God's providence with the despised things- from Stephen Charnock

God so delights in thus baffling the pride of men, that Asa uses it as an argument to move God to deliver him in the strait he was in, when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him with a great multitude, when he was but a small point and centre in the midst of a wide circumference: 2 Chron. 14.11, 'Lord it is nothing with thee to help with many or with few.' Herby God sets off his own power, and evidenceth his superintendent care of his people. It was more signally the arm of God for Moses to confound Pharaoh with his lice and frogs, than if he had beaten him in a plain field with his six hundred thousand Israelites.

In the salvation of the soul. Our Saviour himself, though God, the great redeemer of the world, was so mean in the eyes of the world that he called himself  'a worm, and no man,'Ps 22.6, He picks out many times the most unlikely persons to accomplish the greatest purposes for men's souls .He lodgeth the treasures of wisdom in vessels of earth; he chose not the cedars of Lebanon, but the shrubs of the valley; not the learned Pharisees of Jerusalem, but the poor men of Galilee: 'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, he has ordained praise to himself.'

The apostles' breeding was not capable of ennobling their minds, and fitting them for such great actions as Christ employed them in. But after he had new moulded them and inflamed their spirits, he made them of fishermen, greater conquerors of the world, than the most magnified grandees could pretend to.

Thus salvation is wrought by a crucified Christ: and that God who made the world by wisdom, would save it by the foolishness of preaching. And make Paul, the least of the apostles as he terms himself, more successful than those had been instructed at the feet of Christ. Works, volume 1 page 21,22

The Reformation then and today

It's almost 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his thesis to the door in Wittenburg which began the process of reformation. The advantage of his reformation over the Wycliffe one, or the Huss one was the invention of the printing press.  Within two weeks the whole of Northern Europe had printed copies of Luther's protest. Thus began the necessary break from the Roman Church. 

However the Roman Church in 1517 was very different than the Roman Catholic Church of today.

Over the last week I have been at two different churches, from two different denominations where both speakers have spoken approvingly of the relationship between themselves and the Roman Church, both affirming that the Roman Catholic Church has changed. 

It has changed in 1517 it hadn't approved the Immaculate Conception and sinlessness of Mary, this didn't come until the C19th. In the same Century the Roman Catholic Church dogmatically asserted Papal Authority. More than these though it wasn't until the Counter Reformation that the Catholic Church anathematised Sola Fide and in many respects placed an anathema on the Catholic System itself.  This is from the Counter Reformation:

CANON 9:  "If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema.

As Martin Luther rightly said, the Doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone is the Doctrine by which a Church stands or falls.

It's seems Protestants have also changed, at the Reformation, Ad fontes was important- 2back to the sources" was one of the cries- back to the text of scripture, what does the Bible say. Martin Luther again said, 'unless I am convinced by scripture and sound reason- I do not accept the authority of the Popes or councils for they have contradicted each other, my conscience remains captive to the word of God.'

However at one of these meetings a speaker informed the gathering that Catholics and Protestants agree because they share a common experience in the Charismatic renewal, which has affected both Protestants and Catholics despite the vast difference in doctrine held by them both. It seems that now experience validates experience rather than being tested by the Scriptures themselves. As well as that the Catholic Church has changed because Catholics embrace the Alpha Course. However if you read Chris Hand's Alpha course, Falling Short or examined the material for you will find that rather than Alpha being a Protestant course it is very ambiguous on Sola Fide, presenting Justification as a work of Faith. Of course Rome is ok with that, but add the word Alone and then there is an issue. 

One of the big differences between Rome and Evangelicals centres around their different understanding of how one is saved. Evangelicals affirm that the way to heaven is only through Christ's atoning sacrifice, when the sinner repents of their sins, like the thief on the cross they are assured that 'you will be with me in paradise'. Rome however has several steps, baptismal regeneration, extreme unction and even then purgatory maybe for eons and eons, to complete the work of atonement for that one person, the work of the Cross is not enough. Jesus' cry from the Cross, it is accomplished is done away as works are added to the completed work of Christ.

If we don't agree on the Gospel we cannot have a relationship where we treat them as fellow believers. The Reformation was necessary and in many ways is still necessary.

Shalom

Stephen <><

How amazing is Grace- a short article I wrote for a local magazine.

How amazing is Grace?

If you only know one Hymn I would guess that it would be Amazing Grace, so much so that you’ll know the words. ‘Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me’.  I wonder do you know anything of the author and that it is in many ways his autobiography?  It may not sound like an autobiography when you know that he was a vicar and worked to end the slave trade in his latter years. However Newton’s early life was a long way from where it ended, he was the son of a successful and well connected ship’s captain. His mother a godly woman gave Newton a good education but died when he was 7 years old. He rebelled against this teaching from his pious mother, his well connected father got Newton a job as a midship-man, a junior officer with the promise of promotion. However Newton who had disregarded the education his mother had given him, disregarded the Faith she held  also disregarded this opportunity his father had found for him. He was disrespectful and up to no good from the beginning.  His behaviour was so bad that he found himself demoted before leaving the ship altogether. Nonetheless opportunities kept coming his way but Newton wasn’t able to learn from them. His behaviour and poor choices got this well to do officer’s son into a lot of scrapes. At one point he was almost a slave in North Africa, mistreated and poorly fed; he was stealing raw vegetables at night to keep himself alive. At times he modified his behaviour becoming outwardly religious, but he soon went back to his cursing, blaspheming and general bad behaviour. Each time the downward spiral after made him worse than he was before.  His language was so bad that he often made other roguish sailors blush.

Newton at this time would be the last person you would think of as someone who would be a Christian minister; he was a vile excuse for a human being. He recognised this in himself as did others. He truly was a wretch and he knew it.

‘Through many dangers’ Newton diced with death  on a regular basis  on one occasion following a drinking game out at sea.  He had to be pulled by the legs as he went overboard, it was dark, he was drunk and he couldn’t swim. Literally rescued by the seat of his pants.

This wayward young man he rarely gave a second thought to his soul was given amazing opportunity; On one occasion you see the ship was battered in a storm, so much so that it was sinking. For several days he and the sailors tried to rescue it by bailing out water but it was taking on more and more water, the situation seemed hopeless, the holes were filled with their clothing and the food had almost all been washed away. Everyone on board was convinced that they were only putting off the inevitable, mere days away from death. It was at this point Newton began to contemplating his lifestyle and his sin and this led to Newtown the wretch cried out to God for mercy. He said that he was not sure that someone like him would have any hope of finding mercy with God.  Yet Newton did find mercy, he no longer had to try to reform his life and fail as he had done numerous times before, now the work of God had begun in his life, Newton was transformed.

Like Newton, Saul of Tarsus wasn’t thinking of finding grace on the road to Damascus, as he headed over to Syria the last thing on his mind was becoming a follower of Jesus. In fact he was heading there with the same sort of Ambitions that young Jihadists head to Syria today, he wanted to kill for his God. He was set on wiping out the church, on that road you’ll know he was confronted by the risen Jesus, instead of the judgement that he now knew he deserved he was called to be Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, to reach out and share with them the Good news of Jesus, Newton and Paul were both trophies of Grace. Paul said of himself that he was the chief of sinners, yet God saved him. God used the conversion of Saul the persecutor of the church to glorify Himself.

You might be one of those people who have said, ‘I am beyond saving’, yet God could take Newton, who truly was a wretch, and Saul who wanted to wipe out the church and bring them to Him. You might be one of those people who have said, ‘I am beyond saving’, yet God could take Newton, who truly was a wretch, and Saul who wanted to wipe out the church and bring them to Him. You see grace means undeserved kindness, the grace of this God is not only amazing it is glorious.