Inerrancy and Faith

It is interesting how independent and differing sources can help to guide you to the same conclusion.  I recently finished the book Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung on the suggestion of a friend and brother in Christ who was having members of his church read it.  After finishing the book and contemplating my review of it for this blog post, I found myself watching a great video on apologiatv featuring Dr. James White as he refuted critics on discerning how we can determine what does or does not belong in the Bible.  In fairness to Dr. White, you should listen to the video linked above.  I have oversimplified what was spoken there and it is indeed well worth listening to if you are one who believes the scriptures are "theopneustos" or "God breathed".  As he spoke during this interview, Dr. White explained that many of the young people who grow up in churches today are not taught the history of the church and the reality of how the Bible was preserved by God for His people.  Many of these young people go off to college believing that the bible simply fell out of heaven in a calf skin cover with verse and chapter references ready to go.  Once they get to college, these beliefs are challenged and easily dispelled by those who desire to make shipwreck of the faith.

The Joy of the Resurrection in the Book of Daniel

The book of Daniel is one of my favorite books in the Bible.  It contains historical facts, such as the fall of Judah and Jerusalem to the Babylonians and the reign of some of the kings of Babylon, Media and Persia.  It also contains fulfillment of prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, such as the siege of Jerusalem and the exile of many of the Israelites (specifically Daniel and his three friends).  It records miracles of deliverances of Daniel and his friends that only the LORD could accomplish.  This book also contains prophecies similar to the book of Revelation, wonderful and terrifying dreams and interpretations, visions, encounters with angels, and a vision of Jesus, the Son of Man, to Whom is given - from God the Father - dominion, Glory, and a kingdom of peoples of every nation and tongue - that has no end! Most importantly, throughout the book, through the dark times of the exile to the great deliverances through the fire of the furnace, from the faithful Daniel to the proud pagan king Nebuchadnezzar, the LORD, God Almighty is recognized as sovereign over all things - as Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges:

"But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.  All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'"  Daniel 4:34-35

Examining Our Inheritance

In my reading of Our Great God and Saviour, by Eric J. Alexander, it was as if I, like Moses, had been placed in the cleft of the rock and had seen the LORD's goodness pass before me!  It is too wonderful an experience for a sinful man like me!  Mr. Alexander uses the Holy Scriptures to expound and proclaim the greatness of God in 1)His Essence/Being/Character, 2)His Great Salvation (from regeneration to glorification), and 3)in His Church.  The LORD is magnified throughout the entire book.   His purpose is to help the reader realize how rich we are in having God as our inheritance.  There is a great quote at the beginning of the book which still has me thinking.  The quote is from a Puritan, Steven Charnock, written over three hundred years ago, which states:

"A mere contemplation of the divine excellences may afford much pleasure to any man who loves to exercise reason.  But if that be so, what incomparable sweetness ought believers to find in viewing and considering now these perfections which they will more fully behold hereafter, seeing what manner of God - in whom they have a covenant interest - how wise and powerful, how great, good and holy he is.  Indeed, if rich men delight to sum up their vast revenues, to read over their rentals, to look upon their hoards, how much more should the people of God please themselves in seeing how rich they are in having an immensely full and all-sufficient God as their inheritance."  - Stephen Charnock, The Attributes of God (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, reprint 1979), p. 19.

THE NAME / NAMES OF GOD

“I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.” Psalm 138:2

“Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

I have been blessed through Bible study and the hearing of many sermons on the names of God, especially those of Brian Borgman, the founding pastor at Grace Community Church in Minden, Nevada. Even though I have never met him, his love for and his labor and diligent mining in God’s word have helped me and even encouraged me to labor in God’s word as well. Much of what is written below is summarized from his sermons: The Names of God (Part 1-5). You can listen to them (I highly recommend it!) at sermonaudio.com/gracenevada under the Sermon Series “Systematic Theology”. It is not dull – it will bless you more than you can imagine.

The Chief End of Man

Sunday I will be singing a song in church called "As Long as You Are Glorified".  I heard this song for the first time on Pandora one afternoon while driving.  It caught my attention immediately as I had never heard it before and the lyrics seemed so true to the teaching of scripture (By the way, the Sovereign Grace channel on Pandora is full of fantastic music).  The song asks some pointed questions.  Here is a bit of the lyrics:





Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain?
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain?
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought?
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt?