Who Is God – Atheism & Creationism – Ravi Zacharias

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Filed under: Atheism, Creation, Ravi Zacharias, Video

An Expository Look at John 1:1

One of the marvelous things about studying the Bible is that every time you read a verse the Holy Spirit whispers something new and fresh in your heart. Expository preaching is the hardest but most rewarding type of preaching there is. It takes you from the surface of a text to the depths and beyond. In studying the Gospel of John, I have written a few notes down from my preliminary look at 1:1. I wanted to share these notes with you today in the prayer that the Holy Spirit will whisper something new and fresh in your heart.

John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

“In the beginning”
- This statement takes us all the way back to Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In the beginning is the start of everything that is physical, the universe, all matter and things that now exist. But we must think of God in His complete eternality. God existed before the beginning, in the vast halls of eternity God was always present in fullness and complete deity.
- So therefore, “in the beginning” not only refers to the time or the beginning of all of creation as we know it, but there is an underling reference to “before” the beginning when it was just the Holy Trinity.
- John does not mean that the “Word” that is Jesus Christ, was made along with everything else “in the beginning.” Jesus Christ was not created by God as a mere creature because we know from Scripture, “that by Him all things came into existence.”
- So if by Jesus all things that were created came into existence then we must deduce that He was before the beginning in full fellowship and full relationship and full joy with His Father and the Holy Spirit.
- So not only was Jesus before the beginning, but He was in the beginning.
- John, in his gospel, simply starts where the whole of the Bible starts, “In the beginning” as we know it.
- The Geneva Bible Notes comments on the word, “In” – The Son of God is of one and the selfsame eternity or everlastingness, and of one and the selfsame essence or nature with the Father.
- So if Christ is the very nature and essence of the Father then He would have to be before the beginning because God was before the beginning – from all eternity.
- Jesus was not created – He created.
- So Jesus Christ is everlasting and has always existed.
 

“was the Word,”
- In the beginning was the “logos” or the Word.
- The self revelation of God, God incarnate, God’s manifestation to mankind, God’s exact representation, God’s own image, God’s own perfection.
- The word “logos” denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world’s life both physical and ethical, with for the procurement of man’s salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person of the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds.
- The Geneva Bible Notes points out that the word, “the” places emphasis on peculiar and choice things above all others, and puts a difference between this “Word,” which is the Son of God, and the laws of God, which are also called the “Word of God.”
- So in the sense that the written word of God is the revelation of God to man, Jesus Christ is also the revelation of God to man because He is God, the Bible is not part of the Godhead. So Jesus Christ is supreme in being called the “Word.”
- The word, “was” also denotes eternal existence.
- Jesus Christ is the living Word, the only Word of truth because He is the fullness of truth because He is the fullness of God.

“and the Word was with God,”
- There is a distinction of persons here.
- Even though Jesus Christ is fully God, He is not the Father in the sense of personhood.
- The Trinity goes forth as One God, divine in three distinct persons.
- So we have a clear picture of the Trinity here.
- This is what those on earth could not understand – Christ at one moment would be talking to His Father and then the next be proclaiming Himself God.
- Yes, He was God in the sense He has all divine attributes equally as being God and looses none of that divine essence in being the second Person of the Trinity.
- So in this section John lets us have a glimpse at the perfect relationship the Father and the Son had before the world began.
- The Father delighted in the Son and the Son delighted in the Father perfectly satisfied in each other and in the Holy Spirit and perfectly were fulfilled in one another.
- God did not need to create humankind in order to have fellowship, He was already experiencing eternal fellowship with “the Word” – His own revelation of Himself in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
- They found complete joy in one another and they found complete companionship within one another.
- But even though He enjoyed the fullness of Heaven, “the Word” became “flesh” (v. 14) and took upon Himself manhood, physically.
- He gladly gave up the splendors of Heaven for the sinfulness of this world to save “those whom the Father had given Him.”

“and the Word was God”
- Here we have the full indication of the Trinity again.
- John is telling us not only was He before the beginning and had full fellowship with God in that time but He is God Himself.
- Note that Christ was not “a” God among the Father and the Holy Spirit, but He was fully God and had all the fullness of the Godhead even though He was distinct in His personhood as the Son.
- So this One who has graced us with His presence on earth was in fact actually God.
- Not a form of God but the God.
- The God that came to the Israelites as a pillar of fire and a cloud of smoke, the God who parted the Red Sea with the blast of His nostrils, the God who spoke with the prophets and calls the dead forth.
- The Jesus Christ who came to walk in human shoes, who was born in a manger, who died at the hands of cruel men, was actually the eternal, holy, sovereign God of the universe.
- The Geneva Bible Notes says of the word, “was” – the Son who is God from everlasting took upon Himself man’s nature, so that one and the selfsame might be both God and man, who manifestly appeared to many witnesses that saw Him, amongst whom He was conversant and unto whom be sure and undoubted arguments He showed both of His natures.

Filed under: Bible Study, Creation, Doctrine, Jesus, Pastors, Preaching, The Holy Spirit, Various Thoughts, Writing

Westminster Wednesday – Old Testament Study

Welcome to Westminster Wednesday! Each Wednesday at Pastor and People is dedicated to book recommendations from the online Westminster Bookstore. While at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, Dr. Bill Pfoff, my Old Testament professor, made the dryness of the Old Testament spring to life.  He instilled a love for the Old Testament within me that continues this day.  This Wednesday we are featuring books that will aid in your study of the Old Testament. Enjoy!

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament
Publisher: Baker Book House
Author: Beale, G. K.; & D. A. Carson (eds.)
ISBN-13: 9780801026935
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $54.99
Westminster Bookstore: $32.99 – 40% Off

Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that are unfamiliar or obscure. In order to fully understand the teachings of Jesus and his followers, it is important to understand the large body of Scripture that preceded and informed their thinking. Leading evangelical scholars G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson have brought together a distinguished team of scholars to provide readers with a comprehensive commentary on every quotation, allusion, and echo of the Old Testament that appears from Matthew through Revelation. College and seminary students, pastors, scholars, and interested lay readers will want to add this unique commentary to their reference libraries.

An Old Testament Theology: A Canonical and Thematic Approach
Publisher: Zondervan
Author: Waltke, Bruce
ISBN-10: 0310218977 | ISBN-13: 9780310218975
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $44.99
Westminster Bookstore: $29.24 – 35% Off

The Old Testament is more than a religious history of the nation of Israel. It is more than a portrait gallery of heroes of the faith. It is even more than a theological and prophetic backdrop to the New Testament. Beyond these, the Old Testament is inspired revelation of the very nature, character, and works of God. As renowned Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke writes in the preface of this book, the Old Testament’s every sentence is “fraught with theology, worthy of reflection.”

This book is the result of decades of reflection informed by an extensive knowledge of the Hebrew language, the best of critical scholarship, a deep understanding of both the content and spirit of the Old Testament, and a thoroughly evangelical conviction. Taking a narrative, chronological approach to the text, Waltke employs rhetorical criticism to illuminate the theologies of the biblical narrators. Through careful study, he shows that the unifying theme of the Old Testament is the “breaking in of the kingdom of God.” This theme helps the reader better understand not only the Old Testament, but also the New Testament, the continuity of the entire Bible, and ultimately, God himself.

Eschatology of the Old Testament
Publisher: P and R Publishing Company
Author: Vos, Geerhardus
ISBN-10: 0875521819 | ISBN-13: 9780875521817
Binding: Paperback
List Price: $11.99
Westminster Bookstore: $8.39 – 30% Off

In this previously unpublished material, a pioneer in reformed biblical theology examines the hopes, expectations, and understanding of Old Testament saints regarding the future. Compiled from several manuscripts relating to Geerhardus Vos’s course on Old Testament eschatology, this volume weaves together the most complete text of his study on the subject. Vos addresses a wide range of questions surrounding both individual and collective eschatology from key passages throughout the Old Testament. Whether he is discussing the intermediate state or the meaning of Sheol, Messaniac expectations or the Day of the Lord, Vos’s supernaturalism contrasts with the hopelessness of naturalistic views.

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Author: Alexander, T. Desmond
ISBN-10: 0830817816 | ISBN-13: 9780830817818
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $50.00
Westminster Bookstore: $32.50 – 35% Off

The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch is the first in a four-volume series covering the text of the Old Testament. Following in the tradition of the four award-winning IVP dictionaries focused on the New Testament and its background, this encyclopedic work is characterized by close attention to the text of the Old Testament and the ongoing conversation of contemporary scholarship. In exploring the major themes and issues of the Pentateuch, editors T. Desmond Alexander and David W.Baker, with an international and expert group of scholars, inform and challenge through authoritative overviews, detailed examinations and new insights from the world of the ancient Near East. The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch is designed to be your first stop in the study and research of the Pentateuch, on which the rest of the Bible is built.

Old Testament Commentary Survey
Publisher: Baker Book House
Author: Longman III, Tremper
ISBN-10: 0801031230 | ISBN-13: 9780801031236
Binding: Paperback
List Price: $13.99
Westminster Bookstore: $9.79 – 30% Off

In this fourth edition, Longman focuses on the best of established commentaries and commentaries published in recent years. He lists a number of works available for each book of the Old Testament, gives a brief indication of their emphases and viewpoints, and evaluates them. Longman also indicates who would most benefit from the commentary under consideration (scholar, minister, layperson). Finally, he summarizes his top recommendations for those trying to build a library that covers every book of the Old Testament. The result is a balanced, sensible guide for those who preach and teach the Old Testament and need help in choosing the best tools.

An Introduction to the Old Testament
Publisher: Zondervan
Author: Tremper Longman III and Raymond B. Dillard
ISBN-10: 0310263417 | ISBN-13: 9780310263418
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $34.99
Westminster Bookstore: $22.04 – 37% Off

This second edition of An Introduction to the Old Testament has been revised and updated to reflect recent advances in Old Testament scholarship. An upper-level introduction that includes callouts, charts, and graphs, it offers a solid understanding of three key issues: historical background, literary analysis, and theological message.

Filed under: Bible Study, Book Recommendations, Books, Creation, Doctrine, Old Testament, Pastors, Preaching, Westminster Books

Regeneration and the Cosmic Reconciliation of Christ

When talking about regeneration there is a cosmic context before an individual context. The language of regeneration is the language of God recreating the universe. Paul called it in, 2 Corinthians 5, “a new creation.” In John 3 – when someone experiences the new birth they are experiencing, now, what is to come from the whole of the cosmos. So in the wider aspect, regeneration is the recreation of the universe, bringing everything under the lordship and subjection of Christ by putting all things under His feet. Our regeneration in salvation is simply the looking ahead to the regeneration of the whole of the cosmos.

First, we have Adam created in the image of God. Genesis 5 gives the account of God creating Adam in his own image; Seth from Adam – all bearing the image. This is a generational imaging forth from God down through the generational lines of the chosen people of Israel. In John 8:37-44 we see that we all share a nature with the devil. Being “born of God” or “begotten of God” is a restoration of the image in the second Adam, Christ Jesus. In Ezekiel 36 we are given a wonderful picture in recounting the prerequisite regeneration which Israel must experience before they can nationally enter into the promised blessings. If one is to see the new creation one must be recreated just as one must be circumcised in order to see the promises of the generational blessings.

Secondly, we see Israel and the new birth in terms of circumcision in the New Testament. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant and insured blessing to the offspring. The cutting of the foreskin is looking at the transformation that comes from the generation. In other words: a promise coming through generational line. New Testament Gentiles are not required to be circumcised because of their union with Christ (Col. 2:8-12; 3:9-10,11). Christ is now everything, His circumcision is our circumcision. We no longer have a promise coming in by the generation of our family but through Christ by regeneration. Now we are longing for the Spirit to circumcise the heart.

Regeneration is an act of God recreating.

Filed under: Creation, Doctrine, Jesus, Justification, Salvation

The Free Offer of the Gospel

To understand the gospel message of salvation one must first understand the goal of salvation which is Christ. God’s first priority is the exaltation of Christ. This is the reason for the fall, for history and for everything else. Salvation is a cosmic reality not just an individual one. John 3:16 says “the cosmos” giving the truth that ultimate salvation is for the individual as well as a creation restoration. After the fall God begins, in Genesis, to reclaim the universe for the second Adam, Christ.

The message of repentance and belief in Christ is a message that must be given to everyone, everywhere, without distinction. This is the message of the Bible. This is the message of Christ. The universal love of God for all people even condemned sinners. In other words, if you will believe and repent, God will save you. Christ gives an invitation in Luke 14:17 which says, “and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, come; for all things are now ready.” This is our mandate in our understanding of the free offer of the gospel. To go out into the world and tell everyone, “Come.” But what does it mean to come to Christ? It means to deny self-righteousness and cling to the cross and resurrection of Christ.

We have in the nature of the Atonement a plea to the world (1 John 2:2). There are two groups of people here. There are those who use words like, “many,” “sheep,” “the church” which believe that the atonement is limited to all who are elected unto saving grace by God and given graciously to Christ and it is those for whom Christ gave His life. Then there are those who use words like, “all,” “world,” “all men.” These people believe in an unlimited atonement (1 John 2:2). The death of Christ is sufficient for everyone who repents and believes.

The main issue here is union with Christ. A uniting with Christ. We can say to everyone, “Jesus died for you if you repent and believe.” The whole world is invited and those who do not come will bear the penalty of their own sins. God is commanding the world to be in Christ. When we preach we are not preaching to the elect but to sinners. We should have one message, “Christ died for the world, be found in Christ.” With this thought, all will be found responsible. However, if all you have is a general call and a free offer, we know how everyone will respond – NO. We hate God, we love sin. We are unable to respond to the general call by itself because we are wicked. The general call without the Holy Spirit is universal condemnation. No one is standing before God saying there was no sacrifice for me, but I am a sinner and deserve condemnation.

We are not talking about people being drawn apart from their will. As the word is proclaimed the Spirit is working invisibly to open eyes and hearts so they can see the excellencies of Christ. Those who respond to the gospel freely come to Christ; they want Christ, this is why we can give a general call. We must rest solely on the grace of God.

An invitation to an unbeliever should include everything I have just stated. Christ will save anyone who repents and believes that He alone is the way of salvation and it is only by the grace of God and faith that they can come. It is a desire to be in union with Christ. A desire to be identified with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ that one is saved. Do you want to be saved? Then come to Christ and believe and you will be saved. This is as simple as I can put it and it is what the Bible says. The message of the gospel is, “For all who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Filed under: Creation, Doctrine, Eternal Security, Evangelism, Justification, Missions, Perseverance of the Saints, Salvation, Sin, The Christian Life, The Holy Spirit