Category Archives: Glorification

The Church is Doxological

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Discipleship, Glorification, Ministry, Worship

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(The audio of this lesson, which significantly varies from the written notes, can be found here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.calvarybiblechurch.org/audio/class/the_church_and_discipleship/20130922.mp3)

This is the second lesson on the series, The Church and Discipleship

 

The Church is Doxological: It is the Place Where God is Praised

Metaphorically, then, the church, as the temple of God, experiences his manifest presence as it gathers together in God’s name and on the basis of forgiveness obtained through his sacrifice, to engage in giving the God of glory the great praise and honor due his name.[1]

 

I.          God must be praised

A.  God is to be praised for his creation.

1.   The creation exists to praise God. Psalm 19:1.

2.   God saw his creation was “good”. Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25. In 1:31, God sees that his creation is “very good.”

3.   The “morning stars” praise God’s creation. Job 38:7.

4.   God is praised in heaven for his work of creating and sustaining the universe. Revelation 4:12; Psalm 95:1-6; Psalm 100; Psalm 104.

5.   The creation itself praises God. Psalm 89:11-12.

B.  God is to be praised for sovereignty over all of human life. Psalm 105; 113.

1.   For his judgment. Psalm 75; Psalm 76:76:7-11.

2.   For his deliverance. Exodus 15:1-2; Psalms 3, 4, 77, 116; 1 Chronicles 16:8-11; Isaiah 63:7-9.

3.   The Gospel message is a message of judgment and deliverance. We must not think of judgment as merely condemnation; judgment also includes vindication. Romans 4:1-8. The instances of God’s judgment and deliverance in the OT  are instances and illustrations of the greater deliverance granted in the Gospel. Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

C. God is to be praised by all people. Psalm 117; Romans 15:8-13.

D.  All of creation is praise God for his work as Creator. Rev. 4:10-12.  The failure to praise God as Creator lies at the heart of human rebellion. Romans 1:18-25.

E.  God is to be praised for the New Creation. Revelation 21-22; Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17.

 

II.         Therefore, God is most especially to be praised in the Church

A.  In the OT, the congregation was called to praise God: Psalms 78, 134.

B.   The coming of Jesus into the world was marked by praise.

1.  Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55.

2.   Zechariah’s prophecy. Luke 1:67-79.

3.   The angels at Jesus’ birth. Luke 2:14.

4.   The shepherds. Luke 2:20.

5.   Simeon. Luke 2:26-32.

6.   Anna. Luke 2:38.

C. Jesus will be praised by all for his work of salvation.

1.   Philippians 2:5-11.

2.   Revelation 5:9-10

D. The Church begins and flourishes in praise of God.

1.   The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. Acts 2:11. See also Acts 10:46.

2.   Praise was among the first acts of the gathered church. Luke 24:52-53; Acts 2:27.

3.   The continued work of the Spirit through the church brought praise. Acts 3:9; 4:21.

4.   The Church (first through the apostles) witnesses to the death, exaltation and return of Jesus. Acts 5:31-32; 1 Corinthians 11:26.

5.   The Church exhibits praise in every place. Acts 16:25; cf. Psalm 138.

6.   The work of God in salvation from sin brings praise. Acts 16:34

7.   Each letter of the NT begins (and most end) with explicit praise of God’s work in Jesus Christ.

E.   The Church is a work intended for God’s glory.

1.   Ephesians 1:12.

2.  The Church is a temple and thus the place of God’s praise and worship. Ephesians 2:21-22

3.   The Church is being built as the place to offer God sacrifice. 1 Peter 2:4-5.

4.   The purpose of the Church to bring God glory. 1 Peter 2:9, 12.

F.   The Church thus exists as a witness to the world of the glory of God. 1 Peter 2:12; 3:15; 4:4-5.

G. The New Testament church met together for a specific purpose. Paul urges his readers that whatever they do, they should “do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). Therefore, the church exists to glorify God. Everything the church does should be done with the purpose of glorifying God and exalting Christ. At the same time, however, Paul emphasizes the need for believers to be edified because when believer were edified or built up, then God receives glory (1 Cor 12). There are at least five main ways this purpose is accomplished. First, the church glorifies God through worship which involves reading and preaching God’s word (1 Cor 1:23-24; Col. 4:6; 1 Tim 4:2), praying (1 Tim 2:8), singing (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16-17), taking a collection (1 Cor 16;22; 2 Cor 9:612) and celebrating the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:17-34). Second, the church glorifies God through fellowship, which includes bearing one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2; see also Acts 2:42; Heb 10:24-25). Third, the church glorifies God through discipleship, which includes equipping all believers (Eph 4:11-12) and training new leaders (1 Tim 2:2). Fourth, the church glorifies God through service, which includes using one’s spiritual gifts (1 Tim 4:14). Finally, the church glorifies God through evangelism and missions. Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20) and Paul expected the churches he planted to share the good news with others.[2]

 

III.        How must this be known in Church?

A.  By direct instruction.

1.   The Church must know that it is the temple of God. 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 6:16.

2.   The Church must know that it must be a place of praise and worship toward God. Phil. 4:4.

3.  The proclamation of Jesus as Lord:

a.   It was at the very heart of the earliest Christian proclamation: Acts 2:36, 5:42, 9:22, 10:36; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; Colossians 1:28.

b.   One must make such a proclamation to even be a Christian. Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-13.

B.   By demonstration and imitation.  Colossians 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:30-33.

C.        Their [the first Christians’] ‘worship’ was a way of life with Jesus at its centre. Thus, Paul describes his ministry and preaching and teaching about the Lord Jesus at Ephesus as a way of ‘serving the Lord’ ([Acts] 20:19, used the verb doulein)” (Peterson, Engaging With God, 150).

D. All of the actions of the Church gathered must be understood in the context of praise and worship of God:

From Romans 12-15 it is clear that acceptable worship involves effective ministry to one another within the body of Christ, maintaining love and forgiveness towards those outside the Christian community, expressing right relationships with ruling authorities, living expectantly in light of Christ’s imminent return, and demonstrating love especially towards those with different opinions with the congregation of Christ’s people.  (Peterson, 178).

Thus, a rightfully worshipping and praising Church will necessarily be in the business of making disciples by proclamation (as shown by how we must live toward unbelievers) and how we live with one another.

 

IV.       Counseling Implications

A.   If the Church (most especially) must worship God rightly, then the great danger is idolatry (false worship).

1.   The failure to rightly give God thanks and praise lies at the heart of human rebellion. Romans 1:18-25.

2.  Consider the example of the Thessalonian congregation:

a.   The movement of their salvation was from idols to worship of the true God.  1 Thessalonians 1:9.

b.   It was a movement which resulted in their joy.  1 Thessalonians 1:6.

c.   This movement leads to a transformation of one’s life: “walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” 1 Thess. 2:12; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18. 

3.   Christians must “flee idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14).

4.   John charges the Christians, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

5.  Paul calls any deviation from right understanding of Christ’s saving work – think of this in both saving and creating, 2 Corinthians 5:17), “a different gospel – not there is another one” (Galatians 1:6b-7a).

6.   There is a great deal we will later say about idolatry (because idolatry is one important way to understand the trouble of the human heart). At this time, we should see the very work of praise – of worshiping the right God in the correct manner is the cure of this root of sin.  Thomas Watson explains it well.

Use two. It sounds a retreat in our ears. Let it call us off from idolizing any creature, and lead us to renounce other gods, and cleave to the true God and his service. If we go away from God, we know not where to mend ourselves.

 

(1) It is honorable to serve the true God. “To serve God is to reign.” It is more honor to serve God, than to have kings serve us.

 

(2) Serving the true God is delightful. “I will make them joyful in my house of prayer.” Isa 56:7. God often displays the banner of his love in an ordinance, and pours the oil of gladness into the heart. All God’s ways are pleasantness, his paths are strewed with roses. Proverbs 3:17.

 

(3) Serving the true God is beneficial. Men have great gain here, the hidden manna, inward peace, and a great reward to come. Those who serve God shall have a kingdom when they die, and shall wear a crown made of the flowers of paradise. Luke 12:32; 1 Pet 5:4. To serve the true God is our true interest. God has twisted his glory and our salvation together. He bids us believe; and why? That we may be saved. Therefore, renouncing all others, let us cleave to the true God.

 

(4) You have covenanted to serve the true Jehovah, renouncing all others. When one has entered into covenant with his master, and the indentures are drawn and sealed, he cannot go back—but must serve out his time. We have covenanted in baptism, to take the Lord for our God, renouncing all others; and renewed this covenant in the Lord’s Supper, and shall we not keep our solemn vow and covenant? We cannot go away from God without the highest perjury. “If any man draws back [as a soldier who runs away from his regiment] my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Heb 10:38. “I will pour vials of wrath on him, and make my arrows drunk with blood.”

 

(5) None ever had cause to repent of cleaving to God and his service. Some have repented that they had made a god of the world. Cardinal Wolsey said, “Oh, if I had served my God as I have served my king, he would never have left me thus!” None ever complained of serving God—it was their comfort and their crown on their death-bed.

 

Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments, “The First Commandment.”

B.   Such idolatry is even easier to fall into than we believe:

A 2005 interview of Eugene Peterson by Christianity Today included these quotations on contemporary Christian “spirituality”:

Do we realize how almost exactly the Baal culture of Canaan is reproduced in American church culture? Baal religion is about what makes you feel good. Baal worship is a total immersion in what I can get out of it. And of course, it was incredibly successful. The Baal priests could gather crowds that outnumbered followers of Yahweh 20 to 1. There was sex, there was excitement, there was music, there was ecstasy, there was dance. “We got girls over here, friends. We got statues, girls, and festivals.” This was great stuff. And what did the Hebrews have to offer in response? The Word. What’s the Word? Well, Hebrews had festivals, at least!

Still, the one big hook or benefit to Christian faith is salvation, no? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Is this not something we can use to legitimately attract listeners?

It’s the biggest word we have—salvation, being saved. We are saved from a way of life in which there was no resurrection. And we’re being saved from ourselves. One way to define spiritual life is getting so tired and fed up with yourself you go on to something better, which is following Jesus.

But the minute we start advertising the faith in terms of benefits, we’re just exacerbating the self problem. “With Christ, you’re better, stronger, more likeable, you enjoy some ecstasy.” But it’s just more self. Instead, we want to get people bored with themselves so they can start looking at Jesus.

We’ve all met a certain type of spiritual person. She’s a wonderful person. She loves the Lord. She prays and reads the Bible all the time. But all she thinks about is herself. She’s not a selfish person. But she’s always at the center of everything she’s doing. “How can I witness better? How can I do this better? How can I take care of this person’s problem better?” It’s me, me, me disguised in a way that is difficult to see because her spiritual talk disarms us.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/march/26.42.html?paging=off

C. Such knowledge of God’s presence and our worship must result in a transformation of our lives.

1.  1 Corinthians 7:1:  Possessing promises (which Peter notes must result in our transformation and joy, 1 Peter 2:9-10), which leads to holiness.

2.   1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Knowledge that one is the temple of the Holy Spirit (the location of God’s praise) must result in holiness.

D. The right praise of God leads to/is instrumental in/causes transformation of the human life.

1.  It leads to hope. Romans 15:13.

2.  A right understanding of God’s work (for which he is rightly praised) leads to a hope which overcomes circumstances. Romans 5:1-5; 1 Peter 1:3-9.

3.  Right knowledge (not exhaustive, just true) leads to hope (a transformation of desire) which leads to a change of life (holiness): 1 Peter 1:13-21.

E.   Discussion: How does a doxological orientation of the local congregation:

1.   Affect the content of discipleship/counseling?

2.   Alter the manner of discipleship/counseling?

3.   Encourage and support discipleship/counseling?

4.   If the local congregation is not sufficiently oriented to the glory of God, what will be the troubles with discipleship/counseling? How might it affect people in the congregation (what sort of troubles would this cause in their lives)?  How would developing a great sense of God’s glory and God being glorified encourage heart change?

[1] Gregg R. Allison, Sojourners and Strangers, 108.

[2] Benjamin Merkle, ed., “Paul’s Ecclesiology,” in Paul’s Mission Methods: In His Time and Ours, ed. Robert L. Plummmer and John Mark Terry (Downer’s Grove: IVP, 2012), 58.

John Flavel, The Method of Grace.6

23 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in 2 Corinthians, Adoption, Biblical Counseling, Discipleship, Ephesians, Glorification, John Flavel, Justification, Sanctification, Union With Christ

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The previous entry will be found here: https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/john-flavel-the-method-of-grace-5/

Prop. 8. Lastly, Although the several privileges and benefits before mentioned are all true and really bestowed with Christ upon believers, yet they are not communicated to them in one and the same day and manner; but differently and divers, as their respective natures do require.

Christians have often been perplexed by the relationship between grace and holiness: other making the relationship with God solely a one paying a mountainous, unpayable debt; or one of a God who forgives and forgets.  One person strives for perfection and thinks all others vicious scoff-laws. Another thinks any effort at all makes one a “legalist”. Flavel shows that both are dangerously wrong.

Flavel explains that in union with Christ we gain a whole – not a partial Christ:

That the lord Jesus Christ, with all his precious benefits, becomes ours, by God’s special and effectual application.

Thus, the believer – in Union with Christ – does receive the righteousness of Christ, but also receives wisdom, sanctification, and redemption.  However, one does not receive wisdom in the same way on receives righteousness:

These four illustrious benefits are conveyed from Christ to us in three different ways and methods:

his righteousness is made ours by imputation;

his wisdom and sanctification by renovation;

 his redemption by our glorification.

Flavel’s explanation helps to make sense of the seemingly difficult balance between grace and good works, between faith and perseverance.  The difficulty comes from the seeming contradiction of

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 (ESV)

And

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, Romans 4:5 (ESV)

How can we counted righteous in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21) and be called onto holiness (Hebrews 12:14).

Flavel explains that we are brought into a relationship with Christ by means of imputed righteous; however, that righteousness is not the end but rather the beginning of the renovation. God does not merely impute righteous, but he also imparts a transforming holiness.

An analogy may help:  Imagine two children in a household, an adopted son and a neighboring child. Now, the son does not gain or lose his status as a son on the basis of his immediate behavior.  The father’s act of adoption created the relationship with the child: it was an initial, gracious act of love to bring the child into a household.

It is only by such adoption that we are brought in to relationship with God in Jesus Christ, “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4b-5a). No amount of effort in the child can ever create the initial bond of adoption. Just like the neighbor’s child can never become a son merely by being quick to obey; nor will the adopted son’s disobedience undo that relationship.

However, a loving father will not leave adopted child without attention, care, concern or love. The father will train, correct and raise up his child. For instance, let us pretend a child is adopted from a country where English is not spoken, but lives in a family in the United States. Loving parents will teach the child English. The parents will impart knowledge to the child to be able to live in his new surroundings.

Likewise, God having adopted us does not leave us as we were, but rather imparts wisdom and sanctification – change – to us:

But in conveying, and communicating his wisdom and sanctification, he takes another method, for this is not imputed, but really imparted to us by the illuminating and regenerating work of the Spirit: these are graces really inherent in us: our righteousness comes from Christ as a surety but our holiness comes from him as a quickening head, sending vital influences unto all his members.

Now these gracious habits being subjected and seated in the souls of poor imperfect creatures, whose corruptions abide and work in the very same faculties where grace has its residence; it cannot be, that our sanctification should be so perfect and complete, as our justification is, which inheres only in Christ. See Gal. 5: 17

In Union with Christ, the Holy Spirit transforms the human being who has been brought into relationship with God in Jesus Christ:

16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:16–18 (ESV)

The one for whom the veil is removed is the one who has been brought into relationship with Jesus Christ by the operation of the Holy Spirit. However, the Spirit’s work does not end with merely removing the veil. The veil is removed so that the change will begin.

Now, the one who does not change gives every appearance of being one who still wears the veil. While change takes place in a combustible heart which has not been freed of all corruption, the change must take place. A child who has neither breath nor heartbeat is not alive.

Finally, one receives redemption as the capstone of adoption (Romans 8:16-22):

For redemption, that is to say, absolute and plenary deliverance from all the sad remains, effects, and consequences of sin, both upon soul and body; this is made ours, (or, to keep to the terms) Christ is made redemption to us by glorification; then, and not before, are these miserable effects removed; we put off these together with the body.

Not until our bodies are redeemed (Romans 8:22) will we receive glorification – but glorification is the end which beings with justification:

So that look, as justification cures the guilt of sin, and sanctification the dominion of sin, so glorification removes, together with its existence and being, all those miseries which it let in (as at a flood-gate) upon our whole man, Eph. 5: 26, 27.

 And thus of God, Christ is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption; namely, by imputation, regeneration, and glorification.