For the month of December, our kids will be hearing the stories of Christmas and important truths learned from these stories in Scripture. This Sunday I am teaching on the importance of the Incarnation from Mt. 1, Lk. 1-2, and Jn. 1.

When Gabriel appears to Mary in Luke 1, he tells her that her son is to be named “Jesus”, which means “God is Salvation.” Jesus’ birth also fulfilled the words of Isaiah, who said, “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us)” (Mt. 1:23). These two names are significant because they indicate that God has taken on flesh and has come to live on earth for the purpose of accomplishing our salvation.

Believer’s often fail to focus on the significance of this event. According to J.I. Packer, “The Incarnation…makes sense of everything else that the New Testament contains” (54). He also says, “The crucial significance of the cradle at Bethlehem lies in its place in the sequence of steps down that led the Son of God to the cross of Calvary, and we do not understand it till we see it in this context” (58).

It is also important to mention that Jesus’ arrival on earth was not an unanticipated occurrence, but the fulfillment of numerous prophesies throughout the Old Testament (Gen. 3:15, Isa. 7:14, 53, Micah 5:2 etc.). The Incarnation was not a result of the Father acting on impulse or executing a “plan B.” There is what theologians call “The Covenant of Redemption,” which took place in eternity past that speaks of the agreement between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that the Son would take on flesh and be our representative, perfectly obeying the father on our account and paying the penalty for sin that we deserve. According to Wayne Grudem,

“On the part of the Son, there was an (eternal) agreement that he would come into the world as a man and live as a man under the Mosaic law (Gal. 4:4; Heb. 2:14-18), and that he would be perfectly obedient to all the command of the Father (Heb. 10:7-9), becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). The Son also agreed that he would gather for himself a people in order that none whom the Father had given him would be lost (John 17:12)” (518).

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1994. 518

Packer, J.I. Knowing God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 1993. 54-58.

"Quote" of the Week

"It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. 'The Word became flesh' (Jn. 1:14); God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. And there was no illusion or deception in this: the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the Incarnation." J.I. Packer

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 118:1

Faith is the means or instrument by which a person is saved. Christians are justified before God by faith (Rom. 3:26; 4:1-5; Gal. 2:16), and by faith they live their lives (2 Cor. 5:7) and sustain their hope (Heb. 10:35-12:3).

Faith cannot be defined in subjective terms, as a feeling or optimistic decision. Neither is it a passive orthodoxy. Faith is a response, directed toward an object and defined by what is believed. Christian faith is trust in the eternal God and His promises secured by Jesus Christ. It is called by the gospel as the gospel is made understandable through the gracious work of the Holy Spirit. Christian faith is a personal act, involving the mind, heart, and will, just as it is directed to a personal God, and not an idol or an idea.

It is usual to analyze faith as involving three steps: knowledge, agreement, and trust. First is knowledge, or acquaintance with the content of the gospel; second is agreement, or recognition that the gospel is true; and third is trust, the essential step of committing the self to God. These steps go together in the since that there can be Christian faith only when the gospel is known and its truth is accepted (Rom. 10:14).

Through faith we receive Christ, who satisfied the law on our behalf. In this way we are justified through faith alone, without doing the works of the law. But since faith unites us with Christ, it cannot be lifeless. Directed toward God and resting in Him, it is active, "working through love" (Gal. 5:6), seeking to do all the "good works, which God prepared beforehand" for us (Eph. 2:10). Justification is by faith alone, but justifying faith can never be alone.

When James says that faith without works is dead, he is describing a faith that knows the gospel and even agrees with it, but has fallen short of trust in God. Failure to grow, develop, and bear the fruits of righteousness shows that the free gift of God in Christ has never been received. The answer for those with such a faith is not to save themselves by establishing a righteousness of their own, as if they could create faith by their own efforts, but to call on the name of the Lord (Rom. 10:13). God alone can save those for whom it is otherwise impossible (Mark 10:27). Paul shows that good works cannot break this impossibility; James shows that the faith required is faith that rests in the living God.

Even when we have believed, the good works we do are never perfect. They are acceptable to God only because of the mercy of Christ (Rom. 7:13-20; Gal. 5:17). We express our love for God through doing what pleases Him, and He in His kindness promises to reward us for what we do (Phil. 3:12-14; 2 Tim. 4:7, 8). In this we are not making God our debtor, any more than when we first believed in Him. As Augustine noted, God in rewarding us is graciously crowning His own gracious gifts.

Sproul, R.C. Faith and Works. The Reformation Study Bible. Orlando: Ligonier Ministries. 2005. 1804

"Quote" of the Week

"(Faith is) a firm and sure knowledge of the divine favor towards us, founded on the truth of a free promise in Christ, and revealed to our minds and sealed on our hearts by the Holy Spirit." -John Calvin, Institutes 111.2.7

Lesson 8: THE TRUTH ABOUT CONSTANTINE

Last Sunday, I taught our youth about how the persecution of Christians had finally come to an end with the help of Constantine. When asked why he acted under the banner of Christianity, some have answered that it was because he was a believer, while others argue that he was trying to gain the support of Christians. Below I discuss why I think both of these views are wrong and discuss Constantine's true motivation.

1) THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT HE WAS A CHRISTIAN

There is actually sufficient evidence to suggest that he was not. He never placed himself under the direction of Christian leaders or bishops. Christian Historian Justo Gonzalez explained, "Constantine reserved the right to determine his own religious practices, and even to intervene in the life of the church" (121).

He was also known for blending the beliefs of paganism and Christianity and for repeatedly taking part in pagan rites, in which no Christian would participate. According to Gonzalez, "During most of his political career, Constantine seems to have thought that the Unconquered Sun (of paganism) and the Christian God were compatible-perhaps two views of the same Supreme Deity-and that other gods, although subordinate, were nevertheless real and relatively powerful" (122).

2) HE HAD NO REASON TO GAIN THE SUPPORT OF CHRISTIANS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THEY HAD NO INFLUENCE

When Constantine took power, persecution was taking place throughout the empire and many Christians had been removed from military and government positions due to the policies of Diocletian and Galerius (see previous post). According to Gonzalez,

"If Constantine had been such an opportunist, he chose a poor time to seek the support of Christians...He was preparing to go to battle for the city of Rome, (the) center of pagan traditions...Christians were stronger, not in the West, where the battle was to be fought, but in the East, to which Constantine would lay claim only years later. Finally, it should be pointed out that whatever support Christians could give Constantine was of doubtful value" (121).

3) CONSTANTINE BELIEVED CHRISTIANITY TO BE A POWER THAT COULD BE CONTROLLED.

It is probably correct to say that Constantine believed in the power of Christ. The problem is that he wrongly assumed that this power was his to use as long as he supported Christians. He thought that by appeasing the Christian God, he could gain the power needed to rule the empire. Gonzalez stated,

"For (Constantine), the Christian God was a very powerful being who would support him as long as he favored the faithful...What he sought was not the goodwill of Christians, but rather the goodwill of their God" (122).

Scripture, however, clearly opposes this reasoning. Daniel 4:35 says,

“(God) does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. He does what he wants with the nations of the earth. No one can hold his hand back. No one can say to him, ‘What have you done?’”

In other words, "God does what he wants without anyone forcing His hand.

Although Constantine had a distorted view of God, many, however, would argue that he received the power he pursued. Unfortunately, he settled for far less than what God intends. As discussed last week, all those in power eventually lose it and empires rise and fall. Only ones position in Christ as an adopted child of God is permanent. J.I. Packer asserted, “God’s adoption of us (believers) makes us his heirs, and so guarantees to us, as our right (we might say), the inheritance that he has in store for us” (217). Although Constantine gained an earthly inheritance he missed out on a spiritual and eternal inheritance that is better by far (Rom 8:16-17; Gal 4:7).

Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity: Volume 1 The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation. San Francisco: Harper Collins. 1984. 121-122.Packer, J.I. Knowing God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 1993. 17.

IS THE STUDY OF THEOLOGY NECESSARY?

Many view the study of theology as solely an academic and impractical exercise that is optional for followers of Christ. I recently ran into a well-known minister from the United States in an airport in Nicaragua. We talked for a bit about our mission trips in the country. After I told him that we spent the week teaching pastors about the Doctrine of God, he responded by saying, “I hope you did not simply leave them with doctrine.” As I left that conversation I began to think, “What else would we have left them with?”

Although he did not come out and say it, it was communicated to me that he viewed the study of theology as being an insufficient academic exercise. If this was his point, which I hope it wasn't, nothing could be further from the truth. Theology is extremely practical--one of the simplest reasons being that right thinking about God leads to right living for Him. According to theologian Wayne Grudem,

"The Bible often connects sound doctrine with maturity in Christian living: Paul speaks of 'the teaching which accords with godliness'(1 Tim. 6:3) and says that his work as an apostle is 'to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness' (Titus 1:1). By contrast, he indicates that all kinds of disobedience and immorality are 'contrary to sound doctrine'" (1 Tim. 1:10).

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1994. 29.

"Quote" of the Week

"The more we know about God, about his Word, about his relationships to the world and mankind, the better we will trust him, the more fully we will praise him, and the more readily we will obey him. Studying systematic theology rightly will make us more mature Christians. If it does not do this, we are not studying it in the way God intends." -Wayne Grudem

Lesson 7: THE LAST AND WORST OF ROMAN PERSECUTION

Early in the fourth century, the last and worst persecution broke out. Diocletian was the reigning emperor at the time and wanted to bring stability to Rome by reorganizing the empire and placing the government on the shoulders of four emperors. The emperors appointed were Galerius, Diocletian, Maximian and Constantius Cholorus. Diocletian hoped that this division would avert the frequent civil wars that were taking place.

Several of these leaders, like those in the third century, felt as if Christians were hindering the reestablishment of a strong and stable government. Galerius was one of the strongest supporters of this reasoning. His way of thinking was based upon their attitude toward military service. He condemned many believers to death for either refusing to join or for trying to leave the military. Galarius saw this refusal to serve as a serious danger for Rome because it made their armed forces appear unstable. As a result, Galerius convinced Diocletian to remove all Christians from the military.

This removal was not peaceful. Many officers, who removed Christians from service, also took it upon themselves to force believers to denounce their faith and executed those who did not. Galarius also saw to it that Christians were removed from government positions and had their meeting places and literature destroyed. Those who resisted were put to death.

Diocletian also became convinced, probably with the help of Galarius, that Christians were conspiring against him. This resulted in severe persecution against the church. Diocletian demanded that Christians abandon their convictions and make sacrifices to his gods. Those who refused were killed in a variety of horrible ways.

This persecution and push for the restoration of paganism, however, would soon come to an end. The first change came when Galerius became ill with a painful disease. Sources say he was convinced that he was being punished for his treatment of Christians. Whatever the reason, he put an end to one of the worst persecutions in Christian History. Galerius would die only five days after changing this policy.

The second change came when the Empire was divided amongst a new group of leaders. Constantine, who was the son of Constantius Chlorus (one of the four originally appointed emperors), was one of the newly appointed emperors. Unbeknownst to the rest of the leaders, Constantine had a hidden longing for absolute power. Shortly after being appointed to this group, he began a campaign that would make him the sole ruler of the Empire. When least expected, he gathered his army and crossed the Alps to invade Rome. On the eve of battle sources say that Constantine received a vision from God and responded by putting a Christian symbol on the shield of his soldiers. He then went out and defeated Maxentius. Because of this victory, Constantine became ruler of the entire western half of the Empire.

Constantine continued to act under the banner of Christianity. When he took Milan, he forced an agreement that ended persecution and said that Christian churches and other properties were to be returned. This agreement is known as the Edict of Milan.

The question of whether this was a great victory for Christianity or the beginning of greater difficulties to come will be discussed in later lessons. The one thing that is clear, however, is that the Roman persecution of Christians was over.

Diocletian and Galerius failed to realize that God is at work in the world and no matter the amount of force; his purposes will prevail. All those in power eventually lose it and empires rise and fall, but God’s message and mission continues and his purposes never fail.

Nebuchadnezzar, who also misunderstood God’s power, was restored to his throne when he finally acknowledged God’s sovereignty. He rightly confesses about God in Daniel 4:35, “All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. (God) does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand.” Daniel 4:35

"Quote" of the Week

"God's dominion is total: He wills as He chooses, and carries out all that He wills, and none can stay His hand, or thwart His plans. He exercises His rule in the normal course of life, as well as in more remarkable interventions or miracles." -R.C. Sproul

Lesson 6: CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A HINDRANCE TO BUT THE ANSWER FOR SOCIETY

Throughout human history, people have been opposed to Christianity arguing that society would be better off without it. Today, prominent atheists like Richard Dawkins argue that Christianity, like all religions, is bad for society because its beliefs and practices lead to violence. Alister McGrath explains, “(Atheists believe) wherever religion exercises power, it oppresses and corrupts, using violence to enforce its own beliefs and agendas” (29). Roman rulers in the third century also viewed Christianity as a hindrance to the stable society they longed for, which resulted in persecution.

PERSECUTION UNDER SEPTIMUS SEVERUS

During the third century, Severus worried about civil war due to the existence of various rebel groups within the empire. In an attempt to promote unity, he encouraged religious harmony by pushing for all people to join together and worship in the same manner. As a result, people were persecuted for converting to the Christian faith, for refusing to turn from their system of belief and for proselytizing. This increase of local persecution for Christians was similar to what took place in the second century. Severus claimed to do this for the good of the empire believing Christians to be lawbreakers who were a threat to stability because they opposed religious harmony.

PERSECUTION UNDER DECIUS

Decius had a deep desire to restore Rome to her ancient glory. He thought that one of the reasons this glory had been lost was because many had abandoned the ancient Roman gods. He truly believed that because the gods had been neglected, Rome had provoked them to anger. Under Decius’ reign, Christians who refused to worship Roman gods were accused of high treason. He believed that forcing Christians to recant would be a needed step toward the restoration of paganism. He used a combination of promises, threats, and torture to force worship. Origen was tortured so severely for his faith under Decius that he died shortly after his release in AD 254.

Those who stood their ground in the midst of opposition were known as “confessors” and were highly respected by other Christians. The boldness of these believers greatly strengthened Christians of the third century.

CONCLUSION

As stated earlier, many have argued and continue to believe that Christians are troublemakers and are to blame for the evils in our society. The truth, however, is that our society would be far more miserable were it not for Christ. In a book entitled “What if Jesus had Never Been Born” author James Kennedy discusses all the wonderful contributions Christianity has made to society.

For example, Christianity is known historically for its compassion. Without Christianity there would be no YMCA, no Salvation Army, fewer orphanages and hospitals etc. There would also be no Christian mission organizations, which provide shelter, food and clothing for those in need around the world.

Christianity has also done great things for education. The idea of education for everyone grew directly out of the Protestant Reformation. Harvard, Yale, William and Mary, Brown, Princeton, New York University, Northwestern University, and others have thoroughly Christian roots. Harvard, for example, got its start from Rev. John Harvard.

Christianity has also played a significant role in furthering people’s civil liberties. William Carey went to India and put a stop to the horrible practice of Widow burning and pushed women’s rights in that area of the world, while William Wilberforce was responsible for the abolition of slavery in most of the British Empire.

Although all of these are important, the most significant contribution is the life change that occurs when one trusts in Christ for Salvation. Relationships have been mended, killers have repented, alcoholic/drug addicts have been rehabilitated because they have been forgiven and restored to a right relationship with the one true God.

Society is not better off without Christianity. Christianity is what society needs the most. Many are searching and investing their lives in things that will not satisfy. Only Christ can gratify our souls and fill the void that we all have. Jesus promises in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

McGrath, Alister. Challenges from Atheism. Beyond Opinion. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2007. 29.

"Quote" of the Week

"Had Jesus never been born, this world would be far more miserable than it is. In fact, many of man's noblest and kindest deeds find their motivation in love for Jesus Christ; and some of our greatest accomplishments also have their origin in service rendered to the humble Carpenter of Nazareth." -Dr. James Kennedy