Living with Hope: Balancing Earthly Life and Eternal Promise

 

Summary

In our discussion tonight, we explored a variety of theological and practical questions that are pertinent to the Christian faith. We began by considering the concept of the "new normal" in the context of the new heavens and the new earth, envisioning a world without sin, filled with the glory of Christ. This led us to reflect on the Christian's longing for heaven and the balance between engaging in this life while holding onto the hope of the life to come. We also delved into the nature of worldliness, emphasizing the importance of enjoying God's creation without succumbing to asceticism.

We tackled the challenging topic of church closures during the pandemic, discussing the importance of unity and the complexities involved in making decisions that affect the congregation and the wider community. The conversation also touched on the doctrine of limited atonement and how it aligns with scriptural passages that speak of Christ's atoning work for the whole world. This was a reminder of the depth and breadth of God's love and the global scope of the gospel.

Our discussion on Presbyterianism and covenant theology highlighted the journey of understanding these doctrines and their implications for church governance and the continuity of God's redemptive plan throughout Scripture. We also examined the significance of the book of Galatians, emphasizing its foundational role in articulating the gospel and the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

In addressing the challenges of preaching today, we acknowledged the personal and spiritual battles that preachers face, including the temptation to seek approval and the need to remain faithful to Scripture. We concluded with a heartfelt invitation to those seeking salvation, affirming the simplicity and power of believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.

Key Takeaways:

- The new heavens and new earth will be a place of unimaginable beauty and sinlessness, where the glory of Christ is fully realized. This vision should inspire Christians to live with hope and anticipation, balancing their engagement in this world with the longing for their eternal home. [02:55]

- Worldliness is often misunderstood as merely external behaviors, but it is more about the heart's orientation. Christians are called to enjoy God's creation as a reflection of His goodness while guarding against the love of the world that distracts from devotion to God. [05:44]

- The pandemic has challenged churches to navigate closures and reopenings with wisdom and unity. Decisions should be made with a focus on loving our neighbors and maintaining the church's witness, recognizing the diverse opinions within the congregation. [20:55]

- Covenant theology provides a cohesive understanding of Scripture, revealing the continuity of God's redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation. It emphasizes the unity of God's people and the unfolding of His promises through covenants, shaping our understanding of the church and its mission. [28:34]

- Preaching is a sacred responsibility that requires faithfulness to God's Word and humility before God and the congregation. Preachers must resist the temptation to seek approval and instead focus on proclaiming the truth with love and conviction, trusting God to work through their efforts. [43:27]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:00] - Introduction of Dr. Derek Thomas
- [01:52] - The New Normal and Heaven
- [03:38] - Longing for Heaven
- [04:55] - Understanding Worldliness
- [06:13] - Recommended Biblical Resources
- [08:13] - Marriage After Resurrection
- [09:38] - Baptism and Re-baptism
- [10:47] - Favorite Preachers
- [12:26] - Singing Psalms in Worship
- [14:35] - God and Anthropomorphism
- [18:03] - Church Closures and Home Churches
- [22:56] - Limited Atonement and 1 John 2:2
- [25:52] - Journey to Presbyterianism
- [31:33] - Importance of Galatians
- [35:22] - Justification by Faith
- [38:16] - Pilgrim's Progress and Conversion
- [41:31] - Challenges in Preaching Today
- [46:00] - Lightning Round 2
- [56:24] - Praying to the Trinity
- [58:16] - How to Be Saved

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Revelation 21:1-4 - The New Heavens and New Earth
2. 1 John 2:15-17 - On Worldliness
3. Galatians 2:15-16 - Justification by Faith

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Revelation 21:1-4 describe about the new heavens and the new earth, and how does this vision contrast with our current world? [02:14]

2. According to 1 John 2:15-17, what is the biblical definition of worldliness, and how does it differ from common misconceptions? [04:55]

3. In Galatians 2:15-16, what is the core message about justification, and why is it significant for understanding the gospel? [31:33]

4. How did the sermon describe the challenges churches faced during the pandemic, and what was emphasized as the primary focus in decision-making? [18:03]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the vision of the new heavens and new earth in Revelation 21:1-4 inspire Christians to live with hope and anticipation in their daily lives? [02:55]

2. In what ways can Christians enjoy God's creation without falling into the trap of worldliness, as discussed in the sermon? [05:44]

3. How does the doctrine of justification by faith alone, as articulated in Galatians, shape a Christian's understanding of salvation and their relationship with God? [31:33]

4. What are the implications of covenant theology for understanding the continuity of God's redemptive plan throughout Scripture, as highlighted in the sermon? [28:34]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your daily life: How can the vision of the new heavens and new earth motivate you to live with a balance between engaging in this world and longing for your eternal home? [02:55]

2. Identify an area in your life where you might be tempted by worldliness. What practical steps can you take to enjoy God's creation while maintaining your devotion to Him? [05:44]

3. During the pandemic, many churches faced difficult decisions. How can you contribute to unity and understanding within your church community when faced with differing opinions? [20:55]

4. Covenant theology emphasizes the unity of God's people. How can this understanding influence your involvement and commitment to your local church's mission? [28:34]

5. Preaching requires faithfulness to God's Word. How can you support your pastor in this sacred responsibility, especially in times of personal and spiritual challenges? [43:27]

6. The sermon mentioned the temptation for preachers to seek approval. In your own life, are there areas where you seek approval from others rather than focusing on God's truth? How can you address this? [41:58]

7. Consider the doctrine of justification by faith alone. How does this truth impact your daily walk with Christ, and how can you share this foundational aspect of the gospel with others? [31:33]

Devotional

Day 1: Living with Hope and Anticipation
In envisioning the new heavens and new earth, Christians are called to imagine a world where sin is no more, and the glory of Christ is fully realized. This vision is not just a distant dream but a present hope that should inspire believers to live with anticipation and purpose. The challenge lies in balancing this hope with active engagement in the world, ensuring that the longing for eternity does not lead to disengagement from the present. Instead, it should motivate a life of faithfulness, reflecting the values of the coming kingdom in everyday actions. [02:55]

Isaiah 65:17-18 (ESV): "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness."

Reflection: How can you actively reflect the values of the new heavens and new earth in your daily life today, even as you long for the future fulfillment of God's promises?


Day 2: Heart Orientation and Worldliness
Worldliness is often misunderstood as merely external behaviors, but it is more about the heart's orientation. Christians are called to enjoy God's creation as a reflection of His goodness while guarding against the love of the world that distracts from devotion to God. This involves a careful examination of one's desires and priorities, ensuring that they align with God's will. Enjoying the beauty and blessings of creation is encouraged, but it must be done with a heart that remains focused on God, avoiding the pitfalls of materialism and idolatry. [05:44]

1 John 2:15-17 (ESV): "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

Reflection: What are some specific ways you can enjoy God's creation today while ensuring your heart remains oriented towards Him and not the world?


Day 3: Navigating Church Unity in Challenging Times
The pandemic has challenged churches to navigate closures and reopenings with wisdom and unity. Decisions should be made with a focus on loving our neighbors and maintaining the church's witness, recognizing the diverse opinions within the congregation. This requires humility, patience, and a commitment to unity, even when disagreements arise. The church is called to be a beacon of hope and love, demonstrating Christ's love through actions and decisions that prioritize the well-being of the community and the integrity of the church's mission. [20:55]

Ephesians 4:2-3 (ESV): "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Reflection: How can you contribute to the unity and witness of your church community, especially in times of disagreement or challenge?


Day 4: Understanding Covenant Theology
Covenant theology provides a cohesive understanding of Scripture, revealing the continuity of God's redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation. It emphasizes the unity of God's people and the unfolding of His promises through covenants, shaping our understanding of the church and its mission. This perspective helps believers see the Bible as a unified story of God's faithfulness and love, encouraging them to live in light of His promises and participate in His redemptive work in the world. [28:34]

Hebrews 8:6-7 (ESV): "But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second."

Reflection: How does understanding the continuity of God's covenants influence your view of the church's mission and your role in it?


Day 5: The Sacred Responsibility of Preaching
Preaching is a sacred responsibility that requires faithfulness to God's Word and humility before God and the congregation. Preachers must resist the temptation to seek approval and instead focus on proclaiming the truth with love and conviction, trusting God to work through their efforts. This involves a deep commitment to Scripture, a reliance on the Holy Spirit, and a heart that seeks to honor God above all else. The goal is to faithfully communicate God's message, allowing it to transform lives and draw people closer to Him. [43:27]

2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV): "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

Reflection: In what ways can you support and pray for those who preach and teach in your church, encouraging them to remain faithful to God's Word?

Quotes


THOMAS: Well, you know, what will the new heavens and new earth look like, and it will look like this without sin. So, imagine how the world, if Adam and Eve had not fallen in the garden, how would the world, what would it have looked like? And so, I fully expect, you know, mountains and rivers and oceans and animals and birds and fish and all the rest of it, but without sin. And it's very difficult for us to imagine what sinlessness and the possibility of not being able to sin actually looks like because we've never experienced that, not even in our regenerated and Christian lives. We are still capable of sinning. It will be beautiful. It will be glorious. It will be filled, of course, with a sense of the glory of Christ. It will be a wonderful family-like experience, and I can't wait. [00:02:14]

THOMAS: No, I think that in providence, Christians are prompted to take heed of the brevity of life from time to time, a sickness, an illness, a death of a loved one, a friend, and for a moment you realize that, you know, we could be gone tomorrow. But we tend to push that aside and we tend to think and plan as though we are going to be here, you know, at least until we are a hundred. And it's a balance because we're not meant to dislike this life. We're not meant not to take part in this life, to do our duty as Christians, to be a salting influence within society, a fallen society. But we have this assurance as Christians that we are citizens of another world and this is not our home, but we seek one which is to come whose builder and maker is God. [00:03:23]

THOMAS: That's a great question. We are citizens of the world. We live in this world. The doctrine of the image of God says that we reflect here in this world in our creaturely existence something of God Himself. When I was a young Christian newly converted, I had this massive classical music LP collection that I inherited from my grandfather, and somebody convinced me that that was worldly and so I got rid of it, and it's an easy form of what worldliness is is music, cinema, smoking, dancing, name your sins, and that's a trajectory in the end towards kind of asceticism and the monastery. And I think the Reformed faith in particular teaches us to love the good things in this world and to see them as reflections of the beauty and goodness of God Himself. [00:04:56]

THOMAS: You know, from our experience in 2020, you know, we closed down for I think fifteen weeks from mid-March to somewhere in June, and we began up again and we have been open ever since. And I think the decision to close was a very, very difficult one. It was a difficult one for us. It involved a lot of discussion by all of our elders, and we had very little time to make the decision as things were moving very rapidly in mid-March. And hindsight is 20/20, but at the time it seemed the right thing to do because the narrative was that we were closing down for the good of our neighbors. It wasn't for our own good so much as for the good of our neighbors. What if, as might have been the narrative in early March, what if an outbreak of COVID took place in the city and we as a church were held responsible because we refused to obey the law? [00:18:18]

THOMAS: That's a great question, and it's been asked at least since the 1700s and the Synod of Dort and the advocacy of the doctrine of particular redemption. So let me ask, "What does 'world' mean?" I've been in all the world. I've been in Australia where you come from. I've been in Melbourne where you grew up. I've been in New Zealand. I've been in Moscow in Russia. I've been in Brazil. I've been in Canada. I've been in Mexico. I've been in Peru. I've been in South Africa. I've been in Israel. I've been in Pakistan. I've been in India. I've been in probably every country in Europe that you could name. I doubt that you could name one that I haven't actually been in. I've been all over the world, but I've never been in China. I've been in Japan, but I haven't been in China. I've been in Taiwan, but I haven't been in China. I've been all over the world. And I could hold my head up high and say with absolute truthfulness, "I have been all over the world, but I haven't been in China." I haven't been in Iceland. I haven't been in Venezuela. I haven't been in multiple countries in Central Africa, but I've been all over the world. What does "world" mean? And it can mean different things in different contexts. [00:23:04]

THOMAS: I was converted when I was 18. I came from a completely secular background. So, I was completely unchurched. I found myself in Aberystwyth University, a math major. My wife to be, then a fellow classmate in the math department, came to me when I came back to university after my conversion. And they said to me, "Where are you going to go to church?" And because my mother was Anglican, although she never went to church but she was an Anglican, I said, "Well, I think I'll go to that Anglican church, St. Michael's in the woods, or whatever it was called. And she shook her head and she was there with three or four others. And she shook her head and she says, "No, you're not going there. You're coming with us." And so, they picked me up on Sunday morning. We walked to Alfred Place Baptist Church where the minister was Geoff Thomas and he was still there until just a few years, and he was a recent graduate of Westminster Seminary. That didn't mean anything to me at all. He was a Calvinist. He was preaching the doctrines of grace. He was a recent graduate of Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. One of his teachers was John Murray, and Van Til, and Stonehouse, and Knudsen, and all of those very well-known names now from the fifties and sixties. [00:25:52]

THOMAS: Christianity 101. What is the gospel? Justification by faith alone, in Christ alone, the very formal principle of the Reformation. They're missing out on Martin Luther. They're missing out on Augustine. You know, it's Paul's first letter. He's a young man. You can sense that as you read Galatians. Paul is fiery. I mean, he's hot in a way that he isn't in 2 Timothy. He's a wise older man in 2 Timothy giving advice, but he's a lot calmer in 2 Timothy than he is in Galatians. In Galatians, he comes out like John Wayne with all guns blazing. And it's about the gospel. I mean, I was recording something for Ligonier this morning which will go out to the Ligonier partners, I have no idea when, but I chose as my text Galatians 2 and the clash of the titans in Antioch, which is a wonderful scene, Paul versus Peter. You know, Peter, he had been sitting with the Gentiles, eating lunch with the Gentiles and then when the men of James, the heavyweights from Jerusalem come to examine exactly what's going on in the Antioch Church, you know, Peter withdraws fellowship from the Gentiles. And Paul blows a gasket. Why? I mean is it about bacon? Is it about shrimp or crab? Is that the issue? Is it the menu is the issue? And maybe that was part of the issue, but it was the gospel that was the issue because by effect Peter was saying you need to be saved, you need to believe in Jesus, you need to have faith in Jesus, but you need something extra. You need to obey the ceremonial law. You need to obey the food laws. You need to obey the Sabbath laws, the church calendar of the Old Testament, Sabbath versus Lord's Day. You need to obey circumcision. And all of this I don't think had yet been decided in terms of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. I think Galatians comes before Acts 15. At least, the narrative in the story that Paul is alluding to in Antioch comes before Acts 15. That actually resolves some of those issues. But if you are not in Galatians, you're missing one of the high-water marks of the gospel, what's at the heart of the gospel, justification by faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from the works of the law, because we have an instinctive tendency to bring in the damnable "plus." It's the gospel plus, plus, and that can send you to hell. [00:31:33]

THOMAS: You know, there is a tendency in evangelicalism, in post-Reformation theology, that you emphasize faith, but it's a certain kind of faith. It's a certain quality of faith. And all of a sudden it's back to Rome again. It's your expression. It's not an issue like Arminianism that suggested that faith is your own doing in a semi-Pelagian notion of free will. So, effectively, you are saved by your free will, your cooperative free will with God's sovereignty in a semi-Pelagian understanding and an Arminian understanding. And for the Synod of Dort, that was wrong. That was just as bad as saying you are saved by the sacramental treadmill of medieval Catholicism. But within evangelicalism, there also arose the tendency to say you're saved by faith, but what kind of faith? How much faith? Or similarly with repentance, that repentance is necessary for salvation, but how much repentance? What quality of repentance? And all of a sudden, it becomes something that you do that's a plus to the faith. So, the Westminster Divines, for example, in the middle of the seventeenth century, made it very clear that we are saved by faith but it's not that the faith is just the instrument through which the grace of God operates. It can't operate apart from faith. The gospel doesn't operate over our heads. It does involve our responsive faith and repentance, which are gifts from God, but you know there arose in Calvinistic circles, in Holland and Scotland in particular, a tendency to say that if you express assurance of your salvation too soon, you know, before that faith has developed and grown and matured and before you have sensed something of the evil of sin and the wretchedness of your heart, that you are an immature Christian and that the mature Christian is the one who waits for assurance. In other words that the ground of their assurance is the quality of their faith and their repentance, and that is a subtle form of bringing in works into salvation again. [00:35:22]

THOMAS: You know, Adrian can be a man or a woman and so, forgive me, but "What is the biggest problem in preaching today?" BINGHAM: Challenge. THOMAS: Challenge in preaching today? Well, the challenge always in preaching is to be faithful, faithful to the Word of God, and I mean preachers are human beings and you want to be loved and you don't want people to criticize you and you want accolades at the door. The biggest challenge is me, is my ego, and that ego can manifest itself as you walk into the pulpit. I think it was Robert Murray M'Cheyne who said that when you climb into, and he's speaking in the late nineteenth century, when climbing into the pulpit meant a paraffin lamp of some description, an oil lamp of some description, casts shadows everywhere. So, as you walked up into the pulpit, your shadow was cast on the wall behind you, a dark black shadow, and I mean that was a narrative in itself. Yes, it's ego. It is being faithful to Scripture. It's the challenge of study. Life is busy. Ministry is busy. To take shortcuts. The challenge to want to please people, to cut corners, not just preach hard truths, not to preach on hell, not to poke in people's lives, not to do what Southerners call "meddling." You know, you can preach at this level and people will love you, but when you start meddling in people's lives and calling sin, you know, giving sin names and very personal sins, that's a challenge. It's always a challenge. It's a challenge to keep going. It's one thing to begin; it's another thing to end. You know, as a young preacher you have ambition, you have goals and dreams and aspirations and sometimes a ministry can be hard and difficult and providence can deal several blows as you go along, and it's hard to persevere faithfully to the end. I have a dear friend. I've mentioned him earlier, who said, you know, when he was thirty he had all kinds of dreams and aspirations for being a great preacher. You know, by the time he was fifty, he just wanted to end without committing a terrible moral sin. I mean, if he just crawled across the finishing line whole, he'd be content. And you can take that out of context, of course, but there are so many tragedies. So many friends of mine whose ministerial lives have ended tragically, and there go I but for the grace of God. I mean, there go I but for the grace of God. The challenge is to love preaching. I can truthfully say right now that I love preaching as much as I've ever loved preaching, but there have been moments in my ministry where preaching has been hard and difficult, when you walk into the pulpit and you don't feel like preaching. You're tired. There are trials in your life. Your marriage isn't quite in the place it should be. You've just had a row with your wife that morning. And Sunday morning, you know, really? A preacher's? Yes, of course. Of course. Or your teenage children. You know, you have said something and gone off to church to preach a sermon, and you can't reconcile right now because you've got to do this and you can only reconcile after you go home, and it's right here before you as you're preaching. And preaching when your heart and emotion isn't in the passage, that can be tough and challenging. So, there are lots of challenges to faithful preaching. [00:41:31]

THOMAS: Well, whoever asked that question and if it is a very sincere question coming from somebody who really wants to be saved and isn't saved, I mean the easiest answer is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. It was Paul's answer to the Philippian jailer. Now, the fact of the matter is that people are coming from all kinds of different backgrounds and so on, and there are things that need to be addressed. But in the eleventh hour, like the dying thief, "Today you will be with me in paradise," I would simply cite Paul to the Philippian jailer who was about to kill himself. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and in Him alone for salvation. And "cast all of your doing down at Jesus' feet. And stand in Him, in Him alone, gloriously complete," to quote an old gospel hymn. [00:58:16]

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Transcript
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