The last judgment of Jesus Christ was one of the most popular topics for painters during the renaissance. Michelangelo painted the last judgment on the wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome in the 1530’s. Raphael painted the last judgment in the town hall in the city of Ghent, Belgium in 1600. But my favorite painting of the last judgment is the one by the German painter Hans Memling in the late 1400’s.  

            The central panel of Memling’s triptych shows Jesus sitting in final judgment over the world, while Michael the archangel is using a scale to weigh the souls of human beings. On the left-hand panel, the saved are being guided into heaven by St. Peter and the angels. On the right-hand panel, the damned are being dragged to hell. 

            Without exception, this painting makes an impression on everyone who looks at the vision of heaven and hell. The graphic images force us to contemplate the condition of our own soul and consider the souls of our loved ones. Most of us have either seen pictures like this or have at least heard something about the final judgment, but have you ever wondered if the pictures actually do justice to Judgment Day? Have you ever wondered what it’s really going to be like when Jesus returns to execute final judgment upon the world? What will heaven and hell be like?

            As we move into the final phase of our sermon series “Foundations of the Faith”, we will consider the section of Christian theology called “eschatology” or the study of the last things. Next week, we will conclude the series by looking at Jesus’ return, but today we will focus our attention on the biblical doctrines of the final judgement and our final destination. 

The Final Judgment

            The Bible frequently affirms the fact that every person will face final judgment, believers and unbelievers alike. Jesus himself describes the final judgment in the famous “separating the sheep and the goats” passage in Matthew 25: 31-34, 41, 46:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world…” Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…” Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

            The interpretation is passage obvious: when Jesus returns, he will execute final judgment on the whole earth. As a shepherd separates sheep from goats, he will separate believers and unbelievers. The believers will receive their inheritance in heaven and unbelievers will receive eternal punishment in hell.

            Likewise, the final judgment is vividly portrayed by the Apostle John in Revelation 20:11-15:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

            After Satan and his cronies are thrown into hell, the only thing left is the final judgment of humanity. John saw a great white throne and the one who was seated on it. Throughout Revelation, thrones are used as symbols of authority and justice. Likewise, the color white symbolizes purity and holiness. The description of the throne highlights the character of the one who is seated on the throne. As John does in other places, he doesn’t mention Jesus by name, but the symbols leave no room for mistaken identity: Jesus is the righteous judge who is sitting on the throne, and he has come to judge everyone. The earth and sky disappearing alludes to his power and foreshadows the coming of his new creation. 

            John sees all of the dead standing before the judgment throne. The term “great and small” emphasizes that all human beings will face final judgment—the living and the dead. All of the temporary places that receive the bodies of the dead, including the ground and the sea, will give up their dead and everyone will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Then God’s history books, which contain every deed that every human being has ever done, will be opened up and put on display. Everyone will be judged according to the deeds he or she has done. 

            Do these history books, that record everything we have ever done, make you nervous? They should—every little lie, every lustful look, every evil thought, every arrogant attitude, every selfish decision, and every secret sin that we have kept hidden will lay open before God. How embarrassing? How terrifying? God sees and knows everything that we have ever done and these record books show that we are all guilty! This is the bad news of the gospel!

            This is why I am glad that God has another book in his personal library. This book is more important than the Bible and all of God’s history books combined—it is called the book of life! This book contains the names of everyone who has made a faith commitment to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This book records the names of those who have received forgiveness of their sins by trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This book is heaven’s guest list. You can’t get into heaven if your name is not on the list. This is the good news of the gospel!

             A young girl was sitting on an airplane with an intellectual (a man educated beyond his intelligence). He sneered at her reading the Bible. Asked if she believed it? “Yes.” “Jonah and the whale story?” “Yes.” “How did it happen?” “Don’t know, but I’ll find out when I get to heaven.” “What if Jonah isn’t there?” “Then I guess you’ll have to ask him for me.”

            This little girl understood the implications of the final judgment! Do we?

Final Destination

            Now that we have considered the certainty of final judgment, let’s shift our focus to final destination. The Bible speaks of only two possible final destinations: heaven and hell.

            Earlier this week, I stumbled upon a meme which quipped: “The fact that there is a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers!” 

            Since it is always better to begin with the bad news, lets look at hell first!

Hell

            Hell may be defined as the place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked. It is described in multiple places throughout the Bible. As we have already seen in Matthew 25:41, Jesus alluded to hell as “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” In Revelation 14:9-11, the Apostle John paints a more vivid picture of hell:

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”

            This passage describes hell in horrendous detail. Just look at the metaphors: “drink the wine of God’s fury”, “cup of his wrath”, tormented with burning sulfur”, “the smoke of their torment rises forever, and “no rest day or night.” This is what it will be like for those who do not trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls. They will suffer in hell forever! 

            One day, when Vice President Calvin Coolidge was presiding over the Senate, one Senator angrily told another to go “straight to hell.” The offended Senator complained to Coolidge as presiding officer, and Cal looked up from the book he had been leafing through while listening to the debate. “I’ve been looking through the rule book,” he said. you don’t have to go.” 

            Coolidge was right—you don’t to go to hell! And if you commit your life to Jesus Christ, you won’t! 

Heaven

            After the final judgment, believers will enter the full enjoyment of life in the presence of God forever. When referring to this place, Christians often talk about living with God “in heaven” forever. But in fact, the biblical teaching is richer than that: it tells us there will be new heavens and a new earth—an entirely new creation—and we will live with God there. The Apostle John gives us the best glimpse of this in Revelation 21:1-7:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

            Popular myths picture heaven as a fanciful place where angels sit on clouds playing harps and people floating around in nebulous space. However, the Bible says that Jesus is building mansions in heaven for those who receive his gift of salvation. He is preparing real buildings with real tangible materials for real people who will inhabit them.

            The Bible even refers to heaven as a country (Hebrews 11:16). Before sin came into this world, it was a physical paradise—a beautiful garden full of fruits, trees, and animals. Similarly, when sin is finally eradicated from this universe, we will get to live life as God originally intended for mankind when he first created the Garden of Eden—not as spirits on clouds, but in a tangible, material heaven.

            Real earth, real houses, real gardens, real work, real hobbies, and real people are all part of the perfect future in store for those who are faithful to God’s Word. This becomes more believable when we realize that the Bible says that the greater part of the future existence of human beings will take place right here on earth, which will be recreated and restored to its original perfection. Heaven will be free from sickness, war, crime and anything harmful. The future life will have the best of this life plus additional joys beyond our imagination.

            Earlier this week, during family devotions, I was discussing the topic of heaven with my children. After reading these same words from Revelation 21, I asked the question: What do you think heaven will be like? Amid multiple descriptions of a perfect paradise, one of my children (who will remain nameless) piped up: “I think we will all be petting lions and singing, “Whoop! There it is! Whoop! There it is!” Conclusion

            Heaven will be more wonderful than our wildest dreams. It is the place of eternal love, peace, and joy. Hell will be worse than we can possibly imagine because! It is the place of eternal torment, pain, and sorrow. When Jesus returns to the earth, we will all stand before his judgment seat. Will you be among the sheep or the goats? Is your name recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

            Let me conclude with a little poem by John Newton, author of the hymn “Amazing Grace.” This lesser known hymn titled “Day of Judgment! Day of wonders!” Listen:

Day of judgment! Day of wonders! Hark! the trumpet’s awful sound,

louder than a thousand thunders, shakes the vast creation round.

How the summons will the sinner’s heart confound!

See the Judge, our nature wearing, clothed in majesty divine;

you who long for his appearing then shall say, “This God is mine!”

Gracious Savior, own me in that day as thine.

At his call the dead awaken, rise to life from earth and sea;

all the pow’rs of nature, shaken by his looks, prepare to flee.

Careless sinner, what will then become of thee?

But to those who have confessed, loved and served the Lord below,

he will say, “Come near, ye blessed, see the kingdom I bestow;

you forevershall my love and glory know.”

            In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. After he completed his masterpiece, he stepped back to gaze upon the marvelous landscape and menagerie of living creatures. It was all very good. Human beings, whom he created in his own image, were the pinnacle of his creation. He placed them in the Garden of Eden, where they flourished in the beauty and abundance all around them. They enjoyed perfect companionship with God and each other—all was well with the world—and they could have lived happily ever after.  

            But Satan, the architect of evil, disguised himself as a serpent and deceived Adam and Eve into eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. When they tasted the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened to evil and they felt shame. Sin had entered the world and marred God’s masterpiece. Purity and peace were replaced by pollution and pain. From this time on, the human race would be dominated by selfishness, conflict, and betrayal. And the price to redeem a wicked world was the sacrifice of God’s own Son on the cross! 

            Most of you are familiar with this story. The fall of Adam and Eve is the reason why our world is still in turmoil. Had it not been for Satan’s treachery, we may all be living in the Garden of Eden today. This causes us to wonder about Satan. Who is he? Where did he come from? Was he always evil? How much power does have? And what about his band of demons? Who are they and what can they do? 

            In Christian doctrine, there is a whole category dedicated to answering these questions; it’s called demonology—which literally means the study of demons. Like most pastors, I have spent some time pursuing this topic. It is impossible to answer every question about demons in a single sermon, but I will try to help us form a better understand their origin, activity, and our defense against demons.       

The Origin of Demons

            As we learned last week, the Bible indicates that God created the angels before he created the physical world. (Job 38:1-7) Then, sometime between the creation of the heavens and earth (Gen. 1) and the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3), Satan, who was a high-ranking angel, became puffed up with pride and desired God’s glory for himself. He convinced some of the angels to join his rebellion against God (depending on how you interpret Revelation 12, it may have been one third of the angels). God punished Satan and these fallen angels by banishing them from heaven and sentencing them to roam on the earth. There are two biblical passages that describe the fall of Satan: Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14. Listen to the prophecy from Ezekiel 28:11-18:

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.’”

Ezekiel’s prophecy against the human King of Tyre contains a double reference to Satan the primordial fall of Satan. Satan was created by God to be a guardian cherub with immanence wisdom and beauty. He was blameless before God, but because of his beauty, his heart became proud, so God threw him to the earth. 

            Isaiah describes the same event 14:12-15:

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

            In the immediate context of Isaiah, the subject is the king of Babylon, yet we find another double reference to the fall of Satan. The sin that the “king” proposes in his five “I wills” seems to go far beyond any human’s most outlandish and egotistical aspirations. On the other hand it is completely consistent with what one would expect of Satan. He wanted God’s glory for himself—and that is why he was cast out of heaven. 

            When we read these passages about Satan’s fall, it reminds us that pride was the original sin that caused separation from God. Thus, the old saying is true: pride goes before a fall! When our hearts puff up with pride—when we place our trust in our beauty or abilities—when we seek glory for ourselves—when we think we are better than other people—when we choose independence rather than accepting help from others—when we think the whole world revolves around us—when we focus on “I, I, I, Me, Me, Me”, we recapitulate Satan’s sin and separate ourselves from God.   

The Activity of Demons

            Now that we have a better understanding of the origin of Satan and his demons, let’s examine their activity. There are two basic categories: demonic possession and demonic oppression.

Demonic Possession

            Demonic possession is the category with which people are most familiar. Hollywood has popularized and sensationalized demonic possession through horror films like The Exorcist, The Conjuring, or The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Demon possession is when a demon temporarily and partially takes over the mind and body of a human being. Symptoms of demonic possession include missing memories, altered personalities, convulsions, fainting, and spastic movements, and super-human strength. Jesus dealt with demonic possession as a regular part of his ministry. Many examples could be given, but let’s look at Luke 4:33-37:

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are– the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

There are a few things we should notice about this passage. First, we see the demon’s ability to control the man’s body and speak through his voice. Second, the demon recognized that Jesus was “the Holy One of God” and had the power and authority to destroy it. And third, the demon had to submit to Jesus’ command to come out of the man. 

            When we read passages like this, it causes us to ask many questions: Do demons still possess people today? How do you know if someone is possessed? Why do demons possess some people but not others? Can Christians be possessed? I’ll address these questions after we discuss the next category.  

Demonic Oppression

            Demonic oppression refers to the activity whereby demons afflict human beings externally. This includes specific activities of tempting, intimidating, accusing, causing illness and disease, and moving objects. Like the good angel that rolled away the stone from Jesus’ tomb and announced his resurrection to the women, demons have the ability to manipulate the physical world and speak to human beings. But under Satan’s power, they use their God given power for sinister purposes. They serve a master whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy everything God created, including human beings. We catch a glimpse of this in Job 1:6-12:

One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

If you continue to read the book of Job, you will discover that Satan oppresses Job by orchestrating the loss of his wealth, his health, and his family. But even through all this torment, Job remains faithful to God! Job learns the all-important lesson that no one (not even Satan or his demons) can thwart God’s plan. And God blesses Job by restoring all of his fortunes (Job 42) 

            I will never forget my first encounter with demonic oppression. When I was a freshman in college, I went on a spring break missions trip to a Choctaw Indian reservation in southeastern Oklahoma. Each evening, we split up into groups of a dozen students and went to various Choctaw villages to put on children’s programs and lead a worship service. One night, I was designated to take a group to a church called Mt. Zion. Before we departed, our director, Dr. Leonard Rasher, told our team to pray the whole way to the church, but he didn’t explain why. When we arrived, everything was fine. The people were nice, and the children’s program went well. But when I got up to preach during the worship service, a strange heavy presence immediately filled the sanctuary. The faces of the native people became glazed over; their bodies were physically sitting there, but their minds were on another planet. 

            After a few minutes, the presence felt even darker. Then, to my great shock, all of the shudders on the windows began to open and slam shut simultaneously. I felt a cold chill run down my spin when I realized that nobody was causing this to happen. As soon as this stopped, the two large wooden doors at the back of the church began to swing open and then close with a loud crash. When this stopped, I could see keys on the piano began to move and hear the dissonant sounds fill the church, but nobody was sitting at the piano. 

            As all of this happened, the native people’s faces were expressionless. The faces of my teammates were frozen in terror. I finally realized that we were dealing with direct demonic oppression. As I preached, I prayed for wisdom; I really didn’t know what to do! But I received a sense from the Holy Spirit to just keep on preaching. Eventually, the heaviness lifted, and the darkness dissipated. By the time I finished the sermon, everything was back to normal, as if nothing ever happened. 

            When we got in the van to return to our base camp, no one said a word for at least fifteen minutes. I finally broke the ice and asked, “Did that really just happen?” I was relieved when every member of our team corroborated the experience. I wondered if I had imagined the whole thing. We processed the experience the whole way home.

            When we arrived, Dr. Rasher pulled me aside and asked how it went at Mt. Zion. As I shared the story, a little wry smile appeared through his bushy beard. He said, “Every time I send a group of students to Mt. Zion, they experience demonic oppression.” I was ripped mad when I realized that he knew this would happen but didn’t warn us. He asked, “Why did you think I told you to pray the whole way there? Besides, do you think your education would have been as effective if I’d warned you ahead of time?” The next day, he taught us all about spiritual warfare, which I learned, is extremely common on Indian reservations.      

            With my first demonic experience under my belt, I was ready to learn all about defending against demons!

Our Defense Against Demons

            There is no way to pack a whole semester course on spiritual warfare into one sermon, but let me highlight one verse that is incredibly helpful. In James 4:7, Jesus’ brother tells us: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” 

            Whenever I lecture or preach on the topic of demonology, I am often asked the question: What should I do to defend myself against demons? My response is always the same. The best defense against the devil and his demons is to submit ourselves to God. When we fall into the traps of disbelief or disobedience, we open ourselves to demonic attack. But if we resist the devil, he will flee from us! Jesus modeled this for us when he resisted the devil who tempted him in the dessert. The closer you are to God, the safer you will be from the devil and his demons!

            So, how do we do this in practice? First, stay far away from portals to the demonic world—witchcraft, black magic, séances, fortune tellers, mediums, psychics, tarot cards, astrology, Ouija boards, voodoo, reiki, energy healing, and contacting the dead. Many people have started dabbling in these things to satisfy their curiosity or search for answers, but they opened themselves up to serious spiritual attack.

            Anton LaVey, author of the Satanic Bible once said:

In the scores of books lining the shelves of New Age bookstores, there are instructions for guided meditation, creative visualizations, out of body experiences, getting in touch with your spirit guides, fortune telling by cards, crystal balls or the stars. What if Satanists reclaimed these for their own dark purposes and integrated them into rituals dedicated to the Devil, where they rightfully belong? New Agers have freely drawn upon all manner of Satanic material, adapting it to their own hypocritical purposes… But in truth, all ‘New Age’ labeling is, again, trying to play the Devil’s game without using His Infernal name.” (Anton LaVey, quoted in Church of Satan, B. Barton, p.107)

These “New Age” practices have become extremely popular in our culture. On the surface, they appear to be innocent and even helpful. But I have personally witnessed how these practices can open people to demonic activity. Avoid them at all costs!

            Second, build up your spiritual defenses by living a moral life, attend church faithfully, read the Bible and pray regularly, and surround yourself with the fellowship of other Christians. This is all part of putting on “the full armor of God.” (Eph. 6)

            Third, and most important, make sure that you have truly given your life to Jesus Christ! When your soul is regenerated, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside of you and protects you from demonic possession. Remember that the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world! Conclusion

            Now that we are aware of the origin and activities of demons, let us defend ourselves against them by putting our faith in Jesus Christ and walking close to him and following his ways!

            If you pay attention to American pop culture, you could learn a lot about angels! For instance, in film, you may remember George Baily’s guardian angel, Clarence, from Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Some of you may also remember angels from films like “Angels in the Outfield,” Disney’s “All Dogs Go to Heaven,” and “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey.” There are angels in Meg Ryan’s romantic fantasy “City of Angels,” and the Adam Sandler comedy “Little Nicky,” where Sandler plays one of Satan’s three sons and attempts to save his father and prevent his brothers from taking over earth. And just in case you were wondering, “Little Nicky” was a disaster at the box office. But at least Adam Sandler left us with a great cinematic line when he said, “If your father is the devil, and your mother is an angel, you’d be messed up too!” Ironically, this statement is theologically spot on! 

            Television has also contributed to America’s understanding of angels. Michael Landon’s sentimental series “Highway to Heaven” was immensely popular in the 1980’s. This was followed by “Touched by An Angel” through the 1990’s. And over the past two decades, television shows have emphasized the darker side of angels with shows like “Lucifer,” “Supernatural,” and even the contemporary comedy “The Good Place.”  

            The medium of music has taught us even more about angels. Did you know that here are over 100 popular songs with “Angel” in the title? Here are my top five:

1. Blue Angel by Roy Orbison
2. Kiss an Angel Good Morning by Charlie Pride
3. Angel of the Morning by Juice Newton
4. She Talks to Angels by the Black Crowes
5. It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels by Dolly Parton, Kitty Wells, and Loretta Lynn

            In addition to these, did you know that there are at least ten different songs simply titled, “Angel?” There are versions of “Angel” by Jimmi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Madonna, and Sarah McLachlan. 

            Unfortunately, most of what American popular culture has taught us about angels is rubbish. When angels are sensationalized or sentimentalized, it leads to superstition! This is why there are so many misconceptions about angels like: 

• “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it wings.”
•  “As you travel life’s winding roads, angels light the way and share the load.”
• “Sometimes angels sing to you in the wind—all you have to do is listen.”
• “Sometimes angels are just ordinary people who help us believe in miracles again.”
• “Tread in the path of angels and your steps will always be light.”
• “God just needed another angel in heaven.”
• “We are all just winging it; that’s what angels do.”

            These lines sound great on Hallmark cards, but the problem is that none of them are true! But there are many people who believe these superstitions about angels. In my experience, most people err on one extreme or the other: they either put too much faith in angels or they don’t believe in them at all. 

            Rather than being influenced by American popular culture, let’s take a look at what the Bible teaches about angels. I will to highlight some verses which teach us about the true nature and purpose of angels. 

The Nature of Angels

            Let’s begin with a basic biblical definition of an angel: Angels are created spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence, but without physical bodies. (Grudem 397) Angels have not always existed, but they are part of the universe that God created. Job 38:1-7 tells us that angels were actually created before human beings and the rest of the world: 

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

            Likewise, angels are spiritual beings without physical bodies. Hebrews 1:13-14 says, “To which of the angels did God ever say, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?’ Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Therefore, angels usually cannot be seen by humans unless God gives them a special ability to see them. There are numerous examples throughout the Scriptures where angels appeared to human beings. The most memorable example of this is from the Christmas story when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and Joseph to announce the coming birth of the Messiah. Remember also, it was an angel that appeared to the shepherds and announced Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The appearance of angels was extremely rare, which explains why fear was usually the immediate reaction.

            Angels’ high intelligence is seen in the simple fact that they speak intelligible languages and have knowledge of the physical and spiritual world. Angels’ moral judgment is displayed by the fact that some of them fell from their positions by committing sin. Like humans, they were created with free will and had the capacity to choose to worship God or disobey him. Sadly, some of the angels joined Satan in his rebellion against God and they will eventually face God’s judgment. Look at 2 Peter 2:4, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment.”

            And finally, let’s briefly consider the rank and order among the angels. One angel, Michael, is called an “archangel” in Jude 9, a title that indicates authority and rule over other angels: “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” Michael is also the leader of the angelic army that will defeat Satan and his band of demons in the final cosmic battle. Whether this means that to Michael as the only archangel, or whether there are other archangels, Scripture does not tell us. Some branches of the Christian Church acknowledge three, four, or seven archangels, but Michael is the only one explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Regardless of the number, there is the rank of archangel.  

            When we consider the true nature of angels as revealed in Scripture, it should prevent us from falling into the extremes of preoccupation or disbelief. Since the Bible testifies to the fact that God created angels, we should believe in their existence and be thankful for their presence. The Bible tells us how God has used angels in the past and how he will use them in the future, and even though we can’t see them, we believe that there are angels among us now—accomplishing the work that God has called them to do.  

            Likewise, in light of what we’ve just learned about angels, here are a few affirmations we can make about angels:

1. Angels were created by God. Therefore, we should never worship or pray to angels! We only worship the Creator, not the creation! 
2. Angels are spiritual beings! Since they don’t have bodies, they don’t marry, procreate, or die. 
3. Angels and humans are distinct beings! Angels are not ordinary people and we don’t become angels when we die!  

            May we never fall into the trap of sensationalizing or sentimentalizing angels; it always leads to superstition and idolatry. Jesus Christ is the proper object of our faith and affection. He is the one who suffered and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins! He is the one who rose again on the third day and offers us the gift of eternal life. Jesus is the only one who is worthy of our worship! But we can still be thankful for the presence and ministry of angels.   

 The Purpose of Angels

            Now that we have examined the nature of angels, let’s explore the purpose (or ministry) of angels. I will highlight four key roles: worshiper, messenger, guardian, and guide. 

Worshiper

            God created angels, first and foremost, to worship and glorify him. This is their primary ministry to God. They use their intellectual capacity and moral will to glorify God in speech and song. We see this clearly in Revelation 4: 8-11, where the Apostle John describes his vision of heaven: 

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Messenger

            The second ministry role of angels is that of a messenger. The Hebrew (malak) and Greek (angelos) words for “angel” literally mean messenger. Throughout history, God has used angels to announce messages and reveal his will to human beings. I’ve already mentioned how God used angels to announce the birth of Christ, but take a look at the angel’s resurrection message in

Matthew 28:1-6:

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”

Guardian

            There are many places in Scripture that highlight the role of angels as guardians but let me just point out one. Psalm 91:11-12 says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Even though these is no evidence that God assigns human beings a specific guardian angel, he does use angels guard us from a variety of dangers.

            John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men with you there?” Paton knew no men were present–but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station. 

Guide

            Like the role of guardian, there is a multitude of verses in Scripture that reveal the role of angels as guides. One of the most famous ones is found in the story of the Magi visiting the Christ-child in Bethlehem. As you may recall, when King Herod discovered that the true king of the Jews was born in Bethlehem, he issued a decree to kill all of the male boys two-years-old and under. Here’s a verse from Matthew 2:13—When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

            Just as they did in the biblical times, angels continue to perform the ministries of worship, messenger, guardian, and guide today. Every time we gather together to worship God (like we are doing this morning), we join with the angels in heaven to declare that he is the holy creator, the one who was and is and is to come! Like the angels, we acknowledge that the one who sits upon the throne is worthy to receive glory, honor, and thanks forever and ever. 

            Sometimes God uses angels to deliver his message to his people. Personally, I’ve never seen or heard an angel, but I’ve met people who have. Today, there are many stories coming out of the Middle East, where Muslims are seeing visions of Christ and hearing messages from angels, and they are responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Who knows, maybe God will send one of his messengers to us someday. But even if he doesn’t, he has already given us his word so that we can know his will for our lives.

            God continues to use angels to guard us from danger and guide us to safety—sometimes angels protect us from dangers in which we were not even aware! We can take comfort in the fact that God can instantaneously deploy thousands, if not millions, of angels to protect us the perils of this world and guide us along the path he has chosen for our lives!Conclusion

            I believe there are angels among us! Let us thank God for their existence and ministry in our lives!

            How many of you remember seeing the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes commercials on television? For those of you don’t remember, Publisher’s Clearing House was (and maybe still is) a marketing company that peddles merchandise and magazine subscriptions with sweepstakes and prize-based games. There was no purchase necessary; all you had to do was fill out the little card, send it in, and wait until you were picked to win. Then the “Prize Patrol”, which consisted of a sharply dressed announcer and a camera crew, would knock on the winner’s front door with a fanfare of flowers, balloons, and a bottle of champagne. Then the announcer would say, “Is your name David? Guess what? You’ve won the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes!” Then he would present a giant check ranging from one thousand to ten-million dollars. Viewers would be amused by watching the winner’s initial skepticism transform into genuine joy as they realized that they had, in fact, won.  

            The doctrines of predestination and election are similar to the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. When you realize that God chose you, before he even created the world and from all the people in the world, to recipieve his salvation, you are overcome with gratitude and jubilation. Predestination is the doctrine whereby God predetermines or foreordains everything that comes to pass. Election is the doctrine whereby God freely chooses (or elects) some people to receive his gift of salvation. Like Publisher’s Clearing House, God’s gracious choice is unmerited—it cannot be bought, earned, or manipulated—it is not based on anything you have done or not done—it is simply based on his good pleasure! 

            But before we dig into these doctrines, let me preface this sermon by openly acknowledging that election and predestination are controversial concepts. The Christian church has been divided over these doctrines for centuries. Historically speaking, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Reformed churches have affirmed and promoted these doctrines. Methodist and Pentecostal churches have denied them. Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal churches still haven’t made up their minds about them. And Baptist churches are deeply divided over them. This is actually one of the reasons why there are so many Baptist denominations.

            Please know that there are good Christians on all sides of this issue and I firmly believe that it’s not worth fighting or breaking fellowship over. That being said, I will present these doctrines according to the way I think the biblical text intended them to be interpreted. For I am convinced that both predestination and election are biblical and should be affirmed. Without further ado, let’s see what the Bible says!   

Acts 13:46-48  
Let’s begin with a snapshot of election from Acts 13, where the Apostle Paul begins his first missionary journey to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. After he sailed to the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea, he and his friend Barnabas came to the city of Antioch in the region of Pisidia. After they preached in the synagogue, a mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles asked them to continue to explain the gospel. Their response is recorded in verses 46-48. Look at these words:

Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

            Most of the Jews rejected the message of eternal life, but the Gentiles in Pisidian Antioch were overjoyed to hear that salvation through Jesus Christ had even extended to them. They honored the word of the Lord and put their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. They accepted the gospel!

            Notice what Paul says about those who accept the gospel—“all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” The Greek word translated here as “appoint” is “tasso” which can also be translated “ordain.” This is an obvious reference to God’s sovereign work over salvation, where he has foreordained or predestined or elected those who come to eternal life.

            Once again, this text raises the age-old question: Does God choose us, or do we choose him? The answer to both questions is “Yes!” This is one of the clearest verses in the whole Bible where we see the convergence of God’s sovereignty and man’s free-will. Like the Gentiles in this text, the gospel demands that we choose to follow Jesus Christ to receive forgiveness from our sins and salvation for our souls. But we would never choose to follow Jesus if God hadn’t already predestined us to believe. In essence, God chooses us to choose him!

            The story is told of a group of theologians who were discussing the tension between predestination and free-will. The conversation became so heated that the group broke up into two opposing factions.

            But one man, not knowing which to join, stood for a moment trying to decide. At last he joined the predestination group. “Who sent you here?” they asked. “No one sent me,” he replied. “I came of my own free will.” “Free will!” they exclaimed. “You can’t join us! You belong with the other group!”

            So, he followed their orders and went to the other clique. There someone asked, “When did you decide to join us?” The man replied, “Well, I didn’t really decide–I was sent here.” “Sent here!” they shouted. “You can’t join us unless you’ve decided by your own free will!” 

            The relationship between predestination and free-will is perplexing; it makes our heads spin and raises even more questions our minds. But let’s look at one more text before we consider the ramifications of these doctrines.

Ephesians 1:3-12

            Ephesians 1:3-12 is one of the clearest teachings on election and predestination in the whole Bible. Follow along as I read these words:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment– to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

            After Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians with the customary greeting, he immediately launches into this litany of praise to God for blessing them through Jesus Christ. Then, starting in verse 4, he identifies this blessing as: election and predestination. He makes it perfectly clear that before the world was even created, God chose these Ephesian Christians to be the recipients of his grace and that they would stand before God as holy and blameless because of what Jesus did for them on the cross. Because of God’s unfathomable love, he predestined them to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to his pleasure and will. This grace is a free gift which bestows redemption and forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. This grace, although it is given and received in the present, will be culminated when time has reached its fulfillment when Jesus returns to earth.

            Paul reiterates and broadens the doctrines of election and predestination in verse 11. Not only does God choose and predestine some people to receive the gift of grace, but he “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” This is the ultimate declaration of God’s sovereignty over salvation and everything else that takes place in history. It was God’s predestined will that these Ephesians would put their faith and hope in Christ.

            Now I recognize that some of you may be struggling with these biblical doctrines and you have some questions. So, let me anticipate a few common questions and try my best to answer them.

1.) What about me?

            Some of you may be wondering—Has God chosen me? Has he predestined me for salvation? How do I know? Well, if you have received God’s gracious gift of salvation by putting your faith in the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ, then you can be assured that God has chosen you! If you have been sitting on the fence of faith, then you must still be wondering! The only way you can be sure that God has elected and predestined you for salvation is by freely choosing to follow Jesus. Repent from your sins and put your faith in him today!

 2.) What about everyone else?

            Now some of you may be thinking, “Wait a minute, are you saying that God chooses some people to be saved and not others?” Yes, that is exactly what I am saying because that is exactly what the Bible says! But then you may be thinking, “Well, that doesn’t seem fair!” Yes, you are exactly right! It isn’t fair at all! Fairness is an American value; it is not one of God’s attributes. If you think about it, we don’t really want a God who is fair; we want a God who is gracious. If God was fair, in the truest sense of the word, he would condemn all of us to eternal destruction in hell because of our sins. But because of his love and through his grace, he predestined some to receive his free gift of salvation!

3.) What should we do?

            Based on the biblical doctrines of election and predestination, I really do believe that God is completely sovereign over salvation and everything else in life and history. If God has elected us to receive his salvation, we can take comfort in the fact that we can never lose our salvation. No mistake, no failure, and no sin can ever separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus! And no matter what we may suffer in this life, our final destiny is ultimate peace and perfection in paradise!

            Likewise, if God is really in control of our lives, we don’t have to bear the burden of trying to determine our own destiny. It is easy to become anxious and stressed out when you bear the full weight of the millions of decisions that must be made. But if we simply trust God’s plan for our life, we don’t have to worry about anything!

            And finally, let us pray and share the gospel with people wherever we go. Even though God knows who is predestined unto salvation, we don’t. God has called us to the privilege of participating in his redemptive work in the world! So, will you share the good news of God’s grace with those who do not yet know!Conclusion

            Let me conclude sermon with a poignant poem about predestination. Follow along as I read, “As I Walk Among the Flowers Wild” by Bruce Meador.

As I walk among the flowers wild
Some this high
And some, sad to say, underfoot.
The one I pick, no prettier than another
Whose perfume I sigh on
This flower will be pressed
And blesséd words mark its dark repose

As I take you now
And press you in my book
Do I choose the page to hold you
And this verse upon which you lie?

Or is my hand guided
By some distant star?
Has the plan for now
Been drawn long ago?

Answer me!
Where you born to bloom
Not to sleep
To wave your color and to be
Until this page, that verse
Hath hold of thee?

Or is all unplanned
Thy petals unnumbered?
Another page, another verse could do?

I could have stepped another way?
There would have been another you?

I could have chosen other thoughts
To face thee in thy sleep?

Why did God pick me from all the flowers of the field?

            Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of the “Vitruvian Man” was created around the year 1487 and is still one of the most popular world icons. It is accompanied by notes based on the work of the famed architect, Vitruvius Pollio. The drawing, which is in pen and ink on paper, depicts a male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed in a circle and square. The drawing and text are sometimes called the Canon of Proportions. Today it is stored in the Gallerie dell ‘Accademia in Venice, Italy, and, like most works on paper, is only displayed on special occasions.

            This image provides the perfect example of Leonardo’s keen interest in proportion and it represents a cornerstone of Leonardo’s attempts to relate man to nature. Leonardo envisaged the great picture chart of the human body as an analogy for the workings of the universe.

             Whereas da Vinci’s drawing displays the physical proportions in the anatomy of a man, in this morning’s sermon I will exhibit the basic biblical principles associated with the anatomy (or composition) of a human being—the characteristics that distinguish human beings from other creatures in God’s creation. Today, our sermon series “Foundations of the Faith” moves into the doctrinal category of anthropology, which literally means the study of mankind.    

            You may remember reading: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The Bible tells us that on day one, God created light to illumine the world. Then he stretched the sky across the horizon and swished water into the seas. Then he formed the land into dry ground and fashioned plants to flourish in the forests and fields. Then he cast the sun, moon, and stars into the sky as containers for the light. Then he made birds to fly through the sky and fish to swim through the seas. Then he created livestock and wild animals to roam along the ground. Then later, on the sixth day, the three persons of the Holy Trinity agreed together to create human beings in their own image. Genesis 2 goes on to describe how God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and he became the first human being.  

            This is the familiar biblical story that tells us how human beings came into existence. But this story doesn’t tell us why God created human beings or what is actually means that we are created in the image of God. Over the centuries, many people have contemplated these questions. Perhaps you have pondered them at some point in your own life or maybe you are wondering about their significance right now. Through the rest of this sermon, I will try to answer these two important questions.

1.) Human Beings are Created for God’s Glory.

            First, why did God create human beings? Was God lonely and needed some friends to play with? Was he looking for something interesting to do? Was he bored and needed something to laugh at or amuse him? No, God is completely self-sufficient. He doesn’t need anything from anyone or anything. Since there was perfect love and fellowship among the members of the Trinity for all eternity, God did not create us because he was lonely or because he needed fellowship with other persons—God did not and does not need us for any reason. Nevertheless, God created us for his own glory. (Grudem 440) The prophet Isaiah gives us a glimpse of this when he delivers a prophecy of peace and restoration to Israel. In Isaiah 43:6-7, he says:

I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

God created the whole world (especially human beings) to display his creativity and complexity, his majesty and magnificence. Since humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation, we display his glory more clearly than anything else in the universe!  

            If God created us for his glory, what should be our chief purpose and goal in life? That’s right, our top priority should be to glorify God. As a matter of fact, the first question of the Westminster Catechism asks: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” That’s right, our chief goal should always be God’s glory!

            Unfortunately, we live in a world where so few human beings acknowledge their creator or seek to reflect his glory. If you ask the average person on the street, “What is your number one goal in life?”, you will hear answers like, “My goal is to be rich or famous or successful!” Sometimes you will hear more noble responses like, “My goal is to do honest work and raise a good family.” The most common reply I hear to this question is: “My goal is to be happy!”

            All of these answers sound good and right, and I have even heard many Christians repeat them. But do you see how they are all human- centered rather than God-centered? At their very core, they are self-centered and seek to glorify ourselves rather than God. Instead of these humanistic motivations and life priorities, our chief goal should always be God’s glory!

            In I Corinthians 10:31, the Apostle Paul utters these words: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” No matter what we do, regardless of how important or menial, it should be done for the primary purpose of glorifying God! This should be true of our vocation—when we wake up and go to work each day, whether we are harvesting crops, teaching children, building a house, caring for sick bodies, driving a truck, going to school, or crunching numbers behind a desk, we should do it to the glory of God! This should be true of our recreation, whether we are hiking or hunting—whether we are crafting a quilt or baking a cake—we should do it with the motivation of glorifying God. This should be true of our relationships—we should love our spouse, children, extended family, and friends because it glorifies God—not for what we or they get out of it!

            When we shift our focus to glorifying God rather than glorifying ourselves, there is a great irony in the fact that we actually enjoy God more and every aspect of our lives becomes more fulfilling. When we glorify God in our work, our jobs become more fulfilling. When we glorify God in our recreation, our activities become more rewarding. When we glorify God in our relationships, our interactions become more satisfying! If you really want to be happy, make it your chief goal to glorify God in everything you do—because human beings are created for God’s glory!

2.) Human Beings are Created in the Image of God.

            Now that we have addressed the reason why God created human beings, let’s take a closer look at what it means to be created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26-27 recounts:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis affirms that humans are more like God than anything else in creation, but it doesn’t fully explain what this phrase means. We need other passages of Scripture to help us fill in the details. Let me briefly highlight four aspects of being created in the image of God: morality, spirituality, mentality, and physicality.

Morality

            Humans beings are morally accountable to God for their actions. God only gave to humans the command and moral responsibility not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The other creatures received no such command. Corresponding to this accountability, God gave humans a conscience—an inner sense of right and wrong that sets us apart from animals (who have little if any innate sense of morality or justice but simply respond from fear of punishment or hope of reward.) Lions don’t live by a code of laws; jackals don’t have justice systems; and caterpillars don’t have consciences. God gave these aspects of morality to humans alone. God’s law is written on the hearts of human all human beings. The Apostle Paul testifies to this in Romans 2:14-15, where he says:

Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.

            When we act according to God’s moral standards, we reflect God’s image of holiness and righteousness. Before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve mirrored God’s moral perfection more clearly. Today, when we resist temptation to sin and live holy lives unto God, we bear his image more brightly. Therefore, let us live the moral lives we were meant to live!

Spirituality

            God has created all human beings with a spirit, which distinguishes us from plants and animals. Humanity exists for communion with God who is Spirit. Porcupines don’t pray for their unsaved loved ones and hamsters don’t sing hymns of praise to God. Only humans can commune with God in these ways because we are spiritual beings like God. King David highlights this link between the human spirit and God’s Spirit in Psalm 143:7-10, where he prays:

Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

            Everyone agrees that human being have bodies, but there is an ongoing debate among theologians about whether humans have a soul and a spirit or if the spirit and soul are the same thing. This is a complex biblical discussion that is beyond the scope of this sermon. Personally, I lean toward the soul and spirit being the same, but we must acknowledge that Bible is not perfectly clear on this issue and that there are good Christians on both sides of the debate.

            Either way, since human beings have a spiritual nature, we are able to relate to God uniquely. We can pray to God—his Spirit speaks to us and our spirit speaks to him. And practice other spiritual disciplines like meditating upon Scripture, confession, fasting, worship, fellowshipping with other believers, and practicing Sabbath rest. These disciplines are called “spiritual disciplines” because they help our souls/spirits grow closer to God’s Spirit. Since we have this unique ability and opportunity to commune with God and grow in our relationship to him, let’s maximize it to its fullest potential.

Mentality

            God has the attribute of rationality—the ability to think and reason. He created human beings with a similar capacity to reason, learn, and think logically in a way that sets us apart from other animals. In Ecclesiastes 7:25, Solomon says: “So, I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.”

            Animals sometimes exhibit remarkable behavior in solving mazes and working out problems in the physical world, but they don’t engage in abstract reasoning. For instance, dogs can do some amazing things, but there is no such thing as the history of canine philosophy. (Grudem 446) Likewise, beavers are incredible creatures, but the technology of beaver dams has not advanced since creation. Beavers make dams the same way they did thousands of years ago.

            In the area of emotions, our likeness to God is seen in the difference in degree of complexity of emotions. Of course, animals do show some emotions (anyone who has ever owned a dog knows this), but not with the same complexity as humans.

            For instance, after watching my son’s football game yesterday morning, I watched my wife feel four emotions simultaneously. She felt sadness because our son’s team lost, proud because our son played well, annoyed at the referees for making some bad calls, and angry toward me because…well, I’m still not sure why!!

            You get the picture—God created us with the unique ability to think, feel, create, develop, and devise. May we use our mental capacity to love God with all of our minds!

Physicality

            It may seem too obvious to point out that God created us with physical bodies, but we would be wise to focus on our physicality for a few moments. God formed the first man from the dust and fashioned the first woman from a rib, and he established the institution of marriage between a man and a woman. We read this story in Genesis 2:18, 22-24:

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him…” So, the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman, ‘for she was taken out of man.” For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

            God created the human body with certain anatomy: eyes to see, ears to hear, noses to smell, tongues to taste, and hands to feel. Even though God is spirit and does not have a human body, he gave us bodies to mirror his abilities. When God the Son became incarnate and took on the human form. Jesus wasn’t born of a monkey; he was born of Mary. And his human body experienced all of the physical abilities and vulnerabilities as the rest of us.

            It is also important to highlight the fact that God created human beings with two genders: male and female. God created the male and female bodies with anatomical diversity to reflect the plurality of the Holy Trinity. The male and female anatomy was specifically designed to fit together in a “one-flesh” marital relationship. This specific biological formation gave human beings the capacity to fulfill God’s creation mandate to “be fruitful and increase in number: fill the earth and subdue it…” Even the human body reflects God’s image and purpose in the world.

            In light of our modern culture, which has redefined gender based on psychological feelings rather than biological anatomy, it is crucial to remember that God created human beings with two genders: male and female. This is a fundamental fact of being created in God’s image. God assigns each human being a gender based on their biological anatomy and it is his design that they would leave their family of origin, enter a one-flesh marriage with a person of the opposite gender, and thereby perpetuate the human race. This is why transgenderism and homosexuality are departures from God’s design and are lifestyles outside of God’s will. I know that these subjects are sensitive for some people, and I don’t want to unnecessarily offend anyone, but it is my responsibility to teach God’s Word—and the Bible is clear on these issues. This subject is too large and complicated to deal with in one sermon, let alone a segment of one sermon, so if any of you have questions or would like to discuss this further, I would be happy to talk with any one of you about it!Conclusion

            As we consider our common humanity, I want us to know that God created each one of us for his glory—so let us glorify him in everything that we say and do! And I want us all to know that we are all created in God’s image—morally, spiritually, mentally, and physically—so let us love the Lord God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength!

                Roald Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions and a key figure of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. He was the first person to traverse Canada’s Northwest Passage in 1906 and he led the first expedition to the South Pole in 1911. He also led the first expedition proven to have reached the North Pole in 1926, where he discovered the magnetic meridian of the North Pole.

            On one of his trips, Amundsen took a homing pigeon with him. When he had finally reached the top of the world, he opened the bird’s cage and set it free. Imagine the delight of Amundsen’s wife, back in Norway, when she looked up from the doorway of her home and saw the pigeon circling in the sky above. No doubt she exclaimed, “He’s alive! My husband is still alive!”

            So it was when Jesus ascended into heaven. After forty days of post-resurrection encounters, the disciples watched Jesus rise through the air and return to his father, but the they clung to his promise to send them the Holy Spirit. What joy, then, when the dovelike Holy Spirit descended on the Day of Pentecost. The disciples had with them the continual reminder that Jesus was alive and victorious at the right of the Father.   

            In Acts 2, Luke tells us that, after Jesus ascended, the disciples were all gathered in one house in Jerusalem. As they tried to come to grips with Jesus being gone, suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty wind, rushing through the entire room where they were sitting. When they looked up, they saw what appeared to be tongues of fire dancing over each of their heads. The Holy Spirit filled them in such a way that they began to speak in languages that they had never learned.

            As this supernatural phenomenon was happening inside the house, there was a group of devout Jews from every nation under heaven standing outside, and they were bewildered because they could hear the disciples speaking in their own languages. Perplexed by this proceeding, others concluded that the disciples must be drunk. But the Apostle Peter stood up and addressed the crowd with mindboggling boldness and incredible clarity. He preached a provocative sermon from Joel 2 in the Old Testament and showed how the prophet’s words were fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter’s proclamation of the gospel was so powerful that day that 3000 people repented from their sins and became followers of Jesus Christ.

            This same Holy Spirt, the third person of the Holy Trinity, who (as the Nicene Creed proclaims) proceeded from the Father and the Son, took center stage on the Day of Pentecost and has been performing the primary role in divine drama for the past two-thousand years of history. Whereas God the Father played the lead role in history from Creation to the Incarnation, and God the Son played the lead role from the Incarnation to the Ascension, God the Holy Spirit stepped into the lead role after Jesus’ ascension and he will continue to do so until the consummation of the Kingdom when Jesus returns.

            Last Sunday, Dr. Bayard taught us about the personality and divinity of the Holy Spirit—that the Holy Spirit is a true person and fully God at the same time. Today, I will highlight the work of the Holy Spirit—that is, what the Holy Spirit actually does. And I will focus on two categories: the Holy Spirit purifies and empowers!

The Holy Spirit Purifies

            Since the third person of the Trinity is named “The Holy Spirit,” it is not surprising to find that one of his primary activities is to cleanse us from sin and to sanctify us by making us more holy in the way we live. Even in the lives of unbelievers there is some restraining influence of the Holy Spirit as he convicts the world of sin. (Grudem 639) Jesus himself speaks of the Holy Spirit’s role in purifying the world in John 16:7-11:

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

            There is a profound irony in the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the world. In essence, John has been recording how the world has put Jesus on trial and found him guilty and declares that he deserves death. But, in fact, Jesus is innocent, and the world stands accused of sin. The Holy Spirit’s (legal counselor) work is to reveal the true nature of the world and convict it in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit exposes the world’s guilt from committing sin against God, trusting in its own righteousness, and refusing to take God’s judgment seriously. The world has been deceived by Satan and has unwittingly followed him. The world chose Satan over God’s only son—and it will face condemnation.

            This purifying role of the Holy Spirit sounds negative, but it is actually positive in light of the gospel. If the Holy Spirit didn’t convict us of our sin and self-centeredness or inform us about God’s judgment, we would never understand our need for a Savior. And if we didn’t understand our need for a Savior, we would never repent from our sin or put our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We would still be spiritually lost, and our souls would be bound for hell!

            Do you remember when the Holy Spirit caused you to realize the sinfulness of your sin and that you deserve to burn in the eternal flames of hell? Do you recall how the Holy Spirit showed you that Jesus is the only one who can offer you forgiveness for your sins and rescue you from God’s wrath and judgment? Do you remember how the Holy Spirit filled you with joy when you put your faith in Jesus Christ and gave you the hope of heaven? Praise God for the Holy Spirit’s work of purification that leads to our salvation!   

            After the Holy Spirit convicts people of sin which leads to repentance and redemption, he takes up residence in the bodies of believers and continues to purify them from the sinful nature they inherited from their forefathers going all the way back to Adam and Eve. The Holy Spirit actively enables people to get rid of the sinful habits that led to their spiritual death in the first place. The Apostle Paul explains this is Romans 8:11-14:

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

            Do you remember watching cartoons when were a child? A character would struggle with a moral dilemma or temptation to do something wrong, and a little devil would appear on their shoulder and instigate, “Go ahead! It’s not that bad! Nobody will get hurt!” Then a little angel would pop on one shoulder and say, “Don’t do it! It is wrong! You’ll regret it later!” Sometimes cartoons teach good theology! We’ve all lived this very situation! Our sinful nature is like a little devil who is always trying to lure us back to our old way of life which leads to death.

            Sin leads to death! We have seen this over and over again right here in our own community. Drug overdoses, DWI fatalities, and suicides have ravaged us. But no one just wakes up one morning and says, “I think I’m going overdose on heroin today,” or “I think I’m going to kill myself tonight.” Sin compounds upon sin until the it weighs so heavy on the soul that the darkness closes in people see no way out. But it doesn’t have to be this way! The Holy Spirit offers us a better way! He offers us a better life!

            When the Holy Spirit lives within us, he constantly leads us to what is right! And when we yield our souls to the Holy Spirit and put away the misdeeds of the body, it leads to a better life! If you are born of the Spirit, know that the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is actively working to purify your soul and conform your character to the character of our Lord Jesus Christ!

            Speaking of the character of Christ, as the Holy Spirit helps us put to death those old sinful habits, he begins to fill us with the fruit of the Spirit—those virtues that are exhibited in the life of Christ. The Apostle Paul explains this in Galatians 5:22-25:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

            Again, for those who have been born of the Spirit, the Holy Spirt not only strips away our impure passions and imperfect desires, but he also offers us the character of Christ. Who doesn’t need more love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control? When we keep in step with the Holy Spirit, our lives are purified, and they improve in every way!

The Holy Spirit Empowers

            Now that we have seen how the Holy Spirit purifies us, let’s shift our focus to how he empowers us. Let’s jump back to the Book of Acts for a moment. Right before the resurrected Christ bid his disciples farewell and returned to his father in heaven, he left them with this promise in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would grant them supernatural power to be his witnesses all over the world. By this, Jesus meant that the Spirit would give them power to preach and proclaim the gospel and expand the kingdom all over the earth. As we read about the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, we see how the Holy Spirit did in fact empower Peter to boldly proclaim the gospel and 3,000 were saved that day. The rest of Acts shows us how the Holy Spirit continued to empower the formation and mission of the church.

            The same Holy Spirit who empowered the early church is still empowering the church today. We cannot do ministry in our own power, wisdom, or strength! When we try to do this, our words fall flat, and our efforts fail! But when the Holy Spirit works through us, it is an amazing experience! If the Spirit has ever used you to lead someone to faith in Jesus Christ, you know what I mean. It’s like an out of body experience—you know that it is you speaking the words, but you can also feel a power that is beyond you! As a corporate church and individual Christians, may the Spirit empower our proclamation of the gospel!

            Just as the Holy Spirit empowers our proclamation of the gospel, he also empowers our prayer life. We see this in Romans 8:26, where Paul says: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

            How many times have you been at a loss for words when it comes to prayer? How often do you face difficult situations when you don’t know how to pray or what to pray for? Take comfort, the Holy Spirit is with us and he helps us during times of weakness and confusion. He knows what we need, and he intercedes on our behalf! 

            And finally, when we experience the new birth and truly become Christians, the Holy Spirit endows us with certain spiritual gifts for service in the church and to pursue the common good. Look at Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians 12:4-11:

 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

            Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift, and some Christians have more than one gift. The Holy Spirit is the one who determines which gifts and the amount of giftedness we receive. Sometimes spiritual gifts complement our natural gifts, and sometimes they don’t. Whether it is the gift of wisdom, faith, healing, prophecy, speaking in tongues, or the gift of leadership, preaching, or teaching (that he lists elsewhere), all of these gifts are meant to build up the church and benefit the world around us.

            Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? How are you using them in the church? How are you using them to bless the world around you? Conclusion

            When the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen released his homing pigeon in the article, it returned home to his wife and confirmed that her husband was still alive. When the Holy Spirit blew in on the Day of Pentecost, he confirmed that Jesus is still alive. And for the past 2000 years, he has been doing the work of purifying our souls and empowering us to expand the kingdom of God. Let us praise God for the presence of the Holy Spirit and his ongoing work in each of our lives! May we constantly yield our souls to be purified and empowered by God the Holy Spirit!

            A number of years ago I got a call to officiate a funeral for an old farmer whom I’d never met before. When I went to visit his widow and gather information for the eulogy, I asked her to tell me about her late husband. She paused for such a long time that I wondered if she heard me. So, I rephrased by asking, “What made your husband special to you?” She looked at me in a way that I knew she understood the question, but then she peered out the window and quietly contemplated. After what felt like an eternity, she finally muttered, “Well, he never hit me.”

            I immediately thought to myself, “What an odd answer to that question,” and I waited for her to clarify on her response. But that was it! She offered no explanation or elaboration! And nothing more! Not knowing what else to say, I replied, “That’s a great start, so what else made him special to you?” She simply responded, “That’s about it.” I tried asking about a dozen other questions, but she seemed disinterested, even somewhat annoyed. So, I eventually gave up.

            When I got home and told Jennifer about this strange encounter, I wrapped my arms around her, kissed her on the forehead, and whispered tenderly, “If I die first, you better have more to say about me than, “I never hit you.” Thankfully, I knew some of the farmer’s friends and they filled me in on other aspects of his life. I was thankful to just get through that eulogy!   

            The word eulogy is interesting—it comes from two Greek words—“eu” which means well or good—and “logos” which means “word” or “speaking.” Consequently, eulogy simply means “good words” or “speaking well of” someone or something. It is peculiar that the only time you ever hear the word “eulogy” is in the context of a funeral service. You never hear of a person eulogizing someone while they are still alive—it would almost seem eerie to do so. But I suppose, in a way, we do eulogize people whenever we send them a birthday card or offer them a toast on a special occasion.

            Some people are good at verbally praising other people’s attributes; they are quick to say things like, “You look lovely today! You’re so smart! Or you are the kindest, most considerate, hardest working, and most handsome husband in the world! (By the way ladies, husbands really appreciate their wives’ use of superlative speech!)

            Unfortunately, instead of speaking good words, other people find fault easily and are quick to criticize. Some people verbally condemn others when they fall short of their expectations. Do you remember what your momma used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!” That is pretty good advice, but the problem is that some people would never have anything to say—like the widow I spoke to about her husband’s eulogy.      

            I don’t want to sound morbid this morning, but if you were going to write a eulogy for your spouse or one of your children, what good words would you use to describe them? Which characteristics and qualities would you mention? What attributes would you reference? Here’s a question: If you were going to eulogize God, which of his attributes would you highlight?

            Along with the unity of God and the Trinity, the attributes of God comprise one of the key categories of Theology Proper or the Doctrine of God. They are the aspects of his nature and character that make him God. They are the qualities that define who he is. As I eulogize God today, I will highlight eight of his divine attributes which we find in Scripture. Hopefully, as we learn more about God, we will come to know him better!

1. God is omniscient (all-knowing).

            Hebrews 4:13 — And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

            When we say God is omniscient, we mean that He knows all that there is to know. There is nothing that is outside the scope of his attention or understanding. God neither studies nor learns—for he cannot increase a knowledge that is already insurmountable. Neither does probability exist for God; all things either are or are not in his perspective. There is no maybe! There is one reality and God knows it in its entirety, as it exists. He is neither surprised by the way the world works, nor is he shocked by the choices we make.

            A group of children were lining up for lunch in the cafeteria of a Catholic primary school. At the head of the table was a bowl of juicy apples. The supervising nun wrote a note and placed it next to the apples: “Take only ONE. God is watching.” At the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate coated cookies. A child had written a note and put it next to the plate: “Take as many as you want. God is watching the apples.”

            God’s omniscience should be both comforting and alarming to us. He knows and sympathizes with our every sorrow, but he also sees every sin that we try to conceal. How would it change our lives if we were more cognizant of God’s omniscience?

2. God is omnipresent (present everywhere).

            Psalm 139:7-10 — Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your Spirit? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utter most parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

            By omnipresence, we mean that God is everywhere present in the fullness of His being. This allows Him to interact in any places at any times (even in multiple places simultaneously). God is not spatial or dimensional in existence as we are; if he were, we would constantly be bumping our heads on him.

            Being in all locations present in the whole of His being, there is no place we can go and not be in his presence. Like omniscience, God’s omnipresence is a solace for Christians who know that he is always with us, but it is a torment for those who try to run or hide from God. Do you remember the divine frustration Jonah felt when he tried to flee God’s presence? It is never wise to run from an omnipresent God!

3. God is omnipotent (all-powerful).

            Jeremiah 32:17 — “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.”

            God has the unlimited power to accomplish anything that can be accomplished. The things God does are neither difficult nor easy for God; they are only either done or not done. This is because difficulty is a factor that comes about only through the potential for not accomplishing a task. This does not apply to God for potentials do not apply to Him — only actuals. God’s power to do all that He desires is the fuel for the engine of sovereignty, which accomplishes His providence.

            Oftentimes in life, we face situations that seem impossible. But we must remember that God has the power to turn our impossibilities into realities!

4. God is eternal.

Psalm 102:12 — But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

            Not only will God exist everlastingly into the future, but He has existed identically throughout the infinite past. He has always been and always will be. Before the foundations of the world, God ordained the creation, the fall, the incarnation and resurrection, and the salvation of his people.

            Everything in creation is confined by time—stars burn out, mountains crumble, and flowers fade—even our time here on earth is limited. We are always hurrying because we don’t have enough time or procrastinating because we have too much time. Isn’t it good to know that God unlimited by time because he is eternal?

5. God is holy (morally perfect).

            Isaiah 6:3 — “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”

            Holiness is synonymous with God’s total purity and separation from the rest of creation. Holiness is a moral purity, and different from human holiness, God’s is eternally incorruptible. This holiness so sets God apart from fallen humans that in his natural state, no human may approach the incorruptible God (for man is tarnished, dirty, and corrupt, and true holiness cannot bear such) — this is evidenced by the special commands to those who would approach God.          God’s holiness is one of the primary reasons why the coming of Christ is so incredible: it allows people who were once unable to come before God the ability to kneel before the throne of God and worship forever and ever.

6. God is just.

            Psalm 99:4 — The King’s strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

            The Father of justice, God is the ultimate judge over the lives and actions of men. There seems to be so much injustice in the world (men lie, cheat, steal, and kill all the time with no seeming repercussions), but true justice is not meted out in this earthly realm, but in the true realm (the eternal heavenly realm). In the end, each person will receive his just deserts at the hands of a God who cannot be persuaded or bribed. Christ will look at each person’s heart and if it is the least bit corrupted by sin, that man, not being pure, will receive the justice of hell.

            In God’s justice, we can find consolation for all the wrongs perpetrated against us and against mankind. We know that our cruel boss who cheated us for so many years will receive what he deserves. We know that the politician who did wrong to gain personal power will receive justice. We know that killers like Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot will receive justice. And we know that we will receive justice as well. That can be scary for one who truly knows his heart’s deceitfulness and is not a believer, but Christian’s rest in their faith in Christ, knowing that since they are judged in Christ, their salvation is thus secure.

7. God is loving.

            Romans 8:35-39—Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            We all have a basic understanding of what love is, but we are unable to comprehend the depths of true love. This is the love that God embodies. God is the genesis of love; he is its source; and it is by him that we experience love. God’s love is based in a supreme desire to glorify himself, for he is the being most worthy of love. By seeking his own glory, God pours forth his love upon his creation that it might better give glory to him. God loves his creation and his people—those whom he will take with himself into eternal glory!

8. God is gracious.

            Ephesians 2:8-9—For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith– and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

            Grace is the bestowal of blessing unearned or unmerited. When we speak of God’s grace, we speak of those wonderful gifts that no person deserves but God grants anyway. There are several types of grace that God bestows upon us. There is what we call “common grace” — this is that grace that God shines upon everyone—life, health, beauty, family, friends, good weather, pinot noir, etc.); God doesn’t have to give any of these things to anyone, no one can demand them from him, and he can take it when he pleases.

            The other kind of grace is that special grace which God demonstrates on those whom he inexplicably chooses to be his people. Just as he did with national Israel, God chooses his children not because they are more powerful, wise, intelligent, charismatic, pious, or handsome, but simply because that is what he wanted. This grace is amazing for it relies not at all upon us, but solely upon God and his will, rather than any service or good we are capable to render. This grace also causes us to throw ourselves at the feet of the Lord in praise and rejoicing for His pleasure in granting us salvation.Conclusion

            I don’t have enough time in this sermon to tell you about God’s transcendence and immanence, his sovereignty and providence, his wrath and his mercy, or the other attributes of God that we find in the Scriptures, but this eulogy of eight attributes helps us to understand his nature better and to love him more!

            One winter evening, the president sat at his desk in the White House. He’d finished his work for the day and was ready to do something to help him get his mind off government. He took out two Bibles and opened them to the story of Jesus. Then he grabbed a knife—or perhaps a razor—and began cutting up one Bible, then the other. Working methodically, he sliced out the parts of the Bible that he believed and pasted them onto a folio of blank pages. The rest—the parts he didn’t believe—he left behind in two maimed, mutilated Bibles. Who was this Bible bludgeoning president? Donald Trump? No, it was Thomas Jefferson. The year was 1804.

            Thomas Jefferson was editing the Bible, a book regarded by most of his fellow Americans as the Word of God. The act was presumptuous, perhaps even blasphemous. But Jefferson found that the worthy parts of the Bible were easily distinguishable from the worthless—as he later described in a letter to John Adams, “as diamonds in a dunghill.”

            Using the passages from his dissected Bibles, Jefferson created a new book, which he called, “The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth.” He had it bound but he never published it, and he told only a handful of close friends about it. His copy—the only copy that ever existed—later disappeared and is now lost to history.

            But sixteen years later, he created another. In 1820, retired from politics and living at Monticello, Jefferson sat down again, at the age of seventy-seven, to edit the Bible. He purchased six Bibles—two in English, two in French, and two containing both Latin and Greek—and cut them up, creating a second edited version of the New Testament, in four languages.

            In this book, he kept the words of Jesus and some of his deeds, but he omitted the supernatural and any suggestion that Jesus is God. The virgin birth is gone. So is Jesus walking on water, multiplying the loaves and fishes, and raising Lazarus from the dead. Jefferson’s version ends with Jesus’ burial on Good Friday. There is no resurrection, no Easter Sunday. Jefferson called this version “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.”

            That book has survived. It’s smaller than you might expect—roughly five by eight inches—with a faded red leather cover. Conservators at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History in Washington, DC, painstakingly repaired rips and restored the book. It’s currently on display at the museum, along with two of the Bibles that Jefferson cut up to create it.

            The exhibition has generated questions: Why did one of America’s Founding Fathers cut up Bibles? Was it an act of piety or of blasphemy? Was Jefferson a Christian or a heretic? And what does this book, commonly known as the “Jefferson Bible,” tell us about America’s religious heritage?(Peter Carlson, The Humanist. 18 February 2012)

            The “Jefferson Bible” is arguably the most controversial religious book produced in the American founding era. Although some popular Christian writers have tried to claim Jefferson as a Christian, he was actually a Deist whose contempt for traditional Christian beliefs became clear in his retirement. 

            Jefferson did consider himself a Christian though. He wrote in 1803 that “to the corruptions of Christianity, I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others; ascribing to himself every human excellence, & believing he never claimed any other.” In other words, Jefferson revered Jesus’s teachings but did not believe that he was divine. He praised Jesus for his moral precepts, but he rejected Jesus’ supernatural power. (Thomas Kidd, The Gospel Coalition, 17 December 2007)

            Unlike many of Christianity’s critics today, Jefferson was deeply familiar with the Bible. He had to be in order to produce the Jefferson Bible. But Jefferson clearly put his own standards of rationality above the authority of Scripture. Rather than conforming his life to the Scriptures, he conformed the Scriptures to suit his Deistic worldview. Many people subconsciously cut out the parts of the Bible they don’t like, but Jefferson did it consciously. 

            Do you know people today who pick and choose the Scriptures they like, and they disregard the rest? I’ve actually heard people make comments like, “I like the New Testament but not the Old Testament. The God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath; the God of the New Testament is a God of love.” Likewise, I’ve also heard people say, “I love the teachings of Jesus, but Paul, not so much!” Or “I believe what the Bible says about heaven, but I don’t believe in hell.” And the cut and paste list goes on and on.

            Do you struggle with any parts of the Bible? Are there any biblical teachings that rub you the wrong way? Do you wish you could cut out certain books or passages of the Bible? Even if we believe that God inspired the Scriptures, how do we know which books are actually the God-breathed Scriptures? Have you ever looked at the table of contents in your Bible and wondered how these sixty-six books became recognized as sacred Scripture? And what about other books? These are questions concerning the canon of Scripture, which is simply defined as the list of all the books that belong in the Bible.

            Why is the canon of Scripture so important? Well, if we are to trust and obey God, we must have a collection of words that we are certain are God’s own words to us. If there are any sections of Scripture about which we have doubts whether they are God’s words or not, we will not consider them to have absolute divine authority and we will not trust them as much as we would trust God himself. (Grudem 54) Therefore, let’s take a look at the Old and New Testament canons respectively! 

The Old Testament Canon
            We may ask, “Where did the idea of a canon begin—the idea that the people of Israel should preserve a collection of written words from God? Scripture itself bears witness to the historical development of the canon. The earliest collection of written words was the Ten Commandments. Thus, the Ten Commandments form the beginning of the biblical canon. God himself wrote on two stone tablets the words which he commanded his people: “And he gave to Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” (Ex. 31:18) Again we read, “And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets” (Ex. 32:16).The tablets were placed in the ark of the covenant and constituted the covenant relationship between God and his people.

            This collection of authoritative words from God grew in size throughout Israel’s history. Moses himself wrote the Torah, or the first five books of the Bible. These are sometimes even referred to as “the books of Moses.” After the death of Moses, Joshua also added to the collection of the written words of God: “Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God” (Josh. 24:26). Later, others in Israel, usually those who fulfilled the office of prophet, wrote additional words from God. Here is a small sampling:

• Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship; and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. (I Sam. 10:25)
• The acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer. (1 Chron. 29:29)
• Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. (2 Chron. 20:34)
• Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote. (2 Chron. 26:22)
• Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. (Jer. 30:2)

            The content of the Old Testament canon continued to grow until the time of the time of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi—after the Persians liberated Israel from Babylonian exile and allowed them to return to their homeland. After this, the Old Testament canon closed and there were no more books of divinely inspired Scripture written for 400 years, until the coming of Jesus Christ and the dawning of the New Testament era. 

            We can be confident that we have the correct books in the Old Testament canon because Jesus and the New Testament authors quote various parts of the divinely inspired Old Testament Scriptures almost 300 times, but not once do they quote from any of the books from the collection called the Apocrypha. (Grudem 54-57) 

            The Apocrypha is a collection of 14 books that were written during the 400-year period between the closing of the Old Testament canon and the opening of the New Testament canon. This is one of the areas where the Roman Catholics and Protestants disagree. The Catholic Church considers these books as part of the Old Testament canon, while the Protestant Church rejects them as inspired Scripture. 

            I don’t have time in this sermon to fully explain why the Protestant church rejects these books but let me highlight a few reasons. First, none of these books claim the same kind of authority as the Old Testament books. Second, we don’t know who authored many of the apocryphal books, so their prophetic authority is dubious. Third, even the Roman Catholic church didn’t recognize these books as canonical until the Council of Trent in A.D. 1546. Fourth, and most important, these books contain passages that support doctrines that contradict the rest of the Bible. For instance, these books promote purgatory, prayers for the dead, and justification by faith plus good works, not by faith alone. 

            Although St. Jerome, who completed his Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible in A.D. 404, included these books in his canon, he did not consider them to be inspired or on par with the 39 books of the Old Testament. These books are helpful for understanding this era of Israel’s history, but the theological and historical evidence leads us to reject these books from the Old Testament canon. This is why our Bibles contain 39 books in the Old Testament canon.

The New Testament Canon
            The development of the New Testament canon begins with the writings of the apostles. It is primarily the apostles who were given the ability from the Holy Spirit to recall accurately the words of Jesus and write them correctly for future generations. The apostles were seen to claim an authority equal to the Old Testament prophets, and authority to speak the very words of God. They do this to record, interpret, and apply to the lives of believers the great truths about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here are a few good examples of this:

• I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. (2 Peter 3:2)
• He [Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16)
• Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. (1 Corinthians 14:36-37)

            In addition to the apostles, there were a few other authors who were closely associated with the apostles whom God inspired to write some of the books in the New Testament. James and Jude were Jesus’ biological brothers and were leaders in the early church. They were obviously eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life and ministry. There was also the two gospel writers Mark and Luke, both of whom assisted the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys.  

            As the New Testament books circulated with other books at the time, the early church leaders carefully examined the books and were able to recognize the authentic marks of inspiration by the Holy Spirit. Although this process took a few hundred years, by A.D. 367 the early church father Athanasius put forth the list of 27 books that we have in our New Testaments today. Thirsty years later, in A.D. 397, the Council of Carthage codified these 27 books as the authoritative New Testament canon of the Christian church.  C

            Now that we have a better understanding of the canon of Scripture, I hope we will all have even more confidence that the 66 books of the Bible really do constitute the divinely inspired and authoritative Word of God. God has proved his love for us by giving us everything we need for life and godliness in these books! And I know that you have heard me say this hundreds of times, but here it is again! Read and heed the Bible! Don’t neglect one of God’s greatest gifts to us! May all 66 books nurture our souls and give us the guidance we so desperately need for life!

            For a number of years, Jennifer and I looked forward to our Christmastide tradition of going to theNotre Dame Basilica to hear the Montreal Symphony Orchestra perform George Fredric Handel’s magnificent oratorio “The Messiah.” The words of sacred Scripture are majestically orchestrated with measures for violin, cello, oboe, and harpsichord! In my humble opinion, “The Messiah” is the greatest piece of music ever written! (Unfortunately, a new conductor has taken over and the MSO doesn’t perform “The Messiah” anymore, thus ruining one of our favorite December excursions.)   

            “The Messiah” is even more amazing when you consider the context in which Handel wrote this musical masterpiece. His career was up and down—unbelievably down at times.  Twice he was bankrupt, and once he was stricken by a disease that almost proved fatal. And the situation was so bleak in 1741 that, just before he wrote the Messiah, he had seriously considered giving up on music and going back to Germany.   

            But instead, Handel turned to his faith in God. He composed the Messiah in 24 days without once leaving his house. During this time, his servant brought him food, and when he returned, the meal was often left uneaten.  While writing the now famous “Hallelujah Chorus”, his servant discovered him with tears in his eyes.  Handel exclaimed, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself!”

             If there was ever a piece of music that was directly inspired by the hand of God, “The Messiah” was it! Have you ever felt inspired by something? Have you ever listened to a marvelous piece of music, viewed a fabulous work of fine art, stood before a spectacular landscape, or heard an remarkable story that literally sent chills down your spine or took your breath away? Have you ever encountered something that filled your senses in such a way that your soul immediately recognized the presence of God in it?  

            Likewise, have you ever felt inspired to do something? Have you ever felt so compelled to do something that you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was God’s voice speaking to you—that the Holy Spirit was directing your thoughts and guiding your steps? 

            Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit empowering you beyond your natural abilities? Sometimes we refer to this as “being in the zone” or “clicking on cylinders”—it’s that almost out-of-body experience where you know that it is you doing it, but your mind is so clear and your body so precise that it doesn’t feel like it is you doing it. Sometimes people get this inspiration when they are crafting a piece of art, working on a project, or even carrying on a conversation. I’ve periodically encountered this incredible sensation when I am writing or preaching a sermon—I can feel the words connecting with people’s souls beyond my human abilities and intensions. 

            I imagine this is what Michelangelo must have felt when he was painting “The Creation of Adam” on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel! I suppose this is what Sir Christopher Wren underwent when he was designing St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. I suspect this is what Harriet Beecher Stowe experienced as she penned the great American novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” I believe this is what Handel must have felt when he was writing “The Messiah.” And I am quite sure, and to an even much greater extent, this is what the biblical authors experienced as they composed the book of the Old and New Testament.         

            Whereas we can surmise that these great artists were somehow inspired to create their majestic masterpieces, the Bible itself attests to the fact that the Scriptures were literally inspired by God and the human authors were moved by the Holy Spirit to write them down. Theologians refer to this phenomenon as the inspiration of Scripture. By inspiration they mean that supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit on the Scripture writers which rendered their writings as accurate record of the Word of God. (Erickson 225)

The Inspiration of Scripture              
There are two primary biblical texts that refer to the inspiration of Scripture. The first is 2 Peter 1:12-21, where the Apostle Peter is trying to assure his readers that the Apostles did not invent clever stories about Jesus Christ. Rather, they were eyewitnesses to his majestic glory. Peter asserts that their personal experience with Jesus affirms (or makes more certain) the words of the Old Testament prophets. This is how the New Testament corroborates the Old Testament.

            In verse 19, Peter challenges his readers to pay close attention to these prophetic words because they are like light shining in a dark place. These words have the power to awaken dead hearts to the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ, who is the bright morning star.

            Peter goes on to state in 1:20-21: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Here Peter clearly explains that the prophetic words were not of human origin. They were not produced by human will or decision. Rather, the human authors were moved or carried along by the Spirit of God. The impetus that led to the writing came from the Holy Spirit, not themselves. For this reason, Peter’s readers are to heed to the prophetic word because it is not simply humans’ word, but God’s word.  

            A second reference is from the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3. In this final letter before he died, Paul wrote to his young assistant Timothy to encourage him to keep the faith in the face of widespread heresy and persecution. In verses 14-15, Paul tells Timothy to continue in “what you have learned and became convinced of, because you know from who you have learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” In these power-packed verses, Paul, like Peter, shows how the Old Testament words were confirmed by New Testament experience. The Old Testament pointed to Jesus Christ, the only one who could provide salvation for sinful human beings.

            Then in verse 16, Paul makes the clearest statement about the inspiration of Scripture when he says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Most English translations of this verse use the word “inspired,” but the NIV’s rendering “God-breathed” is even better. All of the Scriptures were actually breathed by God before they ever entered the mind or reached the quill of the human author.

            Paul goes on to highlight some of the specific functions of God’s written word—“it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” In other words, the Bible teaches us what is morally right, it rebukes us when our thinking or behavior is morally wrong, it corrects us by conforming our thoughts to God’s thoughts, and it trains us to live a righteous life before the Lord. The ultimate purpose of God’s Word is to produce people who are fully equipped to do every good work—that is to live in the center of God’s will. 

            Therefore, we can know God’s will by knowing God’s Word. When we read, study, and obey God’s Word, we will live the life God wants us to live—they best possible life! So, I encourage you to be diligent in reading God’s inspired Word. I challenge you to pick a book of the Bible and begin working your way through it. Start with one of the four gospels in the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Or start with the Book of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament—these books are filled with practical wisdom for everyday life! Read in the morning while sipping a cup of coffee or on your lunch break or at night before you go to bed! If you want to live in God’s will, you have to know his inspired Word!

The Authority of Scripture
            If the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the logical conclusion is that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and life. This means that we should look to the Bible to understand the nature of God and our responsibility as human beings. The Bible should shape our views of human origins, life and death, morality and ethics, politics, economics, business, science, technology, art, culture, marriage, parenting, friendship, family relationships, sexuality, spirituality, money, and material possessions. The Bible should also be our authoritative guide for such hot button social issues as climate change, race relations, immigration policy, abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, and reproductive technologies, genetic engineering, gun control, and war. 

            Are you willing to submit to the authority of God’s Word? Will you examine God’s Word on these issues be willing to conform your views to God’s views? Will you let the God-breathed Scriptures teach, rebuke, correct, and train you for righteousness?

            Dr. Emile Cailliet was a French philosopher who eventually settled in America and became a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. He was brought up with a naturalistic education and he never showed the slightest interest in spiritual things. He had never seen a Bible. But when World War I came, and he sat in the trenches he found himself reflecting on the inadequacy of his atheistic worldview. He began asking himself the deep questions of life such as: Where did life come from? What does life mean, if anything? What value are scientific laws and theories in the face of human deprivation and death? Cailliet later wrote, “I felt, not with reason, but with my whole being, that I was destined to perish miserably when the hour came.”

            During the long night watches Cailliet began to long for what he came to call “a book that would understand me.” He was highly educated and extremely well read, but he knew of no such book. Thus, when he was later wounded and released from the army and returned to his studies, he made up his mind that he would secretly prepare such a book for his own use. As he read for his courses, he would file away passages that seemed to speak to his condition. He copied them in a leather-bound book. He hoped that the quotations would lead him from anxiety and anguish to joy and jubilation.

            At last the day came when he put the finishing touches on his book, “the book that would understand me.” He went out and sat down under a tree and opened the anthology. But when he began to read, he found that his soul was unsatisfied by the words he had recorded. They didn’t solve his deepest problems or quench his thirst for ultimate meaning. Then he realized that his whole project had been a failure. Dejected, he returned the little book to his pocket.

            At that very moment, his wife (who knew nothing about his project) came by with an interesting story. She had been walking in their tiny French village that afternoon and had stumbled upon a small Christian chapel. Much to her own surprise, she went inside and asked for a Bible. The elderly pastor gave her one. She began apologizing to her husband, for she knew his feelings about religion. But he was not interested in her apology. Instead, he replied, “A Bible, you say? Where is it? Show me, I have never seen one before.” When she handed it to him, he rushed to his study and began to read. In his own words, he said:

I opened it and chanced upon the Beatitudes! I read, and read, and read—now aloud with an incredible warmth surging within…I could not find words to express my awe and wonder. And suddenly the realization dawned upon me: This was the book that would understand me! I needed it so much, yet, unaware, I had attempted to write my own—in vain. I continued to read deeply into the night, mostly from the gospels. And lo and behold, as I looked through them, the One of whom they spoke, the One who spoke and acted in them, became alive to me…The providential circumstances amid which the Book had found me now made it clear while it seemed absurd to speak of a book understanding a man, this could be said of the Bible because its pages were animated by the Presence of the Living God and the Power of his mighty acts. To this God I prayed that night, and the God who answered was the same God of whom it was spoken in the Book. (Boice 50-51)

            Dear friends, yes, sometimes the Bible is a book that is difficult to understand, but it is always the book that understands us. Since it is the divinely inspired Word of God, it has the power to change and transform our souls. It helps us to live the best possible life now and it points us to God’s one and only Son Jesus Christ, who through his death and resurrection, offers us eternal life forever! Let’s read and heed God’s inspired Word!