Tag: Jesus Christ

John Piper on Small Groups and Perseverance

~ fundyreformed

I’m getting ready to pick up my series on man-centered Christianity (see posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) again. And I thought highlighting what my pastor, John Piper said in a recent message would help move us back into thinking about perseverance, eternal security, and God-centered Christianity.

Every year Pastor Piper preaches a message in the Fall, encouraging us to get involved with small groups. And as is often the case, this year, his text was Hebrews 10:19-25. You can read the printed version of the message here, as well as easily find links for watching or listening to the message online, or even downloading it (for free). What follows is an excerpt (transcribed imperfectly by me) from that message dealing specifically with the doctrine of perseverance.

…toward the end of the age, when the day [of judgment] draws near… [meeting together in small groups] will be essential increasingly. Have you ever thought about that?…

The Bible says that in the last days there will be times of great difficulty… it’s not going to get easier to be a Christian, it’s going to get harder to be a Christian. So what’s your plan for staying a Christian?

Or do you have this cavalier lackadaisical, eternal security thing that you can just live like the devil and do whatever you want and you’re gonna’ go to heaven no matter what. That’s not the biblical doctrine of eternal security. The biblical doctrine of eternal security is that the evidence that you are eternally secure is that you’re following the biblical means to stay safe in Jesus. And He’ll keep you—[for] those [in] whom he began a good work, He completes the good work. Yes, He will and He’ll do it by putting you into the kind of groups that will sustain your faith.

So, I take this real seriously: that as the day comes, the need for being together in mutually praying, mutually ministering, mutually encouraging groups goes up not down. Don’t think, “Oh the end’s almost here. Quick, Lord Jesus come! And I’m just holing up in my basement, or wherever.” Don’t hole up—unless you hole up with 8 or 10 other people, and of course if 8 or 10 people are there, then the Holy Spirit’s gonna’ move and you will learn that you don’t hole up. You go out and risk your lives to testify to Jesus.

To that I say amen! I encourage you to listen to the entire message. And more importantly, to get involved in small groups for the sake of your perseverance in faith!

We Believe (#7): The Saving Work of Christ

~ fundyreformed

Part 7 in a series of Sunday posts celebrating the glorious Truth we believe as Christians. The readings are quoted from the Elder Affirmation of Faith, of my church, Bethlehem Baptist (Pastor John Piper). I’m doing this because every few weeks our congregational reading is an excerpt from this document, and every time we all read aloud the truths we confess, my soul rejoices. I pray these posts will aid you in worshiping our Lord on His day.

The Saving Work of Christ

We believe that by His perfect obedience to God and by His suffering and death as the immaculate Lamb of God, Jesus Christ obtained forgiveness of sins and the gift of perfect righteousness for all who trusted in God prior to the cross and all who would trust in Christ thereafter. Through living a perfect life and dying in our place, the just for the unjust, Christ absorbed our punishment, appeased the wrath of God against us, vindicated the righteousness of God in our justification, and removed the condemnation of the law against us.

We believe that the atonement of Christ for sin warrants and impels a universal offering of the gospel to all persons, so that to every person it may be truly said, “God gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life.” Whosoever will may come for cleansing at this fountain, and whoever does come, Jesus
will not cast out.

We believe, moreover, that the death of Christ did obtain more than the bona fide offer of the gospel for all; it also obtained the omnipotent New Covenant mercy of repentance and faith for God’s elect. Christ died for all, but not for all in the same way. In His death, Christ expressed a special covenant love to His friends, His sheep, His bride. For them He obtained the infallible and effectual working of the Spirit to triumph over their resistance and bring them to saving faith.

*Taken from the Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith, paragraphs 7.1 – 7.3. You are free to download the entire affirmation [pdf] complete with Scriptural proofs for the above statements.

A Call to Stand

~ fundyreformed

I apologize for the scarcity of posts around here of late. It’s been a very busy few weeks and on top of it all I can’t shake this cold. I thought I would at least highlight the recent Desiring God Conference, although I’m sure many of my readers know of the free audio/video from it already.

Recently we’ve been discussing Man-Centered Christianity and specifically the doctrine of perseverance. This year’s Desiring God Conference which ended Sunday, was devoted to that same theme.

It was entitled “Stand: A Call for the Perseverance of the Saints“. Randy Alcorn, John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, John Piper, & veteran missionary Helen Roseveare were the speakers. And all the messages and panel sessions are now available online for free. You can view message summaries or download the audio or video of each message. You can also listen/watch online. Just click here, for access to all the messages.

If you’re interested, all the messages from the Desiring God Conferences (2003-2007) and the Bethlehem Baptist Conference for Pastors (1988-2007) are now available online for free at DesiringGod.org. Just click here for a complete listing of Conference titles, with links to the messages.

We Believe (#6): Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God

~ fundyreformed ~ 3 Comments

Part 6 in a series of Sunday posts celebrating the glorious Truth we believe as Christians. The readings are quoted from the Elder Affirmation of Faith, of my church, Bethlehem Baptist (Pastor John Piper). I’m doing this because every few weeks our congregational reading is an excerpt from this document, and every time we all read aloud the truths we confess, my soul rejoices. I pray these posts will aid you in worshiping our Lord on His day.

Jesus Christ, The Incarnate Son of God

We believe that in the fullness of time God sent forth His eternal Son as Jesus the Messiah, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. We believe that, when the eternal Son became flesh, He took on a fully human nature, so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one Person, without confusion or mixture. Thus the Person, Jesus Christ, was and is truly God and truly man, yet one Christ and the only Mediator between God and man.

We believe that Jesus Christ lived without sin, though He endured the common infirmities and temptations of human life. He preached and taught with truth and authority unparalleled in human history. He worked miracles, demonstrating His divine right and power over all creation: dispatching demons, healing the sick, raising the dead, stilling the storm, walking on water, multiplying loaves, and foreknowing what would befall Him and His disciples, including the betrayal of Judas and the denial, restoration, and eventual martyrdom of Peter.

We believe that His life was governed by His Father’s providence with a view to fulfilling all Old Testament prophecies concerning the One who was to come, such as the Seed of the woman, the Prophet like Moses, the Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Son of David, and the Suffering Servant.

We believe that Jesus Christ suffered voluntarily in fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan, that He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, that He died, was buried and on the third day rose from the dead to vindicate the saving work of His life and death and to take His place as the invincible, everlasting Lord of glory. During forty days after His resurrection, He gave many compelling evidences of His bodily resurrection and then ascended bodily into heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for His people on the basis of His all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, and reigning until He puts all His enemies under His feet.

*Taken from the Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith, paragraphs 6.1 – 6.4. You are free to download the entire affirmation [pdf] complete with Scriptural proofs for the above statements.