The latest Providence Church newsletter has just come out.  This issue takes a brief look at the doctrine of vocation.

Christianity is unique among religions because it exalts work and gives it dignity. Reformed Theology has historically been distinctive too, because it puts an emphasis on bringing all of life under the lordship of Christ.

Why is this issue entitled, "Get Out & Spread the Manure"?  Well, you'll just have to read it to find out!

We've been looking at the humiliation of Christ as it is summarized in The Apostles' Creed.  We've talked about his birth, sufferings, and crucifixion.  But it is interesting to note that the Creed does not fail to mention that Christ actually died and, to prove such, was buried.  

In this we are reminded that Christ became “maximus peccar,” the supreme sinner, and bore the wages of sin.  He not only suffered extreme torment, but he met the full penalty that was intended for man's disobedience.

One may wonder why it was necessary that all this happen to our Lord.  Some who are of an atheistic stripe have said that this amounts to nothing other than a grotesque God because He has His own Son killed.  

Yet we must remember that this is necessary for salvation.  The justice of God had to be appeased.  The penalty of sin is death and it was incumbent upon Christ to pay that penalty in the full if redemption was to be provided.

[This is the third in a series on the humiliation of Christ.  Here are part 1, & part 2]

Crucifixion was excruciating, to say the least.  At that time, it was the most horrid way to die.  It is not the intent now to detail the humiliating depths of crucifixion.  It is enough for our purposes to say that it was a painful and shameful way to die.  

That Christ hung on that tree and suffered the most horrendous form of death reminds us that Jesus endured the full brunt of God's wrath.  He was, most definitely, in hell.

When thinking about the cross, we must not forget that his sufferings were not just physical, but mental and emotional too.  He was experiencing His Father's anger.  The blessings of life in all its forms (i.e. light, happiness, communion with the Father) were being withdrawn from him.  

No doubt his mind was swirling with grief and despair.  So much was his inward pain that he cried out with anguished voice, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

All this is to assure us that Jesus bore the curse which was due to us for sin. The tree of Eden had been the arena of the first sin.  The tree of Calvary became the means of reversing that ordeal.  The warning that the Lord had first issued was that "the day you eat of it you will surely die."  The Creed serves to remind us that Christ took that curse upon himself at the cross.

We have been conducting a series on the humiliation of Christ as it is summarized in the Apostles' Creed.  We now come to the last and most perplexing statement:  He descended into hell.  

This phrase has been the subject of much dispute.  As a result, there are a number of theories.

Some take it to mean that Christ, subsequent to his death, went to the locality of hell, where OT saints were said to be waiting and set them free so that they may, at long last, enter heaven.  This interpretation, which is held by RCC and some Protestant churches, is based on an errant understanding of 1 Peter. 3:18f (For a sermon dealing with this passage go to our series on 1 Peter).  

Others have taken this statement "He descended into hell" to be a reiteration of Christ’s sufferings on the cross, this time pertaining to the mental agonies that he endured.  

Perhaps the best way to understand this phrase is that Christ remained under the power of death for a time.  The word hell is the word Gehenna, which indicates the grave (i.e. he remained in the realm and under the power of death).  It’s positioning in the Creed, after buried, seems to indicate such.  

What then is the purpose of this statement?  It serves to remind us that the full penalty of death was paid by Christ.  Christ not only died, but he remained under the power of death for a period of time.  Thus, he bore in full the penalty of sin.

A new audio series is out, and you will definitely want to get your hands on this one!

This series is sure to be a great asset because it highlights Covenant Theology, which is one of our key doctrines here at Providence Church. 

Pastor/teacher Gregg Bahnsen does a superb job of showing unfolding the subject.  You can't help but be interested in what he has to say simply by a few of the subjects covered:  Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism, Covenant Children: Cleansed and Concecrated, A Covenant Meal, The Rapture, The Future of Israel, and The Great Tribulation.

When my wife and children go away for the week, I live the stereotypical bachelor’s life.  As a result, the house doesn’t typically have that “woman’s touch” that makes it so warm and inviting.  

On one of these occasions a friend of mine came over to hang out.  When we entered the house I did a quick breeze through to clean up the worst of the mess.  I didn’t worry that my tidying up left much to be desired.  I knew my friend would not be concerned about the smaller things still scattered around the room.

Many people view their life with God in the same way.  We think that God will accept us as long as our lives are somewhat tidy.  We know those whose sins are flagrant and scandalous deserve to go to hell.  However, God isn’t so picky as to worry about some of the smaller sins that clutter up our lives… right?

Wrong.  The Bible makes it quite clear God hates even the smallest infraction of his law, and he will not overlook any of them.

Consider the very first sin.  Adam and Eve were given only one stipulation.  God commanded them not to eat of the fruit of one particular tree in the midst of the vast paradise spread before them.  Despite the prohibition they ate the fruit, and the consequences were disastrous.  They were expelled from God’s presence, given over to live a life of misery, and condemned to die.

All that for eating one little piece of fruit!

The Bible makes it clear that God takes sin very seriously.  That’s because God is infinitely holy.  Since he is infinitely holy, even the slightest transgression of his law is infinitely evil and deserves an infinite punishment. 

Some will object and say, “But God is a God of love!  How can he be that austere?”  It is true, God is love.  However, we must always remember that God loves his own honor first and foremost.  So whatever offends God must be dealt with in such a manner so as to defend his honor.

That obviously puts us in a dilemma.  If God really is that picky, it means we are all liable to his wrath and curse.  Even if we had only one “little” sin for which we were accountable (and, of course, we have many), O what a dreadful punishment that would be! 

The good news is that there is a remedy for our predicament.  The seriousness of sin is dealt with in the cross of Jesus Christ.  When Christ went to the cross, he died a painful and shameful death to atone for all sin, be it great or “small.”  That means he died in our place.  He took the curse that was due to us for our sin and paid the penalty in full.

Moreover, Jesus’ life was the tidy life God requires.  He never sinned once in all the days he lived.  As a result, his life can make us acceptable to God.

In essence, Jesus makes it possible for sinners of all sorts to be right with a picky God.  And if you wish to be delivered from the sins that still clutter up your life, all you have to do is this:  acknowledge that your life does not measure up to God’s perfect standard and turn to Jesus.  When you do that, the life Jesus lived will be transferred to you, and all your sin will be wiped away.  You will never need to fear standing before God because he will not count one of your sins against you.  When he looks upon you, he will only see the perfect life of Christ.

If you would like to receive Jesus as your Savior, you can use this prayer as a guide:

Dear God, I might not be a murderer or a horrendous villain in the world’s eyes, but I do know that I am a sinner.  As such I know too that I deserve to be punished.  But I am sorry for the things I’ve done.  I pray that you would forgive me.  Thank you for sending Jesus to live and die for me.  I know that only he could live the life I could not, and I want him to be my savior.

One thing that we are agreed on here at Providence church is that we are not good people.  What's more, we are out to convince others of the same!

What?  You think you are a good person?  Well then, you better click on the image to the right.  I'm betting you might be a little surprised!

Find out why we are so adamant about our depravity, and join us in rejoicing in it.

I do not think that it is coincidence that there are seven sayings of Christ from the cross.  You might think that it seems a little anti-climactic after Jesus says, “It is finished.”  I mean, what more could be said?  It is finished, right?

I don’t think that you could have a complete cross story without this seventh saying.  Part of the reason is the symbolic significance of the number seven.  In the Bible seven represents perfection, fulfillment, or completion. 

For instance, in the Bible, the seventh day is the Sabbath day, the completion of the week.  By week’s end you were to have fulfilled your work so that you could dedicate the seventh day to the Lord. 

So you can sort of see that the number seven carries this idea of completion or perfection.

And it is with this seventh word that Jesus perfects his work as our Redeemer.  And when you understand what Jesus says here, you understand that is exactly what he is saying.

When he says, “Into you hands I commit my spirit,” he insinuates that two things are being brought to their completion.  He’s announcing the completion of his obedience and his sufferings.

I. Jesus completes His obedience 
In speaking these words, Jesus wants us to know that he is bringing his obedience to completion.  Jesus came to earth to “fulfill all righteousness.”  If he did not fulfill every jot and tittle of the law, we could not be counted as righteous before God.  As lawbreakers, we need someone to fulfill the law on our behalf.

And that is exactly what Jesus does here.  The evening is drawing nigh for Jesus.  The Sabbath day is almost upon them.  And for the Jew, the fourth commandment required a day of holy rest.  And after this word, Jesus enters into a state of rest.  He dies, and subsequently, he is laid in a tomb.  And there he will remain undisturbed throughout the duration of the Sabbath.

But I want you to understand that physical rest was not the only thing required in the Sabbath command.  It was supposed to be a day of spiritual rest too.  As a matter of fact, that is the real purpose of the fourth commandment.  The Sabbath was designed to be a day given over to God and devoted specifically to him.  It was to be a holy day—a day where men spend time refreshing their souls in the worship of God. 

Do you see what I mean?  The Sabbath command calls men to cease from their labors and other worldly activities and so that one can spend as much time as he can enjoying communion with God.

And that’s exactly what Jesus tells us he is going to do here.  When he says, “Into your hands I commit my spirit” Jesus pushes us out of this realm. He pushes us into the realm of heaven.  He basically says, “Father, I have been agonizing on this cross all day.  I have been doing the work you have called me to do.  But in just a moment I am going to die.  My body will be put in a tomb,  but my spirit is going to come to you.  And I look forward to being there with you, spending the whole Sabbath in your presence.”

So you see?  By his voicing this word, Jesus shows us that even in his death he has fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf.

This is good news for you and me because we are Sabbath breakers!

Sure, we do not recognize the seventh day of the week anymore.  Ever since the resurrection, the first day of the week is one God has appointed as his day of worship.  But how many times have we squandered the Lord’s Day on ourselves rather than giving God the priority he deserves? 

You know that time you skipped church so that you could go golfing?  Do you know how much that offended God?  Ladies, instead of seeking to commune with God, you played hooky so that you can go shopping with the girls.

You might not know it, but these are egregious sins in the eyes of God.  If anything, it shows how tepid your love for God really is and how much you value your job or your recreation over him!

But friends, the last words of Jesus are, “into your hands I commit my spirit.”  With His dying breath he expresses the anticipation he has for that communion with His heavenly Father.  And by doing so he brings to completion his obedience and he fulfills that righteousness that we so desperately we lack.

But you’ll notice that it is not just his obedience that he completes.  In these words we also see that he brings his sufferings to completion.

II. Jesus completes his sufferings 
What is said here is something radically different than what we have witnessed so far in our service.  The whole notion of Jesus coming into the presence of God to enjoy communion with him is a radical juxtaposition to all that the cross represents.

For the last several hours we have seen nothing but the rejection of Jesus.  Here on this cross God has stripped him of every earthly blessing and completely abandoned him.  The Father has essentially said, “You are utterly repulsive to me and I want nothing to do with you!”  We even have Jesus’ own testimony.  We heard him cry out and say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  

But here in these words we see something radically different.  Jesus says, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”  The idea is that Jesus will no longer be pushed away—they will no longer be separated!  Instead, he knows that in just a moment his spirit will ascend to heaven where the Father will open his arms to receive him.

And that can only mean one thing: Jesus has completed his sufferings.  He has endured the totality of God’s wrath and curse and come out the other side.  Or, as one theologian has said, Jesus expresses the fact that he is already begun to taste the sweets of his victory.

This is why those who trust in Jesus need not fear being condemned by God.

You need to understand that when you die, your body will be laid in the tomb, but your spirit will live on.  If you have not turned from your sin and trusted Christ, you will awaken to find yourself in hell receiving the just punishment for your sins.

But if you place your faith in Christ, you can be assured that you will not suffer the least prick upon your soul.  Jesus Christ has born it all and he has opened the way to the Father so that sinners like you and I may enter into the presence of God when our life on this earth is done.

The beautiful thing about these last words of Jesus is not words of departure; they are words of entrance. 

And they are here to remind us that though we have lost fellowship with God, through the redemption of Christ we may have it restored.

This seventh saying of Christ heralds the perfect work of our Mediator:  The curse of sin is broken…completely.


[The above message was delivered by Matt Timmons at the 2013 community Good Friday service.]

Jim's message addressed the following questions.

1. What are the arguments for same sex marriage?
2. How do we evaluate these claims?
3. Why have nations throughout history had laws regarding marriage?
4. What are the social benefits?  (i.e. are all marriages equally beneficial for individuals and society at large?)
5. Does same-sex marriage really hurt anyone else?

The slides from the power point presentation are also provided below.  These are helpful for the numerous facts and statistics that accompany the message.