Dear Reader~family member, friend, acquaintance or complete stranger,


As the sun rises this beautiful Christmas morn, and I sit by a lit Christmas tree with gift awaiting opening and enjoyment, listening to carols, anticipating a delightful day of festivities and joy-filled celebration.  My heart is thankful to God for all these blessings.  

I want to wish you a Very Merry Christmas, from our home, from our hearts to you, wherever you may be reading this.

Praying your celebrations will be so much more than a feast filled belly, and a pile of gifts.  May you know the most precious gift of all, the first Christmas gift of all time, and the very reason Christmas exists-the Christ child, Jesus.

May He mean more to you than a figurine you pull out if it's box at the holiday season, or a religious figure from history.  Jesus is sooo much more.  

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."  John 1:14 

Jesus is the Son of God, Holy Deity in flesh, among men.  Born of a virgin, fulfill-er of prophesies, the Messiah to save mankind.  He is the embodiment of truth who demonstrated the grace of God by coming to this sin cursed earth, living a sinless life and then dying on the cross undeservedly but willingly to pay for my sin, your sin, the sins of the whole world.  All we need to do is accept the gift.

If you have received by faith that Jesus was in fact the Son of God, and have believed by faith that He paid for your sins and came back to life proving His power over sin and death, then Christmas holds so much meaning.  The day to stop and cherish His gift to us, to worship afresh, to honour the King of Kings who came as a babe to save this world.  

May He be the welcome guest on the throne of your heart and mine today.  Knowing Him changes everything, especially Christmas.  Amid the wrapping paper, lights, lavish meals, family time, and Christmas baking I hope that we cherish more.... the peace, the hope, the joy, the security that is known in Christ alone.  

Merry Christmas!

    

Continuing Revelation and the Sufficiency of Scripture | ACBC Exam question #5

5. Many Christians today speak of continuing revelation.  Relate this concept to inspiration and sufficiency of the Scripture.  Relate this concept to the issue of miracles, prophecy, and tongues.

        “Traditionally, revelation and the Bible have been inseparable.  Contemporary views have driven a wedge between the Bible and revelation with devastating results.  Now revelation need no longer be found only in the Bible, but in the mighty acts of God and in personal encounter.  The existential experience has replaced objective truth as the Word of God.”¹ This concept of continuing revelation is dangerous.  To say that God has spoken to us today, giving our experience of God the authority only Scripture rightfully has is adding to His Word, the Bible, and every person could then claim they've heard various messages from God, causing confusion, licence, and no credible final authority on what is indeed God’s Word.  To suggest that God continues to give us new information is unbiblical.  He clearly stated in Proverbs 30:6, “Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” 

                Miracles, prophecy and tongues had a unique role in God’s plan.  Jesus preformed miracles to authenticate that He was the Messiah, God in the flesh among them (Matt. 9:27-31, 12:9,14, 14:13-21, Mark 1:21-27, 1:40-45, 2:1-12, Luke 8:22-25, 40-56, and many more).  At the onset of the early church tongues were experienced to demonstrate the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, a new presence of God in believers (Acts 2).  Prophecies were made during Biblical times about historical events, to prove that Jesus was the Messiah (Micah 5:2, Daniel 9:25,26), and future events yet to come.   All Biblical prophesies made and fulfilled prove the Bible is God’s Word as no human could know in advance these events as He does. 

These signs and wonders performed were used by God at certain points in history for His purposes mentioned here.  These forms of God revealing Himself were never meant to become practices of the church, or carried on from those historic events.  1 Corinthians 13:8-10 reads; “Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.” 

Because we now have the full Word of God, there is no need for any further revelation from Him.  The Bible ought to be considered the full, and complete, authoritative Word of God. 

¹ “Basic Theology” Charles Ryrie, page 66

ACBC exam #4 | General Revelation and Biblical Authority

Compare and contrast the Bible and it’s authority to general revelation and it’s authority.

General revelation is a term used to refer to how God is revealed through nature, and has made us all with a consciousness of Him.  “Through non-verbal communication, people of all cultures and all languages have the capacity to understand that Almighty God exists in all of His weighty importance.”¹ “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2).  Clearly from the Bible we read God intended all that we see in nature surrounding us points to the reality, power, authority, and control of God.  In Romans 1 we read that this knowledge we have from nature makes us consciously responsible, all humanity knows deep down that God exists, and we are accountable to Him.   “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)  God’s revelation from nature is great knowledge, however it has its’ limits.  Later in Romans (10:17) we read; “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” 

Nature testifies of God, but the Bible gives us the knowledge we need unto salvation, and day-to-day sanctified living, which natural revelation is insufficient to accomplish.  Nature and human conscience draw us to His truth, but it is the Bible that gives us the proper knowledge and guidance of understanding our sin nature, God’s gift of grace, His place of holiness and our place of needing a Saviour.    

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)  God’s Word to us is a cherished treasure, incomparable to general revelation, but enhanced by it.  In and through it alone we can conclude; “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

¹ “Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically” John MacArthur page 42 

ACBC Theology Exam | Question #3

                                                                                                       

     What is the Bible’s authority on theological controversies?

This is an oversimplified conclusion; but there would not be theological controversies if the Bible was held in its’ proper place of authority.  As discussed in the above questions, we find it true that God’s Word, the Bible is inspired by Him, is infallible, and authoritative.  So, then there shouldn’t be controversy…. Right? 

We know full well there are.  Obviously, unsaved people are opposed to Biblical theology.  2 Corinthians 4:4 says of them, “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  In counseling an unsaved person, the objective must first be their salvation.  Without Christ any real lasting change is impossible because our hearts are wicked, and hopeless without Him.  But, “the sacred texts… are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation…” (2 Tim. 3:15) which is good news, and the hope that every unbelieving counselee needs to hear.

Within the church, the Body of Christ, controversies cause division, are the basis of different denominations, and must be handled with biblical wisdom.  Controversies arise when the Bible is interpreted wrongly, or when human opinion is forced onto Scripture (and Scripture is taken out of context to make it “work”).  1 Timothy 4:1 warns, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons”.  Deceptive theology is dealt with throughout Scripture, and are not hard to find today.

In counseling, it is important to establish the authority of the Bible at the outset as authoritative and to stick with it throughout the whole counselling process.  If a theological controversy arises, by all means a study should be done by the counselee with the help of the counselor to help them come to the truth using the Word which is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).  As all conflict should be handled, it is important that it is done in humility, love, and with the motivation to restore the counselee to a Biblical understanding/and or lifestyle as the situation requires as outlined in  Ephesians 4:14-15;  “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ”.