Tag: God

Why I am Going to Together for the Gospel

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Pastoral2 Comments

Bright and early tomorrow morning I am flying to Louisville, KY with three other friends to attend the Together for the Gospel (T4G) Conference. I am excited, and I can’t wait to go! But why? Why have I made it a priority in my busy schedule as a pastor to attend this conference?

Why I am Going to Together for the Gospel

(1) Teaching

The men who will be speaking at this conference are godly men that have been blessed by God with the ability to shepherd other pastors. They are firmly grounded in the Word and all their counsel will be as well. I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say about the gospel, as well as learning more about how the gospel applies to my life, my ministry, and my church.

(2) Books

I love books, they are essential tools for any minister, and there will be tons of vendors at the conference. The best thing is that these vendors will have hand selected a number of solid books and they will be selling them at a discounted price. As well as there will be a lot of books given away for free, which is probably the best part. I plan on coming back with a suitcase full, so much so that I am packing as light as possible, in order to make room for more books. If it is not a necessity, I am not bringing it. I am hoping these books will not only serve to educate me, but that they will also serve my congregation.

(3) Fellowship

I have found that conferences are a great time to meet other godly men from around the country, as well as it is a great time to spend with friends. I am looking forward to connecting with those I have not seen since my last conference, meeting new people, and hanging with my friends I am traveling with. Above all, I am looking forward to learning how God is working in these men’s lives and churches, as well as hearing how the gospel is being spread in their town, and how they are ministering to their community.

(4) Band of Bloggers

I am looking forward to gathering together with other fellow bloggers at the Band of Bloggers meeting to discuss and learn how we may band together as a united front to spread the gospel to the nations through the internet. As well as I am looking forward to meeting new people and discovering new blogs to add to my RSS reader.

(5) Traveling

I love to travel and learn about new places. I am looking forward to exploring Louisville, KY, seeing the campus of SBTS, and eating at a few local places.

For He Has Risen, as He Said!

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals6 Comments

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. The day we will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This Easter I have the privilege of preaching on the resurrection at Sycamore Baptist Church, where I am now the Lead Pastor. I will be preaching over Matthew’s account of the resurrection. In that account, the angel of the Lord tells the two Mary’s who come to the tomb:

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.”

Their dialogue tells us that Jesus knew about His crucifixion and resurrection. It was not a mystery, nor was it plan B.

Jesus’ Announcements of His Resurrection

Jesus actually announced His resurrection several times during His ministry:
  • In Matthew 12:40, He compares Himself to Jonah saying that as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days, I will be in the grave three days.
  • In Matthew 16:21, we learn that “Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
  • In Matthew 17:23, 20:19, and 26:32, Jesus again foretells His death, and in Matthew 26:32 He even tells His disciples where He would go after His resurrection, which is Galilee.

What does this tell us?

It tells us that Jesus’ resurrection was not unplanned, nor unknown. In fact, His death, burial, and resurrection was and always has been apart of God’s sovereign plan. God knew Adam and Eve would sin in the garden, even before the foundation of the earth since Ephesians 1:3-4 tells us that we are chosen (predestined/elected) before the foundation of the earth to be blessed in Christ. In other words, we are chosen before the earth even began to be saved from our sins through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So we learn that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were apart of God’s plan from the beginning and Jesus knew this plan and shared it with His disciples.

What does Jesus’ death and resurrection accomplish?

His death and resurrection accomplishes salvation for all those who repent of their sins and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.

Through His death He paid the price for our sins, taking on the wrath of God, and dying the death we deserved, so that all those who believe in Him would be reconciled to God and could experience eternal life.

His resurrection proves all He said was true. In the resurrection, God places His stamp of approval on all of Jesus’ claims to be the Messiah, the Savior, the Chosen one, as well as His cross work, which means that His death really does cover our sins. His death really does reconcile our relationship to God. His death really does provide us with eternal life. We should recognize that and worship Him.

Conclusion

So this Easter, do not forget the resurrection. Amidst all the fun with friends and family hunting Easter eggs, cooking out, and dressing in your Sunday best, do not forget that this day was planned from before the earth began. Do not forget that this day Jesus our Lord and Savior was resurrected from the grave. Do not forget that this day all that Jesus said about Himself was confirmed, when His hand began to twitch in the grave and life was breathed back into His crucified body. Do not forget to worship the Lord, FOR HE HAS RISEN, AS HE SAID!


The Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit | Part 1

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical8 Comments

As Christian, we are set apart by God to glorify Him in our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19-20). The way we glorify God in our bodies is to become more like His Son, Jesus Christ. The way we become more like His Son is through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, which is known as Sanctification. In my next series of posts I want to explore the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Sanctification: A Definition

When I talk about sanctification, I simply mean the process by which we are set apart unto God for His use. There are two types of sanctification. The first is Definitive Sanctification, and the second is Progressive Sanctification. We will discuss Definitive Sanctification today, and leave it to my next post to discuss Progressive Sanctification.

Definitive Sanctification

Definitive Sanctification can be defined by saying our belief in the gospel occurs at a definitive moment in space time history through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He is the one who first sets us apart by opening our hearts to the gospel message, allowing us to understand it, and believe in it as our only hope of salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14; 1 Peter 1:1-2; Jn 3:5-8; Titus 3:5).

Without an objective moment in time occurring where we are set apart through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we would not be able to begin to be more like Christ because we would be in bondage to our sin, as well as we would be spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1-5; Col. 2:13-14). In Christ, we are made alive, we are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). As those who have been made alive by the work of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to become more like Christ, but not before we are raised from the dead in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.

This means that we are only able to become more like Christ after we have been set apart by the work of the Holy Spirit. The gospel does not tell us that we have to first clean ourselves up before we come to Christ. It tells us that the only way we can believe in Christ is if we are made alive by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Application

Believing the Holy Spirit is the one who awakens dead sinners hearts has radical implications in regards to our evangelism and preaching. By understanding it is the work of the Holy Spirit who awakens a sinners dead heart, we can say several things:

(1) We are freed from the pressure of feeling like we must close the deal every time talk with someone about Christ.

Rather than feeling like we cannot share the gospel with someone until we have our presentation fine tuned, we can share what we know, in the way that works best for us, trusting the Holy Spirit is the one who will close the deal by awakening their heart. No matter how good of a presentation we may give, or how persuasive of a closing argument we have, people will not believe the gospel unless the Holy Spirit has awakened them to it.

From experience you know this is true. Have you ever spent hours on end pleading and showing someone the truth of the gospel only to have them reject it? You answered all their questions, your presentation was solid, you provided them with example after example of how the gospel has changed your life and how you have more joy in Christ than you ever thought possible, but they still do not believe, they still are not ready to commit their lives to Christ. Why you ask? Because the Holy Spirit has not awakened them to the reality of the gospel.

So then, instead of trying to find the next best way to close the deal, be real with people. Share your heart and trust the Holy Spirit will use what you say, no matter how inadequate you believe it to be, to awaken their hearts to the gospel.

(2) We are freed from the belief that people’s blood is on our hands if we do not tell them about the gospel.

In saying this I do not mean to say that we should not seek to tell everyone we meet about the gospel. Rather, I mean that we have a different motivation for presenting the gospel to them. Our motivation is not out of guilt or fear, but out of gratitude for what God has done for us and love for that person. When we tell others about the gospel, we should not tell them the gospel simply to make ourselves feel better, we should present the gospel to them because we want them to experience the same joy, love, and freedom from sin that we experience in Christ as a new creation.

(3) We are freed from manufacturing a worship service that plays on people’s feelings and emotions. 

Rather than manufacturing feelings in people, we are to clearly and boldly explain the gospel message, believing the Holy Spirit will use the Word of God to awaken ones heart to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Looking Forward

In my next post in this series, I will introduce and define the concept of Progressive Sanctification.

Resources

Jerry Bridges, The Transforming Power of the Gospel, Ch. 8

Jesus is Both God and Man

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

Have you ever wondered the scriptural evidence for the claim that Jesus is 100% God and 100% man? Even though it is a mystery as to how this is the case, Scripture is clear Jesus is both God and man. Let’s look at what it has to say.

Jesus is God

There are several Scriptures that tell us Jesus is God. Here are just a few:

  • Titus 2:13 says Christians are “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”
  • In John 20:28 – Thomas, in speaking of Jesus, cries out, “My Lord and my God!”
  • In Hebrews 1:8 God gives a direct testimony of Christ and He says “But of the Son He says, ‘Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.’”
  • In John 1:18 Jesus is called “the only begotten God.”

We also know that Jesus is God because He has all the attributes of God.

  • He knows everything (Mt 16:21; Luke 11:17; John 4:29)
  • Is everywhere (Matthew 18:20; 28:20; Acts 18:10)
  • Has all power (Mt 8:26, 27; 28:18; Jn 11:38-44; Lk 7:14-15; Revelation 1:8)
  • Depends on nothing outside of Himself for life (Jn 1:4; 14:6;8:58)
  • Rules over everything (Mt 28:18; Rev 19:16; 1:5)
  • Never began to exist and never will cease to exist (John 1:1; 8:58)
  • Is our Creator (Colossians 1:16).
  • In other words, everything that God is, Jesus is. For Jesus is God.

Jesus is Man

Jesus is not only God, but He is man as well.

  • John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Telling us that Jesus is God incarnate.
  • 1 John 4:2 and 2 John 7 tell us that anyone who denies Jesus is man is of the spirit of the anti-christ.

We also know that Jesus is man because He possesses the attributes of man.

  • He was born as a baby from a human mother (Luke 2:7; Galatians 4:4)
  • He became weary (John 4:6), thirsty (John 19:28), and hungry (Matthew 4:2).
  • He experienced the full range of human emotions such as marvel (Matt. 8:10), weeping, and sorrow (John 11:35).
  • These attributes show that He lived on earth just as we do.

Conclusion

As God incarnate, Jesus did not lose any attributes of His divinity, nor did He lose any attributes of His humanity, so that He was 100% God and 100% Man. It is a mystery as to the exact details of how this worked itself out, but Scripture does give us proof Jesus was both God and Man.

Resource

How Can Jesus be both God and Man? You can read this excellent article from Desiring God ministries by clicking here.

The Proper Motivation for Christian Obedience | Part 1

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals4 Comments

In my next few posts, I want to cover what drives our obedience to God. In this first post, I need to lay the theological foundation before talking about what does and does not motivate our obedience.

In John 15:4-5 we are told that the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine. In this parable, Jesus represents the vine and we represent the branch, which means we cannot bear spiritual fruit unless we abide in Christ; we cannot obey His commandments unless we abide in Him.

What Does it Mean to Abide in Christ?

In means that we are His disciples; that we believe His gospel message and in so doing, we enter into a relationship with Him. But more than that, it means that we are in union with Christ. We are joined together with Him, so that who He is we are.

Two types of Unions with Christ

There are two ways in which we are in union with Christ. The first is a representative union and the second is a living union. In order to understand the living union, we must first discuss the representative union. Today, we will look at our representative union with Christ and in a future post I will discuss our living union with Him. My hope is that a proper understanding of our representative and living unions will be what drives, or motivates, our obedience to God’s commands.

Representative Union

Romans 5 is especially clear in that both Adam and Jesus are representatives (Rom. 5:12-21 especially 18 & 19). What do they each represent?

Adam represents all that is:

  • Sinful
  • Corrupt
  • Imperfect
  • Unrighteous

As a representative, all those whom Adam represents are also sinful, corrupt, imperfect, and unrighteous. As such, their relationship with God is hindered because a holy God cannot have a relationship with sinful man.

Jesus represents all that is:

  • Holy
  • Sinless
  • Perfect
  • Righteous

As a representative, all those whom Jesus represents are also holy, sinless, perfect, and righteous. As such, they have fellowship with God, whereas those whom Adam represents do not.

Who Do They Represent?

If Romans 5 tells us both are representatives, who then does Adam represent and who does Jesus represent?

  • Adam represents all those who are not redeemed by the blood of Christ. In other words, he represents the entire human race apart from those in Christ (Rom. 5:12, 17, 19)
  • Jesus represents all those who profess Him as their Lord and Savior (Rom. 5:18-19, 21).

Imputation

2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that Jesus’ righteousness is credited to us. The verse reads as follows:

For our sake He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God. 

So we see that Jesus, the one who knew no sin, took our sin on Himself, so that those who are “in Him” who are in union with Him, who believe in Him as their Lord and Savior, will become righteous. In theological terms, we would say that Jesus’ righteousness is imputed or attributed to us on the basis of our belief in Him as our Lord and Savior.

When we enter into union with Jesus, He becomes our representative instead of Adam. When God looks down on us, instead of seeing what Adam represents – sin, death, unrighteousness, rebellion, etc – He sees what Christ represents – sinlessness, perfection, righteousness, obedience, etc. As a result, we are reconciled to God and we experience fellowship with Him (2 Cor. 5:20b; 1 Jn 1:2-3)

Implications of the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness to Us

If we are made righteous by Jesus’ righteousness being attributed to us and by no other way, what are the implications?

(1) We are not saved by our works

Only through Jesus’ work on the cross are we saved because sinful man can never do enough to make himself holy. It took the perfect sacrifice of Christ being credited to our account to make us holy. In other words, we are only holy because Christ’s blood covers our sins. Since we cannot offer a perfect sacrifice, nor are the works of sinful man seen as worthy, we cannot ever work our way to God.

(2) Our works cannot earn us favor with God 

God accepts Christ based on His righteousness, and Christ’s righteousness is attributed to us, when we believe in Jesus as our Savior. This means God doesn’t love us anymore than He does right now and always no matter what we do for Him because God loves Christ perfectly and His account has been credited to us. There is nothing more we can do to earn His favor or earn more of His Grace. We are given Christ’s righteousness, and Christ’s righteousness is perfect.

However, we often live as if we can earn God’s favor. What are some things we do that we might believe will earn favor with God?

  • Show more love to our wife
  • Not have a lustful thought
  • Participate in Foreign Missions or Home Missions
  • Serve the church
  • Give away money, time, or resources
  • Read Bible, Pray, Come to Church
  • Volunteer in the city
  • Etc.

Try as we might, these things do not earn us favor with God. The only way we earn favor with God is through our union with Christ. Since Christ is perfectly favored and accepted by God, we are perfectly favored and accepted by God.

(3) We are fully accepted by God in Christ

We do not have to earn God’s acceptance. God perfectly accepts Christ, and being in union with Christ as our representative means God perfectly accepts us as well.

Summary

We learn from these three implications of Christ’s righteousness imputed to us that our works do not earn our salvation, our works do not earn us favor with God, and our works do not earn us acceptance with God.

Conclusion

The Gospel tells us that in Christ, there is nothing we can do that would make God love us more, and nothing we have done that would make Him love us less. Only by abiding in Christ are we made righteous because only then is He our representative head and only when He is our representative are His attributes and works attributed to us.

In my next post, I will discuss how our obedience to God is motivated out of a sense of gratitude, which stems from a proper understanding of  and reflection on our salvation.

Resources

Jerry Bridges, The Transforming Power of the Gospel, Ch. 1, 4, 5

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When God Test’s Us

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals2 Comments

Genesis 22:1-2 tells us that the Lord tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, his only son, the one whom he loved. After reading those words, our immediate response might be, “Should the Lord do that? Is that right? Can he ask Abraham to sacrifice his son as a test? What is the Lord accomplishing by asking such a thing of Abraham? What would He accomplish by testing us?”

The Lord Tests Our Hearts

Before we jump to conclusions, it is important to understand the Lord’s testing of us is not sinful. In fact, Scripture is full of verses showing the Lord tests the hearts of men (Prov. 17:3).

  • Ex. 15:25-26 and Deut. 8:2 – Tells us the Lord tests Israel to see if they will follow His commandments.
  • Deut. 13:3 – Tells us that the Lord will tests us by sending prophets who will tell us to go after other gods instead of serving the Lord Himself.
  • Ps. 11:5 and Luke 8:13 – Tells us Lord tests the righteous, who claim to be His followers
  • Ps. 26:2 – The Psalmist asks the Lord to test his heart, in order for him to show that he loves the Lord and knows that the Lord is faithful to His promises.
  • James 1:3 – Tells us the testing of our faith produces steadfastness.
  • James 1:12 – Tells us those who endure testing prove they love the Lord more than the world, which results in them receiving the crown of life.

How does the Lord test us?

We know from James 1:13-15 that the Lord does not tempt us to do evil, but He does test us. He tests us by putting us in difficult situations to see if we will obey and trust Him or seek to do it our own way (Ex. 15:25-26; Deut. 8:2). In addition, He tests us by sending those our way who preach a false gospel to see if we will follow after it (Deut. 13:3). Furthermore, He tests us by putting us in situations where we have to deal with either the lack of, or the excess of, recognition, fame, wealth, and comfort among other things (1 Thess. 2:4-7)

He Tests us to know:

  • If we believe His promises (Ps. 26:2)
  • If we believe in His gospel (Gal 1:6-7; Hosea 6:4)
  • If we are fully dedicated to Him and Him alone (Ex. 15:25-26; Deut. 8:2; 13:3)
  • If we desire the things of the world, looking for joy and satisfaction there; rather, than finding it in God and God alone (1 Thess. 2:4-7).

Conclusion

In the end, we see that the Lord does test us. The reason He tests us is to see where our heart is, to show us our true nature, and to humble us so we will follow Him alone.