Acceptable sacrifices

Malachi 1
6 “ A son honors his father,
And a servant his master.
If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
And if I am a Master,
Where is My reverence?
Says the LORD of hosts
...

8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil?
Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept you favorably?”
Says the LORD of hosts.
...
10 “ Who is there even among you who would shut the doors,
So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?
I have no pleasure in you,”
Says the LORD of hosts,

“ Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
...
13 You also say,
‘ Oh, what a weariness!’
And you sneer at it,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
“ And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;
Thus you bring an offering!
Should I accept this from your hand?”
Says the LORD.

14 “ But cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—
For I am a great King,”
Says the LORD of hosts,

“ And My name is to be feared among the nations.”

Instead:

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Cor. 9:6-8)

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Hebrews 13:15-16)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:17-19)

1 Peter 2
5 …you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…
...
9 …you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
...
11 …Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
...
12 …(so that) they (people / persecutors) may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God…

Whether in tithe, in praise, in supporting missionaries, in abstinence, in WHATEVER, this week lets strive to offer God our BEST!

Challenge: Christians are taking creation passages literally, which conflicts with evolution.

Everyone who speaks about origin of the world is speculating, and repeating somebody else's best guess. Christians mostly choose to give God the credit, because they already believe that God can create things immediately (with respect to time) if He wants to.

Why would I argue that? Well, for example, the Scriptures say that Christ spoke to the dead body of his friend Lazarus, and brought him back alive, after he had been dead for a few days. His sister commented that “by now he stinks.” Jesus simply said, “Lazarus, come forth!” Out he came. Now have you ever thought about what has to happen for a dead, decaying body to come back alive again, back in good working form? At the level of body tissue, organs, etc? Yep, you’re talking about CREATION. How long does it take Jesus Christ to create fresh living tissue out of a dead, decayed body? No longer than it takes to utter the words, “Come forth.” What effort or power is required of him to do so? The power of speech? Or infinite power, or some combination of the two? How can we properly characterize that ability? The point is, He simply can speak things into existence. In fact, the New Testament writings do specifically say that everything created was done through the same power of Christ that he displayed while he walked the earth:

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16-17)

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:3)

The concept of the Christ in the Bible is bigger than a lot of athiests think it is. They have every reason to try to hide from it.

The miracles described in the Bible cannot happen apart from the same kind of power that would be needed for CREATION. Some people believe the speculation of geologists, paleontologists, and anthropologists or cosmologists. Some of us believe what we already have other reason to believe in, namely, the Bible. Christians ought to believe that truth is truth. There cannot ever be “scientific” truth that contradicts any other truth, because two truths cannot be contradictory.

As Christians, we simply expect scientific theories to be PROVEN, beyond any doubt before they can be mentioned as “fact.” Otherwise they have to remain labeled as theories, with some fine print stating that they are not proven as fact. We obviously are suspicious of any theory that originates with the express purpose of finding a way *around* the need for God, because if you start off biased, it may not be an honest search for truth. But any scientist should agree with that. We insist on that because we know there is a DEEPLY rooted desire, every since it became publicly acceptable in the Age of Enlightenment, to prove that the world can function apart from the power of God. As Christians, we believe the opposite, that NOTHING can function apart from the power of God. Secular people look at science and talk about “forces” of nature. The “forces” we see operating in the world are simply the normal methods that God uses to run things. A miracle is just an instance where God chooses to step outside of His normal procedure and do something differently. He is not “breaking a law of nature” because there are no “laws of nature” apart from the choices He makes when running the world.

Does viewing the world as built and constantly maintained by God create any problems? Yes. It creates two difficult problems. The first problem is, it brings back the old idea that you might be accountable to your Creator. Makes us have to think before we speak or act. The second problem is, if we admit that God is in control of everything, we have to account for the presence of evil. The age old question, if God is there, and powerful, why would He allow evil to exist? Well what is evil? A violation of the rules? Whose rules? Christians do not hide from that one. Yep, evil is present in the world. Its in you right now. Why is it there? Because you WANT it there. You don’t WANT to be controlled by God, and conformed to His standard of righteousness do you? So, if YOU don’t want to obey your Creator, why would you wonder about evil? If you object too strongly, you’ll end up condemning yourself.

We Christians have to step out there and say that we trust that God knows what He’s doing in regard to his patience with, and ultimately his full fury of judgment against, evil. That ultimately he works things out for our own good. With an asterisk. The asterisk is, such a promise is only made to those who believe in Christ. (Romans 8:28) If you remain at enmity with God, you don’t have His promise to work out your situation for your own good.

What enmity? The enmity that we humans put there, between God and ourselves. But some say, “Enmity? Who created it? Is God mad at me, or am I mad at Him?” Yes. People are mad at Him, and He is mad at them. Why, you ask? The Scripture says that God is mad at us when we “suppress the knowledge of the truth.” What truth? And who is suppressing it? In Romans 1, the apostle Paul’s indictment is against humanity’s refusal to acknowledge what all of us clearly do see of God, as revealed through His creation. Romans 1 repeatedly asserts that humans do know about God, but choose to reject and suppress what they know:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. (v18)

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (v19)

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, had been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. (v20)

For even though they knew God…(v21)

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God…(v28)

And, although they know the ordinance of God…(v32)

Paul unequivocally asserts that the pagans knew God…the problem is not failure to honor what is not known, but a refusal to honor what is clearly known. Thus the pagan has no appeal to ignorance.(1)

What is God mad about in Romans 1? Against whom is His “wrath” revealed? God is angry at those who refuse to acknowledge Him for His C-r-e-a-t-i-o-n. The Scriptures say that God considers His creation proof enough for humanity to see, and that those who refuse to acknowledge what is right in front of their face, and instead attempt to suppress that truth are merely expressing their wickedness, and therefore are the objects of His wrath.

So, if you’re reading this with a mind that denies God as the Creator, and you plan to argue for that truth to be suppressed, then step up to the plate. The Lord God Omnipotent is waiting there for you. Does hearing that make you mad at God? Yep. Guess what, He’s mad at you too. You have already challenged Him, by attempting to lead people astray, suppressing His truth. In case you were unaware of His opinion of that, now you know. The place to find your condemnation is Romans, chapter 1. Your eternal death warrant is written out, crystal clear, in the Holy Scriptures, which have been “breathed-out” by God Himself. If we continue to read the rest of Romans 1, we find the earthly, temporal consequences that God has planned for those people. It is described in many examples, but always in the general category of abandonment. God gives them the “independence” that they long for, and releases them from His grace, turning them over to revel in their own evil until they have destroyed themselves.

But what about the promise we mentioned, that God ultimately works things out for our own good? That promise is only made to those who believe in Christ. (Romans 8:28)

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Are you worried that this promise does not apply to you? Well, you DO have His other promise that “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” And that gets you into the first promise. What are you waiting for?


(1)Sproul, "Classical Apologetics", p.51

Challenge: A book about God MUST be subjective, since there are so many conflicting views around the world.

You probably know that the New Testament makes some startling claims about Jesus Christ. This man really did exist. Scholars are agreed on that. The statements that he spoke are well substantiated also. The issue that is always in dispute is the how we should understand WHAT he said, and what his apostles WROTE about him. He taught entirely new, more strict, interpretations of the Old Testament law, and he took for himself “reserved” titles from Old Testament literature, such as “Son of Man” etc. He said once in a synagogue (during church), “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Yeah, that is exactly what it sounds like. To paraphrase, he said during church, “that guy that we’re reading about today…in the Bible…its Me.” Jesus made MANY statements which he knew would be taken by the Jewish leaders as blasphemy. He claimed to be the “Messiah” whom the Jews were told to expect someday.

The apostles of Christ (and their helpers, Mark, Luke) wrote the biographies of Jesus Christ, as well as some documents of encouragement, admonition, and theological exposition to the New Testament churches. In those writings, they claimed to be writing “inspired” words of God. The best translations say of 2 Tim. 3:16 say “All Scripture is God-breathed…”, because the literal words mean “breathed-out by God”. There really is no room for wiggling on points like that. They did CLAIM to be writing the words of God Himself. They make references to each other’s writings, calling them “Scripture”, which would be understood by their contemporaries as equal to the Old Testament Scripture.

The Old Testament has its own particular view of itself, one example being that the prophets of Israel spoke in the terms, “Thus saith the Lord.” (They did NOT use the king’s English like that, however.) They claimed that their words came directly from God. Frankly, the main reason to believe they were telling the truth is that Jesus himself did so. If you dispute what Jesus *thought* of the Old Testament, there are plenty of reading materials out there on that. He quoted it, interpreted it, and expounded on it pretty often. He even attributed the writings of the Pentateuch to Moses. Some “higher-criticism” scholars think he is wrong on that. Well, I guess its their word against His.

As Christians, the inerrancy of Scripture is a case where we cheat, and “look in the back of the book.” In other words, we use the book to substantiate the claims of the book. At the same time, we assert that there is nothing irrational about doing so. Some would say that such a claim is outside the realm of what can be “proven” with pure logical reasoning, but then so is the idea of the First Cause, which science DEMANDS. Our only real rational basis for claiming the truth of the New Testament writings is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the proof that He was telling the truth. This was substantiated by enough witnesses back then. We can’t help it that video was not invented until later. If Christ did not rise, then our faith and our hope is in vain.

The concept that the writings of Scripture are inspired by God is something we only believe because it was affirmed by Jesus, and explicitly taught by his apostles. Jesus himself delegated to them the authority to take his message to the world, and stated that he indeed stood behind them, with his authority justifying their work.
They went, they wrote, they stood fast until the end of their lives. They performed miracles, as Jesus did, to prove that their message was true. Ultimately, we have to reflect on what Jesus said, when he sent a group of disciples to share his message:

“He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10:16)

Jesus Christ claimed that he only spoke the truth, and that his words and deeds were only done because they came specifically from his “Father.” Its one thing to make claims when speaking on your own authority, but its another thing to say that you “only” do your Father’s will, and that the words you speak are exclusively from him:

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10)

“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:29)

He also challenged his detractors:

Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:46-47)

The only sin they could accuse him of was blasphemy—claiming equality with God. Which of course is not a sin if you are the incarnate deity, sent on a mission to redeem humanity.

“If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. (John 8:54)

Not only did Christ claim that he spoke with the full authority of God, whom he called his Father (an entirely new concept by the way), but he also claimed that anyone who did not believe him or rejected him would also be rejecting God. Of course everyone has heard John 14:6, which ends with, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus Christ did not leave the slightest bit of room for competing theologies, or other doctrines of salvation.

Jesus presumably understood that the other nations had their own theologies, and he believed (or knew) them to be false, human contrived “religions.” Consequently, he commanded his apostles to take his words to the outermost parts of the earth, baptizing the converted people in His name. So Jesus might have been completely arrogant and closed minded, *OR* he may be the only Son of God, who desires to show mercy to all the nations by bringing them his Good News of salvation by God’s grace, through faith in Him.

To disbelieve Christ is one thing; it may at least be honest. To characterize Christ as just one more religious figure, as one among many "choices" requires a dishonest reading of the Bible. You may not yet be able to see the number on your back, or the stripes on your outfit, but they are there. You are on death row without him, but he has come to get you out. No other religious leader lived and died specifically to justify you before your Creator, promising to personally, 1) remove the guilt of your sins, 2) empower you to walk uprightly afterwards. The Bible *IS* a "subjective" book. It was written by God, through the hands of His servants, to explain to us His own "perspectives" about creation, rebellion, redemption, justice, love, responsibility and how we can approach and relate to HIM. All books DO simply express the author's opinions. But one book contains God's opinions. He doesn't need to read it, YOU DO. He wrote it for you, so that you can search for and find Him. Is it wasted on you?

Prayer

by R.C. Sproul (where)
This lectures series asks us to grapple with several important questions. Part 1 explores the question “if God is immutable and sovereign, why should I pray? What possible effect could my prayers have? Next he examines how to pray, working through the acronym, A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). The final message examines the Lord’s prayer, with a particularly powerful reflection on the first two words, “Our Father.” This series is useful to remind us that prayer is considered VERY important by the Lord, and can avail much. Also, the emphasis on WHO we are approaching, and HOW we should approach Him serves as an important admonition for us all.

Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices

by Thomas Brooks (where)
A small, paperback reference book on personal repentance. The best I have ever seen. Many of the Puritan era books are good on the subject, but this one is best, in my opinion, for its clear and simple organization. The entire text is broken down into section/subsection form, with a crystal clear table of contents. You can look up a subject that you are struggling with in the contents, turn immediately there, and read the highly organized, clearly reasoned, scripturally supported:

1. Errors in your thinking
2. In what specific ways you are offending and/or neglecting Christ
3. Steps that led you there
4. Promised consequences from God
5. Steps to bring you back out.

I cannot really characterize it any better than that. It wondrously proclaims the gospel matter-of-factly while using great theology and the attributes of God to encourage and admonish the reader toward walking in the Spirit and sanctification. This is a book that I will someday order as many copies as I can afford, and hand them out at church. Maybe on street corners. I don’t know why I haven’t done it already.

Abbreviated Outline (sub-points removed):

I. THE PROOF OF THE POINT

II. SATAN'S DEVICES TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN
[12 devices and their remedies]
1. By presenting the bait and hiding the hook: (4 points)
2. By painting sin with virtue's colors: (4 points)
3. By the extenuating and lessening of sin: (7 points)
4. By showing to the soul the best men's sins and by hiding from the soul their virtues, their sorrows, and their repentance: (4 points)
5. By presenting God to the soul as One made up all of mercy: (5 points)
6. By persuading the soul that repentance is easy and that therefore the soul need not scruple about sinning: (6 points)
7. By making the soul bold to venture upon the occasions of sin: (4 points)
8. By representing to the soul the outward mercies enjoyed by men walking in sin, and their freedom from outward miseries: (8 points)
9. By presenting to the soul the crosses, losses, sorrows and sufferings that daily attend those who walk in the ways of holiness: (7 points)
10. By causing saints to compare themselves and their ways with those reputed to be worse than themselves: (3 points)
11. By polluting the souls and judgments of men with dangerous errors that lead to looseness and wickedness: (7 points)
12. By leading men to choose wicked company: (4 points)

III. SATAN'S DEVICES TO KEEP SOULS FROM HOLY DUTIES, TO HINDER SOULS IN HOLY SERVICES, TO KEEP THEM OFF FROM RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCES
[8 devices and their remedies]
1. By presenting the world in such a garb as to ensnare the soul: (8 points)
2 By presenting to the soul the dangers, losses and sufferings that accompany the performance of certain religious duties: (5 points)
3. By presenting to the soul the difficulty of performing religious duties: (5 points)
4. By causing saints to draw false inferences from the blessed and glorious things that Christ has done: (5 points)
5. By presenting to view the fewness and poverty of those who hold to religious practices: (6 points)
6. By showing saints that the majority of men make light of God's ways and walk in the ways of their own hearts: (3 points)
7. By casting in vain thoughts while the soul is seeking God or waiting on God: (7 points)
8. By tempting Christians to rest in their performances: (4 points)

IV. SATAN'S DEVICES TO KEEP SAINTS IN A SAD, DOUBTING, QUESTIONING AND UNCOMFORTABLE CONDITION
[8 devices and their remedies]
1. By causing saints to remember their sins more than their Savior, yes, even to forget and neglect their Savior: (6 points)
2. By causing saints to make false definitions of their graces: (4 points)
3. By causing saints to make false inferences from the cross actings of Providence: (4 points)
4. By suggesting to saints that their graces are not true, but counterfeit: (2 points)
5. By suggesting to saints that the conflict that is in them is found also in hypocrites and profane souls: (6 points)
6. By suggesting to the saint who has lost joy and comfort that his state is not good: (5 points)
7. By reminding the saint of his frequent relapses into sin formerly repented of and prayed against: (6 points)
8. By persuading saints that their state is not good nor their graces sound: (3 points)

V. SATAN'S DEVICES TO DESTROY AND ENSNARE ALL SORTS AND RANKS OF MEN IN THE WORLD
[5 devices and their remedies]
I. DEVICES AGAINST THE GREAT AND HONORABLE OF THE EARTH
1. By causing them to seek greatness, position, riches and security: (6 points)
2. By causing them to act against the people of the Most High: (4 points)

II. DEVICE AGAINST THE LEARNED AND THE WISE
By moving them to pride themselves on their parts and abilities, and to despise men of greater grace but inferior abilities: (4 points)

III. DEVICE AGAINST THE SAINTS
By dividing them and causing them to 'bite and devour one another.' (12 points)

IV. DEVICE AGAINST POOR AND IGNORANT SOULS
By causing them to affect ignorance and to neglect and despise the means of knowledge: (4 points)

APPENDIX

I. FIVE MORE OF SATAN'S DEVICES
1. By suggesting to men the greatness and vileness of their sins [Eight Remedies]
2. By suggesting to sinners their unworthiness [Four Remedies]
3. By suggesting to sinners their want of certain preparations and qualifications [Three Remedies]
4. By suggesting to sinners that Christ Is unwilling to save them [Six Remedies]
5. By causing sinners to give more attention to the secret decrees and counsels of God than to their own duty [Two Remedies]

II. SEVEN CHARACTERS OF FALSE TEACHERS

III. SIX PROPOSITIONS CONCERNING SATAN AND HIS DEVICES
[Five reasons of the point added]

IV. CONCLUSION: TEN SPECIAL HELPS AND RULES AGAINST SATAN'S DEVICES
"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6:11-13

Displines of a Godly Man

R. Kent Hughes (where)
A significant study guide and call to repentance and action for 21st century men. This text calls men to focus on what were traditionally called the “means of grace,” as well as topics like marriage, friendship, purity, and more.

The writing is straight forward talk, with admonitions and encouragement to walk uprightly, in the Spirit, rather than in the flesh. In my opinion it is not as direct and poignant as, let say, Puritan works on the subject, but *IS* very good, and is probably much more readable for today’s Christian man, touching on some more contemporary issues that we grapple with, such as the influence of television, etc.
READING STILL IN PROGRESS…

Classical Apologetics: A Rational Defense of the Christian Faith and a Critique of Presuppositional Apologetics

R.C. Sproul, John Gerstner, Arthur Lindsley (where)
So far, an examination primarily of the backward steps that Christian theologians and the church have taken in response to fideism, in the wake of the publishing of “A Critique of Pure Reason,” by Immanuel Kant in 1781, and the rejection of natural theology by Karl Barth in the 20th century.
READING STILL IN PROGRESS…

Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church

Michael Horton (where)
This text considers the degeneration of gospel preaching into a man-centered, easy-sell message which looks good on TV, and comes with a cubic zirconia lapel pin. Quote:

“…so instead of introducing people to a majestic God who nevertheless condescended in mercy to save those who cannot save themselves, these sermons—even with the prodigal son as their text—proclaim a message that can be summarized as moralistic, therapeutic deism. As a product, the God ‘experience’ can be sold and purchased with confidence that the customer is still king.”

A sometimes scathing, and I think necessary, indictment which we should read and use to help recognize erroneous [non-]gospel preaching. Specifically considers the “emergent” church movement, among others.
READING STILL IN PROGRESS…

Evil, Anger & God: A Biblical Pastoral Study

Milton Crum (where)
Very disappointing, considering the (3) good reviews on Amazon. The author’s basic premise is the old (secular) idea that a theodicy is needed to vindicate God, in light of the fact that He allows human suffering to continue, while He possesses the ability to stop it. The author states that God is guilty of inflicting evil on “innocent” people, and is only vindicated by the fact that he endured the same thing himself at the cross. He sums up this idea by calling it “God’s own theodicy”, and he believes this concept becomes evident when Scripture is viewed through the author’s own “dualist” categories (quoted term is mine).

At the outset, Crum presents a “dualist” framework for interpreting the Bible, which makes a distinction between “faith language” and “fact language”. As you might imagine, difficult texts (those which might support the authors thesis of the need for theodicy) are conveniently pushed into one or the other of the categories, as required to support his theories.

My impression of this (faith vs. fact) method of scriptural interpretation is that it specifically asks the Bible reader to read what is written while consciously ignoring WHY it was written. His exposition reveals skewed perceptions of sin, atonement, and a host of other theological concepts.

My bottom line is, God does not need a theodicy to vindicate Himself. God’s choices are above our scrutiny. Romans 9:19-20:

“But indeed O man, who are you to reply against God. Will the thing formed say to Him who formed it, ‘Why have you created me like this?’ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?”

Election

John MacArthur (Now free for listening online!)
A staggering examination of the doctrine of election. Seriously, this message had an impact on my life. I first heard it on audio cassette back in 1997, and I immediately took out a pen and paper, and played it again slowly, transcribing the entire hour long message, so I could study it on paper!

This one is my favorite message to listen to, save MAYBE one or two in the “Holiness of God” series. If you listen to this one while driving your car, you may reach a point where you’ll have to pull your car over and worship. Dr. MacArthur presents a unique perspective on the purpose for the incarnation of Christ, predestination, and the atonement. I have not personally heard this angle preached anywhere else, and it makes my spirit leap within me every time. He finishes up with a *crystal-clear* presentation of imputation/substitution which cannot be misunderstood. As he prays near the end,

“..this immense doctrine, it is pride-crushing, it is God-exalting, it is joy-producing, it is privilege granting, it is holiness promoting, it is strength-giving.”

The Consequences of Ideas

R.C. Sproul (where)
Vastly informative. This series used to be available on audio cassette under the title, “The History of Philosophy.” Studying the history of philosopy is a tremendous help in understanding and recognizing the roots of all of the various heresies that have slowly permeated Western Christian thought. Virtually every philosophical movement and period of scientific discovery has had an impact on the theologians of the church throughout the centuries, sometimes provoking councils with declarations and creeds, sometimes creating shifts in theological thinking, and sometimes provoking irrational and confusing overreactions by the church. The Scripture has remained constant, and the gospel has not changed, but the lenses through which interpreters and commentators have viewed God and his Word have been colored by changes and struggles in the world of philosophy.

The “versions” of Christian thought (theologies) that we find in our contemporary culture are, in part, the products of philosophical movements and the church’s responses to them. Which theology is better? Which is closer to the truth, and more faithful to the actual, honest Biblical exegesis? These questions are much more easily answered by examining the historical and philosophical climates which gave birth to particular lines of reasoning regarding the existence of God, His role in the maintenance of the world, humanity’s struggles with sin, life after death, etc.

This series starts pre-Socrates/Plato, and reaches all way to the 20th century. This series covers more than just theology, touching on all of the major schools of thought, in most of the important categories, such as Aesthetics, Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics. Each message is usually focused on a particular thinker or new movement, then basic issues and proponents are discussed, followed by its effects on Christian thought. This series has thirty-five 23-minute lectures, with double-messages devoted to several foundational areas: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hume, the Enlightenment, Kant.

The Holiness of God

R.C. Sproul (original timeless 6-part series)
(alternate version of part 1 only, free to listen online!)
Six sermons on the character of God, already viewed as one of, if not THE, classic 20th century pulpit treatise on the subject. The Scripture in view is Isaiah’s vision of God in the temple (Is. 6), the song of the Seraphim there, and reflection on the threefold confession, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” I can only liken its effects on the listener to that of Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” These sermons will make you weep and cry out to God.

“Nobody’s perfect- ...but.......that doesn’t seem to bother us at all.
There is not one person in a thousand who will claim to be perfect.
And beloved, there is not one person in a thousand who understands the seriousness of not being perfect!

Because the standard by which we will be judged, ultimately, is not a curve. But it will be the standard of God’s perfection. I hear this, ‘Everybody’s entitled to one mistake.’ Says who? Where did God ever say,

‘You can all have one mistake.
One free sin.
One free act of treason against My authority.
One free insult to My integrity.’

He never said that, did He? But even if He did, how long ago did you use yours up?”

Sproul is still preaching at a small church in Florida, and still teaching theology to the lay person through Ligonier Ministries, which has most titles available for purchase in MP3, DVD, and paperback, etc. The availability of his library of theological teachings in digital format is one of the great blessings for our generation. Buy it…borrow it…get it somehow.