Made Perfect

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Hebrews 12:23

Recollect that there are two kinds of perfection which the Christian needs-the perfection of justification in the person of Jesus, and the perfection of sanctification wrought in him by the Holy Spirit.

At present, corruption yet remains even in the breasts of the regenerate-experience soon teaches us this. Within us are still lusts and evil imaginations. But I rejoice to know that the day is coming when God shall finish the work which He has begun; and He shall present my soul, not only perfect in Christ, but perfect through the Spirit, without spot or blemish, or any such thing. Can it be true that this poor sinful heart of mine is to become holy even as God is holy? Can it be that this spirit, which often cries, ‘O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this sin and death?’ shall get rid of sin and death-that I shall have no evil things to vex my ears, and no unholy thoughts to disturb my peace? Oh, happy hour! may it be hastened! When I cross the Jordan, the work of sanctification will be finished; but not till that moment shall I even claim perfection in myself. Then my spirit shall have its last baptism in the Holy Spirit’s fire. Methinks I long to die to receive that last and final purification which shall usher me into heaven. Not an angel more pure than I shall be, for I shall be able to say, in a double sense, ‘I am clean,’ through Jesus’ blood, and through the Spirit’s work. Oh, how should we extol the power of the Holy Ghost in thus making us fit to stand before our Father in heaven! Yet let not the hope of perfection hereafter make us content with imperfection now. If it does this, our hope cannot be genuine; for a good hope is a purifying thing, even now. The work of grace must be abiding in us now or it cannot be perfected then. Let us pray to ‘be filled with the Spirit,’ that we may bring forth increasingly the fruits of righteousness.

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Weekly Links (2/12/2016)

Pride and selfishness, rather than Christ’s principles of humility and sacrificial love for others, control much of what is called God’s work. All too often God’s work becomes a matter of ego, a competitive game, or a ladder to success in the big business of religion.

Strauch, Alexander; Peterson, Robert. Agape Leadership: Lessons in Spiritual Leadership from the Life of R.C. Chapman

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! It’s been quite a week, but what’s a week without links? A weak one! Well, let’s finish it strong by getting into the links that have been provided by some of God’s people this week.

  • Here’s a slice of Michael Reeves’ story in overcoming unbelief by a deeper pursuit and study of God through His Word. Also a lead in to John Piper’s very anticipated book on the self-authenticating nature of Scripture.
  • David Powlison recently spoke at RTS on depression and suffering, which Justin Taylor highlighted on his blog. You can watch the video and follow the brief outline below.
  • If you have never heard the story of Rosaria Butterfield’s conversion, this would be a good place to start.
  • Ken Sande continues addressing how to change habits through the lens of the gospel. There is much that will help you here.
  • The Grace to You blog continues their series on Christian cliches, covering the common slogan, “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.“
  • Continuing his series on gospel conversations, biblical counselor Robert Kellemen gives two portraits of what a gospel conversation looks like.
  • When seeking to apply forgiveness, it’s best to have a working knowledge of how Scripture defines forgiveness in light of what the culture perceives forgiveness to be. Mark Snoeberger provides a short summary of this beautiful, and difficult, theme.
  • Over at the True Woman blog, Kimberly Wagner writes 10 ways for wives to love their husbands well. The majority of these ways can be applied to the other gender, so men, pay attention!
  • Denny Burk provides his reasoning on why, when it comes to presidential elections, he’s a single-issue voter. Don’t knock it ’til you’ve read it.
  • Here’s a couple posts to bookmark: James Dolezal gave a series of lectures on the doctrine of God, specifically on His simplicity, at the 2015 RBAP Conference, and Pastor Gavin Beers spoke on God’s impassibility, which David Murray highlighted and included a number of follow-up articles on the subject. All in all, these speak more of the God we worship, so dig in!
  • You might be surprised to know that, for Christian professor Mitch Stokes, he encourages athiests to be more consistent in their athiesm. To understand why, check his recent post at the Crossway blog.
  • On The Glory Book’s Women’s Hope podcast, Carolyn Lawson seeks to give hope to those who would call themselves lonely by fault, and by no-fault. To understand what that means, take a listen (make sure to read the post below as well).

That’s all for this week! Please be in prayer for College Life, as they will be at CL Retreat, with Pastor Scott Ardavanis from Grace Church in the Valley! See the rest of you on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

All That Believe Are Justified

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Acts 13:39

The believer in Christ receives a present justification. Faith does not produce this fruit by-and-by, but now. So far as justification is the result of faith, it is given to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ, and accepts Him as its all in all. Are they who stand before the throne of God justified now?-so are we, as truly and as clearly justified as they who walk in white and sing melodious praises to celestial harps. The thief upon the cross was justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul, the aged, after years of service, was not more justified than was the thief with no service at all. We are to-day accepted in the Beloved, to-day absolved from sin, to-day acquitted at the bar of God.

Oh! soul-transporting thought! There are some clusters of Eshcol’s vine which we shall not be able to gather till we enter heaven; but this is a bough which runneth over the wall. This is not as the corn of the land, which we can never eat till we cross the Jordan; but this is part of the manna in the wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with which God supplies us in our journeying to and fro. We are now-even now pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.’ There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of His people. Who dareth to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus.

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LBC SPARK – February 5, 2016

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord! This week, I have been reading through Leviticus and examining the theme of holiness. Obviously, there are countless reminders of the holiness of God as you read through Leviticus. But because of the relationship established between God and His people made possible through the sacrifices of atonement, there is also an expectation of holiness for God’s people. Consider this passage:

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘I am the LORD your God. 3 You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. 5 ‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD.'”

God has taken Israel and made them a people for His own possession. They are no longer part of Egypt where they have come from. They are also not part of Canaan where they are headed. They are His. As such, He calls them to live distinctly. They were not to blend into their surrounding culture but were instead to be living and walking illustrations of God’s holiness.

As Christians, we have likewise been called by God to be a people of His own possession (1 Pet. 2:9), and this applies to us in the same way as it did to the Israelites in the Old Testament. We are not called to blend into our surrounding culture, but are called to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:14-16). But the big difference on this side of the cross is that the gospel transforms us and frees us from our enslavement to sin and God’s Spirit now indwells us and empowers us to give us everything we need to walk in holiness in obedience to His commands. We have all that we need because Christ has made it possible through His death and resurrection.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some ministry opportunities for you!

  1. Sunday Service. This Sunday, we’ll be introducing the theme for 2016! We’ll also be taking communion as a church body, so please come with hearts prepared. Perhaps take some time to read and think through 1 Corinthians 11:16-34.
  2. Midweek Bible Studies. Things are a little different this week for our midweek Bible studies because of Mission Bowl. The Friday night College and Youth Bible studies are cancelled this week due to our Mission Bowl Pep Rally.
  3. Mission Bowl. This Friday night (2/5), come cheer on our flag football teams at our Mission Bowl Pep Rally! The pep rally will be at 6:30 PM at the church building. Then on Saturday (2/6), the men will be having their football tournament at Hourglass Park by Miramar College. All the action begins at around noon. The gals will have their tournament on Saturday, February 20. Wear your blue and gold!
  4. Super Bowl. We’ll be playing the big game on Sunday at 3:30 PM. Stick around to watch the game, enjoy the commercials, or just be with other church people! Bring a snack to share! Drinks will be provided. Go Chargers! (Hehe.)
  5. Baptism Class. Our next baptism class is on Tuesday, February 9, at 7:00 PM, in Room 108. If you are a Christian and have not yet been obedient to the Lord by being baptized or if you simply would like to learn more about Christian baptism, please come out to the class!
  6. College Life Retreat. Please pray for our collegians as they go off on their retreat on February 12-14. The retreat speaker is Pastor Scott Ardavanis from Grace Church of the Valley. It should be an awesome time of worship together!
  7. Elders Q&A. On Sunday, February 14, we will be having a special Q&A with our elders during the Sunday School hour. This is a great way to get to know the leadership at Lighthouse a bit better. Mark your calendars!
  8. Parent/Child Dedication. We will be having a Parent/Child Dedication service on Sunday, February 21 during our morning worship service. If you would like to participate, please let Pastor Patrick know by Sunday, February 14.
  9. First Aid and CPR. If you would like to be trained up in Adult/Child/Infant CPR/First Aid/AED, Randy Sarmiento will be providing instruction on Saturday, February 27, at 1:30 PM. There is a cost to participate ($75/person) but the church will cover the costs for our children’s ministry coordinators.
  10. Single Life Retreat. Sign ups are now being taken for the upcoming Single Life retreat on March 4-6! Our speaker is Pastor Kurt Gebhards, who used to be on staff at Grace Community Church and is now in Chicago. This is a combined retreat together with some of the other Lighthouse churches so it should be a particularly special time of worship and fellowship. Sign up at Single Life Bible study!

Weekly Links (2/5/2015)

by Stephen Rodgers

Alright everyone…welcome to the first Friday of the month, which means welcome to free stuff!

  • First up, the free audio book of the month from christianaudio.com is Geisler & Turek’s I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist. I can tell you first hand that if you’re looking for a solid, evidentialist introduction to apologetics, this is a good one!
  • Next up, the free Logos resource of the month is The Journal of Theological Interpretation, Vol. 1 by Joel B. Green. I’m not as familiar with this one, but there it is if you want to check it out.
  • This month’s edition of Tabletalk magazine from Ligonier is on the topic of “Awakening.” Tabletalk is always good, so I’d expect this month is no exception.
  • There’s a new issue of Credo Magazine out, and the topic is The Prince of Puritans: John Owen. I’ve been impressed by the quality of CredoMag over the past several years, so if you haven’t checked them out yet, you might want to give them a shot.
  • And last but not least, here’s a quick little article where someone from TGC interviews John Frame…because John Frame is the best. And here is a whole bunch of free books, courses, and articles from both John Frame and Vern Poythress.

Alright, that’s it! See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Beware of Complaining

by Roger Alcaraz

There’s a lot in the world we can complain about. From the tragic to the trivial. From a broken heart to a broken pencil. And the truth is, we will always have an excuse to complain, even if we have to make one up.

I think even if we were to go to heaven in our unglorified state, we would still complain, much like the fallen angels did before us. Adam and Eve lived in a world without sin, and yet Eve was tempted to believe God was holding out on her, and so she complained in her heart about God. It goes to show you that mankind’s attempt to better the world so that we have less to complain about is futile. We will never stop complaining as long as we are able, even in a perfect world.

Complaining is so easy to do, and many of us probably do it without even noticing. But complaining will only bring you more heartache, and it goes directly against God’s commands. Furthermore, it could be what prevents others from coming to know Christ. Philippians 2:14-15 commands us to “do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

The application from this passage is pretty obvious: to do all things without grumbling or disputing. And I doubt this command is new to you. Even if you grew up in a non-Christian home, you were probably told to stop complaining. Yet chances are, even as a Christian, you still complain. But Paul understood that we need proper motivation when trying to obey God’s commands, so he spends less time giving this command and more time explaining why it’s so important for us as believers.

Being Blameless Before God

It may not seem like much to grumble. Maybe it’s something you think you should stop doing, but it’s not hurting anyone, so why the rush? If so, you need to look at what God says about complaining.

Jude wrote to encourage Christians to contend for the faith, especially against false teachers because “certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). Jude goes on to reveal that a severe judgement awaits these false teachers “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him’” (Jude 14-15). And so who are these ungodly sinners whom God will execute judgement on? “These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires” (Jude 16).

And so the grumblers and malcontents mentioned in verse 16 are actually the false teachers mentioned in verse 4. Now that might not make sense to you because when you think of false teacher, you think someone who spreads lies and heresies. How is this the same as someone who complains? But think about it–if you complain, you are actually teaching. And when you complain, you’re teaching that Christ is not enough. You might even be teaching that God himself is not good. When you complain, you teach this to yourself, and if you complain to others, you spread your teaching to them, as well.

It’s tempting to want to complain about our situation, but if we trust that God is sovereign and has placed us where we are for our good, there will be no room for complaints. Instead of complaining, we are to be content whether we have much or whether we have little, and whether we like our circumstances or not. And as a result of our refusal to complain, we will not only be happier, but more than that, the world can see Christ through our trust in God.

Shining Brightly Before Men

Going back to Philippians 2, we live in a crooked and twisted generation, and you as believers shine as light in the world. But you will ruin it all by complaining and disputing. Earlier I said that we teach people about God in the way we complain and this is most true with unbelievers.

Imagine witnessing to a friend one moment and complaining the next, perhaps over dirty dishes that your roommate left. On the one hand, you’re telling them that Christ is of the utmost importance. But on the other hand, you’re telling him Christ is only enough so long as there are clean dishes. I think they’d have trouble reconciling the difference in their mind.

It would be more consistent with the gospel message to, instead, just take your roommate’s dishes and wash them joyfully. What kind of message would that communicate to your unbelieving friend? One that says: “All I need to be happy and fulfilled in life is Jesus.” And this is over insignificant dishes; imagine how much more that message would be communicated as they see this type of attitude during a real tragedy.

Friends, the world notices how you complain and argue. Sometimes it’s done on social media where the whole world can see. But we cannot afford to persist in this sin any longer. For the sake of those who do not know Christ, we must stop complaining.

The Danger of Moral Preaching

by Pastor Jim Kang

Introduction

As a preacher, not only am I concerned about how I preach, but also how preaching is done in many churches. Also, as a pastor, not only am I concerned about what our congregants are eating spiritually (or not), but also what other churches are eating spiritually (or not).

One of the things I lament is how little the Old Testament (OT) is preached in many evangelical churches today. For example, out of the 27 churches in the Gospel Coalition Bay Area Regional Chapter (GCBARC), which our church is also part of, there is only a few churches that are preaching regularly from the OT. And the GCBARC is supposed to be the largest conservative evangelical organization that churches are part of in the Bay Area! We are only a small sample within much of the broader evangelicals, yet only a few churches are preaching the OT. That explains why so many professing Christians today have so little understanding about the OT, how the New Testament (NT) is connected to the Old, and how the gospel does not start with Jesus in the NT but actually in the OT.

Because there is so much disconnection with the OT, many simply perceive the OT as a collection of random stories. Hence, people fail to see the metanarrative of the entire Bible. As a result, many do not make Christological connections. So, people simply overlook in seeing Jesus Christ in the OT.

Also, not only I lament for little preaching that churches are hearing from the OT, but also, when they do hear from the OT, so often the preaching that is done from the OT is nothing short of mere moral sermons. They lack doctrinal substance. They lack the gospel indicatives. They lack Christological connections. For instance, when people hear the story of David and Goliath, so often Goliath is referred to some “giant problems” in life that can be slayed with little stones of faith. But is that the main point of the story? Like the story of David and Goliath, there are many stories in the OT that have been misinterpreted and misapplied. Genesis 22 is another example.

In typical sermons from Genesis 22, examples of moral preaching are common. The message is, for instance, just as Abraham obeyed, so should we, as if that is the primary point of the narrative. Another point may be that we should all be willing to make a great sacrifice just as Abraham did, as if that is the focal point of the story. Another point may be that we should also all trust our father just as Isaac did. While all those (moral) points are not necessarily wrong or immoral, they are not the primary point of the passage. Hence, let me explain why moral preaching is dangerous.

The Danger of Moral Preaching

First of all, moral preaching often has basic hermeneutical error. That is because they (sermon or preaching) often start from the text and go straight to the applications (i.e., the moral applications). Moral preaching fails to deal with the grammar, history, and theology of the narrative and the text.

Secondly, moral preaching is dangerous because it provides little or nothing about the gospel. It fails to show what ways the narrative points out the gospel indicatives. You can point out the moral lessons from any stories in the Bible, but that does not mean you have preached the gospel or pointed out the gospel indicatives. In fact, a preacher may preach from a Gospel book (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John), yet fails to preach the gospel.

Thirdly, moral preaching is dangerous because it is man-centered than God-centered. That is because moral preaching focuses on what man needs to do than what God has done. Generally, the moral sermons are imperatives with little or no indicatives of who God is and what he has done. Moral preaching truly promotes behavioral change without the gospel. Moral preaching is a great tool that promotes legalism.

Fourthly, moral preaching offers little or no connection to Christ. It fails to show what ways the narrative shows the glimpse or typology of Jesus Christ. In theology this refers to the progressive revelation of God. That is, in Scripture, especially, in the OT (doubly so in Genesis and other books in the Pentateuch), God reveals his redemptive truths (i.e., the plan of redemption through Christ) not all at once, but slowly in little glimpses until Christ finally comes to fulfill in the NT.

The moral preaching really does injustice to what Jesus commands what we should do with the OT. In fact, it was Jesus who commanded to search the Scriptures (i.e. the OT) because the OT testifies or bears witness about him (John 5:39). Did you hear that? Jesus commanded us to search the OT and see him there because the OT testifies about him!

Also, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, explained the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27). That pretty much summarizes the entire OT (the writings of Moses and all the prophets). This clearly implies that Jesus made Christological connections of himself to the OT. I wish I could have been to such Bible study when Jesus was making such connections!

Moreover, in Luke 24:44 Jesus said, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Again, that pretty much summarizes the entire OT. And Jesus clearly states that the entire OT are written about him. So, that is our duty when we read and study the OT. We ought to make connections to Christ. We ought to see the gospel indicatives and theological significance. All these things, moral preaching fails to do.

He Shall Gather The Lambs With His Arm…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Isaiah 40:11

Who is He of whom such gracious words are spoken? He is THE GOOD SHEPHERD. Why doth He carry the lambs in His bosom? Because He hath a tender heart, and any weakness at once melts His heart. The sighs, the ignorance, the feebleness of the little ones of His flock draw forth His compassion. It is His office, as a faithful High Priest, to consider the weak. Besides, He purchased them with blood, they are His property: He must and will care for that which cost Him so dear. Then He is responsible for each lamb, bound by covenant engagements not to lose one. Moreover, they are all a part of His glory and reward.

But how may we understand the expression, ‘He will carry them’? Sometimes He carries them by not permitting them to endure much trial. Providence deals tenderly with them. Often they are ‘carried’ by being filled with an unusual degree of love, so that they bear up and stand fast. Though their knowledge may not be deep, they have great sweetness in what they do know. Frequently He ‘carries’ them by giving them a very simple faith, which takes the promise just as it stands, and believingly runs with every trouble straight to Jesus. The simplicity of their faith gives them an unusual degree of confidence, which carries them above the world.

‘He carries the lambs in His bosom.’ Here is boundless affection. Would He put them in His bosom if He did not love them much? Here is tender nearness: so near are they, that they could not possibly be nearer. Here is hallowed familiarity: there are precious love-passages between Christ and His weak ones. Here is perfect safety: in His bosom who can hurt them? They must hurt the Shepherd first. Here is perfect rest and sweetest comfort. Surely we are not sufficiently sensible of the infinite tenderness of Jesus!

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