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• The Once-for-All-Handed-Down-to-the-Saints Faith: Implications of Jude 3

  Posted by Michael Waldrop

  

  Michael Waldrop

  Michael W. Waldrop, Ph.D. is the Church Planter/Sr. Pastor of Desert Ridge Baptist Church, St. George, Utah. A...

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  One of the ways in which Satan attacks the Truth of God's Word is through skepticism of the veracity and trustworthiness of the Bible. In fact, when Satan first appears in Scripture in Genesis 3 in the person of the serpent, his first words are "Indeed, has God said . . . ?" So the first effort that Satan made to incite humanity to rebel against God was an attack on God's Word. There is much confusion that comes from poor interpretation of the words of the Bible, but I want to write a bit today about another charge against the Bible originating from the enemy: that the Bible we have today does not contain the text of the biblical books as they were originally written. A note: there are indeed many Bible versions, but I am referring to the original languages in which the Bible was written, namely Hebrew, Greek, and a bit of Aramaic. Today's Bible versions that are truly translations and not paraphrases are based upon the original languages.

  The particular attempted indictment on the authenticity of the Bible comes from many camps, some claiming to be withinthe realm of Christian believers, and some who declare themselves to be unbelievers. The problem for their cause is that there is overwhelming objective evidence that we have the Bible as it was originally written. This information is easily accessed with internet search tools. The manuscript evidence for the Bible far surpasses that for any other comparable ancient document. There are thousands of biblical manuscripts from the ancient world that survive--making the issue simple. We can compare the Bible of today with the ancient manuscripts. Even though we have no original manuscript copies, the gap between the original manuscripts and the earliest surviving copies is so small that the accuracy is virtually certain. The result by any objective unbiased measure is that we have the biblical books as they were originally written.

  What I want to consider in this blog entry are implications of Jude 3, which reads in the New American Standard (updated ed.), "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." Jude makes a claim here that cannot be ignored. His clear claim is that the faith revealed in the ministry of the Lord Jesus and explained in the ministry of His Apostles has been delivered "once for all." The Bible is a testimony to this faith from two perspectives in time: the Old Testament looks forward and prophecies about the objective accomplishment of the foundation of this faith in the person and work of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus; the New Testament records and explains the person and work of the Lord Jesus after the events of His life. The very center of all of this is the perfect righteousness and the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus as the substitute for sinners, both in taking the due penalty for sin and living on behalf of His people a perfect life of obedience (see Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Jeremiah 23:6; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:21-26; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

  Jude 3 announces that the Christian faith, that is, it's doctrinal content regarding the objective accomplishment of the Lord Jesus, has been given once for all. In other words, there is no more revelation regarding true Christian faith yet to come. God is no longer giving us new information, rather He guides us according to the Truth that has already been revealed.

  A historical example of this is the religious reform brought about during the reign of King Josiah in Judah in ca. 640-609 B.C. This is recorded in 2 Chronicles 34. The reason for the return to God from idolatry was that the Word of God was rediscovered in the Temple, after having fallen into disuse. The people of Judah had ceased the reading of God's Word and fallen into evil practices. The reason for the revival was a rediscovery of the Truth of God's Word (during renovations at the temple, a scroll was found; possibly they found a portion or the whole of the book of Deuteronomy). They read it and began to obey it again. While this is not a perfect example because the fullness of the gospel had not yet been revealed at that point in history, it is the correct model for us regarding how we can be right with God: Hear and heed God's Word, the Bible.

  A clear implication from Jude 3 is that there is no more revelation to be given. So, in order to be right with God, we need to seek to understand what has already been revealed. We do not need further revelation. What God has to say to us regarding salvation has already been revealed.

  Another implication from Jude 3 when coupled with the theological truth of God's omnipotence (He is all-powerful) is that He is able to preserve His Word. When we consider that we still have the Bible, and that the clear objective evidence is that we have the biblical books as they were originally written, we should then rejoice that we have the revelation that God has always intended for us to have. Rather than looking for additional revelation, we should focus on understanding the Bible, the only sufficient written Word of God!

  So, anyone who wants to be right with God can with confidence look to the 66 books which make up the Bible. There is no more revelation needed. God has spoken. He has revealed "the faith once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3). The question is . . . Do you believe God?

  Apr 22 Tags: Untagged

• Resurrection Day! And for DRBC, Constitution Day!

  Posted by Michael Waldrop

  

  Michael Waldrop

  Michael W. Waldrop, Ph.D. is the Church Planter/Sr. Pastor of Desert Ridge Baptist Church, St. George, Utah. A...

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  What a wonderful day it has been! While every day of life as a Christian is a testimony to the power of the living Lord, today is a special day to think specifically about the glory of the resurrection. But for DRBC, it also represents both the end of lots of preparation, and the beginning of an era of ministry.

  Since, April 2011, I have been here, and along with others, have been working toward this day when a church would be started. Today, 15 charter members voted to constitute as a church! We are on record, believing that our King, the Lord Jesus, has called us into being as a local church here in St. George, UT. We had 20 people at our service in our new building at 1088 E Tabernacle Street. It was a joy to recite the old, old story once again, preaching from 2 Corinthians 5:21--"For our sake He [God the Father] made Him [God the Son] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

  We look forward to serving our King as a church that belongs to Him. May the Lord grant that every Lord's Day from now until He returns, DRBC will meet for worship, edification, and preaching of the Word of God, making the gospel of God's grace clear! Soli Deo Gloria!

  Mar 31 Tags: Untagged

• The Word made flesh--God's solution to the problem of evil.

  Posted by Michael Waldrop

  

  Michael Waldrop

  Michael W. Waldrop, Ph.D. is the Church Planter/Sr. Pastor of Desert Ridge Baptist Church, St. George, Utah. A...

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  In light of the tragic massacre that occurred recently at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, an oft debated question of theology comes to mind: if God is good and all-powerful, why is there evil in the world? It is difficult to think about such murderous actions as what happened in Newtown, especially since so many of the victims were children. The sadness becomes weightier when one considers that these kinds of tragedies occur virtually daily, just not as publicized and usually on a much smaller scale. Truly, the world is a dangerous place in which injustice, poverty, and cruelty are far too common, and as we were reminded by the Newtown massacre, these terrible things sometimes are so outlandish that they demand our attention. They often cause us to think of the question of the problem of evil.

  The Bible actually records the origin of evil among the human race, as well as the solution to the problem of evil. The truth of this will not make the pain and grief vanish. However, it is a tremendous help to realize that God has in fact accomplished what was necessary for the absolute defeat of evil, which will some day be a tangible reality at the consummation of the Kingdom of God. But the victory has already been won!

  The problem started with the rebellion of Lucifer against God (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19). The essence of Lucifer's rebellion against God, his Creator, was pride. He wanted to be like the Most High (Is. 14:14), and for this blasphemy he is condemned, and will one day be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:10). Until then, he roams about among God's human creatures like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour (1 Peter 5:8).

  The first instance of the devil's deception among men was in the Garden of Eden. All he did was to entice Adam and Eve to share his own prideful, idolatrous, blasphemous desire to be like God. He said to Eve, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?'" (Genesis 3:1). When Eve explained that God actually said that she and Adam could eat of any tree except the tree of life, lest they die, Satan--in the form of a serpent--said, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4b-5). There was some truth in what the devil told Eve, twisted though it was, but it is easy to see his rebellion and his desire to incite the same in Adam and Eve's hearts. You likely know the rest of that account. Eve, and then Adam ate from the tree of life, thereby disobeying God's explicit instructions. Sin entered the world. Everything changed.

  Before the rebellion by Adam and Eve in the Garden, there was no sin and therefore no death for humans to fear. The Bible teaches that the sin in the garden brought death into the world, for death is the punishment for sin (Romans 5:12; 6:23). Also, every human born from our first parents Adam and Eve have inherited a nature that is corrupt, by nature sinful, and thus condemned (Romans 5:18-19; Ephesians 2:1-3). The Bible is explicit that this sinful nature defines every one of us who have come after Adam and Eve (except Jesus--we will get to that!), that we are all sinners and that there is not one of us who is good (Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-12; 3:23). Lest we think to ourselves that, while we might not be perfect, compared to others, we are likely good enough for God's standards, James 2:10 says, "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." Thus, the Bible teaches that man sins because that is his fallen nature. So, we should not be surprised to find all manner of sin in the world. God warned Adam and Eve most clearly that they must not sin against Him by eating the fruit of the tree of life. But God is the One Who put the tree in the garden, and He is the One Who did not stop Adam and Eve from their disobedience.

  Instead of preventing their rebellion, though He most certainly could have, God allowed it, and has ever since been explaining to us the seriousness and the eternal consequence of our sinfulness. He is a perfect judge, and claimed in Exodus 34:7b that He will "by no means clear the guilty." In the same passage, He also announced that He is "a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin" (Ex. 34:6-7a). How can both of these claims be true?

  The only way that God's justice can be upheld is if He metes out justice for every iniquity, every transgression, every sin. The only way that He can be merciful and gracious is if He does not give us what we deserve for our sins, but instead gives us His love and fellowship. So how can both be accomplished? Only through the God-Man, Jesus, taking on human flesh and becoming our substitute to take on Himself the wrath of God against our sin. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (NKJV)." Jesus was perfect. He was not the product of 2 human parents, but was conceived in the Virgin Mary's womb by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20-23; Luke 1:34-35). So, he did not inherit a sinful nature from Adam. He is truly human, and so can relate to us and our struggles, but He is without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He is truly God (Daniel 7:13-14; John 1:1, 14; John 20:26-29); Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1). All of this is validated by His resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1-10; 1 Corinthians 15).

  In summary, every person is sinful. The world is full of sinners. Thus, tragedies like the one at Newtown are always potentially lurking. The problem of evil has been solved. Jesus came into the world to take upon Himself the sins of the world. During this Christmas season, let us rejoice that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Even though God alone knows all of the details regarding the "whys" and "hows" and "whens" of His purposes, He has solved the problem of evil! One day, all evil will be eradicated forever (Revelation 21:1-4; 22:3-5)! Merry Christmas! Praise the Lord!

  Dec 22 Tags: Untagged

• Confessing Jesus before Men

  Posted by Michael Waldrop

  

  Michael Waldrop

  Michael W. Waldrop, Ph.D. is the Church Planter/Sr. Pastor of Desert Ridge Baptist Church, St. George, Utah. A...

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  Yesterday, James Hazelton (The Narrows Church), John Fields (FSBC, St. G) and I were involved in a discussion about an upcoming dialogue to be held at Dixie State College including adherents of various religious faith groups. I consider such an event healthy, if indeed, the participants speak with honesty and clarity. I always rejoice at the thought of the biblical gospel being presented, even when in dialogue with other religious systems. There is nothing to hide in biblical Christianity, in fact, we are commanded to "preach the Word" and to "make disciples of all the nations" in Scripture (2 Tim 4:2; Matt 28:18-20). Paul went to the center of dialogue in the known world in order to proclaim the gospel--the Areopagus at Athens (Acts 17:15-34).

  In response to the discussion yesterday, apparently someone was not very impressed with our stated desire for Christianity (and the other positions) to be represented accurately. The issue seems to be, as usual, the exclusivity of Christ as Lord and only Savior. I received an anonymous email after that discussion in which it was made plain that our insistence on the exclusivity of the gospel was considered a danger to open dialogue and a means by which people are intimidated.

  I was unable to respond with an email because the email address from which the message originated apparently had been disabled. I can't help but see the irony in someone defending the value of open dialogue through an anonymous email, to which a response cannot be sent! Not a very good example of dialogue!

  In Scripture, we are also told that when we make the gospel clear, we will be hated by the world. Jesus said, "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). So, we should not be surprised when people don't like it when we make the gospel clear. This email is a very, very mild form of persecution, in light of the many brothers and sisters who are even now in chains or are being killed for the sake of the Lord and His gospel around the world. But who knows how long before those who promote tolerance while being absolutely intolerant of the biblical gospel will begin to take more direct action against the followers of Jesus in this country?

  My (attempted) response to the email follows. I hope that the original emailer will read it. I would cherish the opportunity to dialogue about it . . .

   

  Anonymous,
  First, if the person receiving this is not the person who originally emailed me, forgive me. But please feel free to read what I have written and interact with me about it! Now . . .
  
  I certainly agree that my Lord does not approve of the use of sabotage in obeying the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. I have no plans to sabotage anything. Honest dialogue between parties who disagree on any subject is generally good. I do think the value of any dialogue is directly related to the honesty and clarity of the participants. To censor the message of one of the participants is to declare the dialogue over!

  So, as a Christian, I am interested when "Christianity" is going to be presented within a dialogue among adherents of various religious faiths. If Christ is not allowed to define Christianity, then it is not really Christianity, whatever it is. Basically, trading the Truth about God for anything else is called idolatry. However, let me say, as a member of the St. George community, I have other means for the spread of the gospel rather than "sabotaging" an academic discussion of different cultures/faiths. Besides, how academic can a discussion of Christianity be if the biblical, objective, message of Christ Himself is disallowed on the mere basis that the participants are uncomfortable with hearing it?
  
  I am not surprised that, for example, Chechnyan Muslims don't agree with me on the Person and Work of Christ. I've had conversations with them in which they explained what they believed, and I explained what I believed. All in a civil manner. And neither party censored the statements of the other party! That's the point of dialogue! Besides, it's impossible to scare a person into becoming a Christian, since that is a supernatural act of God (John 3:1-21).
  
  My Lord Jesus certainly stirred up the religious establishment with His claims of being God, the Messiah. There was no tolerance for His message, thus the religious, social, and political forces came together to kill Him. In doing so, they only fulfilled God's plan from eternity past, that is, to supply a substitute to suffer the penalty for sinners (everyone in the world is a sinner by nature--we are all united in Adam). See 2 Corinthians 5:21, or Acts 4:12. That this sacrifice satisfied God's justice is clearly seen in the vindication of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus! See 1 Corinthians 15:1-26. This explains why the biblical Christian message is called, "gospel," which literally in the koine Greek means, "good news!" Being right with God is not about my performance in religion or ethics, it is about my following Jesus whose perfect righteousness and sacrificial death make all of His followers right with God.
  
  It has become fashionable to disregard all exclusive truth claims, even while citing or even claiming to venerate Jesus! Amazing! He is the most exclusive, unique figure in history! Consider that He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me" (John 14:6). And, "I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). he infuriated the religious leaders when He identified Himself as I AM, that is, God (John 8:58-59).

  And, at his appearance before the high priest on the eve of His crucifixion, it was His own testimony that the high priest and the rulers found intolerable to the point of seeking His death. Mark 14:61-64 says, " 61 But ihe remained silent and made no answer. jAgain the high priest asked him, “Are you kthe Christ, the Son of lthe Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and myou will see the Son of Man nseated at the right hand of Power, and mcoming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest otore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard phis blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they qall condemned him as rdeserving death." This was a reference to Daniel 7:13-14, which the high priest understood well. Jesus was claiming to be the Son of Man, the Messiah, God! They hated him. And He is my Lord and my Savior. The Lord was clear that those who hate Him will also hate those who follow Him (Matthew 10, John 15:18-23). So, the more accurately I proclaim the message of Christ, the more likely it is that I will be disliked, or even hated. This is no surprise to me.
  
  I feel no shame in trying to make the gospel message clear. I would feel shame in not doing so, since, as a follower of Jesus, I am commanded to do so (Matt 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-47; Acts 1:8; 2 Tim 4:2; et al). Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). I love Him, so I strive to do what His Word instructs me to do. I believe the Lord has sent me to St. George for the purpose of making clear the good news of forgiveness of sins. So, I would welcome the opportunity to talk further with you about this. It is my joy to serve Jesus. I am not a confrontational person, so I want you to know that I never intended to offend you. However, I realize that the message of biblical Christianity is offensive and most non-Christians are offended by the exclusive claims of Christ and would prefer that the message be silenced. I urge you to consider the claims of Christ. If you have questions about the historicity of the Bible, I would be more than happy to show you the many reasons for accepting the veracity of the Bible. May the Lord draw you to Truth--Himself!
  
  We are all sinners--including you and me (Rom 3:23). We cannot be perfect (Eccl 7:20). God is a perfect judge and has ruled that sinners will be punished by eternal death (Ezekiel 18:4; Luke 16:19-31; Rom 6:23; Rev 21:8). But God the Son has come into the world to pay the penalty for sins (Mark 10:45; 2 Cor 5:21), through His perfect obedience to God's Law and His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15:1-4). All who become followers of Jesus Christ, that is, who are born again, are forgiven of their sin and receive eternal life (Genesis 15:6; John 1:12; Rom 3:21-26; Eph 2:8-10). This is the good news--the gospel! Repent of your sin! Run from the wrath of God into the arms of His grace and enjoy life eternal, rejoicing in the glory of the Lord!
  
  In the love of Christ,
  Michael W. Waldrop

  Aug 18 Tags: Untagged

• The Absolute Necessity of Absolute Truth, i.e. the Word of God

  Posted by Michael Waldrop

  

  Michael Waldrop

  Michael W. Waldrop, Ph.D. is the Church Planter/Sr. Pastor of Desert Ridge Baptist Church, St. George, Utah. A...

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  During our last two DRBC worship meetings, we studied 2 Timothy 2:14-26. In this passage, it is clear that the Truth is essential, and that false teaching and false teachers lead only to destruction. This is why I spend so much time and energy both making sure that my own teaching/preaching accurately represents what God has said, and encouraging our core group members to build a foundation that ensures that DRBC will always be a congregation that is committed to propagating the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, as revealed in the Bible.

  Nine Marks is a ministry associated with Dr. Mark Dever, Pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. This ministry claims that one of the nine marks of a healthy (meaning true or biblical) church is Biblical Theology. This means that the preaching and teaching, as well as faith and practice, in a church leads to the correct conclusion: love for God and the Truth that He has revealed in His Word, the Bible,  centering on the gospel message of salvation through grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. Here is a link to the IX Marks website where the necessity of Biblical Theology is explained . . . IX Marks on Biblical Theology.

  Since Jesus declared, "I am . . . the Truth . . . ." in John 14:6, surely if we love Him, we will want to know the Truth, since He is Truth! And, since he also prayed to God the Father, "Your Word is Truth," in John 17:17, if we trust the Lord Jesus, we will want to understand God's Word, the Bible. So, let's commit ourselves to learning, knowing, and proclaiming Truth!

  In Christ,

  MWW

  Jul 09 Tags: Untagged
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