in anything changed?” To which the man
wilderness! To make matters worse she
had hardly been walking in the path of
trouble we should replied: “Funny you should say that
because we now need someone, in fact
duty, yet God was thinking about her. We
remember this same your son would be ideal!” Stuart’s son
know that because the angel of the Lord got the job, and why did the caller phone
appeared to her and ministered to her. truth: “God thinks the wrong number? His home number
As a result she called the name of the was just one digit removed from Stuart’s
place “Beerlahairoi”, which means “you about us”. number, but he accidentally pressed the
are the God who sees” (Genesis 16:13). “wrong number”, or the “right number”,
God knew all about, and had good thoughts towards, a depending on whatever way you look at it. God had “good
young girl who was in “big trouble” without any earthly help. thoughts” towards Stuart and his son which were only
That’s encouraging, and when we’re in trouble we should revealed at that moment. Who knows what thoughts the
remember this same truth: “God thinks about us”. In Isaiah’s all wise God has towards us which providence will one day
day the people said: “The Lord has forsaken me. And the Lord unfold!
has forgotten me.” But God said: “Can a woman forget her
nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her
womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See 3) His thoughts towards us are “OF PEACE AND
I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls NOT OF EVIL”.
are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16). I like the way
scripture brings these two things together: God’s thoughts
towards us and our difficulties. As the Psalmist said: “I am Put yourself in the position of these captives for a moment.
poor and needy, yet the Lord thinks upon me.” They were in their captivity because of their sin – hardly an
encouraging situation. They might have been forgiven for
thinking that God had evil in store for them, but He hadn’t.
2) His thoughts towards us are known only to Him – “For I In fact the exact opposite was true. The captivity actually
KNOW the thoughts that I think towards you,” says the Lord. taught the people important spiritual lessons which they
probably would never have learned had they not gone into
captivity in the first place. Their idolatry is a case in point. The
God alone knows the thoughts that He has towards us captivity appears to have rid them of this sin once and for all,
because they are locked up in His eternal purpose. Indeed since there is little or no mention it in later books of the Old
there is often a great chasm between the thoughts that He Testament. Furthermore, it’s also highly likely that at least
actually has towards us, and the thoughts that we might some folk in captivity actually came to know the Lord, through
think He has toward us. “My thoughts are not your thoughts” His hard dealings with them. When they heard Jeremiah
(Isaiah 55:8); “the secret things belong unto the Lord” announce: “I will be their God and they will be my people”
(Deuteronomy 29:29). From the “things revealed” we can (Jeremiah 31:33), is it not reasonable to conclude that this
glean many general principles about God’s goodness, because glorious message was blessed to the hearts of at least some?
it is “through the patience and the comfort of the scriptures What I’m saying is this: surely the “thoughts of peace and not
that we have hope” (Romans 15:4). But does that exhaust of evil” that God mentions here included the greatest blessing
God’s thoughts towards us? Not at all, we must remember of all – salvation?
8
The principle is this: God sometimes brings trouble into our All this is relevant for us too because Christians have also
lives to shake us up. If He didn’t we would destroy ourselves, got a glorious future. “Now to Him who is able to keep you
but He has access to all the means in the universe to bring from falling and to present you faultless before the presence
us to our senses. And in the context here, it’s more or of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24). That’s our future!
less certain that some of these captives could trace their Not only do “all things work together for good” in this life
conversion to “Babylon”. Sometimes when things go wrong (Romans 8:28), one day we will all be made perfect in body
we think: “nothing worse could ever happen to me than this”. and soul. We will also live among a perfect people, in a perfect
However, later on we may see things very differently because environment, forever and forever, and all through a perfect
if a “disappointment” thrusts us back on the Lord, and forces Saviour, whose name is Jesus Christ! This is the future and the
us to look to Him for salvation, then it’s the best thing that hope that the bible holds out for the people of God.
could ever happen to us. Some of these captives in Babylon
could say “Amen” to their time of captivity because it was
there that they found the Lord, or rather the Lord found them. 5) His thoughts towards us are everlasting: “I have loved
“What will it it profit a man if he gains the whole world and you with an EVERLASTING love” (Jeremiah 31:3).
loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). Far better to pass through
“Babylon” if it results in our conversion, rather than God leave
us to ourselves with the result that we press the self-destruct To quote Gerhardus Vos: “The best proof that God will never
button. He knows what He is doing when He brings us cease to love us is the fact that He never began.” Therefore,
through “Babylon”. if God’s love towards us is “everlasting”, He must also have
everlasting thoughts towards us, and He does! Here is
The life of Jacob is another wonderful example of God something utterly mind-boggling. We think in response to
having thoughts of peace towards a man who didn’t know circumstances. Our thoughts are often the reflex actions of
what was happening. When things started to unravel in his our minds to situations we encounter, but God’s thoughts
life he made this sad confession: “You have bereaved me, are eternal, the product of His eternal purpose, whereby He
Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take “works out all things according to the counsel of His will”
Benjamin away. All these things are against me” (Genesis (Ephesians 1:11). “In your book they all were written, the
42:36). He couldn’t have been further from the truth! At that days fashioned for me, when as yet there was none of them”
very moment his son Joseph, whom he presumed dead, was (Psalm 139:16). One day we will know much more about this
actually Prime Minister of Egypt, and in that capacity he was matter than we do now. CH Spurgeon puts it well: “O believer,
able to help the entire family throughout a period of famine. the great thoughtfulness of the divine mind is exercised
Furthermore, Jacob did see all of his children again, every towards you, the chosen of the Lord. Never has anything
single one of them. In other words, God had thoughts towards happened towards you as the result of remorseless fate;
him that he was completely unaware of – “thoughts of but all your circumstances have been ordered in wisdom by
peace and not of evil”. As Cowper said: “Judge not the Lord by a living, thoughtful, loving Lord.” What a blessing it is to be a
feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace. Behind a frowning Christian!
providence, He hides a smiling face.”
What did the future hold for these people? Answer: much
good. As I’ve intimated already they would shortly hear about
the blessings of the new covenant. Then seventy years later
they would return from captivity – “For thus says the LORD:
After seventy years, I will visit you and perform my good word
towards you, and cause you to return to this place” (Jeremiah
29:10). At that point the temple and the city would be rebuilt
under the ministries of Ezra, Nehemiah and Haggai. Then in
“the fullness of the time” God would raise up the Messiah
from among these same people. Read the genealogy in Jeff Ballantine, a native of Co. Tyrone, has been a
Matthew chapter one for proof of this. Zerubbabel was not minister of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church
only one of the leaders who led them back from captivity; he for 25 years. He is currently ministering in
was also one of our Lord’s ancestors! Groomsport, Co. Down, having previously served
in the Lisburn Road congregation.
9
Reformed Theological College
10
Judah must see their helplessness as a result of their own sin
and God’s judgement upon it. But even here, while they lie in a
stupor – not drunk from wine, but from the intensity of their
affliction, while they lie in the net God has something to say:
something they must awake to hear!
God’s judgement has brought this about through two 2. Get dressed! Holiness is yours! 52:1-10
different means in verse 19: desolation by famine and
destruction by the sword. They knew it would happen, they Verse 1: “Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on
knew that the Lord their God was a holy God; He would your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city!”
not let sin go unpunished, but they sinned anyway – and it
brought nothing but desolation and destruction. God has provided new clothes for His captive people; no
longer will they wear the rags of the downtrodden in the
Don’t sleep-walk into sin! Don’t just imagine that you can street; those days are over. Get up and get dressed, says the
sin without consequence. Sin always brings misery, sin by its Lord, I have new clothes for you now! God Himself is excited
nature ensnares, sin will always bring you down. Yes, it will about clothing His people. Put on strength, put on beauty.
promise to build you up, it will promise to make you happy – These are their new clothes now, these they will wear every
but sin is a liar. Sin left them like an antelope caught in a net day. They are tailor made, they are fitting - God knows how
– helpless. Sin will do the same to you and me, if we let it. If best to dress His children.
we sleep-walk in life we will surely be ensnared. Pride, greed,
laziness, lust – the evil one is ready with the net. Stay awake!
11
It’s a skill perhaps that not all of us have in this life – and God will not allow His name to be blasphemed forever.
sometimes (husbands!) your wife might wonder at what Instead God says, “My people shall know my name, they shall
you’re wearing or what clothes you’ve put out for the children; know my voice, they shall know Me.”
or sometimes you know it yourself, when you look in the
mirror of the shop changing room and say to yourself, “It’s not Again, Isaiah is a master of building suspense, because we
really me!” want to know just how this will come to pass. How will God’s
people be redeemed without money, how will they come
When God dresses His children, it’s really them. Maybe you to know God’s name, how will they come to know God?
know that happiness when you try on a new pair of jeans or a Something new is certainly coming – but what? How will it
suit and say “yes, they’re just me!” Such are the clothes that take place?
God provides for His children. “I have new clothes for you to
put on” says the Lord; “strength, beauty and holiness. Yes,” “Get dressed” says the Lord. Put on strength, beauty and
says the Lord, “that’s it! Now you’re properly dressed!” holiness. Do it now, because the postman is coming up the
drive! We meet the messenger in verse 7- “How beautiful upon
Their new clothes match their new status. They’re not to sit the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who
in the dust anymore, and they are not to remain in chains proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who
anymore – you WERE a captive but AWAKE to your freedom proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
my daughter, says the Lord. Once they felt so worthless, they
sold themselves for nothing in verse 3, but to God they are The herald here is running over the mountains, and as he
pricelessly valuable; He will redeem His people, but not with approaches, he shouts out the kind of news that he bears! He
money... doesn’t get into the detail until he arrives. But he wants you
to know that it’s good news! It’s news about peace! It’s news
What then? How will God redeem his captive people? We that’ll make you glad! It’s news about salvation! And it’s news
want to rush on into chapter 53 to find the answer, but not about victory!
yet. We want to turn to 1 Peter
1:18-19 and read “... you were not
“But he wants you to know What is the news? Isaiah once again
redeemed with corruptible things, doesn’t divulge it just yet – chapter
like silver or gold, from your aimless that it’s good news! 53 is coming. But you’ll remember
conduct received by tradition from your that Paul quotes this verse 7 in
fathers, but with the precious blood of
It’s news about peace! Romans 10:15, and in the preceding
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish It’s news that’ll make verses he summarises the message
and without spot.” here spoken of: “...that if you confess
you glad! with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
But Isaiah doesn’t go there just yet.
It’s news about salvation! believe in your heart that God has
God’s children are just waking up, raised Him from the dead, you will be
rubbing their eyes, seeing the wrath And it’s news saved.” (Romans 10:9)
is over, seeing their new clothes and
hearing the command to put them about victory!” The Good News is news about Jesus.
on! Is this really happening? How? The Good News is news about
Why? The Sovereign Lord speaks in how you can have peace with God. The Good News is news
verses 4-6, and He tells them why. about how Jesus makes you glad! The Good News is news
about Jesus the Saviour! It’s news about the victory He has
God loves His people; He loves them enough to discipline won over sin and death! That’s why when the messenger
them! Captivity was never going to be forever, and those who approaches – the watchmen are already singing in verses
oppress His people and treat them as nothing will be made 8-10: “Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, with their voices
to wail. Verses 5 and 6 also draw our attention to the fact they shall sing together; for they shall see eye to eye when the
that God’s people bear God’s name – and when God’s people LORD brings back Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, you
are treated as nothing – then God’s name is blasphemed, waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His
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people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD has made bare dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the Believer this is for you... Be a leaver!
earth shall see the salvation of our God.”
Leave the worldiness behind and get busy for God, carry his
Verse 10 again brings us back to Jesus – He is the Holy Arm vessels! Do His work!
of God that is about to be made bare in 53v1. It’s not just a Picture the Old Testament priest in the temple for a moment,
messenger then that is coming, there’s a more important in your mind’s eye... He’s inside the holy place, he’s standing
visitor coming. So wake up and see my wrath is finished! before the curtain, he is facing the holy of holies, there’s a
Wake up and get dressed, holiness is yours! small altar before him, it’s the altar of incense. What’s he
doing? He’s praying. Believer – carry the vessels of God, fulfil
3. Get going - a new life awaits your holy calling. Make prayer your business. What business
will you do for the Lord? John Bunyan reminds us, “You can
They’re not just leaving Babylon; this is a spiritual leaving. do more than pray, after you have prayed; but you cannot do
This is a leaving behind of all the worldliness that had so more than pray until you have prayed.” It is time to wake up,
entangled them before. The awakening was a spiritual one. get dressed in holiness and pray.
The dressing was a spiritual one. So too is the leaving – it
is the leaving that Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18: Verse 12 gives us every encouragement to get going into this
“Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says new life that God has planned out for us. The Lord goes with
the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will you, He goes before and behind. He is the one who surrounds
be a Father to you, and you shall be you as you go. The evil one wants you
My sons and daughters, says the Lord
“You can do more than pray, to lie in just a little bit longer, he would
Almighty.” have you procrastinate and delay
after you have prayed; but and make you believe that you’re not
Leaving is hard. Our politicians ready for service. But Isaiah’s alarm
might think that leaving the EU is
you cannot do more than clock has sounded loud and clear –
tricky, but leaving the worldliness pray until you have prayed.” please don’t hit the snooze button,
of this life behind is so much more don’t lie in a second longer. Awake!
difficult. In Christ we are dressed Awake! God’s wrath is over – In Christ
in the white linen of His perfect righteousness, and the world you are forgiven. Get dressed! Put on Christ’s holiness and
is having spaghetti bolognese for tea! It’s hard to stay clean strength. Get going! Leave the bed of worldliness and get to
in this world. It’s hard to leave and “touch no unclean thing”. work for your Master, and the Lord your God will be with you.
Uncleanness is everywhere.
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Reformed Theological College
Ephesians 4:17-24
‘Walking like Gentiles’
S ome of you will remember that in
1986 a band called ‘The Bangles’
released a song called ‘Walk Like an
things, and we could easily interpret his
commands in legalistic/moralistic terms,
as if Paul were simply saying to us, “Be
But for some reason Paul chooses to
deliberately emphasise this here. This
comes from the Lord!
Egyptian.’ It wasn’t a particularly deep good.” You see, there is something deep
song in terms of its lyrics, it was just down in our fallen natures that loves to That ought to tug at the drawstrings
a bit of fun, and in the accompanying make lists of dos and don’ts. But friends, of your heart. Do you love Christ?
video there were all kinds of people, what Paul will eventually go on to tell us Do you? Is he ‘the chiefest amongst
like Princess Diana and Colonel Gaddafi, in v25-32 is not a list of dos and don’ts, ten thousand’ to you (Song of Songs
walking like Egyptians. but is the fruit born out of our union 5:10 AV)? Is he ‘altogether lovely’ to
with Christ. you (Song of Songs 5:16 AV)? Is he
Now in our last two articles, we have everything to you? Well, if so, it is
seen that Paul is very concerned about 1) Who is speaking your heart’s delight who is speaking
the way we walk. Now he doesn’t want to you here. It is your heart’s delight
us to walk like Egyptians, but he does In this article we are going to focus on who doesn’t want you to walk this
want us ‘to walk in a manner worthy’ v17-24, where the apostle gives us the way, but that way. And notice, friends,
of our calling (4:1 NASB). He wants theological basis for the life he wants that Christ isn’t giving you advice, he is
us to walk like Christian people. Now us to live, for the walk he wants us commanding you, ‘you must no longer
within the context of walking worthy, to walk. We are going to look at three walk’ a particular way (v17b). Are we
the apostle mentions in v3 ‘the unity of things. Firstly, notice who is speaking listening to the Saviour? Are we ready to
the Spirit’ which leads him to digress, as to us. Notice who it is who is telling us obey him?
he explores in greater detail this unity not to live one way but to live another
and our responsibilities in maintaining it way. Friends, it is Christ! Paul says, ‘Now 2) How we are not to walk…
(v4-16). this I say and testify in the Lord’ (4:17a
ESV). Another way of translating this So, we now know who is speaking to
In this article we find Paul returning would be to say, ‘So this I say, and affirm us. Christ is speaking through Paul. But
to this idea of walking. You see, he together with the Lord’. (NASB). what is he saying? Well, secondly, notice
has more to say on the subject, and how we are not to walk. Paul says, we
Paul intends to get very practical with Now Paul isn’t simply saying, “What ‘must no longer walk as the Gentiles do,’
us (v25-32, etc). However, before he I’m telling you is consistent with the (v17b ESV). What does he mean?
gets more practical, Paul wants us Lord’s teaching,” although that is of
to understand the theological basis course true. He is saying more than When Paul talks about ‘Gentiles’ he
for why he wants us to do what he that. He is saying, “This comes from the is referring to people who are not in
wants us to do (v17-24). Being a great Lord.” Now again, that could be said covenant with God, pagan people, who
physician of souls, Paul realises that we of everything Paul says, after all, he is are outside of the church. People who
could very easily misunderstand him. an apostle of Christ, who speaks the live without Christ. These are non-
He is going to tell us not to do certain word of Christ, by the Spirit of Christ. Christian people.
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We live our lives amongst people like crawling creatures. Therefore God gave we understand what Christ is teaching
this. They live in the same streets as we them over in the lusts of their hearts to us? Well, we can only understand when
do. They work in the same places as we impurity, so that their bodies would be we are in union and communion with
do. They drive the same cars as we do. dishonoured among them.” him by faith, because the truth is in him.
They shop in the same shops as we do. So in contrast to the Gentiles, who live
They wear the same clothes as we do. In Now friends, is it any wonder that Paul without him, we are to be Christ centred
so many ways we are alike. So friends, says that, as believers, we’re not to walk people.
when Paul says, “Don’t walk like them. like this? Is it any wonder that Christ
Don’t live like them,” is he telling us to doesn’t want us to walk like this? We are Secondly, we are to live like the new
withdraw from society? Are we to live in children of the light, so we shouldn’t be people we are. In v22-24 Paul says,
isolated communities, driving around in hanging around in the darkness. We’ve “that, in reference to your former
horse drawn buggies, and dressing as if been given new hearts, so we shouldn’t manner of life, you lay aside the old self,
it were the 19th century? Are we to say be behaving in a way that hardens our which is being corrupted in accordance
‘No’ to electricity, mobile phones, and hearts. Sin’s grip on us has been broken, with the lusts of deceit, and that you
the internet? Is this what Paul means? so we shouldn’t be giving ourselves over be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
The answer is most definitely, “No!” to sensuality and the pursuit of impurity. and put on the new self, which in the
Friends, this is not who we are, and we likeness of God has been created in
Secondly, we can say what he does shouldn’t walk like this. righteousness and holiness of the truth”
mean. From what he goes on to say, it (NASB).
is clear that Paul is talking about the 3) How we are to walk…
spiritual dimension. When he says, There is a lot to unpack here, but in
“Don’t walk like them,” he is saying, Now we know what we are not to be essence Paul is telling us that when we
“Don’t live like unregenerate people. like. Friends, Christ doesn’t want us to become Christians a transformation
Don’t live like those who do not have live as if we were not his people. So takes place. This is not something that
God at the centre of their lives. Don’t live finally, notice how we are to walk. we do, but something that is done to
as if you were not born again.” us by the Holy Spirit through the new
As I have said previously, Paul is going birth. Our old selves die with Christ, and
Paul explains what he means, by to become very practical, and give us a in Christ we become new people. Minds
describing the unregenerate in v17c- list of commands (v25-32). But before are renewed, and are being renewed,
19. This is a complicated passage he does there, in v20-24 he gives us with completely different ways of
(v17-19 are all one sentence in Greek), the theological basis for obeying those thinking.
but basically the apostle says three commands, and living the life that both
things. Firstly, they walk in the darkness he and Christ want us to live. So, as we draw this article to a close,
spiritually, and they do so willingly Notice two things: can I ask you, how is your walk? Are you
(v17c-18a). Secondly, because they walking like the people you are, or like
walk in the dark their hearts become Firstly, we are to be Christ centred. In the people you once were? It is Christ’s
hardened (v18b). And thirdly, because v20&21 Paul says this, “But you did not command that you walk like new people.
they have become hardened they learn Christ in this way, if indeed you
relentlessly pursue sensual pleasure, in have heard him and been taught in him,
fact, they are greedy for it (v19). just as truth is in Jesus” (NASB).
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OBITUARIES
FROM THE CHURCHES
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FROM THE CHURCHES
The first lecture, entitled The Legacy of 1927, was delivered by The congregation sang the doxology and Rev. Andrew Lucas,
Mr Ernest Brown, a trustee of the Book Shop and Evangelical Omagh, closed the evening in prayer.
Presbyterian Church historian. Mr Brown spoke on different
aspects of legacy and finished with an appeal to church leaders Caroline McDonald
to be zealous custodians of the church’s legacy. Psalm 90
teaches us to number our days and continue the work of our
hands.
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FROM THE CHURCHES
We also ventured to Craigavon watersports centre for banana boating, mountain biking and archery. A new venue for Inters was
the estate of Cecil Haffey where we enjoyed frisbee golf, the assault course with aerial zip line, and the play park. We also went
on a tour around the estate where we enjoyed some hands-on interaction with the animals. Newmills Presbyterian gifted us
the use of their halls and when it rained we went there for some of the fiercest competition known in the history of camps, and
that’s just the leaders!
Many of the leaders including myself were new to Inters camp, but those who had been there before kept us right, and together
it was a superb team, a particularly strong team in which every single person had the needed gifts and graces for camp. We
were blessed to have 2 full time dedicated cooks, Esther and Margaret – they worked hard all week to keep us fuelled for all the
activities, and not only was the food excellent, but they served us with joy.
Ross Jackson came every day and taught us from God’s word, and it was pitched perfectly for the campers, though the leaders
also listened intently and were challenged as well. The evening dorm groups also provoked some good discussion. Pamela Gaiya
visited and spoke of the work of ACTS in Nigeria, and Esther Smith also spoke every evening on the life of Helen Roseveare. The
worship each day was assisted beautifully by campers playing piano and guitar. All in all, the week was filled with the grace of
God. Without Him, we could do nothing; but with Him we had a brilliant Inters Camp.
RJJ
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FROM THE CHURCHES
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FROM THE CHURCHES
Stranmillis
Congregational
Weekend
From time to time the congregation of Stranmillis has
organised a weekend when people of all ages make a special
effort to come together for teaching and fellowship. We had
such an event this year on 30 September and 1 October. Thank God for those in your life who have
The Groomsport congregation kindly lent us their premises taught you from the bible and continue to do
for Saturday’s activities - an ideal venue. so. Pray that Sunday school teachers and
youth leaders will be diligent and prayerful in
teaching God’s word and that young people will
Our speaker was Andy Hambleton, Crumlin, and his theme:
realise His word is more desirable than gold
“How shall we then live? - a consideration of God’s Law and sweeter than honey. Pray for more leaders
and its relevance for Christians today.” His first address on to help run the youth club in Groomsport. Pray
Saturday considered the pitfalls of “hard” and “soft” legalism that the Lord would graciously meet with the
and of “hard” and “soft” antinomianism. His second looked at many children from broken homes who come
the Law as a kerb, a mirror and a guide. During these teaching into our churches through the week.
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Thank God for Ben and Esther’s trip to Moldova
and for Maureen Wise and her Moldovan
colleagues in the Casa Mea foundation. Pray
for the men and women they minister to,
Calling
that they would know much of the comfort
and love and grace of God. Pray especially
for the Christians with disabilities who live in
institutions and who suffer for their faith. Pray
all
that many of our young people would have a
new concern for the unreached and that some
would be called to be missionaries.
campers!
Praise God for the gospel opportunities
provided by Mums & Tots in several of our
churches and for the many ladies (and a
few men) befriended. Ask him to provide the
needed leaders to allow the Crosscollyer Mums
& Tots work to resume.
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