Soli Deo Gloria

“The true test of discipleship is our witness to the world and not just the promises we make to God. Does our own discipleship pass this test? People make many promises when they are alone with God -– promises about living a better life, spending more time in prayer, or giving more money to charity. But the real test of our discipleship is what we say and do when we are under pressure to take a stand for Christ. What do we say then?

Unless we speak up for what we believe, then we ourselves become the deniers of Christ. I deny Christ when I talk with my friends about being involved in church, but not about what it means to know Jesus. I deny Christ when there is so little that is distinctive about the way I live people at work or school do not even know that I’m a Christian. I deny Christ when I am so afraid about what people think that I shrink back from telling people the biblical truth about controversial issues like abortion, or homosexuality, or the unique claims of Jesus Christ as the world’s only Savior. I deny Christ when I say something a Christian shouldn’t say or do something a Christian shouldn’t do because I want to have fun or to be popular. But if I cannot speak up and say something for Jesus, then what kind of disciple am I anyway?”

- Philip Graham Ryken (From his reformed expositional commentary on Mark)

“The Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.” Mark 14:10-11

The narrative of Mary’s devotion to Christ (Mark 14:3-9) serves as an amazing contrast between the two bookends of Judas’ betrayal. The religious leaders wanted desperately to find a way to get to Christ before the Passover in order to avoid the crowds. Like a black and white contrast to Mary, Judas now comes on the scene.

Could it be that Judas has now come to the realization that Christ is not the political messiah he has hoped for? Scripture doesn’t tell us and we’d only be speculating what was going through his mind. However, what Scripture does tell us is that the actions of Judas were planned before time began and prophesied all throughout Scripture. While never excusing the horrific sin of Judas, Scripture makes it clear that the actions of this son of perdition were a fulfillment of Holy Scripture. (John 17:12)

When I read these two verses of Scripture concerning Judas there is a word here that causes me to think of another early event of the life of Jesus. Recall the temptations of Christ in the wilderness by Satan. Three times Satan tempted Christ with no success. What is striking is how Luke records that event. Luke tells us that Satan left Christ after the temptation until an ‘opportune time’. (Luke 4:13) When we read the other gospel accounts we learn that Satan entered into Judas inciting him to begin his betrayal. There is no doubt too that we see the sin of Judas’ greed and worldliness being used by Satan. While this truth should definitely cause us to realize that Satan is a powerful adversary it should also cause us to marvel at the absolute wisdom and sovereignty of our great God who will use the most horrific event in all of time to become the greatest and magnificent saving event. God, allowing Satan and Judas to spark the arrest and death of Christ, is by His sovereign hand and unsearchable wisdom orchestrating the greatest good which was planned before time began. It’s when we have a right and solid understanding of who our great God is in light of all of Scripture that we can truly grasp and hold fast to the amazing truth Paul pens that we are to be anxious for nothing. (Philippians 4:6-8) Believers truly can be anxious for nothing as we set our minds of things above and on the cross of Jesus Christ knowing truly that all things work for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) May we be in awe of the great truth that “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

Judas is an interesting study. With the watering down of the gospel in most of the American church today there is little to no teaching on the reality of apostasy. Judas would actually be a great example of someone who can be around Christ, His teachings and His people and yet be an enemy of Christ the entire time. In fact, it’s striking that in Acts when the disciples seek to replace the office of Judas with another that they make it a point to say that Judas shared in the ministry. (Acts 1:17) We should allow this passage to cause us to test ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5) The life of Judas should also help us to understand the reality of real apostasy that the writer of Hebrews warns about. (Hebrews 6:4)

It is dangerously possible to grow up in the church and be baptized, sit under excellent teaching and preaching, partake of the sacraments and even be active in ministry and still be as lost as Judas. You see, participating in the motions of church does not save us. Sadly, there are many who may call themselves Christians in the same way Judas would have openly called himself a disciple of Christ but like Judas, are lost and outside of the saving faith needed to secure salvation. Like Judas, there are many who profess Christ only to have the benefits of Christ and not Christ Himself. This is a dangerous position!

This is where Mary makes an excellent contrast to Judas and why I believe Mark puts these two narratives back to back. Mary had true saving faith. We need to remember that while faith is a requirement for salvation, faith is not what actually saves us. Faith is a gift of grace from God that is the instrument that points us to that which saves us – the Person and work of Jesus Christ! Mary’s faith and love was in Christ Himself. Judas did not have this saving faith which is solemnly illustrated by his love for the world and how his life comes to an end.

What or who are you putting your trust in? Just to be called a Christian means absolutely nothing unless God is the One who has caused you to be born again and sealed you with His Name in Christ by His Holy Spirit. Follow the lead of Mary and come to the end of yourself putting your faith and trust in Christ alone.

Soli Deo Gloria

“We are not the ministers of Christ if we preach in such a way that unconverted men do not know they are unconverted. Unless preachers preach so as to make the consciences of their hearers feel in what spiritual condition they are truly in, then they may be ministers of Satan, but they are not ministers of Christ.” – William Fenner (1600-1640)

Why is it that the majority of the church today simply refuse to do this:

“Now I urge you, brethren, keep you eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” Romans 16:17-18

“Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”  2 Peter 2:2-3

One thing that should never surprise a believer is the fact that true Christians are truly a minority. Our Lord taught over and over that many would follow the broad way to destruction and few would follow the narrow path that leads to eternal life. (Matthew 7:13) So it should not surprise us that Peter tells us that many, not few, will follow after the false teachers. As Paul wrote Timothy, people will simply want to have their ears tickled and to hear not the gospel of Jesus Christ but things that their carnal minds and hearts want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3)

These false teachers will be popular among the crowds of the world and because their carnal minds are corrupt they will also fall for the sensuality of the false teachers. The Bible puts much emphasis on the fruit of false teachers. In the same way that Peter has taught in the first chapter that true salvation produces a life of godliness here we see the contrast of the false teachers exemplifying a life of sensuality and carnal appetite. This is what the world revels in so naturally the world will follow after teachers who cater to that worldly mindset and heart. Through their wickedness and carnality they will maligned. The Greek word used here is actually blasphemy. So in their wickedness and false teachings they will actually be slandering the truth! It is precisely why Paul urges Timothy to quiet such false teachers in the church so that they will not introduce their destructive heresies. (Titus 1:11) Pastors and leaders in the church are called to protect their flock from false teachers and their heresies, not to simply ignore them as most do today.

These false teachers are greedy and through their false teachings will seek to exploit their followers from all that they own. One need only turn on the television to most “Christian” television stations to see that the majority of those on the airwaves are non other than what Peter is describing here. Their god is money and they will stop at nothing to rob people of money.

I agree with Paul Washer that God has allowed and may even setup false teachers within the church as a form of judicial punishment on people whose god is their belly and money. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3) The statement Peter makes about the judgment of the false teachers being from long ago also supports this idea.

May we constantly be renewing our minds in the living Word of God so we can properly discern truth from error and be a people of God who not only shields our own hearts and mind from false teachings but actively encourages and exhorts others in the household of faith to stand firm in the Biblical tenants of the Christian faith.

Let us marvel at the absolute and wonderful sovereignty of God in all things – even false teachers. May He forever be praised for His unsearchable greatness and wisdom and all glory, laud and honor to Him for His mighty sovereign grace in the lives of His elect!

Soli Deo Gloria

“The New Testament quite clearly refuses to endorse a carnal Christian experience as a legitimate status quo. It envisions the Christian life as simultaneously one of dying and one of living – of dying more and more unto sin and of living more and more unto righteousness.”

- Dr. Robert Reymond (From his New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith)

“The images or pictures of God are an abomination and utterly unlawful, because they do debase God, and may be the cause of idolatrous worship.  It is not lawful to have pictures of Jesus Christ, because his divine nature cannot be pictured at all, and because his body, as it is now glorified, cannot be pictured as it is; and because, if it do not stir up devotion, it is in vain; if it do stir up devotion, it is a worshipping by an image or picture, and so a palpable breach of the second commandment.” (Thomas Vincent, An Explanation of the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, n.d.) 162.)

“Perhaps more people living today have derived their ideas of Jesus Christ from these typically ‘liberal’ pictures of Jesus than have derived their ideas of Jesus from the Bible itself. Such people inevitably think of Jesus as a human person, rather than thinking of him according to the biblical teaching as a divine person with a human nature. The inevitable effect of the popular acceptance of pictures of Jesus is to overemphasize his humanity and to forget or neglect his deity (which of course no picture can portray).” (Johannes G. Vos, The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 2002), 292.)