Ref Now Vol6 Iss2&3

DECEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 4

REFORMATION NOW

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Reformation Now magazine is made available free of charge. For any voluntary contributions, kindly contact us at [email protected] for details.

PUBLISHER COVENANT B-P CHURCH, BANGALORE EDITOR BELIN KULASEKAR CONSULTING EDITOR GEORGE SKARIAH

EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE NIRMALA RAO & ERLYNNE CHRISTINA JOSEPH PROGRAM MANAGER & COVER DESIGN PRANEETH FRANKLIN

© 2018 R�� N��. The articles may be freely used for non-commercial purposes, so long as they are quoted verbatim and the writer as well as

the source is identified and acknowledged. All Bible verses are quoted from the King James Version.

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THOMAS VINCENT

2 GLORY OF GOD

BELIN KULASEKAR

5 HENRY MARTYN’S

VENKATESH GOPALAKRISHNAN

32 SIN OF ADULTERY 23 IS OUR GOD BOTH

ONE AND THREE?

JOHN RAKSHITH PRABHAKAR

29 A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF REST

JOHN RAKSHITH PRABHAKAR

26 WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM Q.18

KELLEY BETH PRABHAKAR

INTO THE BIBLE11 WISDOM AND HUMILITY

SARMISHTA VENKATESH

(Studies from the Book of PROVERBS)

15 THE NEW COVENANT AND ITS GRACIOUS PROMISES

GEORGE SKARIAH

GEORGE SKARIAH

27 THE STORY OF EVERYTHING:

The Grave Sin.

OT &NT STUDIES|

(HEBREWS 8:1-13)

THE GOSPEL36 CAUGHT IN SIN, SET FREE BY CHRIST

BELIN KULASEKAR

20 A CHRISTIAN AND THE

FEAR OF GODGOSPEL WORK IN INDIA

REDEMPTIVEBIBLE STORY|

BELIN KULASEKAR

‘’Cover illustration, “Moses and the Burning Bush,”

is an artwork by Jerry Thompson..

1

Dear Readers,

Greetings in the name of our Triune God, Father, Son and theHoly Spirit!

The time-tested protestant catechism begins with this question,“What is the chief end of man?” and answered in this manner,“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”This is not human wisdom, but the teaching of the Bible. Theglory of God is the purpose of our lives and it gives meaning forour existence. This magazine begins by dealing with this topic.

In our Church History section, we reflect upon the incrediblework done by Rev. Henry Martyn, the great servant of God forthe Indian Church. The Trinity is a fundamental doctrine aboutwhich many Christians are confused and the Q&A section looksinto this. The Christian Life section considers some practicalaspects of what the Bible means when it talks about fearing God.The section on Biblical Fundamentals considers the theology of

rest. The Bible Studies from the books of Proverbs and Hebrews are continued along with the other regularcolumns. We sincerely hope and pray that these issues would be a great encouragement for your souls.

All things are created for God’s glory, all things work for God’s glory, and all things are preserved andgoverned for God’s glory. Let us also remember that we are redeemed for God’s glory. As we strive tohonour and glorify God through our lives, families, and service, may the Lord continue to keep us steadfastalways aiming for God to be glorified. Romans 11:36 affirms, “For of him, and through him, and to him, areall things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

In His Service,

Belin Kulasekar

“The thief cometh not, but

for to steal, and to kill, and

to destroy: I am come that

they might have life, and

that they might have it more

abundantly.”

- John 10:10

FROM THE EDITOR

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WHAT DOES GLORY OF GOD MEAN?

The original Hebrew and Greek word which aretranslated "glory" in our Bibles have a range ofmeaning. The English word "glory" is a translationof the Hebrew word "kabod" and Greek word"doxa". The word "kabod" is sometimes used todenote wealth and possessions. In Psalm 49:16, forexample, the psalmist instructed the people of Godto "[be] not afraid when a man becomes rich, whenthe glory ("kabod ") of his house increases." In thisverse, the word "glory" is parallel to the word"rich". At other times, the word is used to describehonor and respect. For instance, Job complainedthat God had stripped him of his glory (Job 19:9),and thus his brothers, relatives, and friends treatedhim with contempt (Job 19:13-16). Still othertimes, the word is used to signify a king's splendorand majesty. God promised Solomon great wealth

and glory (1 King 3:13; "kabod "). Jesus said thatthis glory of Solomon faded in comparison the liliesof field (Matthew 6:29; "doxa").

When the word "glory" is used to describe God, theword assumes superlative significance. Since God isthe owner of all the earth (Exodus 19:5) and allriches flow from Him (1 Chronicles 29:12), Hisglory (or wealth) is supreme. Since God is greaterthan our fathers, mothers, teachers, and employers(Malachi 1:6; Isaiah 49:15; Matthew 23:8), Hisglory (or the respect and honour that hecommands) is supreme. Since God is the one whosets up kings and deposes kings (Daniel 2:21), andis the great king over all the earth (Psalm 47:7), Hisglory (or splendor or majesty) is supreme. God'sglory is the standard; all earthly things and peoplethat exhibit glory are a faint reflection of God'sgreat glory.

The mind of man can perhaps conceive of no greater thought and deliberate on no greater topic than theglory of God. The glory of God is a subject on which tomes could be written, yet the subject can hardly beexhausted. God's glory is such a rich subject that a short article like this one can hardly do justice.Nevertheless, despite the greatness of the subject, we will attempt to sketch the contours of this doctrine asit is presented in the Bible. We will define the meaning of the phrase "glory of God", consider the glory ofGod as revealed in his works, and conclude with applications of this doctrine to our lives.

GLORY OF GOD

DOCTRINE

Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan

3

Thus, we can conclude that glory of God is thatattribute of God that moves us to treasure Himabove all earthly riches, motivates us to honourHim above all earthly superiors, and causes us toascribe majesty to Him above all earthly kings.

Before we consider the glory of God as revealed inHis works, it goes without saying that all threepersons of the Godhead share this glory. The Biblecalls God the Father as "Father of glory" (Ephesians1:17), God the Son as "Lord of glory" (1Corinthians 2:8) and God the Spirit as "Spirit ofglory" (1 Peter 4:14). All three persons of theTrinity are equal in glory.

THE GLORY OF GODREVEALED IN HIS WORKS

Not only do we see the glory of God revealed inHis person, but also in His works, particularly in thework of creation. David declared, "The heavensdeclare the glory of God, and the sky aboveproclaims His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). For David,all of creation so unmistakably witnessed to theglory of the Creator that this witness moved God'speople to cry out in His temple, "glory!" (Psalm29:1-10). God expects the same kind of responsenot only from His people but also from the rest ofthe world. However, the world refuses to giveglory to God not because creation's testimony isunclear, but because the world chooses to suppressthis testimony in unrighteousness (Romans 1:19-23).

As much the works of creation reveal the glory ofGod, the works of redemption reveal the glory ofGod even more. The greatest act of redemption in

the Old Testament was God bringing Israel out ofEgypt. God's great purpose in bringing Israel out ofEgypt was to receive glory – both from Egypt andfrom Israel (Exodus 14:4-8; 15:11). In other words,Israel's national deliverance enhanced God's gloryboth in the eyes of His people and in the eyes of theworld. But Israel's deliverance was merely a typethat foreshadowed the salvation of God's people outof sin and misery through Jesus Christ. HenceJesus's work of saving His people brings greaterglory to God. For this reason, Jesus said, "I glorifiedyou on earth, having accomplished the work thatyou gave me to do" (John 17:4). And Apostle Paulcalls the message of Jesus's person and work as "thegospel of glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Asthis gospel is embraced by more and more people,it results in thanksgiving which brings even greaterglory to God (2 Corinthians 4:15).

APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE OFTHE GLORY OF GOD

How can we apply the doctrine of the glory of Godin our lives? The Psalmist gives us the answer:"Declare his glory among the nations, hismarvelous works among all the peoples!" (Psalm96:3). What are these marvelous works that we arecalled to declare in order to spread God's gloryamong the nations?

Firstly, we are called to declare God's marvelousworks in creation. God's glory must be a strongmotivation for Christians to excel in the study ofnatural sciences (Psalm 111:2-3). However, wemust not stop with mere study, but must use ourstudy to confess our faith in the triune God before

DOCTRINEGLORY OF GOD | VENKATESH GOPALAKRISHNAN

4

the unbelieving world. Only when we tell theworld of our faith in Christ, our delighting in God'swork of creation is complete.

Secondly, we are called to declare God's marvelousworks in redemption. As Christians, we must beeager to share the "gospel of the glory of Christ" (2Corinthians 4:4). Our gospel witness should beindividual as well as collective. As individuals, wemust look for opportunities to share our testimonywith others. We must be ready to give a reason forour hope in Christ whenever a need arises (1 Peter3:15). As part of local church, we must bear witnessto the gospel by ascribing glory to God in ourpublic worship (Psalm 29:2; 96:7). Our preparationfor public worship must be diligent so that oursinging, reading, and hearing of the preached wordis marked by reverence and awe (Hebrews 13:5).When our worship is reverent, our worship itselfwill be a testimony to the watching world.

Finally, we can apply the doctrine of the glory ofGod in our lives by making God's glory theregulative principle of our lives. Paul says, "So,whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, doall to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians. 10:31).Therefore, in everything that we do in our dailylives, whether in thought, word, or deed, we mustalways ask the question, "Does my action glorifyGod?" When our lives our marked by suchreverence, we can say with our Savior on the lastday, "I glorified you on earth, having accomplishedthe work that you gave me to do."

DOCTRINE GLORY OF GOD | VENKATESH GOPALAKRISHNAN

WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM

(IN TAMIL AND KANNADA)

Get your free copy. Address is available oninside of magazine’s back cover.

5

EARLY LIFE

Henry Martyn was born on 18th February 1781 in arespectable godly family. His mother died when hewas just two years old. Having contractedtuberculosis and other asthmatic conditions as achild, Henry’s physical health was never in goodshape. Two of his sisters died from the same disease.31 years after his birth, Henry would also succumbto the same disease. From his young age, Henry waskeen on learning and was ably supported by hisfather. Henry was sent to grammar school at the ageof seven and wished to pursue law as a career. Whenhe was fifteen, Henry applied to Oxford for a vacantscholarship and failed missing it narrowly. Thisturned out to be a wonderful act of God’sprovidence as he went to Cambridge instead of

Oxford. Because it was in Cambridge that he cameto know the truth and saving faith in the Lord JesusChrist.

CONVERSION AND CALL

Although Henry was a very brilliant, timid andintroverted student, he was a proud man with a badtemper who lacked self-control. Once when hisanger erupted in an uncontrollable rage, he threw aknife at another student. Again, by God’sprovidence he missed the mark and Henry was savedfrom being guilty of a serious crime. His godlyfather and especially his sister were deeply concernedabout the spiritual state of Henry. During a holiday-break visit to family, Henry’s sister started speakingabout spiritual matters. In return Henry used very

Henry was a wonderful servant of God bestowed with versatile talents and used mightily by the Lord. He livedon this earth only for 31 years. Yet he is usually and rightly been described as a pious and holy saint,brilliant-academic and accomplished-scholar, skilled-Bible translator, self-denying and devoted missionary,faithful and laborious pastor, and an able-apologist. He is known across the world as the missionary to Indiaand Persia who translated the Bible into Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu), Persian, Arabic, and Judeo-Persian. Heministered in India for just five years but left behind a great legacy for the people of this land. In this article, wewill briefly look at some highlights of the gospel-work done by Henry Martyn in India for the glory of God.

CHURCH HISTORY

Belin Kulasekar

HENRY MARTYN’SGOSPEL WORK IN INDIA

6

harsh and arrogant words to his father and sister.With much patience his sister persevered, shared thegospel, and even got a promise from Henry that hewould read the Bible daily. The very next yearHenry’s father passed away. The Spirit of Godstarted working in Henry’s heart and Henry startedconsidering the truth, faith, life, death, and after-life.He began reading the Bible with much fervor andfound the answers in the Lord and Savior JesusChrist. Repenting from his sins and putting his faithin the Redeemer revealed in Holy Scripture, heprayed fervently and surrendered his life to God.

Charles Simeon, a great man of God wasministering in Cambridge at that time. Henrylistened to Simeon describing the faithful work ofWilliam Carey in India. God affected Henry with acall to minister the gospel in India. Reading thebiography of David Brainerd, a missionary to thenative Americans, Henry was inspired andconvinced about his desire to go and serve in India.The more Henry grew in the Word and the Lord,the more he was drawn for God’s glory and theconcern to take the gospel to the nations. One of hisfamous quotes agrees, “The spirit of Christ is thespirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, themore intensely missionary we become.” He wasappointed as a deacon, and later was ordained as aminister in the Anglican Church and served withCharles Simeon. Henry was pastoring a nearbyparish as well. Henry desired to be sent as amissionary through CMS (Christian MissionarySociety), but due to financial constraints, heapproached and obtained a Chaplain position underthe British East India Company.

VOYAGE TO INDIA

In 1805, at the age of 24, Henry Martyn set sail toIndia. He notes his feelings, “Though it was what Ihad been anxiously looking forward to so long, yetthe consideration of being parted forever from myfriends, almost overcame me. My feelings werethose of a man who should suddenly be told thatevery friend he had in the world was dead.” Duringthe long journey, Henry gave himself to thelearning of Scripture, Christian books, and Easternlanguages. He also faithfully and patientlyconducted worship services onboard every Lord’sDay and read spiritually-beneficial books to thedisinterested and unwilling travelers every day.After nine months of voyage, Henry reached theshores of India and seeing the spiritual condition, heresolved, “I am willing, I trust, through grace, topass my life among them if by any means these poorpeople may be brought to God.” Another famousquote shows Henry’s zeal for the Lord and love forthe people, “Now let me burn out for God,” Henryarrived in Calcutta on 14 May, 1806.

GOSPEL WORK IN CALCUTTA

Rev. David Brown, who was ministering inCalcutta, received Martyn with great affection.Brown is credited for establishing a translationlibrary in Bengal with 4000 volumes in Arabic,Persian, Hindustani, Bengali, Chinese, Portuguese,English, Marathi and other languages. With thechange of weather, Henry’s first experience wassickness with severe fever. Gradually he recoveredand started studying Urdu very seriously. His nextexperience was even more serious as he witnessedfirsthand the practice of Sati. He went to rescue the

CHURCH HISTORY HENRY MARTYN’S GOSPEL WORK IN INDIA | BELIN KULASEKAR

7

burning widow who was thrown into the funeral-pyre. Before he could rescue her, she was consumedto death. He stood there with great shock andcompassion as he expressed later, “shivering as ifstanding in the neighborhood of hell.” Henrycontinued to serve zealously in Calcutta for fewmore months. His preaching was constantly beingcriticized for being so plain and naïve. He wasattacked for teaching the depravity of the humannature, the righteousness of God through Christ,sinner being justified by faith alone, repentance as agift from God, among others. However, Henrypersevered in His faithful ministry and wasappointed to Dinapur, a garrison town at that time.

GOSPEL WORK IN DINAPUR

Even on the way to Dinapur, Henry involvedearnestly in his ministerial service. At one place, heattended to 150 wounded, sick, and dying soldiers.The next day, he was invited to witness a templefestival, where he started enquiring and conversingwith a local man. Henry’s gentleness and meeknesssoftened the furious-loud speech and angrydemeanor of the hot-headed man who finally askedsome pertinent questions about truth. Henryexplained the simple gospel of Jesus Christ in plainwords. He later records with gratitude, “I felt it amatter of thankfulness that I could make known thetruth of God though a stammerer and that I haddeclared it in the presence of the devil.” Few dayslater, Henry was glad at the opportunity to discussand debate the validity of the Gospel and the Biblecomparing with the Koran to his translator who wasa Muslim. Henry records, “I seem transported backto the ancient times of the Israelites and the Apostles.

My spirit felt composed after the dispute by simplylooking to God as one who had engaged to supportHis own cause; and I saw it to be my part to pursuemy way through the wilderness of this world,looking only to that redemption which dailydraweth near.” On 26 November 1806, Henryarrived in Dinapur and continued his translationwork even that very day. He records, “My spirit thisevening was sweetly elevated beyond the peopleand the concerns of this world, while meditating onthe words, “I am the Almighty God; walk beforeme, and be thou perfect.”

At Dinapur, Henry Martyn began three differentlines of work, establishing schools, attainingreadiness in Urdu so as to preach the gospel in thatlanguage, and translating the Scriptures andreligious books. Henry succeeded in establishingmany native schools in Dinapur and among them,at least five of the schools were supported by hispersonal money. His health was constantly goingdown and his work as the Chaplain was verydemanding. Long and arduous travels for ministrypurposes continued to affect his health. There wasdiscouragement from locals, his translationassistants, his countrymen, and also the ministerialcolleagues.

Henry’s plain evangelical preaching was offensive tothe nominal Christian soldiers. They were offendedand angry at his efforts to preach the gospel ofsalvation to the locals. They even asked Henry torefrain from preaching extemporaneously. Therewas no proper place and Henry had to preach fromdrumheads to the soldiers for a good period of time.Henry, however continued to labor incessantly as achaplain; every Sabbath he held at least four services:

CHURCH HISTORYHENRY MARTYN’S GOSPEL WORK IN INDIA | BELIN KULASEKAR

8

at seven in the morning for Europeans, at two in theafternoon for locals where two hundred attended, inthe afternoon at the hospital and in the evening inhis own room for the soldiers. Considerable timeand effort were devoted to the translation work.

Henry studiously employed himself in the learningof languages and the Urdu translation of the Bible.The Lord blessed Henry Martyn with talent toquickly become proficient in many languages.Already possessed with deep knowledge of Hebrew,Greek, and Latin, Henry learned the languages ofEast rapidly. He obtained mastery in Persian,Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu), Bengali, Persian,Sanskrit, and Arabic. He relished learning thegrammar of other languages. He took great delightin the work of translating the Scriptures and waspersuaded by the Rev. David Brown not only tocontinue the Urdu translation, but to superintendthe translation of the Scriptures into Persian. Heengaged in it at once with zeal and gladness. Hewrites: “The time fled imperceptibly while sodelightfully engaged in the translations; the daysseemed to have passed like a moment. What do I notowe to the Lord for permitting me to take part in atranslation of His word? Never did I see suchwonder and wisdom and love in the blessed Book assince I have been obliged to study every expression.Employed a good while at night in considering adifficult passage, and being much enlightenedrespecting it, I went to bed full of astonishment atthe wonder of God's Word. Never before did I seeanything of the beauty of the language and theimportance of the thoughts as I do now. What asource of perpetual delight have I in the preciousWord of God!”

Terrible news came at this point that his elder sisterwas dead. Henry was in deep anguish and muchsorrow. Providentially, his thoughts were re-occupied with the greater work of God asencouragingly two of his translators also arrived atthat time – a Urdu scholar from Benarus (Varanasi)and an Arabian who had received the gospel ofgrace. The work was carried on and in the month ofMarch 1808, the New Testament in Urdu wasfinally completed. He writes, “I have read andcorrected the manuscript till my eyes ache; such aweek of labor I believe I have never passed. The heatis terrible, often at 98 degrees, the nightsinsupportable.” Henry’s health failed again and waspained at the thought of leaving the Persian andArabic translations unfinished. Yet the workproceeds and Henry records in his diary, “Arabicnow employs my few moments of leisure” … “June6th. Today we have completed the Persian of St.Matthew.” Henry and the Arabian knelt down andblessed God for the happy occasion and offeredpraise to the Father of lights.

GOSPEL WORK IN KANPUR

Henry Martyn moved to Kanpur in April 1809 afterbeing transferred from Dinapur. The weather washot and dry and he travelled in the strong glare ofthe sun. His friend notes that, “Mr. Martyn traveled,journeying night and day, and arrived at Kanpur insuch a state that he fainted away as soon as heentered the house. When we charged him with therashness of hazarding his life in this manner, healways pleaded his anxiety to get to the great work.He remained with us ten days, sufferingconsiderably at times from fever and pain in the


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chest.” Soon after he arrived he started preaching tothe soldiers in a hollow square where the heat was sogreat even before the sun rose that many droppeddown unable to bear the heat. The labors continuedfaithfully here also. Henry preached every Lord’sDay morning to the regiment, around noon at thehouse of the general, and afternoon to the locals, andevening met with the more devout of his flock. Heworked very hard and earnestly.

Another heart-breaking news came from England,the dear sister who led him to Christ had died.Henry’s health was rapidly descending to alarminglevels. He was advised by doctors to take a seavoyage as remedy. Henry instead of thinking aboutEngland had Arabia in mind for God’s greater work.He was determined to revise his Persian NewTestament and complete the translation into Arabic,which was almost completed by now. His wanted torevise as the Persian translation was criticized asunfit for use to the common man. Bidding his friendfarewell, Rev. Brown wrote, “Your flame may last aslong and perhaps longer in Arabia than in India. Icontemplate your New Testament springing up, asit were, from dust and ashes, but beautiful as thewings of a dove covered with silver, and his featherslike yellow gold.” With great tenderness andaffection, Henry took leave from Kanpur toCalcutta. Though so ill of health, Mr. Martynpreached every Sabbath of his visit, and his lastsermon on the anniversary of the Calcutta BibleSociety was afterwards printed and entitled“Christian India, or an appeal on behalf of ninehundred thousand Christians in India who want theBible.” Such was his heart beating for the people ofIndia.

LATER LIFE

Henry Martyn set sail from India to Arabia inJanuary 1811. He reached Persia, stayed there for ayear, continued the work, and completed therevision of the Persian New Testament and also theArabic New Testament. His ministry here wasfraught with suffering, tension, sickness, dangers,and also gospel-sharing opportunities. Henryvaliantly held ground in front of hostile crowds andleaders defending the message of the cross of Christ.The heat took a severe toll on his health again.Being advised to return to England, he took theland-route, and along the way succumbed to hisillness in Turkey. He was buried there itself and theepitaph reads:

Here Martyn lies. In Manhood's early bloom

The Christian Hero finds a Pagan tomb

Religion, sorrowing o'ver her favourite son,

Points to the glorious trophies that he won

Eternal trophies! not with carnage red,

Not stained with tears by hapless captives shed,

But trophies of the cross! for that dear name,

Through every form of danger, death, and shame,

Onward he journeyed to a happier shore,

Where danger, death and shame assault no more.

It is said that after Mr. Martyn's death one of hisearliest and most devoted friends, the Rev. CharlesSimeon, used always to keep his picture before himin his study for help and inspiration. “Move wherehe would through the apartment, it seemed to keepits eyes upon him, and ever to say to him, 'Be

CHURCH HISTORYHENRY MARTYN’S GOSPEL WORK IN INDIA | BELIN KULASEKAR

10

earnest, be earnest; don't trifle, don't trifle,' and thegood Simeon would gently bow to the speakingpicture, and with a smile, reply, ‘Yes, I will; I will bein earnest, I will not trifle; for souls are perishing andJesus is to be glorified.’”

May the Lord help us to remember, appreciate,appropriate, imitate, and exemplify the work of thisgodly man. “Wherefore seeing we also arecompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which dothso easily beset us, and let us run with patience therace that is set before us, looking unto Jesus theauthor and finisher of our faith; who for the joy thatwas set before him endured the cross, despising theshame, and is set down at the right hand of thethrone of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Reference: A Memoir of the Rev. Henry Martyn, JohnSargent, www.archive.org

THE WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM

Now available in EnglishGet your free copy. Address is available

on inside of magazine’s back cover.

For a Drop of Pleasure

"You shall not murder." Exodus 20:13

Many murder their own souls! Theywillfully damn themselves, and throwthemselves into hell! Who are those whomurder their own souls?

They willfully murder their souls—whohave no sense of God, or the world tocome, and are past feeling. Tell them ofGod's holiness and justice—and they arenot affected at all. "They made theirhearts as an adamant stone." Zech 7:12.Sinners have adamantine hearts—nothingwill work upon them, neither ordinancesnor judgments. They do not believe inGod; they laugh at hell. Thus theymurder their own souls, and throwthemselves into hell as fast as they can!

They willfully murder their own souls—who resign themselves to their lusts, letwhat will, come of it. "Having lost allsensitivity, they have given themselvesover to sensuality so as to indulge inevery kind of impurity, with a continuallust for more." Eph 4:19.

Let ministers speak to them about theirsins, let conscience speak, let afflictionsspeak—they will have their lusts, eventhough they go to hell for them! Do notthese murder their own souls? Many sayin their hearts, "let our sins damn us—just so that they but please us!" Herodwill have his incestuous lusts—though itcosts him his soul. For a drop ofpleasure—men will drink a sea of wrath!These massacre and damn their ownsouls!

Oh! take heed of murdering your ownsouls!

– Thomas Watson


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Humility is one of the important biblical virtues every Christian needs. Solomon, the wisest king who ruledthe ancient Israel, says in the Book Proverbs, “Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto thelowly” (Proverbs 3:34). This simply means God hates the proud, but shows His favor toward the humble. Thepsalmist explains this truth in the Book of Psalms, “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto thelowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off” (Psalms 138:6). The New Testament Scripture affirms this truth. TheApostle James mentions the same, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, butgiveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). The Apostle Peter reminds the same truth to Christians, “Likewise,ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed withhumility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under themighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”(1 Peter 5:5-7).What does Christian humility mean? How is humility applicable to every Christian in his daily Christian walk?What are the benefits of Christian humility?

DEFINITION OF CHRISTIAN HUMILITY

True humility is considering ourselves less andputting others more important than ourselves.However, it is not having a low understanding ofourselves, but having a realistic understanding ofourselves. We should admit our weaknesses andfailures and be able to completely depend upon God.Biblically it means we understand our totalunworthiness before God as we are totally depravedhuman beings, and depend upon God for His work ofredeeming love in our lives and for His work of

transforming us into His own image. We are a people,created in the image of God, but sin, or rebellionagainst God, brought God’s condemnation upon usthat we became totally depraved. The Apostle Paulsays man in his depraved state is hopeless, “They areall gone out of the way, they are together becomeunprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, notone” (Romans 3:12). The Psalmist says in Psalm 62:9,“Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men ofhigh degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they arealtogether lighter than vanity.”

WISDOM and HUMILITYStudies from the Book of Proverbs

OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES

roverbs

George Skariah

p

12

It was God who brought man out of such a mess andgiven him salvation, that is, restoration to theoriginal image, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.True humility is therefore subordination to Godwith utmost gratitude to Him for what He hasgraciously done toward a sinner by lifting him upfrom the miry clay (Psalm 40:2). He then submits toone another in godly fear (Ephesians 5:21).

There is a false humility which we should avoid. Byfalse humility, we intentionally put ourselves downin order to get praises and appreciation from others.In fact, false humility is the upshot of a proudmindset. It is to gain undue respect andcommendation from others. The Apostle Paulwarns against false humility in Colossians 2:18, “Letno man beguile you of your reward in a voluntaryhumility and worshipping of angels, intruding intothose things which he hath not seen, vainly puffedup by his fleshly mind.” The false teachers inColossae, especially the Gnostics, showed falsehumility by worshipping angels as they believedthat flesh is evil and therefore God, who is thriceholy, cannot be directly worshipped by sinfulmortal beings, but only through the mediatorywork of angels. Such practices come from beingpreoccupied with self, resulting in will-worship orin a self-imposed religious practices (Colossians2:23). Paul calls this behaviour false humility as theywere being “puffed up” (proud) by their fleshlyminds rather than accepting the truth of God.

True humility calls for accepting the truth of Godand for absolute obedience to the truth. Truehumility puts self aside and places God’s honorabove all things and considers others better. A trulyhumble man is more jealous of God’s honor than ofhis own. John the Baptist was such a person who

said of Christ, “He must increase, but I mustdecrease” (John 3:30). A truly humble manpromptly submits to God and obeys Him in all Hisways. He finds pleasure in doing the will of God.The Lord Jesus Christ stands as the best example ofthis. His humility stands out as He puts God first andsacrificed His all for the least deserving (Philippians2:5-8). In contrast, false humility is anxious abouthis own honor.

WISDOM AND HUMILITY

In the biblical realm, wisdom and humility areintertwined. Humility is a distinctive mark of a trulywise person. Solomon says in Proverbs 11:2, “Whenpride cometh, then cometh shame: but with thelowly is wisdom.” A proud person is a self-promoter; it is an inflated view of self. Today prideis exalted by the terms like self-esteem or self-confidence. Pride is an epitome of foolishness, andit will only bring personal disgrace and self-destruction. Solomon says in Proverbs 16:18, “Pridegoeth before destruction, and an haughty spiritbefore a fall.” A proud person is arrogant, notwilling to listen to anybody. He despises counsel.He does not distinguish what is right and wrong.Solomon says in Proverbs 26:12, “Seest thou a manwise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a foolthan of him.”

In contrast, a humble person is willing to renounceself, and by knowing his limitations, he trusts God’sways for his life. Pride causes a person to fix all histhoughts on himself, and in contrast, humilitydemands a person to fix all his thoughts andaffections only on God. A humble person clearlysees what is right and wrong, truth and error,

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wisdom and folly. In fact, true humility beginswhen a person is able to understand what truewisdom is all about. Solomon says in Proverbs 1:7,“The fear of the LORD is the beginning ofknowledge: but fools despise wisdom andinstruction.” Again in Proverbs 9:10, “The fear ofthe LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and theknowledge of the holy is understanding.” Truewisdom begins with the fear of the Lord as Solomonsays in Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the LORD is tohate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

Therefore, for humility, the starting point is the fearof the Lord which is the origin of knowledge,understanding and wisdom. The fear of the Lordmeans honoring God through obedience to Hiscommandments with a heart committed to love andserve Him. Man acknowledges God as his sovereignCreator. He accepts the fact that God has createdhim in God’s own image, but man sinned, and as aresult, under God’s condemnation. Manunderstands that he cannot save himself to get backinto the broken relationship with God as all hisdeeds are as filthy rags before Him for He is holy(Isaiah 64:6). Man then acknowledges that the onlysolution for him is God’s provision through His onlybegotten Son, Jesus Christ, whom God sent to theworld to be a Savior for man through His perfectobedient life. His death on the Cross became God’ssatisfaction over all our sin. Man, then in faith,accepts that he is clothed with the garments ofsalvation, and covered with the robe ofrighteousness that Jesus Christ accomplishedthrough His obedience on behalf of the sinner(Isaiah 61:10). In the understanding and acceptance

of this glorious work of God’s redeeming love,man’s pride is abased, and he is decked with God’swisdom and humility. The rest of his life is only forGod’s glory—to know Him and make Him known(Philippians 3:10-14).

Importantly, it is on the Cross of Christ that we seethe true wisdom of God and true humility, and asinner, with all humility, needs to come andembrace the Cross of Christ. Cross was a symbol ofdespisement and cruel punishment, which God inHis wisdom chose for the redemption of man (1Corinthians 1:18-31). At the same time, Jesus Christ,the Son of God, kept aside His glory in heaven, andhumbled Himself to take upon Him the form of aServant, and became obedient even unto the Cross(Philippians 2:5-11). So the hymn writer writes,“When I survey the wondrous cross, on which thePrince of Glory died, my richest gain I count butloss, and pour contempt on all my pride.”

So, we understand, with the humble, there iswisdom. He does not follow the ways of the world,but he follows his Savior. His life is built on the solidRock, and that Rock is Christ (Matthew 7:24-25;16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 10:4). In this life, he has apath to travel, not the broad way that would lead todestruction, but the narrow way that would lead toeternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). As he travels on thispath, his Master is ever with him to guide him andbless him with true rest for his soul, as Jesus says inMatthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learnof me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shallfind rest unto your souls.”

As an additional thought, humility is not a fruit ofthe Spirit, but it is a virtue that all of the fruit of theSpirit are enabled through humility. Humility is so

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important because it is essential for everything wewant to achieve for Christ as Christians. At the sametime, we need to understand that humility is not inus naturally because of our sinfulness, and thereforewe need to be molded towards humility by theenabling power of the Spirit of God.

BENEFITS OF HUMILITY

Humility is essential in receiving blessings fromGod. For as Andrew Murray said, “Pride must die inyou, or nothing of heaven can live in you.” God willnever bless a man with proud spirit. Proverbs 16:5says, “Every one that is proud in heart is anabomination to the LORD: though hand join inhand, he shall not be unpunished.” On the otherhand, the Lord draws nigh to the one who has ahumble spirit. The prophet Isaiah declares, “For thussaith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holyplace, with him also that is of a contrite and humblespirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and torevive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).

Solomon enumerates a number of blessings that goalong with humility. In Proverbs 3:34, he says,“Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth graceunto the lowly.” By “grace” here it means the dailysustaining grace. This means God’s special favor beon us above and beyond what we could ever rightlyclaim we deserve. In Proverbs 11:2, Solomon says,with humility, there will be God’s wisdom. Humbleman comes to God for guidance and God’s Wordwill be a lamp to his feet and light unto his path(Psalms 119:105). With humility, the Lord alsopromises riches, honor, and life. Proverbs 22:4 says,“By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches,

and honour, and life.” Those who are proud willnever submit to the authority of God in their lives.Conversely, those who are with humility not onlyacknowledge God’s authority in their lives, butwholeheartedly submit to it. A humble personhonors the Lord in his life. He understands God’srighteous judgments and seek His grace andforgiveness. As a result, God’s blessings are hisportion—the Lord would meet all his needs, nevercast him down, but uphold him in times of troubles,and helps him to live a life of worth living. Finally,in Proverbs 29:23, “A man's pride shall bring himlow: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”The ultimate result of pride is only rejection anddestruction, but with humility, there will beexaltation and God’s rewards.

CONCLUSION

The wisdom of God says in Proverbs 16:18-20,“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughtyspirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humblespirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil withthe proud. He that handleth a matter wisely shallfind good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happyis he.” This is what true wisdom and true humilityall about! The church today needs to take heed tothis call by Solomon. Pride takes a man away fromGod and the result would be imminent destruction.True, biblical, wisdom is fearing God and trustingHim with a humble spirit, and the result would be ablessed life. Jesus says in Matthew 5:3-5, “Blessed arethe poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom ofheaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shallbe comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shallinherit the earth.” May the Lord help us!

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The superiority of Christ’s priestly ministry has been the theme for the author of Hebrews in the last fewchapters of the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews 4:14-16 the author has explained that Christ, being the GreatHigh Priest, has a better position in heaven. In Hebrews 5:1-7:28 the author has shown that Christ’s priestlyorder is better than the Old Testament Levitical order as He comes after the order of the Old Testament priestand king Melchizedek. In the remaining chapters of the book, the author presents three more comparisons:a better covenant (8:1-13); a better sanctuary (9:1-11), and a better sacrifice (9:12-10:18). The author, havingestablished the superiority of the high priesthood of Christ, now moves on to relate His high priesthood inrelationship with the covenant, sanctuary, and sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the Aaronic priesthood wasclosely tied up with these elements.The theme of chapter 8 of Hebrews is the new covenant, which, compared to the old covenant, is a bettercovenant. It is better because, firstly, Christ is the minister of the new covenant, who set His tabernacle noton earth, but in heaven, and offered a true offering which would take away sin once and for all (verses 1-6a),and secondly, it is founded on better promises (verses 6b-13).

WHAT DOES THE WORD“COVENANT” MEAN?

The word “covenant” is of Latin origin (con venire),meaning a coming together. It means two or moreparties coming together to make a contract,mutually agreeing on promises, stipulations,privileges, and responsibilities. For the biblical usageof the term, in the Old Testament, the Hebrewword berit is used, and in the New Testament, theGreek word diatheke is used. In the Old Testament,

the preferred meaning of the term is “bond,”meaning two or more parties bound together. In theNew Testament, the word is usually translated as“covenant,” but sometimes, “testimony” or“testament” have also been used. However, the ideais more or less same as the Old Testament, meaning,a binding or establishing a bond or agreementbetween two parties. Normally, a covenant isbilateral, where two equal parties are involved, bothhaving equal privileges and responsibilities.

HebrewsTHE NEW COVENANT AND ITSGRACIOUS PROMISES Hebrews 8:1-13

George Skariah

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However, the covenant God established with manwas not bilateral, but unilateral. It meant that personswhom God chose to enter the covenant with, wererecipients, not contributors; they were not expectedto offer elements to the bond, but expected to acceptit as offered, to keep it as demanded, and receive theresults God intended. This was particularly clear inthe case of the new covenant God made withAbraham (Genesis 15:7-21), and later reiterated withthe house of Israel (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Jeremiah31:31-34). This is the reason that the new covenantis known as the covenant of grace.

WHAT DOES THE NEW COVENANTCENTRE ON? (VERSES 1-6A)

The ministry of the new covenant is centered onChrist, the Great High Priest, who is called theMediator of the new covenant (verse 6). On theother hand, the ministry of the old covenant wascentered on the Levitical system, establishedaccording to the Law of God, given to Israelthrough Moses, the mediator of the old covenant(verse 5). The word “mediator” means the one whogoes in between. Christ stands between man andGod to unite both together, and this became possiblethrough the new covenant which He fulfilled on theCross.

Since the old covenant was centered on the Law ofGod, it required obedience on the part of the doerfor salvation. But the problem was that in the OldTestament nobody was able to obtain salvation bydoing the Law because of the sinfulness of man astold in Romans 3:20 and Galatians 3:10-11. We readin Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the lawthere shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the

law is the knowledge of sin.” Paul adds in Galatians3:10-11, “For as many as are of the works of the laware under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which arewritten in the book of the law to do them. But thatno man is justified by the law in the sight of God, itis evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

But we must not conclude that the existence of thenew covenant means that the old covenant waswrong or that the Law has no ministry today. Paulsays in Romans 7:12, “Wherefore the law is holy,and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”Both the old and new covenants were given by God.Both covenants were given for God’s people’s good,and both had blessings attached to them. Salvationcould not come by the old covenant because ofman’s total depravity, and due to his failure to fullykeep all the terms and conditions attached to it, Godestablished a new covenant which was firstmentioned by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah31:31-34.

In the new covenant, the promise was given as aprophecy that assured the Jews of future restoration.Jeremiah ministered during the closing years of thenation’s history, before the kingdom of Judah wentunder Babylonian captivity. At a time when thenation’s future seemed completely bleak, God gavethe promise of restoration and blessing through thenew covenant. It meant not only a physicalrestoration, by which the scattered Israelites wouldbe brought back into their promised land, but mostimportantly, a spiritual restoration. By spiritualrestoration it meant God’s forgiveness of their sinand accepting them as His own. This would onlyhappen through Jesus Christ, the Greater Son of

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David, the promised Messiah, climaxing the SeedPromise God earlier gave to their forefathers,mentioned in the earlier covenants, such as theAbrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-8) andDavidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

The author of Hebrews mentions few importantfeatures of Christ’s ministry in the new covenant.Firstly, He “is set on the right hand of the throne ofthe Majesty in the heavens” (verse 1). Where theOld Testament high priests had to continuouslyoffer sacrifices by entering into the Holy of Holiesof the temple every year with the animal blood tobe sprinkled on the mercy seat, Christ had done itonce on the Cross, and finished the work ofredeeming the sinful man unto salvation. Today Heis the exalted Christ as He is seated in heaven on theright hand of the Father (Revelation 3:21). Hence,Christ is far superior to Aaron as He serves not onearth but seated with the Father in heaven.

Secondly, He is “a minister of the sanctuary” (verse2a). The word “sanctuary” literally means “holythings,” probably referring to “the holy places andfurniture of the heavenly temple” (cf. Revelation11:19). Thirdly, He is a minister of “the truetabernacle” (verse 2b). The heavenly sanctuary iscalled the true tabernacle. All the Old Testamenthigh priests ministered in the earthly tabernacles,which were temporary, and made of human hands.And also, the Old Testament tabernacle was only arepresentation or a type of the true Tabernacle ofGod. On the contrary, Christ is the minister of theheavenly tabernacle, which is eternal, its maker isGod, and it is where God dwells.

Fourthly, He offered true sacrifice (verse 3). Everypriest and high priest had to continuously offer (theverb “offer” in the beginning of verse 3 is in presenttense) sacrifices as it was part of their priestlycalling. Hence, Christ was ordained of God to be aHigh Priest after the order of Melchizedek, “it is ofnecessary that this man have somewhat also tooffer.” However, the verb “offer” at the end of verse3 is an aorist in the Greek language, indicating onceand finished sacrifice of Christ, compared to therepeated offerings of the Levitical priests. Thesacrifice the heavenly tabernacle planned andexecuted was the culmination of all the expectationsthe old covenant typified, and the new covenantpromised. This theme is beautifully presented bythe author in the next chapter (Hebrews 9), whichwe will consider in the next study (read Hebrews9:23-28).

WHY IS THE NEW COVENANT BETTER?(VERSES 6B-13)

The new covenant was established upon betterpromises (verse 6b). The reason was that the oldcovenant was not without limitations (verse 7). TheMosaic Law and the corresponding Leviticalpriestly system had its limitations as it could notbring men to the necessary perfection. Its limitationwas that it could not save people (Romans 3:20), norcould it sanctify them (Romans 7:12-24; 8:2-3).However, we must not misjudge that the Law hadfailed to do its work, for the Law was not to save,but to reveal sin (Romans 3:19-20), helping men tobe aware of their sin and condemnation (Romans4:15; Deuteronomy 27:26). The Law in itself washoly, just, and good (Romans 7:12). The Mosaic

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Law was never intended to make Israelites justified,but to lead them to Christ as He alone could meetthe righteous demands of the Law (Galatians 3:10-14, 21-27; Romans 10:4). Thus, the believers arefree from the demands of the Law and united withChrist (Romans 7:1-6; Galatians 2:19-20; 3:19-25).That way, the ceremonial aspects of the Law havefound its fulfilment in Christ, and thus, no longerapplicable today. However, the moral demands ofthe Law (the Ten Commandments) are still relevanttoday as they are universal in nature. Also toremember is that the unsaved man still lives underthe convicting and condemning work of the Law(1 Timothy 1:8-11).

From now on till the end of the chapter, the authorof Hebrews mentions several blessings of the newcovenant as he quotes the original promise of thecovenant made by God through the prophetJeremiah in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Firstly, the newcovenant promises God’s gracious favor toward asinful man. The Lord promises, “I will be mercifulto their unrighteousness” (verse 12). The emphasisin the new covenant is on God’s “I will.” It ismentioned altogether six times in this passage. Thenation of Israel at Sinai said, “all the words whichthe Lord hath said will we do” (Exodus 24:3). Butthey did not obey God’s words. It is one thing tosay, “we will” and quite another thing to do it. Butthe new covenant does not depend on man’sfaithfulness to God, but on God’s faithful promise toman. In that way, the new covenant wasunconditional, purely dependent on God’s mercyand grace alone. Under the old covenant God ledIsrael as a father leads his children. However, the

people repeatedly failed and went their own way,resulting in captivity of the nation. The newcovenant is entirely of God’s grace; no sinner canbecome a part of this covenant without faith inJesus’ righteous fulfilment of the demands of theLaw, climaxed in His death on the Cross. Christvicariously (on behalf of the sinful man) kept thedemands of God’s Law, and as a result, through Hisearned righteousness, a sinner is declared righteous.In Christian theology, this is called imputation.

Secondly, the new covenant promises internalchange for a sinful man. The Lord promises, “I willput my laws into their mind, and write them in theirhearts” (verse 10). The Law of Moses could declareGod’s holy standard, but it could never provide thepower needed for obedience. Sinful people need anew heart and this is what the new covenantprovides. When a sinner trusts Christ, he receives adivine nature within (2 Peter 1:1-4). This divinenature creates a desire to love and obey God. Bynature, sinful people are hateful and disobedient(Titus 3:3-7); but the new nature gives each believerboth the desire and the dynamic for a godly life.

Thirdly, the new covenant promises a completeforgiveness to those who trust in Christ’s work. TheLord promises, “their sins and their iniquities will Iremember no more” (verse 12). There was noforgiveness under the Law because the Law was notgiven for that purpose (Romans 3:20). It is onlythrough the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that forgivenessis possible to all who will call upon His name. TheOld Testament sacrifices brought a remembrance ofsin, and not a remission of sins (Hebrews 10:1-3,18). The phrase “remember no more” means “hold

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against us no more.” God recalls what we havedone, but He does not hold it against us. He dealswith us on the basis of grace and mercy, not law andmerit. Once sin has been forgiven, it is neverbrought before us again; the matter is settledeternally.

Fourthly, the new covenant promises eternalblessing (verse 13). The new covenant bringseternal blessing as Jesus is the author of eternalsalvation (5:9) and eternal redemption (9:12). Thenew covenant can never get old and disappear. TheGreek word translated “new” means “new inquality,” not “new in time.” The new covenant is ofsuch quality that it will never need to be replaced.

CONCLUSION

There is a clear distinction with the new covenantwhich God initiated with the people of God.Whereas the old covenant was conditional, the newcovenant was unconditional. In the new covenant,the blessing of salvation falls on the sinful manpurely on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done onbehalf of His people. When a sinner places his faithand trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on theCross, he is accepted into the family of God, andbecomes the recipient of the eternal blessings. Thisis the graciousness of God, and herein is the beautyof our salvation in Christ. As a response to this, wehumbly come to Christ, place our trust in Him, andlove and serve Him with our hearts consecratedunto Him.

BELIN KULASEKAR is an ordained Elder ofCovenant Bible-Presbyterian Church,Bangalore. He enjoys Puritan and Reformedbooks.

GEORGE SKARIAH is an ordained ministerand Pastor of Covenant Bible-PresbyterianChurch (A Reformed Church in Bangalore). Heis a graduate of Far Eastern Bible College,Singapore, and was a teaching faculty atJubilee Memorial Bible College, Chennai.

VENKATESH GOPALAKRISHNAN is anordained minister and a graduate of theReformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary,Pittsburgh PA, USA. He currently serves as theinterim-pastor of Anugraha ReformedPresbyterian Church, Bangalore.

THOMAS VINCENT (May 1634 – 15 October1678) was an English Puritan minister andauthor.

SARMISHTA VENKATESH is the wife ofPastor Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan, anadoptive mom homeschooling her curious 8year old, a biblical counsellor, a designer andan occasional blogger.

KELLEY BETH PRABHAKAR is the wife ofPastor John Rakshith Prabhakar and atheological student at Reformed TheologicalSeminary, Jackson MS, USA

JOHN RAKSHITH PRABHAKAR is anordained minister of the Presbyterian Churchand a graduate of Reformed TheologicalSeminary, Jackson, USA.

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A Christian and the

Fear of God

CHRISTIAN LIFE

Belin Kulesakar

Fear of God is a major yet highly overlooked theme in the Bible. Usually it is understood through a simpledefinition as “godly reverence”. While it certainly means having a holy and reverential attitude towards, it goesmuch beyond that according to the Bible. So much so that even God Himself is referred by the name and title“Fear of God”. In the book of Genesis , we see Jacob equate God with such a term, “God of my father, the Godof Abraham, and the fear of Isaac” (Genesis 31:42) and then “Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac”(Genesis 31:53). This is the title ascribed to the high, mighty, and infinitely holy and just God of the Bible.Therefore, Deuteronomy 28:58 says, “fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD.” Inlight of this, it goes without saying that a God-fearing attitude, behaviour, and life is of paramount importancefor a Christian. We shall consider here how fearing God outworks in the practical life of a true believer.

RIGHT APPROACH TOTHE SACRED WORD

God says in Isaiah 66:2, “To this man will I look,even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, andtrembleth at my word.” A God-fearing believerwould approach the Word in the most reverentialmanner as if he were coming to hear directly fromGod Himself. He does not handle Scripture with acareless, proud, and critical mind and heart, butrather with fear and trembling. He comes to theBible knowing that it was written by the Creator,Sustainer, and Governor of this universe. He wouldread the Word, listen to God speaking through theWord, seek to understand the Word, pray about the

Word, believe the Word, and apply the Word. Hewould not ignore and neglect the Word; butdiligently meditate upon the Word morning andevening. According to the first Psalm, such a God-fearing person is said to be blessed by God.

Psalm 19:9 refers to fear of God as the Word of God,the Holy Scripture. Bible is the rule-book given byGod that we may fear Him. A true believer wouldorder his life according to the rules laid down inScripture. He takes the Bible as the manual for all offaith and life. He would search the Scripture toknow what to believe concerning God. He wouldbe careful not to trust in dreams, visions, andimaginations of the heart, but rely only upon the

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Bible as the inerrant, infallible, and all-sufficientWord of God. It could be rightly said that a person’sreverential attitude towards God’s Word validatesthe presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in hisor her life.

OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S COMMANDMENTS

Many Christians try hard to summarize God’srequirement for their life and ask questions such as“What does God want me to do?” What is God’swill for my life?” “What is God’s plan for me?” andso on. But the Bible is very clear, “Let us hear theconclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, andkeep his commandments: for this is the wholeduty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). A God-fearingman would naturally try to obey God and pleaseHim. He knows that God gave them for goodreasons, “Now these are the commandments, thestatutes, and the judgments, which the LORD yourGod commanded to teach you, that ye might dothem in the land whither ye go to possess it: Thatthou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keepall his statutes and his commandments, which Icommand thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son,all the days of thy life; and that thy days may beprolonged” (Deuteronomy 6:1-2).

The God-fearing man knows that God is holy andHe expects His people to be holy. He also knowsthat God is just and would punish every offence. Sothis man is careful not to offend God by wickedness,hatred, evil thoughts, immoral behaviour, pride,adultery, fornication, covetousness, greed, cheating,Sabbath-breaking, and such sins. On the otherhand, since he fears God, he tries to please God by

maintaining pure thoughts, having right desires, andliving righteously. Therefore, this man tries to obeyGod in all spheres of his life – personal, family,work-place, church, and church-at-large. He knowsthat we all have to stand before the judgment seat ofGod and give an account for every thought, word,and deed. Hence he is careful in all his ways beforeGod and men. The man who fears God also knowsthat he falls short to please God and also that God isloving and merciful. So he is always dependent onthe gospel of God.

GOSPEL-DEPENDENT LIFE

Knowing his fallen and sinful condition, the God-fearing person always looks to God through JesusChrist and the Holy Spirit. He realizes his need forthe gospel every moment of his life. Hence heapproaches God every day for forgiveness of sins andstrength for holy obedience. The cross is the centreof his life, Christ is his Great High Priest, Holy Spiritis his Guide, Counsellor, Comforter, and God is hisFather. He came to saving faith through the crossand hence is careful to walk in the way of the crossand run towards the Lamb of God who hasconquered and reigns victoriously. Pleasing,honouring, glorifying the blessed Trinity is his newmeaning for life.

This gospel-dependent life is very different from hisearlier unbelieving life which the Bible concludes asa life without the fear of God, “There is nonerighteous, no, not one: There is none thatunderstandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans3:10-11, 18). Having received forgiveness for sins

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and the righteousness of God through the finishedwork of Jesus Christ, he is a new man in Christ.Hence he seeks to obey and please the new Lord andMaster. He is always aware of the biblical theme,“work out your own salvation with fear andtrembling. For it is God which worketh in youboth to will and to do of his good pleasure”(Philippians 2:12-13). He knows his responsibilityto walk worthy of the gospel and does do withmuch fear and trembling. He also knows that GodHimself is at work in his life and will complete it –this drives him to live a gospel-dependent, God-fearing life for the glory of God. Apostle Paulexhorts believers, “Having therefore these promises,dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from allfilthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holinessin the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

GOD-HONOURINGWORSHIP AND SERVICE

The Bible is direct and clear about worshippingGod in a reverential manner, “God is greatly to befeared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had inreverence of all them that are about him” (Psalm89:7). A God-fearing believer will worship the Lordin spirit and truth. He longs to be with God’s peopleto praise God, hear from God, pray to God, andreceive great spiritual blessings from God. He willpay heed to the sermon preached from the pulpit.Lord’s Supper and baptism are solemn matters thathe attends with the utmost reverence. He is afraid tooffend God in worship and does not deviate fromthe worship principles laid down in Holy Scripture.A God-fearing person is extremely careful not tolook into the Holy Ark or step into holy ground or

offer strange fires. His aim is to worship God like theholy heavenly beings.

A God-fearing person will strive to serve Godfaithfully. Having realized the benefits of the gospelin his life, he will labour for the honour of theSaviour’s name and the salvation of souls. In fact,Bible uses the words worship and serviceinterchangeably as Christian service is offeringworship to God. Joshua 24:14 says, “Fear theLORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth.”This excludes serving God in a false and hypocriticalmanner. Joshua calls the people to serve the true andliving God and not return to the false gods. TheGod-fearing person does not seek his own glory, butworks to advance the glory of God. Saul, Uzziah,Pharisees, Sadducees and many other leaders soughtglory for themselves through their hypocrisy andselfishness and received the curse of God.

As we conclude, it may also be important to notethat a God-fearing person will always look forwardto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and thejudgment that follows. Revelation 14:7 says, “FearGod, and give glory to him; for the hour of hisjudgment is come: and worship him that madeheaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains ofwaters” (Revelation 14:7). When Christ returns, theone who fears God and clings to Christ will bespared from the wrath to come. So he expects theLord not with dread of the future, but withcalmness, hope, eagerness, boldness, and joy. Godwill look favourably upon the man and woman whohas a holy reverence towards God, “God shall blessus; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him”(Psalm 67:7).

CHRISTIAN LIFE A CHRISTIAN AND THE FEAR OF GOD | BELIN KULASEKAR

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A At the very core of Christianity is the nature of God. Chapter one of the Scots Confession (which. . … is the first Protestant confession written in English in 1560) says, “We confess and acknowledgeone only God, to whom only we must cleave, whom only we must serve, whom only we must worship, andin whom only we must put our trust: who is eternal, infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent,invisible; one in substance, and yet distinct in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost…”(https://goo.gl/dE1nQZ). Firstly, we will look at the reality that God is One. Secondly, we will look at thereality that God is three. Thirdly and finally, we will close with a few concluding remarks.

OUR GOD IS ONE

The first thing Christians say about our God is thatHe is One. This is why Christianity is amonotheistic religion. We confess with the historicchurch that our God is one being. We confess withthe Jews, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God isone Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Christians confessthat there is only one God and He is one being.

OUR GOD IS THREE

What follows almost immediately after ourconfession of there being one God alone is that Heis not alone. Christians confess that there is aplurality in the Oneness of God because of passagessuch as Genesis 1:26, “And Godsaid, Let us make man in our image, after our

likeness.” In particular, we believe that God is“distinct in three persons: the Father, the Son, andthe Holy Ghost.” Let’s take a look at a few Biblepassages to substantiate our claim.

THE FATHER

Historically, the Father is the least disputed memberof the Trinity. That He is God is admitted by thechurch and the cults (who claim to be Christian butdeny one or more central tenets of Christianity). Inthe Old Testament we read, “But now, O Lord,thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou ourpotter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isaiah64:8). In the New Testament we read,“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord JesusChrist, the Father of mercies, and the God of all

QUESTION & ANSWERS

John Rakshith Prabhakar

Is Our God Both One and Three?

Q

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comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). It is from passages likethese the Scots Confession says the Father is God.

THE SON

Whereas the Father is the least disputed member ofthe Trinity, historically, the person of Jesus Christ isthe most debated member of the Trinity. In theperson of Jesus Christ, the church has had to eitheraffirm his divinity in the face of those who denied itlike the Arians, or affirm his humanity in the face ofthose who denied it like the Apollinarians.Christians, however, are convinced that Jesus is theonly God-man. In affirming Christ’s divinity,however, we struggle to find passages to verify ourclaim. While there are several places we can go, let’stake a look at a couple of passages – one from theOld Testament and one from the New.

In the Old Testament, in Exodus 3 we read Moses’encounter with Yahweh. In verse 2 we read of aperson appearing in the non-consuming burningbush, “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto himin a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.” Whatis to be noticed is the fact that this an angel thatbelongs to the Lord. Now this could simply meanan angel out of the myriads of angels serving Godlike in other places in the Old Testament. However,when we follow the conversation between thisangel and Moses, it is said, “when the Lord saw thathe turned aside to see, God called unto him out ofthe midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses” (v.4).God is speaking to Moses. It is because God ispresent where Moses is that he is commanded,“Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from offthy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy

ground” (v.5). The angel while distinct from theLord is also referred to as God. We see a similarencounter between Joshua and the commander ofthe Lord’s army in Joshua 5:13-15. These areinstances we see the pre-incarnate Jesus serve Hispeople.

In the New Testament, we see John’s opening to hisgospel read, “In the beginning was the Word, andthe Word was with God, and the Word was God.The same was in the beginning with God. Allthings were made by him; and without him was notany thing made that was made” (John 1:1-2). WhatJohn is wanting his readers to do is to compare thebeginning of the New Testament to the beginningof the Old Testament. In Genesis 1:1 we read, “Inthe beginning God created the heaven and theearth.” And John says, in the beginning God and theWord created all things. The persons he has in mindis at least the Father and the Son if not the HolySpirit too. John’s point, however, is to show that theeternal Son of God “became flesh” (John 1:14).

THE HOLY SPIRIT

If the Father is the least disputed member of theTrinity, and the Son the most disputed, the HolySpirit is the most misunderstood member of theTrinity. Some view Him as a mystical force likegravity. Some others view Him as a power that Godgives His people to help them in their Christianjourney much like how our vehicles need petrol.Sadly, both of these views are prevalent within thechurch today. So where do we learn that the HolySpirit is God? In Acts 5:3 Peter rebukes Ananias for

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lying: “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart tolie to the Holy Ghost.” In 1 Corinthians 2:10 Paulattributes the all-knowing power of God to theHoly Spirit, “But God hath revealed them unto usby his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea,the deep things of God.” He also says that the HolySpirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30) and that Heintercedes in prayer for us (Romans 8:26-27).Common sense dictates that the likes of gravitycannot be grieved or lied to. The likes of petrolcannot think, know or pray. These are personal acts.When we think of the Holy Spirit, we must thinkof Him as a person being God Himself.

CONCLUSION

It is from passages such as these that we learn thatGod is one in being but three in person. Not only isthe Trinity involved in creation as we have seenalready. In salvation, the Father plans our salvation(Ephesians 1:3-6), the Son accomplishes the plannedsalvation (Ephesians 1:7-12), and the Holy Spiritapplies the accomplished salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14). Now, having been saved, we worship and prayby the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18) in Jesus’s name to theFather (John 16:23). Just as the Trinity is involvedin creation, He is involved in the new creation andour worship of Him.

The early church fathers coined a term for God’stri-personal being: Trinity. It is a helpful term thatsummarizes all that has been said thus far. And thisis how Christian monotheism is different from Islamor traditional Judaism today. We do not have asolo-personal being who is God, but a tri-personalbeing who is of the same nature. This means that all

that can be said of God – “eternal, infinite,immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent,invisible” – can be said of each member of theTrinity. The Bible’s teaching on the Trinity is trulya mystery. The mystery does not contain in thenumber of members in the Godhead or in Hisnature. The mystery rather lies in how the Onebeing actually is three in person; something thatsolo-personal beings like ourselves cannot puttogether. Further, the mystery is in how theattributes of God can be attributed to the Father, theSon and the Holy Spirit at the same time. That Godis infinite and eternal means the Father, the Son, andthe Spirit are infinite and eternal all the time;something that finite, time-bound creatures likeourselves cannot fathom. The nature of God is notnon-sensical or contradictory. It is rather somethingthat draws us in wonder and awe at Histranscendence. No human illustration can aptlypoint out the complexity yet the simplicity of ourGod. A right response is one of Gregory Nazianzen,a fourth-century theologian from Turkey, “Nosooner do I conceive of the one than I am illuminedby the splendor of the three; no sooner do Idistinguish them than I am carried back to the one.”(Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity: in Scripture,History, Theology, and Worship [P&R Publishing,2004], 378.) May we like Gregory be in awe of thegrandeur of the Trinity in our worship of Him.

Q&AIS OUR GOD BOTH ONE AND THREE? | JOHN RAKSHITH PRABHAKAR

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Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?

The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the wantof original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly calledOriginal Sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.

TIME TO LEARNThe Westminster Shorter Catechism

Kelley Beth Prebhakar

CHILDREN’S SECTION

Have you ever wondered why we do the same wrong things over and over again? Why is it so mucheasier to disobey than to obey our parents? Why does it come more naturally to complain about whatwe don’t have than to be thankful for what God has given us? There is a very simple but also very sadanswer to this question: we have taken after our first father, Adam. The beginning of Adam’s story wasa little different from ours. He was created by God without any sin! He and Eve enjoyed friendship withGod—they walked with him, talked with him—it was wonderful! Adam and Eve were also given thefreedom to choose to keep trusting God by following his commands. But, this also meant they had thefreedom to disobey God. Sadly, Adam and Eve did not trust that God’s commands were for theirgood—so these people who God had created very good sinned the very first sin ever when they atethe fruit that God commanded them not to eat.

Have you ever had an aunty or uncle tell you how much you look or act like one of your parents? Maybethat you have your mother’s eyes or your papa’s sense of humour? This is also how it is with our firstparents, Adam and Eve. Because our parents sinned, they became sinners who gave birth to moresinners, who gave birth to more and more sinners. Adam and Eve became sinners because they sinned,but now we sin because we are already sinners like our parents. This is what we call “Original Sin.” Allpeople born into this world share in Adam’s first sin. We are guilty of this sin when we are born, evenbefore we have made a decision to do something wrong. But, this original sin that we share with Adamis only the starting point of our sin problem. Because we are sinners, we will also sin actual sins of ourown. Sinners sin. Because we are sinners, we disrespect our parents, even if just in our thoughts.Because we are sinners we think about ourself more than we think about others. Because we aresinners we are tempted to make things that God has given us more important than God is Himself.

AQ18

Complete and memorise this verse :-

Romans 3:10: “As it is ____________, There is none _____________, no, not one:

There is none that _____________, there is none that ______________after God.”

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The Story of Everything

Sarmishta Venkatesh

CHILDREN’S SECTION

Eve gave in. Snap. Crunch. Slurp. She couldn’t resist keeping the pleasure to herself. She gave some to Adam,and they ate their fill of decadence. Burp. But their ecstasy lasted only a few minutes. As soon as the remainsof the fruit began to rot away, their souls experienced a similar reaction. They felt a strange new feeling thatwas eating into their bones. They knew something they had never ever known before. They gained a newknowledge. They had become friends with evil. Sin had just then, entered into their hearts. Immediately theirhearts began to race. What just happened? What has happened to us? What have we done? They saw each otherand for the first time in their lives, they wanted to run away and hide from each other. Somehow, they cameto know that they were naked. It didn't bother them earlier. But now, that innocence was gone. But theyneeded each other. They had someone bigger to hide from God. So, they hurriedly plucked large fig leavesfrom a nearby tree, sowed them with sticks and covered their body.

Suddenly, God appeared. He was rested, and enjoying the cool of the day, but the darkest hour had set in forAdam and Eve. Peals of sweat shivered from their shocked bodies as they hid, breathless behind brambles,from Him who is all-seeing and all-knowing. God called out to Adam, but Adam’s lips quivered. He hadnever felt such fear and trembling before, and all this knowledge of evil was way too much to handle. Oh thecursed fruit!

Adam was too frightened to face a Holy God, but God wondered as to why Adam was hiding. “Did you eatfrom the tree that I had forbidden you to eat from?”, God asked. How could Adam defend himself with God?Who can stand against God’s judgement? He turned the blame over to Eve who gave him the fruit. Eveturned the blame over to the Serpent who tempted her. Doesn’t that sound awfully familiar? This is when the

The Grave Day

REDEMPTIVEBIBLE STORY|

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age-old game of blaming each other for error began. God was going to have nothing of it. Sin had to beexposed, the sinner had to bear the punishment owing to his disobedience, the Serpent had to be struck down.With pain would the woman bear children. With thorns would the ground bear fruit. With sweat would theman work with scant blessing in return. With struggle would the wife and husband survive their marital love.The serpent became the lowest of creatures, crawling on its belly, biting dust. From dust arose man, and untodust he would return. Sin stripped man from God. Death will do them apart.

It was the darkest day yet for mankind. But even this eclipse had a golden ray, this dark cloud bore a silverlining. In the midst of all the curses, God spoke out a hidden blessing. The Serpent’s head was going to becrushed. Not by the passer-by, but by a “Seed” of the woman. What does that mean? Why was it a “Seed”and not “seeds”? Because the woman, who is going to bear children in pain is going to bear a Child who willfree her from pain. This Child is going to be born of man, like Adam, but not make Adam’s mistake. In thefirst round, the Serpent struck Adam’s heel and made him fall into sin. But in the last round, Adam’s Son willcome and crush the head of the Serpent. A decisive blow will be struck. The Serpent will no more tempt, nomore scorn, no more slither and hiss. Yet, death lingered on. The punishment for disobedience hung overthe children of man. This Son of Adam had to also take on Adam’s beating. The Serpent had to strike his heelfirst so as to arrest the floodgates of death. The Son had to become the father and re-enact the scene at theGarden. He had to choose life over death, and die the death of sinners.

Blood will be spilt so that the flood would be stopped.

After pronouncing the judgement, God killed an animal and clothed Adam and his wife with animal skins.A first sacrifice was made. And as He clothed them, He sealed His promise to them - he will come, surely hewill come and clothe your nakedness, taking away your sins with His own shed blood. Adam named his wife Eveby faith in God's promise. She would mother all the living, indeed, even the Seed to come.

Yet from now on, there would be enmity between the Seed and the Serpent.

From now on, there would be two kingdoms standing against one another until one gains victory: TheKingdom of the Woman's Seed and the Kingdom of the Serpent's Seed.

CHILDREN’S SECTION REDEMPTIVE BIBLE STORY | SARMISHTA VENKATESH

Complete and memorise these verses :-

Romans 5:12, 19: “Wherefore, as by ___________ sin entered into the world, and _______ by sin; and so death

____________ upon all men, for that all have sinned.... For as by one man's _____________many were made

sinners, so by the _____________of one shall many be made ____________.”

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BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALS

We live in a restless world. “Work, work, work” seems to be the daily rant of societies like Bangalore. “Inorder to be successful,” the culture says, “Work hard. Work smart. But always keep working.” You haveheard the idiom, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Let me submit, “All work and no rest makesJack a dead boy.” At least that’s what the Bible teaches. So if rest is what we need, how is it that we areincapable of attaining it? In this article, we will look at how rest has played out in the history of mankindthrough a biblical theology – the Bible’s grand story of creation, fall, redemption, and glory.

GOD – THE ARCHITECT OF REST

God chose to create a world, and He intended forthat world to be full of the knowledge of His glory(Habakkuk 2:14). And He chose to create a world sothat He can display His glory in the beauty ofcreation (Psalm 19:1). The Triune God chose todisplay His glory in creating a world, in a span of sixdays terminating with a day of rest on the seventh.God could have, of course, created all that Hecreated in a day or four. And He could have simplytold us that He created the world out of nothing insix days without mention of His resting on theseventh: “Thus the heavens and the earth werefinished, and all the host of them. And on theseventh day God ended his work which he hadmade; and he rested on the seventh day from all hiswork which he had made” (Genesis 2:1-2). (His

resting, unlike ours, was not a resting from fatigue.It was rather a ceasing from the work of creation inorder to enjoy all that He had created.) So why didGod mention His six-day work and one-day rest inparticular to us? It is because as Creator He wasdesigning the rhythm of Adam’s weeks. God built aday of rest into a seven-day week so that Adam andhis posterity with Eve could cease from their work,enjoy God and His goodness in relationship withHim.

FALL – THE RUIN OF REST

This wonderful work-rest life comes to a screechinghalt in our story when Satan decides to introducestrife and restlessness into our relationships. Today,when we talk about rest it is in reference to ouraddiction to work which has resulted in fatigued

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bodies, dysfunctional psyches, and restless brains.While solutions to these are necessary conversationsto be had, it is only a cursory matter. Offeringengagement in sports, entertainment, and the like assolutions are only Band-Aid solutions to a deeperproblem. At the heart of rest is a relationship. Rest iswith reference to our relationship with God. AndSatan knew this. When his cunning, masterfulscripted attack played out to its precision, the resultswere as expected. Man’s relationship with God is asSatan’s with God – without peace and restless. Sowhen sin entered the world, restlessness crept intothe fabric of the world and all of its relationships.Instead of a longing and enjoyment of rest in God,“Adam and his wife hid themselves from thepresence of the Lord God amongst the trees of thegarden” (Genesis 3:8). Because the strife andrestlessness entered man’s most importantrelationship with his maker, strife and restlessnessentered his relationship with his dearest humancompanion Eve when he blamed her for his sin(Genesis 3:10). Further, Eve blamed Satan for her sin(Genesis 3:13). Where work was once done withjoy, man’s work would now become laborious, andhe will have to struggle to eat the fruit of his labour(Genesis 3:17-19). Mankind’s welcoming childreninto the world would now be with Eve’s restlesspains in childbearing (Genesis 3:16) into a world ofsin and brokenness. A marital relationship would nolonger be complementary but filled with restlessness.The woman would strive for her husband’s role ofleadership, and the man will relinquish his leadershipas did Adam in letting a conversation happen in thefirst place between the serpent and his wife (Genesis

3:1-6) or he will lord over his wife (Genesis 3:16).Finally, all people will taste death – restlessness’s finaldose of sin’s venom and Satan’s sting. Restlessnesshas entered the very fabric of this world.

CHRIST – THE RESTORER OF REST

God’s world is now restless. But he promises usrescue from it. And he intends to use enmity torestore peace and rest: “And I will put enmitybetween thee and the woman, and between thy seedand her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shaltbruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). While people fill theearth under the curse of the fall and the promise ofGod, the people of Israel are subjugated under theharsh treatment of the people of Egypt for fourhundred years. Restlessness and strife extends topeople groups. God their maker becomes theirredeemer: “I am the Lord thy God, which havebrought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of thehouse of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). As those who haveexperienced salvation from Yahweh, He restores theoriginal plan for a week by saying, “Remember thesabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thoulabour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day isthe sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt notdo any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle,nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in sixdays the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and allthat in them is, and rested the seventh day:wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, andhallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11). Yahweh, the God ofrest, is the Lord of the Sabbath.

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Fast-forward 1500 years, the eternal Son of God, thesecond person of the Trinity, is born a Jewish male.One day, during his earthly ministry, Jesus enters thetemple (a place where people can gather to rest inGod and anticipate in hope for the promise of restfrom Genesis 3:15 to be fulfilled). On this day heproclaims, “the Son of man is Lord even of thesabbath day” (Matthew 12:8). This is no ordinaryclaim because this could only mean one of twothings. Either this is a claim of a mad man who hassinned by equating himself with God, or Yahwehwho is the Lord of the Sabbath from Exodus 20 hasmysteriously become man and is Himself here tofulfil the promise of rest He had made to our firstparents in Genesis 3:15. The first option could notbe the case because a mere man equating himself toGod would be sin, but concerning Jesus the Biblesays “in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). We are only leftwith the breathtaking alternative: Jesus is Yahweh.It is because Jesus is Yahweh, the Lord of rest, thatHe can say, “Come unto me, all ye that labour andare heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take myyoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek andlowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”(Matthew 11:28-29).

NEW CREATION – A GLORIOUS REST

The promise of rest is fully experienced in NewCreation when all things will have been made new:“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord fromhenceforth… that they may rest from their labours”(Revelation 14:13). But notice that the only oneswho will rest from their labours are the ones whohave died in the Lord. And who are those who die in

the Lord? It is those who have answered the Lord’scall in Matthew 11 to come and rest in Him now.

CONCLUSION

We certainly live in a restless world. But our Godhas not left us to ourselves to figure out how to gainone of the deepest longings of our soul. We havebeen given Christ, the architect, the promise, andthe fulfilment of true rest for mankind and theworld. And we have been given all those who likeourselves are resting in Christ. We have been giventhe Lord’s Day, the Christian Sabbath, when we cancease from all of our regular work, and focus onresting in Christ. On this day, we get to step awayfrom the restlessness of our world, some of whichwill have inadvertently affected us over the course ofthe week, and step into the arms of the Lord of theSabbath yet again. We get to sing of Him, hear Himin the Word read and preached, taste His rest in theCommunion, and share in His rest through ourfellowship with one another. So, may we come toChrist and celebrate His day, and so strive to enterthe rest as we await the day when striving shall cease,and rest will have been fully ushered in to creationitself. Until then, let the Lord’s Day set the rhythmfor our weeks.

BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALS | JOHN RAKSHITH PRABHAKARA BIBLICAL THEOLOGYOF REST

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God commanded, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).THINGS FORBIDDEN

The seventh commandment forbids all unchastethoughts, words, and actions (Ephesians 5:3). Allunchastity and uncleanness is forbidden.

1. In the thoughts and desires of the heart, such aswanton thoughts and lustful desires. “Whosoeverlooketh upon a woman, to lust after her, hathcommitted adultery with her already in his heart.”(Matthew 5:28). “Every man is tempted, when he isdrawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then,when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin”(James 1:14, 15).

2. In words and speeches, such as all obscene words,lascivious songs, and enticing speeches unto any, todraw them to this sin. “Neither filthiness, nor foolishtalking” (Ephesians 5:4). “Come, let us take our fillof love until the morning, and solace ourselves withloves. With her much fair speech she caused him toyield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him”(Proverbs 7:18, 21).

3. In the actions, and that both the acts of unchastityand uncleanness itself, and whatever actions do tendthereunto.

These are either such as are without marriage, andin those that are married.

The acts of unchastity and uncleanness withoutmarriage forbidden are:

1. Self-pollution.

2. Fornication and adultery. “Now the works of theflesh are manifest, which are these, adultery,fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness” (Gal. 5:19).“Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour'swife, to defile thyself with her” (Leviticus 18:20).

3. Incest. “None of you shall approach unto any thatis near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: Iam the Lord” (Leviticus 18:6).

4. Rape, and all forcing of any into the sin ofuncleanness. “If a man find a betrothed damsel in thefield, and the man force her, and lie with her, theman shall die” (Deuteronomy 22:25).

5. Sodomy. (Genesis 19; Leviticus 20:13; 1Corinthians 6:9; Romans 1:25-27).

The acts of unchastity and uncleanness forbiddenbetween those that are married, are, all unseasonableand immoderate use of the marriage-bed. “Thou

CLASSICS

Sin of Adultery

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shalt not approach unto a woman, to uncover hernakedness, as long as she is put apart for heruncleanness” (Leviticus 18:19). “Defraud ye not oneanother, except it be with consent for a time, that yemay give yourselves to fasting and prayer” (lCorinthians 7:5).

1. Drunkenness. “And they made their father drunkwith wine that night; and the first-born went in, andlay with her father” (Genesis 19:33).

2. Gluttony and idleness. “Behold, this was theiniquity of thy sister, Sodom; pride, fulness of bread,and abundance of idleness was in her; and shecommitted abomination before me” (Ezekiel 16:49,50).

3. Wanton gestures and attires. “The daughters ofZion walk with stretched forth necks, and wantoneyes, walking, and mincing as they go” (Isaiah 3:16).“There met him a woman, with the attire of anharlot; and she caught him, and kissed him”(Proverbs 7:10, 13).

4. Frequenting light and lewd company, readinglascivious books, beholding unchaste pictures, ordoing anything which may provoke lust.

First and foremost, fornication and adultery is a sinvery offensive and dishonourable unto God. “AndDavid sent messengers, and took her: and she camein unto him, and he lay with her. But the thing thatDavid had done displeased the Lord” (2 Samuel 11:4, 27).

Secondly, fornication and adultery is very pernicious

and hurtful unto themselves that are guilty of it.

1. It is a sin against their body, which defiles it, andoftentimes wastes and consumes it. “Fleefornication. Every sin that a man doeth is withoutthe body; but he that committeth fornication,sinneth against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18).“Remove thy way far from her, lest thou mourn atlast, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed”(Proverbs 5:8, 11).

2. It is a sin against their soul, which blinds the mind,wastes the conscience, and, in the process bringsdestruction upon the soul. “Whoredom and winetake away the heart; that is, the understanding. —Hosea 4:11. “Whoso committeth adultery with awoman, lacketh understanding; he that doeth it,destroyeth his own soul” (Proverbs 6:32).

3. It injures and blots the name. “Whoso committethadultery, a wound and dishonour shall he get, andhis reproach shall not be wiped away” (Proverbs6:32, 33).

4. It wastes the riches and substance. “Lest strangersbe filled with thy wealth, and thy labours be in thehouse of a stranger” (Proverbs 5:10). “For by meansof a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece ofbread” (Proverbs 6:26).

5. It brings many to an untimely end. “Theadulteress will hunt for the precious life” (Proverbs6:26). “She hath cast down many wounded; yea,many strong men have been slain by her” (Proverbs7:26).

Finally, the party with whom uncleanness iscommitted, is involved in the same guilt; and if theparty be married, it is an injury to the other marriedrelation.

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THINGS REQUIRED

Through this seventh commandment God requiresthe preservation of our own and our neighbour'schastity, in heart, speech, and behaviour. We arecommanded to honour this by keeping ourselvesunpolluted, and doing whatever we can to preventthe defilement of others. “For this is the will of God,even your sanctification, that ye should abstainfrom fornication: that every one of you shouldknow how to possess his vessel in sanctification andhonour” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4):

1. In heart, by such love unto, and desire after, anddelight in one another's company, as is pure andchaste; and that whether we be men, as to thecompany of women; or women, as to the companyof men. “See that ye love one another with a pureheart fervently (1 Peter 1:22).

2. In speech, by such discourse one with another, asis uncorrupt, and may tend to one another'sedification and sanctification. “Let no corruptcommunication proceed out of your mouth, butthat which is good to the use of edifying, that it mayminister grace unto the hearers (Ephesians 4:29).

3. In behaviour, by such a conversation and actionsas are modest and chaste. “That if any obey not theword, they also may without the word be won bythe conversation of the wives, while they beholdyour chaste conversation coupled with fear” (1Peter 3:1, 2).

1. Because we are men and women, and not beasts,who are under no law; it is suitable to the principlesof reason, and law of God written upon the heart,

as well as the express command of the word, to keepourselves chaste and clean.

2. Because as believers, we profess to have theknowledge of God and fear of God “Not in the lustof concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who knownot God” (1 Thessalonians 4:5). Also read Ephesians4:17, 19.

3. Because we are true believers, our bodies aremembers of Christ, and temples of the Holy Ghost,and not our own, and therefore ought to be keptclean and holy “Know ye not that your bodies arethe members of Christ? Shall I then take themembers of Christ, and make them the members ofan harlot? God forbid. What! know ye not that hewhich is joined to an harlot is one body? What!know ye not that your body is the temple of theHoly Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God,and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:15, 16,19). “If any man defile the temple of God, him shallGod destroy: for the temple of God is holy, whichtemple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:17).

1. By watchfulness over our hearts and spirits, tooppose uncleanness in the first desires of it, andinclinations of heart to it, and risings of it in thethoughts. “Keep thy heart with all diligence”(Proverbs 4:23). “Therefore take heed to yourspirit” (Malachi 2:16). By watchfulness over oursenses; our eyes, to turn them away from suchobjects as may provoke lust. “I made a covenantwith mine eyes, why then should I think upon amaid?” (Job 31:1). By watchfulness over our ears, toshut them against all lascivious discourse; we mustwatch also against such touches and wanton

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dalliances as may be an incentive to unchaste desires,and take heed of all light and lewd company, andwatch to avoid all occasions, and resist temptationsto the sin of uncleanness. “Remove thy way far fromher, and come not nigh the door of her house”(Proverbs 5:8). “His master's wife cast her eyes uponJoseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused;and said, How can I do this great wickedness, and sinagainst God?” (Genesis 39:7-9).

2. By diligence in our callings, wherein, when ourbodies and minds are busily employed, both may bepreserved from those unclean practices and desireswhich idle persons are more prone unto. “She eatethnot the bread of idleness. Many daughters have donevirtuously, but thou excellest them all” (Proverbs31:27, 29). “And Dinah went out to see thedaughters of the land. And Shechem took her andlay with her, and defiled her” (Genesis 34:1-2).

3. By temperance in eating and drinking, excess ineither of which pampers the body, and excites untolust. “They were as fed horses in the morning:everyone neighed after his neighbour's wife”(Jeremiah 5:8). “Look not thou upon the wine whenit is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup …Thine eyes shall behold strange women” (Proverbs23:31, 33).

4. By abstinence, and keeping under the body, whenthere is need, with frequent fastings. “But I keepunder my body, and bring it into subjection, lest thatby any means, when I have preached to others, Imyself should be a cast-away” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

5. By the fear of God, and awful apprehension of hispresence and all-seeing eye. “And why wilt thou,my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and

embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways ofman are before the eyes of the Lord, and hepondereth all his goings” (Proverbs 5:20-21).

6. By faith in Jesus Christ, and thereby drawingvirtue from him for the purifying of the heart andthe crucifying of the fleshly lusts. “And they that areChrist's have crucified the flesh, with the affectionsand lusts” (Galatians 5:24).

7. By application of the promises of cleansing theheart, and subduing iniquity. “Then will I sprinkleclean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from allyour filthiness will I cleanse you” (Ezekiel 36:25).“He will subdue our iniquities” (Micah 7:19).“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, letus cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh andspirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2Corinthians 7:1).

8. By the help of the Spirit. "For if ye live after theflesh, ye shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, domortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans8:13).

9. By frequent and fervent prayer. “Wash methroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me frommy sin. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;wash me, and I shall be whiter than the snow” (Isaiah51:2, 7). “Turn away mine eyes from beholdingvanity” (Psalm 119:37).

10. When no other means will avail to quenchburning desires, marriage is to be made use of; andthat must be in the Lord. “But if they cannotcontain, let them marry; for it is better to marry thanto burn. If her husband be dead, she is at liberty to bemarried to whom she will; only in the Lord” (1Corinthians 7:9, 39).

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The Bible records a real incident that occurred in Israel involving certain men and a prostitute. Through herunholy and sinful choice, the woman created in God’s image defiled herself. Many men, young and old tookadvantage of her profession and polluted themselves by committing adultery with her. By doing so, theywould have brought so much anguish and miserable consequences upon their families. As is the case with allsins, one day she was caught red-handed, in the very act itself.

The leaders of Israel brought her before Jesus. According to the Jewish law a prostitute should be stoned todeath. They wanted Jesus to pronounce judgement upon her. Jesus told them, “He that is without sin amongyou, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). One by one, starting from the oldest to the youngest left thescene and the lady alone was left standing. They all left because not even one person was without guilt.Everyone was guilty of the sin of adultery. While men are quick to condemn others about sexual sin, theyhardly realize that everyone is guilty of such a sin. If you are considering yourselves holy, listen to this holyand perfect terms of judgement from the Judge of the world, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust afterher hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). The very thoughts and desires ofour heart condemn us as guilty before the Almighty God. In today’s terms, the same could be said about sexbefore marriage, extra-marital affairs, pornography, homosexuality, and many such prevalent immoralities.It is not the sin of adultery alone that condemns us, we are guilty on several counts, “Adultery, fornication,uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also toldyou in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

After all the accusers had left, Jesus told the woman, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John8:11). The Almighty Judge set her free. In other words, the immoral woman was not condemned; but hersins were forgiven by Jesus Christ. How could Christ set her free? Although, Jesus has the right to pronouncedeath-by-stoning for our sins, in His great mercy he has made provision for forgiveness for our sins andsalvation for our souls. Jesus Christ could forgive the prostitute’s sins because He Himself took thepunishment for her sins. He was stricken, spit upon, mocked at, stripped, reviled, beaten, and finally crucifiedand put to death on the cross. He rose again conquering sin and death itself. “There is therefore now nocondemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Not only the woman and her sins, Jesus bore the punishment for all sorts of sins of all sorts of people. Manysinful and immoral men and women over the course of twenty centuries have found forgiveness for their sinsin the Savior’s work. All those who realize sin as really sin, who know that they are sinners, who know thatthey stand condemned to eternal death before the judgment of the Almighty God, who know the mercifulwork of the Savior, who cry out to God, will be forgiven, accepted, saved, and set free. “If the Son thereforeshall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Caught in Sin, Set Free by ChristBELIN KULASEKARGOSPEL

A Reformed, Presbyterian, Church in BangaloreCovenant BPC exists “For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9). We stand

for the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word through “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy

2:15) and to establish a true witness for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in India, in the spirit of the 16th century

Protestant Reformation movement.

OUR FOUR-FOLD PURPOSE1. TO PROCLAIM THE SALVATION OF THE LORD THROUGH FAITHFUL PREACHING AND TEACHING OF GOD’S

HOLY WORD (ISAIAH 61:1-2; 2 TIMOTHY 4:2)

2. TO PROMOTE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP AND BUILD-UP A COVENANT COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS WHO

WOULD DEDICATE THEIR HEARTS UNTO THE LORD TO FEAR HIM AND FOLLOW HIM (DEUTERONOMY 5:29)

3. TO PROTECT THE MOST HOLY FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE DELIVERED UNTO THE SAINTS (JUDE 3)

4. TO PROVIDE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL CARE TO THE PEOPLE AROUND (MATTHEW 9:35)

COVENANT B-P CHURCH

08:30 AM Kannada Worship Service09:30 AM Sunday Class for All10:30 AM English Worship Service

06:30 PM Mid-week Prayer Service

08:00 PM Neighbourhood Bible Study

06:00 PM Kannada Cottage Meeting04:00 PM English Bible Study04:00 PM Pastoral Visitation04:00 PM English Cottage Meeting

1st Sat2nd Sat3rd Sat4th Sat

101-102 Daady’s Nest, Doddakannahalli, Sarjapur Main Road, Bangalore - 560035, India

Tel: +91 98 4579 4495 / +91 95 9073 7352 | W e b : w w w . c o v e n a n t b p c i . c o m | Email: [email protected]

© 2018 Reformation Now | A ministry of Covenant B-P Church, Bangalore | www.facebook.com/refnow | contact: [email protected]

STRIVING TOGETHER FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPELPHILIPPIANS 1:27

INDIA REFORMED BIBLICAL SEMINARYINDIA REFORMED BIBLICAL SEMINARY

Today there is a great urgency to prepare a generation to preserve

the purity of the gospel and to practice and proclaim it faithfully.

Hence, we, the contributors and editors of , under

the umbrella of Covenant B-P Church, Bangalore, launch the new

initiative through IRBS:

Watch this page for more details of this initiative in the forthcoming

issues of .

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