Sure, the list above might be silly and only good for a cheap laugh... BUT a good laugh and a light heart should remind us as Christians of a wonderful truth  – namely, our theology, when properly understood, produces great joy!  Christian theology is not (nor should it ever be considered) merely the preserve of ivory tower academies, nor is it primarily a matter of reading what one scholastic brainbox from the distant past has written in response to another – Christian theology is simply about knowing God and knowing Him better.  To truly know Him is to rejoice in Him. 

Therefore, as someone has concluded elsewhere:

“That’s why theology is so exciting – it’s about knowing this God; the God who is, from all eternity, a Father loving his Son by his Spirit, the God who has revealed himself to us in the Scriptures, the God who has himself come to us in Jesus Christ and displayed his unimaginably great love for us on the cross. That’s why Christian theology is so exciting, it’s not a matter of trying to bend our minds around some philosophical construct – it’s about knowing this God!  And Christian theology is transformative: as we dive deeper into knowing the true and living God, he grips not only our minds, but our hearts too – how could knowing him more not lead us to love him more, since he is lovely?! And then theology becomes very practical: as Jesus taught, when we love him, we will obey his commands (John 14:15).”
 
With all of this in mind please continue to do good theology, grow in your knowledge of God, and be filled with joy.  Never forget of all of the people on the face of the earth, my Christian friend, it is you who should be most joyful!

Last evening in a group discussion a question arose concerning the Holy Spirit's role in the Old Testament era.  Because of this discussion I thought it might be helpful to post a short portion of  A.W. Pink's book, The Holy Spirit, in which he offers some useful insights on this important (and oft misunderstood) subject. 

Much ignorance prevails today concerning this aspect of our subject. The crudest ideas are now entertained as to the relation between the Third Person of the Godhead and the Old Testament saints. Yet this is scarcely to be wondered at in view of the fearful confusion which obtains respecting their salvation, many supposing that they were saved in an entirely different way from what we are now. Nor need we be surprised at that, for this, in turn, is only another of the evil effects produced by the misguided efforts of those who have been so eager to draw as many contrasts as possible between the present dispensation and those which preceded it, to the disparaging of the earlier members of God’s family. The Old Testament saints had far more in common with the New Testament saints than is generally supposed.

A verse which has been grossly perverted by many of our moderns is John 7:39, "The Holy Spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified." It seems passing strange that with the Old Testament in their hands, some men should place the construction which they do upon those words. The words "was not yet given" can no more be understood absolutely than "Enoch was not" (Gen. 5:24); they simply mean that the Spirit had not yet been given in His full administrative authority. He was not yet publicly manifested here on earth. All believers, in every age, had been sanctified and comforted by Him, but the "ministration of the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:8) was not at that time fully introduced; the outpouring of the Spirit, in the plentitude of His miraculous gifts, had not then taken place.

In Relation to Creation

Let us first consider, though very briefly, the work of the Spirit in connection with the old or material creation. Before the worlds were framed by the Word of God, and things which are seen were made out of things which do not appear (Heb. 11:3), when the whole mass of inanimate matter lay in one undistinguished chaos, "without form and void," we are told that, "the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:2). There are other passages which ascribe the work of creation (in common with the Father and the Son), to His immediate agency. For example, we are told, "by His Spirit He hath garnished the heavens" (Job 26:13). Job was moved to confess, "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (33:4). "Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created: and Thou renewest the face of the earth" (Ps. 104:30).

In Relation to Adam

Let us next contemplate the Holy Spirit in relation to Adam. As so much darkness now surrounds this subject, we must enter into it in greater detail. "Three things were required to render man fit unto that life to God for which he was made. First, an ability to discern the mind and wisdom of God with respect unto all the duty and obedience that God requires of him; as also for to know the nature and properties of God, as to believe Him the only proper object of all acts and duties of religious obedience, and an all-sufficient satisfaction and reward in this world, and to eternity. Secondly, a free, uncontrolled, unentangled, disposition to every duty of the law of his creation for living unto God. Thirdly, an ability of mind and will, with a readiness of compliance in his affections, for a regular performance of all duties and abstinence from all sin. These things belonged unto the integrity of his nature, with the uprightness of the state and condition wherein he was made. And all these things were the peculiar effects of the immediate operation of the Holy Spirit.

"Thus Adam may be said to have had the Spirit of God in his innocence. He had Him in these peculiar effects of His power and goodness, and he had Him according to the tenor of that covenant, whereby it was possible that he should utterly lose Him, as accordingly it came to pass. He had Him not by especial inhabitation, for the whole world was then the temple of God. In the Covenant of Grace, founded in the Person and on the mediation of Christ, it is otherwise. On whomsoever the Spirit of God is bestowed for the renovation of the image of God in him, He abides with him forever" (J. Owen, 1680).

The three things mentioned above by that eminent Puritan constituted the principal part of that "image of God" wherein man was created by the Spirit. Proof of this is seen in the fact that at regeneration the Holy Spirit restores those abilities in the souls of God’s elect: "And hath put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of Him that created him" (Col. 3:10): that is, the spiritual knowledge which man lost at the Fall is, potentially, restored at the new birth; but it could not be restored or "renewed" if man had never possessed it!

The "knowledge" with which the Holy Spirit endowed Adam was great indeed. Clear exemplification of this is seen in Genesis 2:19. Still, more conclusive evidence is found in Genesis 2:21-23: God put Adam into a deep sleep, took a rib out of his side, formed it into a woman, and then set her before him. On sight of her Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." He knew who she was and her origin, and forthwith gave her a suitable name; and he could only have known all this by the Spirit of revelation and understanding.

That Adam was, originally, made a partaker of the Holy Spirit is quite evident to the writer from Genesis 2:7, "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." If those words were interpreted in the light of the Analogy of Faith, they can mean nothing less than that the Triune God imparted the Holy Spirit unto the first man. In Ezekiel 37 we have a vivid parabolic picture of the regenerating of spiritual Israel. There we are told, "Prophesy unto the Wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the Wind, Thus saith the LORD God, Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the Breath came unto them, and they lived" (vv. 9, 10). Again, we find the Savior, after His resurrection, "Breathed on them (the Apostles), and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22): that was the counterpart of Genesis 2:7: the one the original gift, the other the restoration of what was lost.

Rightly has it been said that "The doctrine that man was originally, though mutably, replenished with the Spirit, may be termed the deep fundamental thought of the Scripture doctrine of man. If the first and second Adam are so related that the first man was the analogue or figure of the second, as all admit on the authority of Scripture (Rom. 5:12-14), it is clear that, unless the first man possessed the Spirit, the last man, the Healer or Restorer of the forfeited inheritance, would not have been the medium of giving the Spirit, who was withdrawn on account of sin, and who could be restored only on account of the everlasting righteousness which Christ (Rom. 8:10) brought in" (G. Smeaton, 1880).

In Relation to the Hebrew Nation

Let us next observe the relation of the Holy Spirit unto the Hebrew nation. A very striking and comprehensive statement was made by Nehemiah, when he reviewed the Lord’s dealings with His people of old: "Thou gavest also Thy good Spirit to instruct them" (Neh. 8:20). He was, until quenched, upon the members of the Sanhedrin (Num. 11:16, 17). He came upon the judges (Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 15:14), upon the kings (1 Sam. 11:6; 16:13), and the Prophets. But note it is a great mistake to say, as many have done, that the Holy Spirit was never in any believer before Pentecost: Numbers 27:18, Nehemiah 9:30, 1 Peter 1:11 clearly prove otherwise. But alas, Israel "rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit" (Isa. 63:10), as Stephen declared, "Ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye" (Acts 7:51).

That the Holy Spirit indwelt saints under the Legal economy is clear from many considerations: how otherwise could they have been regenerated, had faith, been enabled to perform works acceptable to God? The Spirit prompted true prayer, inspired spiritual worship, produced His fruit in the lives of believers then (see Zech. 4:6) as much as He does now. We have "the same Spirit of faith" (2 Cor. 4:13) as they had. All the spiritual good which has ever been wrought in and through men must be ascribed unto the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was given to the Old Testament saints prospectively, as pardon of sin was given in view of the satisfaction which Christ was to render unto God.

In light of this mornings Supreme Court ruling declaring homosexual marriage to be a enumerated constitutional right I thought it was timely to share a small portion of a Q&A  dialogue on the subject.  I trust it will be helpful.  For another  helpful article on the subject of same-sex marriage written from a different perspective please read "Same-Sex Marriage & the Future" by Russell Moore.

In the meantime, if you are a Christian troubled by todays ruling and concerned about its implications for religious liberty and free-speech, please take comfort in the following facts:

1)  Homosexuals are not our enemies - they are people who are lost and need the transformative gospel of Jesus Christ.
2)  Regardless of the dictates of the governments of man,  Christ is still on the throne and the good news is still true.
3)  Agreeing with God's is always the right thing to do - especially when it is difficult to do so.
4)  Always remember that Jesus wins (see Psalm 2).  At the end of the game all of the pieces will put back in the box and only Christ and His people will stand victorious.  

Though at first this might seem pedantic it is nevertheless important to point out that same-sex “marriage” is not really “marriage” in any real sense of the word.

Why is this?

This is because real marriage (unlike same-sex marriage) is most assuredly NOT a manmade institution or a societal construct, it is an institution very obviously imposed upon mankind from an outside source.  Proof of this is that marriage is hemmed in with very obvious biological, anatomical, and psychological (not to mention theological) parameters. 

A pastor would argue that these marital-parameters were given by God.  An evolutionary biologist might argue that these parameters were given by nature.  Either way though we are both agreed that the parameters are there.  They exist.  They are facts.  They are beyond our control.  They are unaffected by our feelings, preferences, desires, wishes, wants, and yearnings.  They are unalterably bound-up in the concept of marriage.  Since same-sex marriage has no such parameter and is little more than a societal construct it does not qualify as “marriage” in any way shape or form.

Politicians might pass legislation that will change how our society is permitted to use the word “marriage.”  Justices might pronounce judgments changing the legal definition of the word “marriage.”  But these are merely linguistic games  that cannot change the institution of marriage any more than they can change the biological, anatomical, psychological and theological parameters that surround it. 

Above I mentioned that it seemed as if marriage had been imposed upon mankind from an outside source.  It has, of course.  God is the outside source.  He alone has “imposed” marriage upon mankind without ever canvassing our views on the subject.   Therefore marriage’s meaning, its boundaries, and its blessings all come from God and are clearly laid down in His word, the Bible. 

Here are some scripture references that might help you understand why I, along with any Christian who takes the Bible seriously, cannot affirm the practice of homosexuality let alone support the concept of same-sex “marriage”

1.)  Marriage has been given by God as a picture of the relationship between Christ and His bride the church (Ephesians 5:32).   This is yet one more proof that God has set the institution up in a very particular way and for a very particular purpose and therefore we have no real authority to redefine or recreate it.

2.)  Homosexual behavior is strictly prohibited in both the Old and New Testaments (Lev. 18:22-24, Lev. 20:13, I Cor. 6:9-20, I Tim 1:10) as being contrary to God’s design in creation.

3.)  Homosexuality along with all other forms of sexual immorality is always represented as intrinsically sinful behavior that provokes the wrath of God (Rom.1:26-28) and dehumanizes its participants. 

4.)  Scripture clearly shows that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman.  (Gen.2:22-24, Matt. 19:5-6).         

5.)  Homosexuals (like all of the rest of us) though sinners are NOT beyond the transformative power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (I Cor 6:9-11 – please note the implications of the phrase “such were some of you” in v.11).  Christians who, in the name of love or tolerance, support same-sex marriage are simply affirming homosexuals in their sin.  Furthermore, they have embraced a very troubling philosophy – namely, that whoever the gospel is for, it certainly isn’t for the sexually immoral. 

Can I say to you very bluntly that if the gospel isn’t for the sexually immoral, be they homosexuals, adulterers, fornicators, or people who yield to lust, then the gospel isn’t for me…  and it isn’t good news at all…  But, of course, it is for me and it is good news.  Therefore, I am against same-sex marriage because I am for the gospel. 

(The article reprinted below was written by Lucas Wooford.  Rev. Dr. Lucas V. Wooford is senior pastor of Zion Lutheran Church and School, Mayer, Minn.  My hopes are that you, my readers, find it helpful.)

Personal Note:  
G.K. Chesterton has done more to shape my worldview than any other Christian writer.  Had I never stumbled across his books Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man I never would have learned that the Christian faith is a thing of great depth - a thing for thinking men and women to wrestle with and devote their minds to.  Yes, I believe that the Christian faith is also a thing that even a small child to grasp.  Nevertheless, its seeming simplicity is not an excuse for Christians who would remain simpletons. 

Since Chesterton was a Roman Catholic there was/is much that he and I would disagree on, nevertheless, the way in which he explains the superiority of the Christian worldview over against all other world views is something for Protestants and Catholics alike to ponder and delight in.

Happy Birthday Mr. Chesterton.  I look forward to meeting you in heaven...  we have much to discuss. 

Rev. Joseph Addison Alexander, (April 24, 1809 - January 28, 1860) was a Presbyterian minister, biblical scholar, theological professor, author, and poet.

Since "the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards" (as J.R.R. Tolkien aptly put it in one of his books) let's note what Alexander's well-known colleague, Charles Hodge, had to say about him:


"I regard Dr. Joseph Addison Alexander as incomparably the greatest man I ever knew - as incomparably the greatest man our church has ever produced. His thorough orthodoxy, his fervent piety, humility, faithfulness in the discharge of his duties, and reverence for the Word of God, consecrated all his other gifts. He glorified the Word of God in the sight of his pupils beyond what any man I ever saw had the power of doing."