Selected Reading, February 22, 2020

I read these recently and recommend them to you.

The Gospel

Treasures of the Christian Life, Part 8: The Gospel
This is the last of an excellent series by Clint Archer: “[T]he good news is that Jesus lived the perfect life you could never live and died in your place taking God’s wrath against your sin himself. He took your punishment so that you can receive his righteousness and an eternity in heaven – this is very good news indeed! This is a priceless treasure. The crown jewel of the treasures of the Christian life.”

The Trinity

Is Jesus the true God in 1 John 5:20?
Or to put it another way, does 1 John 5:20 refer to Jesus as “the true God”?

Christian History

Martin Luther’s Death and Legacy
Stephen Nichols recounts the circumstances surrounding the reformer Martin Luther’s death. 

Christian Living

Lessons Learned Through Grief
I really appreciated this reminder of the importance small tangible expressions of love for those who are grieving (Tim Challies). (Several years ago I posted a list of a few small but important things you can do when someone you know dies.)

Why Christians Should Never Retire
“Christians may be free to ‘retire’ from their occupation, but as disciples of Christ we aren’t ever free to retire from serving God and others” (Chris Cagle).

Theology

Systematic Theology
I am working my way through the section on the Trinity in the new Systematic Theology by Robert Letham. Berkhof is still my favorite as far as systematic theologies go, but this one is a close second. It is particularly notable for addressing current issues in theology and for interacting with the viewpoints of other contemporary theologians.

As far as readability goes, I’d put it right between Grudem’s systematic theology and Berkhof’s.

Theological Term of the Week: Universalism

universalism
The view that all persons will be saved in the end, even those who die in unbelief.

• Scripture that teaches against universalism: 

  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25:46 ESV)

  And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:9-11 ESV) 

• From The London Baptist Confession of Faith, 1689: 

  Chapter 32: The Last Judgment
  
  1. God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given by the Father. In that day, the apostate angels will be judged. So also, all people who have lived on the earth will appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds and to receive a reckoning according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil. 
  
  2. God’s purpose for appointing this day is to manifest the glory of his mercy in the eternal salvation of the elect, and of his justice in the eternal damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient.For at that time the righteous will go into everlasting life and receive fullness of joy and glory with everlasting rewards in the presence of the Lord. But the wicked, who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, will be thrown into everlasting torments and punished with everlasting destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.

• From Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof: 

  The question of the eternity of the future punishment deserves more special consideration, however, because it is frequently denied. It is said that the words used in Scripture for “everlasting” and “eternal” may simply denote an “age” or a “dispensation,” or any other long period of time. Now it cannot be doubted that they are so used in some passages, but this does not prove that they always have that limited meaning. It is not the literal meaning of these terms. Whenever they are so used, they are used figuratively, and in such cases their figurative use is generally quite evident from the connection. Moreover, there are positive reasons for thinking that these words do not have that limited meaning in the passages to which we referred. (a) In Matt. 25:46 the same word describes the duration of both, the bliss of the saints and the penalty of the wicked. If the latter is not, properly speaking, unending, neither is the former; and yet many of those who doubt eternal punishment, do not doubt everlasting bliss. (b) Other expressions are used which cannot be set aside by the consideration mentioned in the preceding. The fire of hell is called an “unquenchable fire,” Mark 9:43; and it is said of the wicked that “their worm dieth not,” Mark 9:48. Moreover, the gulf that will separate saints and sinners in the future is said to be fixed and impassable, Luke 16:26.

Learn more:

1. Got Questions.org: Is Universalism Biblical?
2. Andrew Moody: False Comfort: The Treacherous Gospel of Wrathless Universalism
3. Richard Baucham: Univeralism: A Historical Survey
4. Archibald Alexander: Universalism: False and Unscriptural
5. Todd Pruitt: If God Is Love, Then Why Won’t Everyone Be Saved?
6. Michael J. McClymond: The Many Fish That Swim in the Universalist Pond

Related terms: 

• annihilationism
• exclusivism
• inclusivism
• pluralism

Filed under Defective Theology

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Sunday's Hymn: Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Weary

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

Refrain

I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies.
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?

Lo! th’incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

 —Joseph Hart

 Other hymns, worship songs, or quotes for this Sunday:

• The Cords That Bound at The Happy Wonderer
• Beautiful Writing Should Be More Than Beautiful Writing at The Outspoken Tulip 
• Righteous Grace at Tried With Fire
• Lord’s Day 7, 2020 at The Thirsty Theologian