Faith, Assurance, and the Nature of Worship
Summary
In this discussion, we explored several profound theological questions and issues that challenge contemporary Christian thought and practice. We began by addressing the assurance of salvation, emphasizing that assurance is not a component of the ordo salutis but rather a personal confidence that grows through the testing of faith. This testing, as seen in the life of Peter, strengthens faith and diminishes doubt, leading to greater assurance. The conversation then shifted to the story of Abraham and Isaac, highlighting the distinction between God's natural law, which is rooted in His nature, and His purposive law, which serves specific historical purposes. This distinction helps us understand why God could command Abraham to sacrifice Isaac without contradicting His nature.
We also delved into the concept of seeker-sensitive churches, critiquing the notion that worship should be designed to attract unbelievers. Instead, worship should be God-centered, focusing on offering praise and adoration to God rather than catering to human preferences. The discussion further touched on the spiritual formation movement, expressing concern over its emphasis on individualistic and mystical practices that deviate from the communal and doctrinal focus of traditional Christianity.
Finally, we addressed the love and hate of God, clarifying that God's attributes operate in full at all times. While God extends common grace and benevolence to all, His love of complacency is reserved for those in Christ. The conversation concluded with practical advice on when it might be appropriate to leave a church, emphasizing the importance of being in a community where the gospel is faithfully proclaimed and Christ is exalted.
Key Takeaways:
1. Assurance of Salvation: Assurance is not about the security or perseverance of salvation but about the believer's personal confidence. This confidence grows through the testing of faith, which strengthens and assures the believer. Doubts are natural, but they diminish as faith is tested and proven resilient. [02:38]
2. God's Command to Abraham: The distinction between God's natural law and purposive law helps us understand difficult biblical commands. God's natural law is rooted in His unchanging nature, while His purposive law serves specific historical purposes. This understanding clarifies why God could command Abraham to sacrifice Isaac without contradicting His nature. [07:23]
3. Seeker-Sensitive Worship: Worship should be God-centered, focusing on offering praise and adoration to God rather than catering to human preferences. Designing worship to attract unbelievers can lead to a departure from the biblical model, which prioritizes the assembly of believers for the purpose of worshiping God. [15:29]
4. Spiritual Formation Movement: The movement's emphasis on individualistic and mystical practices deviates from the communal and doctrinal focus of traditional Christianity. True discipleship involves being part of a local body of Christ, engaging in communal practices like preaching, baptizing, and teaching. [26:41]
5. God's Love and Hate: God's attributes operate in full at all times, allowing Him to love and hate simultaneously. While God extends common grace and benevolence to all, His love of complacency is reserved for those in Christ. Understanding these distinctions helps reconcile the biblical portrayal of God's love and hate. [45:26]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:15] - Opening Remarks
- [01:31] - Assurance of Salvation
- [03:00] - Testing of Faith
- [05:13] - Abraham and Isaac
- [07:23] - God's Natural and Purposive Law
- [12:51] - Seeker-Sensitive Worship
- [16:27] - Spiritual Formation Movement
- [22:26] - Leaving a Church
- [28:31] - Evangelism and God's Decree
- [33:17] - The Power of the Word
- [37:28] - God's Regret and Repentance
- [44:18] - God's Love and Hate
- [49:41] - When to Leave a Church
- [53:55] - Miracles and Prosperity Christianity
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. 1 Peter 1:6-7 - "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
2. Genesis 22:1-2 - "Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, 'Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied. Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.'"
3. John 4:23-24 - "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
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Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, how does the testing of faith contribute to a believer's assurance of salvation? ([03:00])
2. What distinction does the sermon make between God's natural law and purposive law, and how does this relate to the story of Abraham and Isaac? ([07:23])
3. How does the sermon critique the seeker-sensitive movement in terms of worship design? ([15:29])
4. What concerns are raised in the sermon about the spiritual formation movement and its practices? ([26:41])
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How might the testing of faith, as described in 1 Peter 1:6-7, lead to a deeper assurance of salvation in a believer's life? ([03:00])
2. In what ways does understanding the distinction between God's natural and purposive law help reconcile difficult biblical commands, such as God's command to Abraham? ([07:23])
3. How does the sermon suggest that worship should be God-centered rather than designed to attract unbelievers? What implications does this have for church practices? ([15:29])
4. What are the potential dangers of individualistic and mystical practices in spiritual formation, according to the sermon? How does this contrast with traditional Christian discipleship? ([26:41])
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when your faith was tested. How did that experience impact your assurance of salvation? What steps can you take to strengthen your faith in future trials? ([03:00])
2. How can understanding the distinction between God's natural and purposive law help you navigate challenging biblical passages or commands in your personal study? ([07:23])
3. Consider your church's approach to worship. In what ways can you contribute to ensuring that worship remains God-centered and not merely designed to attract unbelievers? ([15:29])
4. How can you engage in spiritual formation practices that emphasize community and doctrine rather than individualistic and mystical approaches? What changes might you need to make in your current spiritual practices? ([26:41])
5. Reflect on the concept of God's love and hate operating simultaneously. How does this understanding affect your view of God's character and your relationship with Him? ([45:26])
6. If you are considering leaving a church, what criteria should you use to determine whether it is appropriate to stay or go? How can you ensure that your decision is based on biblical principles rather than personal preferences? ([49:41])
7. Identify one area in your life where you might be prioritizing human preferences over God's commands. What steps can you take to realign your focus on God-centered living? ([15:29])
Devotional
Day 1: Assurance Through Testing
Assurance of salvation is not about the security of one's salvation but about the personal confidence that grows through the testing of faith. This assurance is developed as believers face trials and challenges, much like Peter, whose faith was strengthened through testing. Doubts are a natural part of the faith journey, but they diminish as one's faith is tested and proven resilient. This process of testing and growth leads to a deeper assurance and confidence in one's relationship with God. [02:38]
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4, ESV)
Reflection: What current trial or challenge in your life can you view as an opportunity for your faith to be tested and strengthened?
Day 2: Understanding God's Commands
The distinction between God's natural law and purposive law helps us understand difficult biblical commands, such as God's command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. God's natural law is rooted in His unchanging nature, while His purposive law serves specific historical purposes. This understanding clarifies how God could command something that seems contradictory to His nature, as His purposive law is designed for specific moments in history to fulfill His greater plan. [07:23]
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)
Reflection: Is there a command or teaching in the Bible that you struggle to understand? How can you seek God's wisdom to gain clarity on its purpose in your life?
Day 3: God-Centered Worship
Worship should be God-centered, focusing on offering praise and adoration to God rather than catering to human preferences. The seeker-sensitive model, which designs worship to attract unbelievers, can lead to a departure from the biblical model that prioritizes the assembly of believers for the purpose of worshiping God. True worship is about exalting God and aligning our hearts with His, rather than tailoring the experience to meet human desires. [15:29]
"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand." (Psalm 95:6-7, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you shift your focus during worship to ensure it is centered on God rather than personal preferences or distractions?
Day 4: Communal Discipleship
The spiritual formation movement's emphasis on individualistic and mystical practices deviates from the communal and doctrinal focus of traditional Christianity. True discipleship involves being part of a local body of Christ, engaging in communal practices like preaching, baptizing, and teaching. This communal aspect of faith is essential for growth and accountability, as believers are called to live out their faith in community with others. [26:41]
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in your church community to foster mutual growth and encouragement in your faith journey?
Day 5: The Fullness of God's Attributes
God's attributes operate in full at all times, allowing Him to love and hate simultaneously. While God extends common grace and benevolence to all, His love of complacency is reserved for those in Christ. Understanding these distinctions helps reconcile the biblical portrayal of God's love and hate, as His attributes are perfectly balanced and expressed according to His divine nature. [45:26]
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever." (Psalm 103:8-9, ESV)
Reflection: How can you embrace the fullness of God's attributes in your understanding of His character, and how does this impact your relationship with Him?
Quotes
John MacArthur: When you’re talking about assurance, you’re not talking about anything in the ordo salutis to start with. You’re talking about the believer’s personal confidence. You’re not talking about security. You’re not talking about perseverance. You’re not talking about the eternality of salvation. You’re talking about whether or not the believer experiences that sense of… that reality of salvation. [00:02:23]
John MacArthur: Every believer doubts at points in life. And those doubts may come and go in every believer’s life. They may be stronger in one person’s life than in another. They may be related to circumstances. They may be related to personality kinds of things. Some people are naturally more doubtful and more melancholy or whatever. [00:02:50]
John MacArthur: But all I was saying was that Peter gives testimony to the fact that the testing of faith produces assurance because then you know your faith will stand. I can only tell you from the standpoint of looking back over my life. My faith is stronger now than it’s ever been because it has stood every test. [00:03:19]
Sproul: You know, in theology when we talk about the law of God, we make a distinction between the natural law of God and the purposive law of God. And when I talk about the natural law of God, we’re not talking about natural law. That’s a different question. But we’re talking about those laws that come from God that are rooted and grounded in His nature, which as you just said. [00:07:08]
John MacArthur: Well, I think there is only one true Seeker, and that’s God, and that’s why Jesus said He had come to seek and save the lost. John 6, our Lord said, “No man comes to Me unless the Father draws him.” So God is the true Seeker, and Romans 3 says, “No man seeks after God,” naturally, and yet you have to include Old Testament, “If you seek Me with all your heart, you’ll find Me.” [00:12:44]
Sproul: Since when do you design worship to please unbelievers rather than to please the living God? [applause] And I’m all for evangelism and all of that, but the purpose of the assembling together of the saints on the Sabbath day is not primarily evangelism but for the offering of worship by the people of God to God. [00:15:31]
John MacArthur: I think the trend is to let the world design it for you. [00:16:13]
John MacArthur: But I think the key in John 14:13 and 14 is that phrase, “If you ask anything in My name.” I think if you know anything about the use of names in Scripture, you understand that that’s the… consistent with who He is, and being consistent with who He is, is being consistent with what He wills and what He plans and what He purposes. [00:54:55]
John MacArthur: So our Lord is simply saying, “Anything you pray consistent with My will, I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” You know the essence of prayer is lining up my life with the purposes of God. And if I don’t pray, God’s going to do what He’s going to do. I believe that. [00:55:13]
Sproul: We have to be careful that we don’t have a simplistic treatment to isolated texts. You have to read the whole teaching of Christ with respect to prayer. “If any two of you agree on any one thing in My name, it shall be done for you.” Now how many of you would like to see the war in Iraq end tonight? [00:55:56]
John MacArthur: No, that’s not even talking about prayer. It’s talking about church discipline, and two or three witnesses in a discipline situation. But that doesn’t stop people from… you know, context doesn’t mean much to those people. [00:56:22]
Sproul: Well, our time is up for this. We still have some questions, but we still have more Q&A time coming up. Don’t we, Chris? What do we do now? [00:56:32]
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