Calvary Hot Springs

Exalting Christ Through the Ministry of the Word

Thinking Out Loud

A Primer on the Gospel, part 2

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“Houston, we have a problem!” This famous line from the 1970 Apollo 13 mission can be directly applied to the human race. We have a problem that is simple to understand yet monumental in its effect. We have a God who made us, and it is to Him we are accountable (Hebrews 9:27). He is the holy standard by which we are to live, and His word is our command. The problem is, we don’t like being told what to do. The incessant and prideful pursuit of autonomy flies in the face of submission to a greater authority. Interestingly, the capacity for self-government and dominion was exactly how God created us (Genesis 1:26-31). However, dominion was given as a stewardship to be lived within the parameters of God’s command. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden, they did so in direct disobedience to God’s command and transgressed against His law. They entered into a rebellious and hostile relationship with their creator that resulted in spiritual, physical, and eternal death (Romans 8:7; 3:23; 6:23). This condition was passed down to every subsequent generation that proceeded from them (Romans 5:12-14; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

Essentially, sin is living outside of God’s created order in rebellion against Him. This affects us in three directions. First, sin affects us inwardly in that it robs us of the fullness of life we were created to enjoy. God has put eternity into man’s heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This is why the yearning of our heart, that void we seek to fill, the longing for identity and purpose, will never be satisfied by the temporal things of this world. The thought that “If only I had this,” or “If only I could do that,” or “If only I were” all prove to be empty even if those things come true. Sin robs us of the fullness of life we were created to enjoy. Second, sin affects us outwardly. From the moment Adam and Eve sinned, their relationship with one another changed. Almost immediately, they began blame-shifting for the mess they had gotten into (Genesis 3:3-13). Their first child, Cain, was a murderer who killed his brother (Genesis 4:1-16). Historically, not much has changed. And so, in 2025, wars, murders, and violence are daily occurrences around the world. Living in sin, outside of God’s created order, affects the whole of creation. Conflict in the world is the direct outcome of sin. Third, sin affects us spiritually and eternally. Sin separates us from God, the true source of life. One day, sin will affect our eternal destiny when we stand before Him in judgment.

It is not likely original, but the Pogo comic strip by Walt Kelly states it well, “We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us.” It is the problem of sin against our creator, and it is universal (Romans 3:23). It is a problem so rooted in our nature that it requires someone outside of ourselves to resolve it. Unless someone intervenes on our behalf, we remain in our sins and are subject to God’s eternal wrath. “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)… He has intervened on our behalf.

Last week, we answered, “Who made us, and to whom are we accountable?” This week, we responded to the question, “What is our problem?” Next week, we will explore the question, “What is God’s solution to our problem?”

A Primer on the Gospel, part 1

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“In the beginning, God created…”
These are the first five words that open the Bible. The Bible never attempts to prove God’s existence; rather, it asserts that God has made Himself known to all men “in the things that have been made” and in our conscience (cf. Romans 1:16-25; Psalm 19:1-6). It is the Bible that tells us what God is like. This is important because although the “heavens declare” His glory (Psalm 19), the information gathered from nature is general and somewhat vague. It tells us that God exists, and some about what He is like but it doesn’t tell us how to be saved or to relate to Him. The Bible is God’s self-revelation, and it teaches us how to know Him.
For instance, in the first five words of the Bible, we learn that God existed before “the beginning.” He is eternally pre-existent. Before “the beginning,” God… IS. This is the meaning of God’s self-identification as the great “I Am” (Exodus 3:14). God is eternal in that He transcends the “chronos” of time. Before (and outside of) time, God… IS (Psalm 90:1-4; Psalm 93:102).
The first five words of the Bible also inform us that “God created.” Since He is before “the beginning,” we must necessarily believe that all things created were created out of nothing (cf. John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17). He is the source of all things created. In a world of causes and effects, God is the chief cause of all effects. “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:3).”
God is not merely some idea or ideal, some power or purposeful tendency to which the name of God may be applied. God is a self-existent, self-conscious, personal Being, who is the origin of all things and which transcends the entire creation but is at the same time immanent in every part of it.
Because of this, there are at least three things to consider. First, of His own volition, God created so that His creation might know Him and enjoy the glory and the blessings of who He is (Genesis 1:31). He created for the good of His creation. Second, He transcends all of creation. As the Creator, He stands outside of creation, interacting with it but remaining distinct from it. There is a natural Creator-creature distinction (Psalm 100:3; Acts 14:15; 17:24-25; Isaiah 46:5,9). Third, because He is God the Creator, all creation is subject to His command and will. He has absolute authority over all creation, and as creatures, we are accountable to our Creator (Hebrews 9:27). Man, the creature, is granted limited autonomy within the parameters of His sovereign Creator. Nothing in creation exists independently from its creator, not even mankind.
In the next few posts, we will explore the fundamentals of the gospel, or “good news.” Because it is the “power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16), there is nothing more important to consider at the first of the year than this. We begin this primer on the gospel by answering the first of four questions, “Who made us, and to whom are we accountable?” The answer is, “God created us, and it is to Him we are accountable.”
In the next post, we will answer the second question, “What is our problem?”

Created for God’s Glory

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Thinking Out Loud

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. 

Psalm 139:13–18

I like to be liked. Suffice it to say, I don’t like not being liked. I feel safe making this confession because frankly, I’ve never met anyone who genuinely claimed to enjoy not being liked. One of life’s realities is that sooner or later, you will meet someone who doesn’t like you. Maybe they simply dislike you because of something you can’t change. Maybe you did something that disappointed them. In either case… I don’t like not being liked. And neither do you.

The matter of needing to be liked, and the fear of not being liked becomes harmful when ones identity and sense of worth rests upon it. If the sense of value, worth and of well being is determined by what people think of you, then chances are, you spend a lot of time in self-doubt, discouragement and perhaps depression. The John Lydgate adage is true: “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” Obviously, living life in a pleasing way, with the aim to put others first and to serving them is biblical, but it is contrary to being a Christian to live in fear of not being liked or accepted. You cannot allow your fear of man (fear of not being liked) to dictate how you live and how you think of yourself.

The psalmist in Psalm 139 declares with awe the idea that the sovereign God of creation would choose to take thought of him. 

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you (17-18).

The context of the chapter tells us that the thoughts of which the psalmist writes are thoughts about him in particular, and about God’s people as a whole. They are numerous thoughts (more than the sand), and they are precious thoughts of me. I am ever on His mind, so while awake and while asleep, I am still with you. Simply put. God not only loves, but He likes His people. God likes you! God likes me!

There’s more!

The entire chapter speaks of God’s omniscience and omnipresence, particularly in regards to God’s people. Notice how he describes God’s active role in his development in the womb (Read 13-15). And then, while still yet unformed, every day that man now lives was, before time known and formed specifically for him (Read 16). The Lord is intimately and actively at work in our makeup and has laid out before us the life we would live.

Do you see what the psalmist is proposing? It is remarkable that the Lord, in His mercy chose to place His love upon you, knowing you for who your really are. Equally as remarkable (or perhaps more so) is that from eternity past, He chose you, loved you (Ephesians 1:3), knew you, and predestinated you to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). In other words, you were created for God’s glory through the love that He abundantly pours out upon you.

If you are in Christ, you are loved. You are liked. And in this reality rests your true identity, your value and your worth. 

Certainly, there will be times of insecurity because of a person’s opinion of you. At times you will wonder where you fit in, or if your life is making a difference. You’ll wonder if you have a purpose. You will experience struggles, failures, defeats, frustrations and self-doubt. The Christian is not exempt from human emotions, and for this you can thank the Lord. God’s grace however, keeps us from allowing these emotions to define us. God’s grace shows His strength in our weakness. God’s grace reminds us that we are in Christ, and…

… in Christ… you are loved! 

… in Christ…  you are liked! 

… inChrist… you are accepted!

Your worth, your identity and your purpose is this, that you have be created for God’s glory. And His glory is manifested in the abundance of His love for you. So the more you revel in God’s love, the more of His glory is revealed in you and through you to the world. I like being liked, don’t you?

—Soli Deo Gloria! (To God Alone Be Glory!)

The Darkness of the Soul

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Thinking Out Loud

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. Psalm 139:8-12

The very first time I experienced the starkness of the dark was when Kellie and I first made our way across eastern Wyoming on the way to Hot Springs. Even with headlights on, the darkness on either side of the pickup appeared to be as a black curtain beyond which nothing existed. 

As a shepherd in the middle east, David knew this sort of darkness, perhaps even more so than we. Thus, he wrote the above. But the darkness of which he wrote was likely not the darkness of the night, but rather the darkness of his own soul. You don’t need to read too far into the Psalms to notice that David had very strong emotions, and that often those emotions experienced great sorrow. For example, throughout Psalm 42 David writes, Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? (5, 11)  My soul is cast down within (5), Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? (9)

This darkness of the soul is not unique to David. We call the prophet Jeremiah, “The Weeping Prophet.” The Apostle Paul spoke of being utterly burdened beyond… strength and of despairing of life itself (2 Corinthians 1:8). The Reformer Martin Lutherwas afflicted with a melancholy that threatened to destroy him. The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon suffered from depression for many years, even in the midst of a thriving ministry. His wife, Susannah Spurgeon wrote, “My beloved’s anguish was so deep and violent, that reason seemed to totter in her throne, and we sometimes feared that he would never preach again.”1 Of course, the prophet Isaiah describes Jesus as a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, My soul is very sorrowful, even to death (Matthew 26:38). This is not to indicate our sorrows to equal that of Jesus, but to point out that Jesus identifies with us in affliction.

Sorrow, affliction, despair, depression… whatever you’d like to call it, is a reality of life in a fallen world, even for a Christian. This is why passages such Psalm 139:8-12 is such an encouragement. Let me make just a couple of observations and then encourage you to look at it yourself.

First, notice that although David spoke of personal emotions, the primary focus of the passage was the Lord, not himself.

Second, notice that David was speaking of the omnipresence of God. Specifically, he spoke of God’s omnipresence in his life (or the life of every person). This is not just in a spacial sense, but in the omnipresence (omniscience) of the whole of who you are (read the entire chapter).

Third, notice that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).

Finally, notice that there is no mention that the darkness that overcomes is ever removed. It may be, in the sense that in God’s presence, His light dispels the darkness (John 1:5)… but maybe not. It doesn’t actually say. What it DOES say is that wherever I may be, even in darkness of soul, your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Ponder that for a moment… 

The confidence of the psalmist was not that the darkness would be removed, for God’s purposes may be to work in the midst of the darkness rather than in its removal. Because the Lord is omnipresent, the confidence of the psalmist was that He would be with him in the midst of it all… even when it didn’t feel like it.

If you find yourself in a dark place (or before you get there), be encouraged to read and to meditate on Psalm 139 and Psalm 42-43. Read it numerous times, marking it and making notes of what you learn. Also, I found the following articles to be helpful in thinking through these matters from a biblical perspective. 

Did You Know That Charles Spurgeon Struggled with Depression? by Michael Reeves (https://bit.ly/MRonSpurgeon)

Spiritual Depression in the Psalms by John Piper (https://bit.ly/PiperonPsalm42)

Spiritual Depression: The Dark Night of the Soul by R. C. Sproul (https://bit.ly/SproulonDepression)

Honesty About Depression by Heath Lambert (https://bit.ly/LambertonPsalm102)

—Soli Deo Gloria! (To God Alone Be Glory!)

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

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Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

After reading Psalm 139 with a brother this morning and pondering its truths I once again am amazed at the kindness of our God. The psalmist makes five bold claims about the Lord’s relationship with His people and its compelling call to seek Him. You can read the entire chapter on your own.

The Lord knows me…

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!… Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 

The Lord really KNOWS me. He knows my ups and my downs, my deep thoughts, my course of life and where I find my rest. He knows not only my works, He knows my ways. He knows altogether even before a word is on my tongue (I wish sometimes He would stop me from saying it before I got myself into trouble). He keeps me close beside Him and with a gentle hand on my shoulder, He not only directs my steps, He assures me of His presence. The Lord really knows me.

The Lord surrounds me…

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?… If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 

There is not a single place in all of creation where I can escape the Lord’s presence. This is a dreadful thought for the wicked, but not for the righteous. The righteous are assured that the Lord is ever there to lead by the hand through the course of life and to provide security in His right hand. When entering into the unknown and when living in uncertain times, I am assured that these dark times are not dark at all to the God of light.

The Lord formed me…

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb… Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 

The Lord is the giver of life and is its architect. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Moreover, He has established and knows my days. Before the substance of my being came into existence the days of my life were already established. In His providence He set into motion all the affairs of my life. Nothing that I face catches the Lord by surprise.

The Lord considers me…

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. 

The sovereign God of creation who sustains all things, takes thought of me. But not just a passing thought. His thoughts toward me are so vast, it is beyond measure, more than the sand. They are loving thoughts for my good, and I can be assured that He works for His glory and for my benefit.

The Lord searches me…

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain.… I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

The preoccupation with the world system blinds the me from the goodness of God. It robs me of the confidence and security that comes from being God’s own possession. 

In contrast, a steadfast gaze upon the Lord sets the world in true perspective. It gives to me a healthy hatred toward the things that oppose God and brings about a yearning for a release from its clutches. Meditating upon the things of God evokes the longing to rid myself from any and all that detracts from the view of God and that is grievous in His sight. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

—Soli Deo Gloria! (To God Alone Be Glory!)

To Mask or Not to Mask… That is NOT the Question

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Thinking Out Loud

A recent conversation brought to light that some believers find it necessary to “mask shame” those who wear face masks in public places, even to the point of name calling. That bit of information has been at the forefront of my mind and heart ever since. A brief chat this morning added further that “mask shaming” sometimes comes through unintentional but thoughtless remarks. And then, sometimes opinionated comments posted on social media the night before makes for awkward conversations the next day.

Of course, this is contrasted by “non-mask shaming” in return (I just made up that term). Questioning ones character, challenging the genuineness of their love as well as their intelligence because they are non-mask wearers. And then, it wouldn’t be complete until some meme or some article is posted with the intent of ridiculing all the crazy people out there.

This grieves my heart… and as a Christian, it ought to grieve yours as well. To be perfectly honest, it actually just frustrates the living daylights out of me. Obviously the scriptures make no mention of wearing masks or not wearing masks, but it does address the matter in principle.

Three portions of scripture come to mind when I think on these things, 1 Corinthians 8 and 10, and Romans 14. Each deal with, among other things, dietary practices that were neither right or wrong. That is, the particular matter causing division was not an issue of sin. It was more a matter of conscience than anything else. You can and should read each passage yourself. But let’s briefly touch on a few things Paul brings out, using Romans 14 as our source.

First, we are to welcome one another, but not to quarrel over opinions (1). The emphasis: Our union in Christ trumps our personal opinions… (period) (vs.1)

Second, we are not to despise the other because, who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another (the Lord being His master)? (vss. 4, 10-12)

Third, whichever side of the issue we fall, we are to be fully convinced in [our] own mind doing it in honor of the Lord (vs. 5-9)

Fourth, we are to pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Simply put, you are to pursue the good of the other before yourself (19-23).

Finally, we are to remember that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men (17).

We barely scratched the surface of the passage, so I STRONGLY encourage you to take some time to read through Romans 14 thoughtfully and prayerfully, and with the desire for the Lord to do a work in you.

Essentially, the Bible teaches us to keep the main thing the main thing. It warns against becoming distracted by non-issues. We are in spiritual warfare together, and unless we walk circumspectly, we will be entangled with the affairs of this world (matters with no eternal significance)… we will be entangled with face masks. In turn we lose sight of our brothers in Christ. We lose sight of the mission set before us.

If you wear a face mask, wear it unapologetically, with the conviction that by God’s grace you are behaving in the most prudent and gracious way before men and before the Lord. Guard your mind and your heart with regards to those who don’t wear a face mask. Be gracious in your heart toward them (Ephesians 4:2).

If you do not wear a face mask, do so with meekness and grace as to the Lord. And do it without ignorant presumption of His protective care. Guard your lips. In love, carry a face mask with you and put it on when necessary for the sake of others. Do this, not because you have to, but in order to serve others before yourself (Philippians 2:4).

If your brother or sister has offended you, graciously speak to them about it. Don’t assume that they should know better if you have not pointed it out to them. If you are approached because you have offended someone, humbly keep your heart in check, pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding and be reconciled (that’s almost biblical) (Romans 14:19; Matthew 5:23-24). 

Remember, the union with Christ you share with one another and the loving unity realized in the Spirit is infinitely more the main thing than any opinion you may hold regarding the Corona Virus and wearing a face mask.

Soli Deo Gloria! (To God Alone Be Glory!)

God’s Promises are Yes in Christ

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Thinking Out Loud

In the providence of God’s mercy, He subjected Himself to the welfare of the rebels who turned from and rejected Him. He did so of His own volition apart from any act on the part of mankind. By His mercy, He entered into a divine covenant with man, all conditions being met by the son of man, God’s Son, Jesus Christ. This covenant comprehensively recreates man’s existence and gives him life. It includes forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, adoption, new birth, new heart, new spirit, the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, love for God, love and acceptance by God. Salvation is comprehensive and changes the whole of man.

At the heart of God’s redemption is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the new covenant we’ve been brought into. There is nothing that can be realized in man’s redemption apart from Jesus Christ. Any gospel that conveys life apart from Christ is not the true gospel. It is not the gospel (good news) at all.

Because of this, the assurance and the security of the believer rests in Jesus… period. All the promises of God find their Yes in [Christ] (2 Corinthians 1:20). The Christian does not find his assurance and his security for salvation based on his feelings, nor from his behavior (good or bad). Assurance and security for eternal life does not come from being able to remember a time you “said a prayer,” “walked an aisle,” or “entered into a baptismal tank.” 

The believer’s hope rests in the promises of God that find their Yes in [Christ]. His indwelling Spirit then establishes us… in Christ, anoints us, and… puts his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (2 Corinthians 1:21).

Thanks be to God for the unchanging promises of His covenant in midst of uncertain times.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Benefits of Suffering

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Thinking Out Loud

The reality of living in a broken and sin cursed world is manifested in the existence of human suffering. Sin destroys everything that it touches and because of it, the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now (Romans 8;22).

But human suffering in the hands of a holy and righteous God is actually beneficial for His people. The Bible tells us that we are called to share in Christ’s suffering in this world (our topic last Sunday). It has been granted to us that for the sake of Christ [we]… suffer for his sake (Philippians 1:29). Suffering brings maturity in faith (James 1:2-4), it produces endurance and steadfastness (Romans 5:3, 11; Hebrews 10:36), it tests and tries your faith (1:7-9) and, according to God’s purpose, it conforms you to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-30).

For the follower of Christ, suffering teaches us to rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9). Isn’t this what the Lord did for Paul when giving him a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)? And isn’t this what Peter learned, having experienced his own weakness to stand for Christ (Matthew 26:34ff)?

Suffering reminds us that contrary to the deceit of sin, we were created to be dependent beings, dependent on our creator (Genesis 2). Suffering reminds us that nothing… absolutely nothing in this world can satisfy our parched and thirsty souls, but Jesus. 

Whatever you may be facing today or in the days ahead, be encouraged to act in obedient faith (don’t wait for your feelings to lead you) and count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. The benefits of suffering is good, because the God you serve… is good.

Soli Deo Gloria!