IDS

In Galatians 4:21-31 we find the apostle Paul using an allegory to teach the Galatian believers about the true nature of Israel. Paul begins by saying that the mothers of Abraham’s children, Sarah and Hagar (Keturah and her children are not mentioned in this context), represent two covenants. He is referring to the Old and the New covenants. Hagar represents the Old or Mosaic Covenant, while Sarah represents the New Covenant. Hagar is described as the slave woman, while Sarah is described as the free woman. The covenant that Hagar represents is from Mount Sinai, which represents the present city of Jerusalem, and is said to bear children who are to be slaves. This is another way of saying that the Old Covenant was a works covenant and could only produce unbelievers.

Paul goes on to describe what the New Covenant, the work of Jesus on the cross,  produces, which are believers. The New Covenant is described as the Jerusalem that is above  and she (Sarah) is our mother. This covenant produces true believers who have their sins forgiven and a new heart (Hebrews 10:14).

At this point in the passage Paul quotes an Old Testament verse (Isaiah 54:1) that prophetically describes a time in the future when Israel will be regathered back into the land of Palestine. This is interpreted by Paul as referring to the  New Covenant era (from Pentecost until the 2nd Coming) when God will produce a real people of God (the church). This will be unlike the people produced by the Old Covenant (Israel) for they were unbelievers. They were only a temporary, unbelieving, picture of the people of God. The church is a spiritual Israel. In Isaiah 54:1 Israel is described as a desolate woman who cannot bear any children. This is an accurate appraisal of Israel under the Old Covenant who were rejected by God. This rejection is seen in the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 BC and the destruction of the southern kingdom in AD 586. With the coming of the New Covenant era God is once again going to make Israel fertile. This fertility is seen in those coming to faith in Jesus Christ this side of Pentecost. This is a spiritual Israel and it is the church. The prophecies regarding the regathering of Israel back into the land are truly fulfilled by the coming of the New Covenant era and the church of Jesus Christ.

At this point in the passage Paul states that those produced by the Old Covenant, which is literal Israel, are persecuting those produced by the New Covenant. He then goes on to say that we (true believers) are not the children of the slave woman (Hagar=Old Covenant). We are the children of the free woman (Sarah=New Covenant). This allegory brings out into the open the truth that literal Israel was never intended to be the real people of God. They were only a temporary picture until the real people came along.

As one who holds to New Covenant Theology (NCT) I am frequently asked this question, “Do you believe in replacement theology?  When I hear other teachers who embrace NCT try to answer this question I hear them giving rather involved answers in order to avoid receiving the label of one who holds to replacement theology.  My answer is quite clear, I do believe in replacement theology.  In fact, I would go as far as saying that I do not think that anyone who holds to NCT could answer the question any other way.

Our standard NCT definition of Israel is that it is a “temporary, unbelieving, picture of the people of God.” This definition comes from a variety of Scriptures. In Hebrews 8:7-13 we are told that the Old Covenant with Israel only produced unbelievers. Therefore, through the death of Jesus on the cross a new people will be purchased who will have their sins forgiven and will have a changed life or new heart. This work of Jesus is called the New Covenant. The Israelites, who were produced by the Old Covenant had neither their sins forgiven or had new hearts. Please keep in mind that were a remnant of believers in the Israel, but they became believers on the basis of the New Covenant to come.

On of the best places in Scripture that describes how the Old Covenant only produces unbelievers is Galatians 4:21-31. Here we find the allegory of Hagar and Sarah. Hagar is said to represent the Old or Mosaic Covenant and that covenant only produces unbelievers and is to be identified with Mount Sinai and the earthly city of Jerusalem. The verse actually says that the Israelites are in slavery. That would mean that they are slaves to sin and therefore unbelievers (Romans 6:17-18).

In Romans 9:30-10:3 the apostle Paul states quite clearly that Israel has not attained righteousness because they pursued it by works. True righteousness is described as the unconditional acceptance that believers receive when they trust in Jesus alone to save them by his death on the cross for their sins. When we believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and therefore we have a clean record and are righteous and accepted by a holy God. Israel sought salvation by works and not by faith and were therefore viewed as unbelievers. Please note that Paul is describing Israel as a whole. The existence of a remnant of believers is not relevant to Paul’s argument. Israel is ALWAYS viewed as unbelieving.

The new covenant produces a new people of God who are the real people of God. Israel was only a picture of the people of God. That is why when Peter describes believers in the new covenant era he uses the language of the old covenant people of God.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV).

The real people of God are those for whom Jesus died on the cross. The church in the new covenant era is made up of those who profess to believe the gospel message. They are trusting Jesus to pay for their sins and they are in love with the God of heaven and earth. Membership in the nation of Israel in the old covenant era was gained simply by being born into one of the Israelite families. Israel and the church are picture and fulfillment. The church does replace Israel since Israel was placed on this earth to be a temporary, unbelieving, picture of the people of God.

When you study Scripture at some point you will encounter the problem with evil. By that I mean you recognize that the God of heaven and earth is absolutely sovereign and determines whatever happens (Ephesians 1:11). You also see that man is viewed as absolutely responsible for his sin (Romans 9:18, Acts 4:27-28). Finally,  it is also quite clear that the our God is perfectly holy and cannot do anything evil (1 John 1:5, Isaiah 6:1-4). On the surface this seems to be an irresolvable difficulty. How can a holy sovereign God determine events that are evil in themselves?In our sorting out of this problem we can tend to undermine Scripture in at least two different ways. We first make the mistake of thinking that since God is holy sin cannot be a part of this determined plan. We then make another mistake when we affirm the responsibility of man for his sin and conclude that the sin cannot be a part of the sovereignly determined plan of God. Scripture affirms both man’s responsibility for his sin and God’s absolute sovereignty over all things (Romans 9:19). Fortunately there are a number of biblical examples that teach this very idea. In Genesis 45:4-5 Joseph is addressing his brothers who sold him into Egypt. Joseph states that his brothers were responsible for selling him into slavery, “I am your brother, the one you sold into Egypt.” He then goes on to say that there selling him into slavery was a part of God’s plan to save Joseph’s family from the famine, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Joseph’s brothers are responsible for their sin yet the whole affair was a part of God’s plan. We again see this when Jacob dies and the brothers of Joseph are afraid that Joseph will seek revenge now that their father is dead. Joseph’s response is right to the point, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). In both of these accounts God is absolutely sovereign and man is responsible for his sin. God determines all things, including evil, yet when evil is done only those who do the evil can be blamed.

The ultimate example of how Scripture handles the problem of evil can be seen in the event of the cross of Jesus Christ. The event of the cross is at the same time the greatest evil ever committed and the greatest good ever done. Jesus was the only innocent person to have ever existed (Hebrews 4:15). His going to the cross was the result of the sin of many folks (Acts 4:27) and therefore the greatest evil ever committed. At the same time his death on the cross is the greatest good since it resulted in the salvation of many folks (Hebrews 10:14). The death of Jesus on the cross was a determined event by the God of Scripture (Acts 4:28). God determines all things, including evil, yet when evil is done only those who do the evil are to be blamed.

Some older biblical writers use the word “permit” when they are talking about God and evil. When they phrase things in this way they are seeking to emphasize that man is truly responsible for his sin. But, while they are saying this they are also clear that in a way that we do not fully understand our God does determine all things and evil is a part of his predestined plan.

We are not allowed to blame a holy God even though he has determined the event. This is a true mystery in Scripture for the God of Scripture is not like us in his being. In only some ways are we made like him. He is not like us and he does things that we cannot do. We must affirm what Scripture says and not try to smooth out the problem. When asked to explain this beyond what I have already said I simply give them my “theological shrug” and that is the end of that. I love the God of Scripture even though and I cannot neatly explain him.

James 1:13-15

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown , gives birth to death.

In this blog I want to explore the relationship between a temptation and a test in the life of the believer. In seeking to understand the relationship between these two concepts it must be pointed out that the same event can be for the believer both a temptation and a test. How can this be so?

In my previous blog on the problem of evil I pointed out that our God is the first cause of all things, even evil, yet when evil is done those who do the evil and they alone are to be blamed for the evil. God can never be blamed for the evil as he is a holy God (1 John 1:5). When a believer encounters a temptation he is being tempted to dishonor his God. The source of this temptation comes either from the remaining evil within the believer or from evil outside of the believer. So, from the point of view of responsibility God cannot be blamed for the temptation since temptation is only concerned with the enticement to do evil. But, from the point of view of God as the first cause of all things, the same event that has been described as a temptation is also a test brought into the life of the believer by a loving Father who would never bring anything into the life of the believer that was not motivated by his love and for their good (Romans 8:28). The test is brought into the life of the believer in order to build him up not tear him down.

A temptation is also a test and a test is also a temptation. It all depends on your point of view. When we are tempted to do evil we must resist this temptation for we are being enticed to do something that dishonors the God whom we love (Hebrews 12:4). But, from another point of view the temptation can be also viewed as a test that our Father in heaven has brought into our lives in order to cause us to become more Christ-like and to increase our love for Him (Romans 8:28).

The Big Picture Story Bible, by David Helm with Illustrations by Gail Schoonmaker, published by Crossway Books, 2004, 453 pages, clothbound.

The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm is a children’s book. You might be wondering, what is In-Depth Studies doing in reviewing a children’s book? Admittedly, this is not the sort of book that I would typically review. To be honest, I am usually a bit disappointed at most children’s books. The reason for my disappointment is that children’s books tend to be theologically deficient. You might be thinking, why is it so critical to be theologically correct in a children’s book? The answer is that everything we do is supposed to be done in a manner that brings glory to our God (1 Corinthians 10:31). The Big Picture is a Bible Story book. The illustrations are wonderful and the book is well put together. The wording on the pages is minimal so that this book would work well for young children. But, the strength of this book is its handling of the Old Testament. It sees all the Old Testament as pointing toward the ultimate story of the cross of Jesus Christ.  All the stories in the Old Testament were guiding us to the greatest of all stories, the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross to pay for the sins of all those who were going to believe. I recommend this book to all parents and grandparents as a very useful tool to help you in your quest to ground those entrusted to you with the amazing message of Scripture.

Within the study of New Covenant Theology there is emerging a difference of opinion over exactly what is the Law of Christ. It is the opinion of this writer that the Law of Christ is the version of God’s law that we are to obey in this New Covenant era. We are not under the Mosaic Law, which was the version of God’s law that the Israelites were under during the Old Covenant era. The summary of the law of the Old Covenant era is found in the Ten Commandments which are called the “the words of the covenant” (Exodus 34:28). In the New Covenant era we are under a new version of God’s law that is suitable for what our Father in heaven is wanting to accomplish in this era (Ephesians 2:14-18, Hebrews 7:12, 1 Corinthians 9:19-21). A summary of the law of Christ would be “love as Jesus loved” (John 13:34-35). By this we do not mean that we are to just copy what Jesus did. He was God who became man and he lived in the Old Covenant era and was obligated to obey the Mosaic law (Matthew 23:23-24). He obeyed laws that we are not obligated to obey, such as the tithe and the keeping of the Sabbath day. We do not live under the Mosaic Law (1 Corinthians 9:19-21).

We, who live in the New Covenant era, are to do what Jesus would have us to do. This means that we are to obey those laws that apply to us in this era (from Pentecost to the 2nd Coming). So, when we are describing the law of Christ we first of all mean that we are to love as Jesus loved. But having said that, we also mean that we are to live out the details of the law of Christ which are found in the teaching passages of the New Covenant era. An obvious example of the details of the law of Christ would be found in Ephesians 3:25-32 where we are given detailed instructions on how we are to care for one another. Some teachers seem to be saying that the law of Christ is the new heart of the believer. By this they mean that the motivation to live for Jesus Christ, which comes from the work of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5-14). It is true that all believers are God lovers, but this motivation only drives us to live for our Lord. The way we show our love for our Lord is to keep his commandments (John 14:21) and therefore obey the law of Christ.

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson, by D.A. Carson, published by Crossway Books, 2008, 160 pages, paperback

I will always encourage Christians to read biographies of other believers because we can learn many lessons of their walks with the Lord. Some biographies only give the good things that a person has accomplished in their life which diminishes the usefulness of the book. Scripture does not take that approach and neither should writers of biographies. Are we not all glad for the example of King David?

I am a big fan of the writings of D.A. Carson. A Call to Spiritual Reformation made tremendous impact on the way that I pray. The biography is about his father, Tom Carson, who was primarily a Pastor in Quebec. The book is not just about his life as a Pastor but also about him as a husband and father. One of the reviews of the books that came from a person who helped transcribe the diaries of Tom Carson said “…after reading your Dad’s diaries, The Lord has given my heart a far loftier goal: Simply to be faithful. I know we as men are but dust, but what dust the man I read about in these diaries was!”

Tom Carson was not well known in comparison to his son but clearly had a tremendous impact on him. His ministry was mostly in French Canada (Quebec and Ottawa) in small congregations. He had a series of trials while he was doing his church planting and trying to reach his world with the Gospel. Most of his life he kept journals which led to the writing of this book. He was not one of those men who was a great missionary or preacher but who neglected his wife and family. He seemed, for the most part, to do both well which is great encouragement to us husbands and fathers. His wife developed Alzheimer’s and in Monday February 16, 1987 he wrote, “ I still purpose to go on, with this one great assurance, that God is really God, sovereign, in complete control, and will complete the warp and woof of His perfect design, always, and in spite of appearances, I repeat, in full control. Any other consideration is amusing to Him: He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh.”

Please read the book, you will not regret it. Brady Tyler

There are times in my life when the busyness of life just seems to take over. When days blend together and I cannot differentiate one day to the next and without a calendar I could not tell you what I did the day before. I get so focused on what needs to get done that I forget the truly important, or, even worse, that the truly important things become a mere checklist in another day. There are times when reading the Scriptures becomes bland. I will read Scripture in the morning and be thinking that it is good stuff and that I should be excited about but I’m not. From there I usually just spiral down into a good melancholy state when almost everything seems negative. This is especially difficult for us extra introspective people.

When these times hit it especially important to have believers in your life that will come aside to encourage and edify you. Hebrews 10:23-26 says Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

It also during these times that I’m not thankful to God for all that He is, all that he is doing and will do. Hebrews 12:28 says, Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and fear.

My way out of these times is to meditate on my favorite Scriptures that remind me of what was purchased on the cross for me by Jesus Christ (Matthew 27: 33-53; Romans 8; Ephesians 1:1-12; Hebrews 12: 1-13). I also reflect on who my God is (Isaiah 40). Brady Tyler

When we say that the law of Christ is the New Covenant era version of the law of God we are saying that we are not under the Old Covenant era version of the law of God, the Mosaic Law. These two eras of law are also two different eras in terms of emphasis. In the Old Covenant era Israel was the temporary, unbelieving, picture of the people of God (Hebrews 8:7-8). When God gave them his law on Mount Sinai he gave it Israel so that their sin would increase (Romans 5:20, Romans 7:5). It was through their personal sin that Israel might see that they were in a hopeless position and that any true salvation must be all of God and by grace alone.  In saying this it should be stated that God’s plan for Israel was that they would not believe, except for a remnant (Isaiah 6:9-13). In the Old Covenant the emphasis for all to see was law. The Mosaic law is given to us in rather neat lists (ex. Leviticus 19). This is due to the fact that Israel under the Old Covenant was unbelieving and the emphasis of law was the appropriate emphasis for a works covenant and an unbelieving people.

But when we come to the law of Christ in the New Covenant era we do not find the priority of law in the teaching passages. Why is this so? I would say that this is so because in the New Covenant era the issue of primary importance is not law but the new heart. The law of Christ has relevance in that it is in the keeping of the law that we show that we have a new heart (1 John 5:3). But it is the new heart that provides the motivation to keep the law of Christ (Romans 8:5-14, Romans 7:6). It is also the new heart which is the visible evidence that Jesus died for our sins and that we are the people of God (1 John 3:9-11. This is why the teaching passages of the New Covenant era have a different flavor than that of the Old Covenant era.

In the Old Covenant era the motivation was external, the Mosaic law, whereas in the New Covenant era the motivation is internal, it is the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer. The internal motivation is also called the “law in the heart” (Hebrews 8:10-11).

RADICAL: TAKING BACK YOUR FAITH FROM THE AMERICAN DREAM by David Platt, published by Multnomah Books, 2010, 230 pages, paperback.

Here is a book that has caused quite a stir in evangelical circles. It is written by a young pastor of a 4,000 member megachurch in Birmingham, Alabama who has had his life radically affected by what he has experienced on some short-term mission trips to very unglamorous locations around the globe. His missions experience includes trips to the Sudan, China and India. As a result of his missions experience he has rethought his approach to the church and the Christian life. This book is his call to believers to take their commitment to their Lord to a new level.

One strength of the book is that the author David Platt in an incurable God-lover. This truth oozes through the pages and is very encouraging to the heart of a God-loving reader. He also emphasizes the concern that we not get trapped into a life of the pursuit of comfort and ease. This is a valid concern for us believers who live in America. The warning in Philippians 2:12-13 to work out our salvation with fear and trembling would seem to be referring to such a concern that David was expressing, which is that we not get overtaken by our culture. Also the emphasis on evangelism is always good in that it sensitizes us to our responsibility to take the good news to a dying world. Finally, his concern that we increase our awareness that we are part of a global plan of salvation is a good reminder. It is easy to become “provincial” in our outlook and not look broader than our own immediate situation. These are the positive things that I took from this book and my walk with the Lord is better for it.

Now I turn to the dark side. What are my concerns regarding David’s work. Unfortunately, they are multiple. My first problem is his use of scripture. He does seem to take verses out of context. This really concerns me since it gives the impression that he is “using” scripture to make his points rather than carefully handling the word of God to see what God would have us believe and do. In the first part of the book this can be seen in his use of Luke 9 and Matthew 10. David also makes many statements that though they sound good they are a bit off. He seems to be a man of passion but not one that gives careful thought to what he says. He also uses guilt to motivate his readers. What is strange is that after he makes guilt motivating statements he will then seek to qualify what he said. This is a good thing but then he goes on to use more guilt motivating statements. His emphasis on evangelism does seem to come from his own ministry emphasis.  But the problem as I see it is that each believer does not necessarily have the same ministry emphasis. Some believers may emphasize a ministry of helps, some teaching, some mercy and some evangelism. One believer’s ministry emphasis is not necessarily another’s and each ministry emphasis is equally valid and important.

In closing, David Platt’s work is all about encouraging the believer to push the envelope in what it means to live for Jesus Christ. That is a praiseworthy aim but the book contained too many problems for me to recommend it as the book to read on that subject. I would recommend the book by John Piper “Don’t Waste Your Life” as a far better book on the same basic subject. David Platt is one of the good guys but good guys do not always write good books.