Gray Issues Part 4 – Like Lambs to Slaughter

by Elder Peter Lim

In a 1993 a movie, a newly married couple was propositioned by a wealthy man whether the wife would spend a night with him for $1 million. Reluctantly they agree to the arrangement and the rest of the movie deals with the consequences of that decision. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone watch this movie but the dilemma posed is interesting. The question is, how far would you go for money? Would you be willing to sin for it? A Christian would understand that God hates sin…so this ought to be a relatively easy question to answer. Of course sin at any price is not acceptable. But what if the situation was altered just a tad so that the wife wouldn’t necessarily have to go all the way and cross the “adultery line?”  Most people would be tempted to overlook the motives of the heart in order to get the money and redefine the sin border. This is where I believe most failures occur in the hearts and minds of Christians.

By now, you’ve probably gotten the point that I’m not going to draw definitive lines for you to cross or not cross. Of course I’m doing this deliberately since I would not want you to try to live up (or down) to my standards. We sinners have a tendency to want our lines clearly defined as if THAT’s the issue. Instead, consider Proverbs 7:6-27:

6 For at the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice,
7 And I saw among the naive,
And discerned among the youths
A young man lacking sense,
8 Passing through the street near her corner;
And he takes the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening,
In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.
11 She is boisterous and rebellious,
Her feet do not remain at home;
12 She is now in the streets, now in the squares,
And lurks by every corner.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him
And with a brazen face she says to him:
14 “I was due to offer peace offerings;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 “Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.
16 “I have spread my couch with coverings,
With colored linens of Egypt.
17 “I have sprinkled my bed
With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18 “Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with caresses.
19 “For my husband is not at home,
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him,
At the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her many persuasions she entices him;
With her flattering lips she seduces him.
22 Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a bird hastens to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths.
26 For many are the victims she has cast down,
And numerous are all her slain.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.

Why is this foolish young man walking by this woman’s house? Is there no other way to get where he’s going? According to verse 9 he goes by her house repeatedly and interestingly enough, during the darker hours. He must’ve reasoned to himself that walking by this woman’s house isn’t a sin, even at night. Perhaps he has even flirted with her in order to get her attention. She comes out and meets him, dressed inappropriately. Maybe he justified in his own mind that her clothing shouldn’t be an issue. Or maybe he even liked the fact that she wore edgy clothing, not like the “nice” girls of his day. Sure, her feet don’t stay at home but is that so wrong? Is that one of the Ten Commandments? She uses religious talk and flattery and assures him that there’s no way that they’ll get caught. Her religious talk seems shallow but he thinks he shouldn’t judge her. She “encourages” him. Fornication would be wrong, but is something wrong with caresses? It’s just a massage. No danger can come of that. Her husband will be away so there’s no chance his friendship with her can be misunderstood. All this time, he is unaware of her true motives and follows her like a lamb to slaughter. He shouldn’t have let his heart turn to her ways nor strayed into her paths.

There is so much more we can talk about here but my intention isn’t to write a commentary on this. The point has already been made that this foolish young man disregarded all the warning signs because he reasoned to himself that what he did wasn’t sin until it was too late. It is this kind of danger that we face whenever we start trying to define the sin border. Instead of fleeing from youthful lusts, we would rather pharisaically stay on this side of the sin border and ignore the hidden motives of the heart. As redeemed people who understand our own weaknesses and the supreme holiness of God, our desire and our actions must reflect a heart that hates sin and does all that we can to stay far away from it, instead of placing ourselves in the middle of the path that leads to destruction. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, we must be conservative and stay away from any questionable activities. We must do this not because we are so paranoid that we might cross the sin border, but because we love God and His holiness. Let us not be as naïve as to be led like lambs to slaughter.

Weekly Links – John Stott Edition

by Stephen Rodgers

Last week, on July 27, John Stott went home to be with the Lord.  His life as an author, theologian, de facto evangelical elder statesman, and Anglican cleric spanned nine-tenths of a century.

For those of you unfamiliar with “Uncle John” (as he was affectionately known), he was a towering figure in conservative Christian circles, and his death has drawn the attention of both the secular and Christian media.  Justin Taylor has done a good job at giving a synopsis of his life, but very briefly I would offer a few of my own thoughts on the man, before I simply provide you with links to articles by far worthier contributors than myself.

  • John Stott was a model of faithfulness.  He converted to Christianity as a teenager, and lived a life of being quietly sold-out for Christ for the next 70+ years. I’ve only recently arrived in my 30’s and I already regret the time spent wasted earlier in my life.
  • He wrote 50 books, most notably Basic Christianity (a stellar introduction to the Christian faith), and The Cross of Christ (one of the seminal works on the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, which J.I. Packer called “a masterpiece” and D.A. Carson referred to as “a must-have book for every pastor.”). If you haven’t read either of those works, you really are missing out.  At the very least, run out and pick up The Cross of Christ since Tim Challies will be using it as the text for his next “Reading Classics Together” series. Kevin DeYoung also points out the importance of this book in a recent article.
  • He served for 60+ years in the same church preaching several times a quarter until well into his 80s. In an age where church-hopping is widely-practiced and openly encouraged, his steadfastness and loyalty serve as an example to us.
  • His preaching was noted for being unfashionably expositional for the time, which served as an example to a then-young John Piper.
  • He never married.  He would wryly comment that it didn’t seem like “a gift” to him (as many referred to it), but would quickly remark that God always provided the strength necessary for any and all circumstances.
  • Even in his disagreements with other prominent evangelical notables (Martyn Lloyd-Jones) or his flirting with unorthodox doctrine (annihilationism) he remained winsome and retained his dignity.  The differences he had with others were sometimes fundamental, but in those disagreements he remained charitable.

These may seem like such simple things…after all, while he was a renowned author, he never seemed to acquire the celebrity-status that some in our corner of Christendom do.  But his life is a tribute to what God can accomplish even through seemingly simple and humble accomplishments, as his death was commented on by the New York Times, the Telegraph, and even drew some shockingly kind words from the secular media. What may have seemed to be a rather simple life had a rather profound impact on a great many people.

All in all, “Uncle John” lived a life that was very much in keeping with the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:12: For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

May we take note, and strive to do the same.

Editor’s Note: July 2011

by Stephen Rodgers

It occurred to me that we hadn’t done one of these for a while.  On one hand, I hope that you enjoyed your break from my ramblings, but on the other hand, I probably should have done a better job of keeping everyone informed of the going-ons behind the scenes here at the Beacon.  If you have a moment, I’d ask that you indulge me and read the following announcements.

  • Hiatus: first and foremost, I just wanted to let you know that the Beacon is going on a planned hiatus for the month of July.  There are a number of factors that contribute to this: a number of our writers will be out on the missions field, I won’t be available to do updates for part of the time, and quite frankly, a number of folks (myself included) could use a little break.  Normally we only take two weeks off in July, but this time, it will be for the remainder of the month.  There’s just a LOT going on.
  • Can I Haz Article?: need something to read?  Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.  Through the miracle of modern technology, I’ve enabled a “Random Posts” widget (just look over at the right column…there it is) that will suggest three random articles every time you visit this page.  I’ve excluded posts from the Lighthouse News and Editor’s Notes categories since those tend to have a bit of an expiration date on them.  My sincere hope is that you will discover a number of great articles and series this way.  PLEASE avail yourself to it.  And of course, you’re welcome to simply explore the various categories and series in a more systematic fashion if you prefer.
  • Plans for the future: when we return in August, we’ll have a number of new articles for you, along with the continuation of some of the more established series.  And in the near future we’re going to be starting up a new series, so keep your eyes peeled for that.  And if you were considering being a staff writer for the Beacon, please let me know since we’re already starting to set the article schedule for the fall.
  • Apology: I also just want to briefly take the opportunity to apologize for the somewhat haphazard article schedule lately.  For those of you who don’t know, I manage most of the administrative functions myself, and the recent employment issues threw me for a bit of a loop.  But that is all settled, I’ve learned to hand off some of the responsibility to others, and when we start up again, we should be much more timely with the regularly-scheduled updates.  So thank you for your patience, and I will do my very best not to let that happen again.

That’s all for now.  I’m very excited about what the future has in store, and looking forward to sharing it with you when we get back.

See you in August!

Pro Rege

In Whom Also We Have Obtained an Inheritance

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Ephesians 1:11

When Jesus gave Himself for us, He gave us all the rights and privileges which went with Himself; so that now, although as eternal God, He has essential rights to which no creature may venture to pretend, yet as Jesus, the Mediator, the federal Head of the covenant of grace, He has no heritage apart from us. All the glorious consequences of His obedience unto death are the joint riches of all who are in Him, and on whose behalf He accomplished the divine will.

See, He enters into glory, but not for Himself alone, for it is written, ‘Whither the Forerunner is for us entered.’ Heb. 6:20. Does He stand in the presence of God?-‘He appears in the presence of God for us.’ Heb. 9:24. Consider this, believer. You have no right to heaven in yourself: your right lies in Christ. If you are pardoned, it is through His blood; if you are justified, it is through His righteousness; if you are sanctified, it is because He is made of God unto you sanctification; if you shall be kept from falling, it will be because you are preserved in Christ Jesus; and if you are perfected at the last, it will be because you are complete in Him.

Thus Jesus is magnified-for all is in Him and by Him; thus the inheritance is made certain to us-for it is obtained in Him; thus each blessing is the sweeter, and even heaven itself the brighter, because it is Jesus our Beloved ‘in whom’ we have obtained all. Where is the man who shall estimate our divine portion? Weigh the riches of Christ in scales, and His treasure in balances, and then think to count the treasures which belong to the saints. Reach the bottom of Christ’s sea of joy, and then hope to understand the bliss which God hath prepared for them that love Him. Overleap the boundaries of Christ’s possessions, and then dream of a limit to the fair inheritance of the elect. ‘All things are yours, for ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.’

1.30p

Weekly Links (7/1/2011)

The worst thing about idols, as the Hebrew scriptures so tirelessly point out, is that they are utterly useless when you need them most (Jer. 2:28).” (Christopher J. H. Wright, “Editorial: ‘All Our Gods Have Failed,’ Themelios 18, no. 3 (1993)). HT: Andy Naselli

by Stephen Rodgers

I suppose this would be a good time to mention that you can find past issues of Themelios here.

Actually, this is a great week for journals in general:

  • The 9Marks eJournal has a new issue out, entitled The Pastor and his Staff.  I’ve also updated our 9Marks eJournal topical index.
  • The July edition of Tabletalk is out, and it focuses on Fraternity: The Bonds of Brotherhood.  Again, you can peruse the archive here. I really should create a topical index for that as well, one of these days.
  • Also, I recently discovered the that The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) has a Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (JBMW). And you can view the archive of those issues here.  I’ve also added it to the list of journals on the Recommended Resources page.

And that brings us to the links this week; I tried to select a few from some sources we don’t see as often.

  • From CREDENDAagenda we have a great article on family worship.  My favorite quote: “There is a reason kids loved to be around Jesus, and it wasn’t because he was lecturing at length about the Torah or the Five Points of Calvinism.”
  • Frontline Missions International has an article about the dangers of a missionary not raising up or supporting local leadership.
  • Ray Ortland reproduces five vows that his father made before God.
  • Skye Jethani has some words of caution regarding the current trend of investing a church too heavily into a single celebrity pastor in his article Blessed Redundancy.

That’s it for this week.  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Single Life Update

by Chris Tang

Time for another Single Life update! Pastor Patrick has been continuing to teach through Colossians with a particular focus on how false gospels fall short of the one true Gospel. Living and thinking in Gospel-centered way sounds like such a simple thing to do, yet our sinful hearts can so easily corrupt the Gospel in very subtle ways. One recent message preached from Colossians 2:16-17 dealt legalism, and how it is grows out of our hearts.

In Colossians 2:16 Paul admonishes the Colossians not to subject themselves to the judgment of man regarding “food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” Obviously there were some people (legalistic people) who were denying that others were saved because how they ate, drank, or treated certain days. In hindsight this seems completely absurd. We know that food and drink do not corrupt (Mark 7:15, 1 Corinthians 6:13) and we would never bat an eye at dressing up on Halloween (would we?). Unfortunately, knowledge can only take you so far. Despite our knowledge, the remnants of sin within our hearts make it easy to fall into the trap of legalism.

In Pastor Patrick’s sermon he spent some time on the differences between convictions and legalism. It may not be immediately obvious where the line is drawn. The two are both extra-Biblical precepts which a person thinks are necessary to follow in order to live in a God-glorifying manner (black and white issues which have explicit instruction, such as not committing adultery, fall under the category of obedience). Convictions vary from person to person and issue to issue. This includes things such as exactly how and how much time is spent in God’s word, trick-or-treating on Halloween, and even what food is acceptable to eat. Living out these convictions is fine (Romans 14:5-6). Where it crosses the line, however, is when we impose our own convictions on others in a way judgmental way. Legalism elevates the weaknesses (or strengths) of our consciences to the level of something which can make God love them more, or affirm His choice in saving them. As if, for example, praying before every single meal could somehow make you worth saving! For me such a habit is a good way to stay mindful of God’s abundant provision, but I haven’t yet seen the passage where Jesus says, “It is finished. . .as long as you remember to say grace.”

Ultimately, we succumb to legalism due to the sin which remains in our hearts. Pastor Patrick made several great points about the heart behind legalism. They all come down to having a high view of self and a low view of God. It has roots in pride, elevating our own man-made rules over the commandments of God. It comes from lack of love, placing personal convictions over the care for others (Matthew 12:1-2, 7). Legalism can also come from guilt, where we doubt the work of the cross and try atone for our own shortcomings, making little the great cost of God’s grace (Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 2:24).

This message was very convicting for me, as I have seen legalism pop up in the most surprising and unexpected places in my own life. I hope that, as God continues to reveal the depth of our depravity, we would all grow in our love for Him, knowing that the Gospel is not just sufficient, but powerful to save. Cleaning toilets does not save. Being a parent does not save. Doing ministry to all hours of the night does not save. Counseling others does not save. We receive grace not because of what we do, but in spite of it. Our own standards should be set aside for God’s so that we may grow together as followers of Christ in love (2 Corinthians 12:19).

Doing Church Somewhere Else

by Pastor Patrick Cho

There are many reasons why people go on summer missions trips – some good and some not so good. There are those whose mentality is that summer missions provide an opportunity to see the world. For these, it is not so different from a vacation to another country. There are others who go on summer missions in order to get the boost they need for their spiritual growth. They might not be doing well spiritually and so they treat summer missions as a spiritual catalyst to a closer walk with God. For these, it is not so different from the experiences they had growing up going to Bible camp each summer.

The reason why Lighthouse has been committed to missions each summer is out of a desire to be obedient to what the Lord has called all believers to do. In the Great Commission, Jesus told His disciples to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). This is more than just helping people come to an understanding of the gospel (though that is certainly a vital part of fulfilling the Great Commission!). It also involves teaching them the whole counsel of God’s Word and helping them grow in their faith to maturity, and being committed to this until Christ returns.

This is why when we go on the summer trips, it is important for us to have likeminded churches to work with. This way when God is gracious to save an individual on one of our trips, they are not completely abandoned to fend for themselves when our teams return home. Instead, we can help get them plugged into a local church where they can continue to grow in grace. Summer missions are not a replacement for church planting, and it is not fulfilling the Great Commission to simply go to another country to share the gospel only to return home a few weeks later without giving new believers a place where their faith can be nurtured.

The goal of missions is to have people understand God’s truth and then have a church home where they can grow more and more each week as their understanding of His truth deepens. Some might ask, “But isn’t that what we try to do here in San Diego?” The answer to that question is a resounding “Yes!” This is because the mission call to make disciples is something all believers should be committed to regardless of where they are in the world. It does not matter whether you are in the Czech Republic, Argentina, San Jose, or San Diego. The mission is the same. Several years ago, Pastor John helped our summer teams understand this concept when he defined missions as “doing church somewhere else.” It is all about being committed somewhere else to the things we are committed to here at home.

We certainly keep this in mind when deciding on who should go on our summer trips. We want those to go to represent the Lord and Lighthouse well, but we also want them to consistently represent themselves. This means that if they are going to another country to preach the gospel, they should be showing a commitment to evangelism here. If they are going to help equip and serve the churches in these other countries, they should be the kinds of people who are committed to doing that here as well. Missions is about doing church somewhere else and that is a great reason to go on our summer trips – to demonstrate for others the love you have for Christ and your commitment to living for Him day to day through your faithfulness to His truth and His church in the hopes that others will be drawn to Christ by your loving example and proclamation of the gospel.

LBC Missions Send-Off

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Hello LBC family!

I wanted to send a quick reminder email for those who wanted to see the Czech Missions team off this week. You’ll have three opportunities to do so.

  1. You could swing by the church on Monday evening (June 27) between 6:30-8:00 PM. The missions teams will be having dinner together, but you’re welcome to come by and see the Czech team off.
  2. You could come by the church between 7:00-8:00 AM on Tuesday morning (June 28). The team will be leaving around 8:00 AM for LAX.
  3. You could see the team at LAX. We hope to get to the airport by 11:00 AM and the team will probably go through security around 12:30 PM. If you need flight information, please contact me.

Let’s all be praying for our Czech team as they head off to minister in Ostrava. And please don’t forget to also pray for Stephen Rodgers as he also travels to the Czech Republic (apart from the team) to pick up his bride-to-be! =) It certainly already sounds like it will be a very special trip for our team!

In His grace,

Patrick

The Tops of the Mulberry Trees

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 2 Samuel 5:24

The members of Christ’s Church should be very prayerful, always seeking the unction of the Holy One to rest upon their hearts, that the kingdom of Christ may come, and that His ‘will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven;’ but there are times when God seems especially to favour Zion, such seasons ought to be to them like ‘the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees.’ We ought then to be doubly prayerful, doubly earnest, wrestling more at the throne than we have been wont to do. Action should then be prompt and vigorous. The tide is flowing-now let us pull manfully for the shore. O for Pentecostal outpourings and Pentecostal labours. Christian, in yourself there are times ‘when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees.’ You have a peculiar power in prayer; the Spirit of God gives you joy and gladness; the Scripture is open to you; the promises are applied; you walk in the light of God’s countenance; you have peculiar freedom and liberty in devotion, and more closeness of communion with Christ than was your wont. Now, at such joyous periods when you hear the ‘sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees,’ is the time to bestir yourself; now is the time to get rid of any evil habit, while God the Spirit helpeth your infirmities. Spread your sail; but remember what you sometimes sing-

‘I can only spread the sail;
Thou! Thou! must breathe the auspicious gale.’

Only be sure you have the sail up. Do not miss the gale for want of preparation for it. Seek help of God, that you may be more earnest in duty when made more strong in faith; that you may be more constant in prayer when you have more liberty at the throne; that you may be more holy in your conversation whilst you live more closely with Christ.

1.30a

Weekly Links (6/24/2011)

On Good Friday, at about noon, all of those whom God had chosen from every tribe and nation across the millennia of human history became legal beneficiaries of heaven, coheirs with Christ. (Michael Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life. HT: Matt Perman)

by Stephen Rodgers

Today’s Weekly Links will be a bit briefer than usual, but the potential benefit to you is larger than anything I’ve done.

The Recommended Resources page has been updated with Sermons.

That is all.

Pro Rege