Scottish Profession Of Faith-Original Sin

Of Original Sin

By which transgression, commonly called Original Sin, was the image of God utterly defaced in man; and he and his posterity of nature became enemies to God, slaves to Satan, and servants to sin; insomuch that death everlasting has had, and shall have, power and dominion over all that have not been, are not, or shall not be regenerated from above: which regeneration is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, working in the hearts of the elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God, revealed to us in his word; by which faith we apprehend Christ Jesus, with the graces and benefits promised in him.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:5 (NKJV)

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10 (NKJV)

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. Romans 7:5 (NKJV)

And that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:26 (NKJV)

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:1-3 (NKJV)

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. Romans 5:14 (NKJV)

So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21 (NKJV) 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NKJV) 

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5 (NKJV) 

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 (NKJV)

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Philippians 1:29 (NKJV)

The Scottish Profession Of Faith

Over the next several weeks, we are going to walk through the Scottish Profession of Faith. This document was crafted by devout men of God (pastors of Scotland), John Knox, John Willock, John Winram, John Row, John Spottiswoode, and John Douglas and read before Parliament on August 17, 1560.

The Scottish Profession of Faith is a large work. It was meant to be the foundation of Scottish culture, government, and the daily practice of faith. We need it to be that again.

Unfortunately, we live in a nation that is largely illiterate about the biblical underpinnings which support our faith (even when we diligently practice that faith). Within the Church, we don’t really know what we believe or why and how that is (or is not) supported by Scripture. Christianity does not appear to have much of an impact on our culture any longer. It seems we have either withdrawn from it or have adapted ourselves to it–and we wonder why our nation is in such deep trouble, morally, ethically, and in every other way. We are bankrupt as a nation, and I don’t mean just financially.

The foundation stones of the Scottish Profession of Faith need to be re-set in our culture. The guiding principles of God’s eternal law must be put back into practice or our nation will continue its to slide to perdition. As men and women of faith, we can no longer sit back, watch, and bemoan its demise. We must be about God’s Kingdom business and put this nation back on track. There is a harvest that must be brought in.

The Scottish Profession Of Faith

And these glad tidings of the kingdom shall be preached through the whole world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14

The Preface

The Estates of Scotland, with the inhabitants of the same, professing Christ Jesus’ holy evangel: to their natural countrymen, and unto all other realms and nations, professing the same Lord Jesus with them, wish grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the spirit of righteous judgment, for salutation, etc.

Long have we thirsted, dear brethren, to have notified unto the world the sum of that doctrine which we profess, and for the which we have sustained infamy and danger. But such has been the rage of Satan against us, and against Christ Jesus’ eternal verity lately born amongst us, that to this day no time has been granted unto us to clear our consciences, as most gladly we would have done. For how we have been tossed a whole year past, the most part of Europe (as we suppose) does understand. But seeing that of the infinite goodness of our God (who never suffers his afflicted utterly to be confounded), above expectation, we have obtained some rest and liberty, we could not but set forth this brief and plain confession of such doctrine as is proponed unto us, and as we believe and profess; partly for satisfaction of our brethren, whose hearts, we doubt not, have been and yet are wounded by the despiteful railing of such as yet have not learned to speak well; and partly for stopping of the mouths of impudent blasphemers, who boldly damn that which they have neither heard, nor yet understand.

Not that we judge that the cankered malice of such is able to be cured by this our simple confession. No, we know that the sweet savour of the evangel is, and shall be, death unto the sons of perdition. But we have chief respect to our weak and infirm brethren, to whom we would communicate the bottom of our hearts, lest that they be troubled or carried away by diversity of rumors, which Satan spreads contrary [against] us, to the defeating of this our most godly enterprise; protesting that, if any man will note in this our confession any article or sentence repugning to God’s holy word, that it would please him of his gentleness, and for Christian charity’s sake, to admonish us of the same in writing; and we, of our honour and fidelity, do promise unto him satisfaction from the mouth of God (that is, from his holy scriptures), or else reformation of that which he shall prove to be amiss. For God we take to record in our consciences, that from our hearts we abhor all sects of heresy, and all teachers of erroneous doctrine; and that, with all humility, we embrace the purity of Christ’s evangel, which is the only food of our souls; and therefore so precious unto us, that we are determined to suffer the extremity of worldly danger, rather than that we will suffer ourselves to be defrauded of the same. For hereof we are most certainly persuaded, that whosoever denies Christ Jesus, or is ashamed of him in presence of men, shall be denied before the Father, and before his holy angels. And therefore, by the assistance of the mighty Spirit of the same our Lord Jesus, we firmly purpose to abide to the end, in the confession of this our faith, as by articles follows.

Original Content: Copyright © 2013 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

The Marriage Covenant

Our pastor is finishing up an almost year-long series preaching through the book of Genesis. Sunday, he told us that after we have completed the last chapter, he is going to start a short series (three weeks or so) on marriage and the problems associated with it that are so rampant in the church. Scripture tells us that covenant marriage between a godly man and woman is a “type and shadow” of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church. Is this what we are seeing in the relationships and marriages of the Church at large today?

A couple of days ago, a Facebook friend posted the following blog post from “Grateful For Grace.” While this is a subject that is much discussed in our culture, it makes many in the church squirm with discomfort. I have written generally about this subject in the past (here and here), but never quite as straight-forward as this post is written. I trust this will resonate with you as it did with me. It is a subject that desperately needs to be addressed in the Church as there seems to be very little difference between many Christian relationships/marriages today and their non-Christian counterparts. I whole-heartedly agree with Mindy–we must live our lives “set apart” as Christians. We are commanded to live and measure our lives against a different standard–and that Standard is Jesus Christ.

Christians Dating And Sex

I keep seeing something in the outer circles of my circles. When you help run summer camps, one of the blessings is getting go to be around college age people.

I love seeing young adults finding their strengths and growing in maturity. It’s a delight to be able to invest in them. A strange thing I’ve noticed is that they get younger and younger looking every year.  Weird.

Ok, kidding aside… I have noticed something regarding Christians and sex. It breaks my heart, confuses me, and even angers me all at the same time.

I remember being a young Christian and sorting out behaviors. I also remember truly not understanding some things, Biblically. I even remember hearing some people teach anti-Biblical things and being confused.

So… let me be clear about something:

Christians should not have sex outside of marriage. Yup, seriously. No, I’m not kidding. And no, that idea is not just for Biblical times. It’s for today.

We may think this is just for dating teens, but it’s not. I am actually more concerned about the young adults who are deceived into thinking their sexual activity isn’t a big deal.

I know that our culture is immersed in sex. I know that dating without sex is difficult. I know that just about everybody is doing it.

None of those excuse sex before marriage.

Not even if two people are in love.

Not even if two people are grown adults.

Not even if two people are marrying each other soon.

Sex is for marriage. Period.

It is counter cultural, I know that. Living a life for Christ is counter-cultural.

I have a dear friend who is in her thirties and unmarried. She has never had sex. Why?  Because she is a Christian. She loves the LORD and so she honors His ways.

She went to the doctor once and the nurse practitioner didn’t believe her when she said she had never had sex and was not sexually active, that she was saving herself for marriage. The nurse was shocked.

She practically insisted my friend take the birth control offered. She just about said aloud that my friend was lying. Even when told that her faith called her to abstinence, the nurse refused to believe.

I’ve seen the shock too. As you know, I did not save sex for marriage. Once I gave my life to the LORD, it didn’t take too long for me to understand that sex was no longer an activity on the approved list. I became what was called a secondary virgin.

Paul and I didn’t have sex together before we married (though we were not honoring, which is another topic and post).

Fast forward to us being engaged: After I bought my wedding dress, I would go to the bridal shop every few days. I’d put on my beloved dress and sashay around in it. True story.

During one sashay visit, somehow the fact came out that Paul and I were going to enjoy a true wedding night (first time sex together, though maybe a true wedding night would best describe two virgins). I remember jaws dropping. None of the women, young and old, could believe that we had dated for almost three years and hadn’t had sex.

That’s when I experienced seeing shock the first time. At least it was at a secular store.  When I saw it in church, I was a bit perturbed.

I started visiting churches right after becoming a Christian. As I was a junior in college, I went to the young adults class. One day, they were discussing premarital sex.

Actually, it was like they were deciding what the answer was. Those fifteen people were making the call. And they decided that the instructions for sex only inside a marital covenant didn’t apply to the 1990s. When I raised my hand and asked, “Have you all just decided that the Bible is outdated?” Shocked faces, but silence.

I know that some young women really do believe this lie, since they might even be hearing it at church!

There are many passages that address the truth that sex outside of covenant is sexual immorality.

Acts 15:20;1 Corinthians 5:1;6:13,18;10:8;2 Corinthians 12:21;Galatians 5:19;Ephesians 5:3;Colossians 3:5;1 Thessalonians 4:3;Jude

I find it interesting that several of these passages call the Christian to be unlike the pagans. We are called to be different, for Him.

As a Christian, we should view sex the way God views it. 

It is natural for us to want to rationalize or justify our behavior, even our sin. We do it all the time, sadly. I know that we are not perfect. We are made perfect in Christ. What a delight grace is!

Romans 6:1-2 addresses this grace and call to holiness.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

I pray that if you are sinning in this area, that you talk to The God of Grace. Ask for forgiveness. Walk in repentance. Seek the grace to stand firm in honoring God with your body in this area.

Be set apart, Christians!

By Mindy Brouse
“Grateful For Grace”
Link: http://gratefulforgrace.com/2013/05/christians-dating-and-sex/
Used with permission.

Original Content: Copyright © 2013 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

In The Night Seasons

Psalm 16 (NKJV)

Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.” 
As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Wisdom: The Principal Thing

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  Matthew 7: 13-14 (NKJV)

Wisdom seems to be in increasingly short supply these days. We have embraced Secular Humanism in all facets of our lives and culture (also within the Church). Moral relativism appears to be the order of the day. We lack any real moral or ethical standards, so pretty much anything goes.

“The fool has said in his heart,         
“There is no God.”         
They are corrupt,         
They have done abominable works,         
There is none who does good.” Psalm 14:1 (NKJV)

The more we remove the Light of the Gospel from every area of our lives, the darker and more clouded our minds become. The more ignorant we are of the Bible, the easier we are to fool.

The foundation for all wisdom is truth. So if we desire wisdom, we must go to the source of all Truth: God and His Word. There’s no other way around it. We won’t gain much wisdom from watching our favorite television shows, attending sports events, going to movies, reading novels, or any other of the hundreds of things we spend our time on. Even if there isn’t anything inherently wrong with these activities, we must seek Him where He can be found.

“Wisdom is the principal thing;      
Therefore get wisdom.      
And in all your getting, get understanding.      
Exalt her, and she will promote you;      
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.      
She will place on your head an ornament of grace;      
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”      
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,      
And the years of your life will be many.      
I have taught you in the way of wisdom;      
I have led you in right paths.      
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,      
And when you run, you will not stumble.      
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;      
Keep her, for she is your life.” Proverbs 4:7-13 (NKJV)

If we value wisdom at all, we must make gaining it a top priority in our lives. Every decision we make will be based on something, either wisdom or foolishness. Wisdom always provides better outcomes. Wisdom always makes our daily walk easier.

One might think God knew what He was talking about when He told us to get wisdom.

Fancy that.

“To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgement, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion–a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:2-7  (NKJV)

Copyright © 2013 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Practically Perfect

English: Screenshot of Julie Andrews from the trailer for the film Mary Poppins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember the movie, “Mary Poppins” (Walt Disney, 1964; based on the book by P.L. Travers)? She was described (self-described, actually) as “practically perfect in every way.”

MARY POPPINS:
By the time the wind has blown the weather vane around,
I’ll show you if I can.
No matter what the circumstance for one thing I’m renowned.
My character is spit spot spic and span.
I’m practically perfect in every way.

JANE: Practically Perfect?

MARY POPPINS:
So people say.
Each virtue virtually knows no bound
each trait is great and patiently sound.
I’m practically perfect from head to toe.
If I had a fault it would never dare to show.
I’m so practically perfect in every way.

Both prim and proper and never too stern.
Well-educated yet willing to learn.
I’m clean and honest my manner refined
and I wear shoes of the sensible kind.
 I suffer no nonsense and whilst I remain,
there’s nothing else I feel I need to explain.

I’m practically perfect in every way.
Practically perfect that’s my forte
uncanny nannies are hard to find.
Unique yet meek unspeakably kind,
I’m practically perfect not slightly soiled,
running like an engine that’s just been freshly oiled.
I’m so practically perfect in every way>

(Robert B. Sherman and Richard M Sherman; Composers and Lyricists)

I remember watching the movie “Mary Poppins” when I was much younger and dreaming of the day when I would be beautiful and perfect like her. She was always so kind, so wise, and so unflappable, even in the most unusual circumstances. She was the epitome of all that I hoped to be.

Strong perfectionist tendencies run in my family and I have struggled with them all of my life. As I have grown older, I have come to understand what perfectionism really is. It is a perversion of what God originally intended: the pursuit of excellence in all that He sets before us to do. Perfectionism is deeply rooted in pride. It is based on the assumption that if you work hard enough or work smart enough, you will never make a mistake; each task, each decision, each relationship will be perfect. This is, of course, never possible. The sin nature that we struggle with daily always prevents it.  As we come face to face with the gap between what we are and what we want to be (or think we should be), our lives become a never-ending series of disappointments. We can never achieve, never fulfill, and never accomplish what we want to or expect we should.

Perfectionism is always destructive, despite what psychologists may believe and say to the contrary, because pride is its root cause. You are constantly aware of how far you fall short of what you expect of yourself or of what you believe others expect of you.  This becomes growing self-contempt which leads to self-punishment and then to depression or bitterness, as both real and perceived failures result in the continual erosion of your confidence and sense of worth. When you believe that every situation’s outcome depends on what you do, the pressure to work even harder becomes increasingly more intense; you expect that your efforts will make everything “right.”

The pride of perfectionism is very clear. You act as judge and jury for each action, sentencing yourself to what you see as deserved punishment when you don’t succeed. There is no room in this pattern of behavior for the love, mercy, and forgiveness of God because you have already passed judgement and found yourself guilty. You are deceived into believing that you can make yourself ”good enough” if you just keep trying harder.

What God requires of us is excellence in each task He sets before us, not perfection.  Our behavior should reflect our role as an ambassador for Him; we need to mirror Christ’s nature and character. For those with strong perfectionist tendencies, the line between the pursuit of excellence and the drive for perfection is often blurred. It is easy to slip over that invisible line without realizing it. Fundamentally, this is what perfectionism is: striving to make ourselves (and others) perfect through our own efforts and will.

Over the years, I have struggled with perfectionism in many areas of my life. Some of these areas I have since come to peace with, while there are others that I still struggle with.  One of my more recent struggles has been with computers and technology. I came to use computers later in life. Twenty-two years ago when I left the work force to give birth to our daughter, computers were just beginning to be used in nursing care for charting in the medical record. At home, I rarely used our computer, and when I did, it was for basic e-mail functions and an occassional internet search. My daughter will tell you how often she tried, over a three-year period, to teach me how to “copy-paste” something, with very little success. I would understand her directions, but because I rarely used it, I would then forget how to ”copy-paste” the next time I needed to. Don’t ask me why I never wrote it down– seems like that would have solved the whole problem!

It wasn’t until I returned to nursing about six years ago that I finally had to come up to speed with some elementary computer skills. The learning curve was pretty steep, and I still do some rather foolish things (like deleting items that never should have been deleted!) far more regularly than I care to admit. One of the reasons I have struggled in this area is because I have seen how easily my daughter and others of her generation learned the “ins and outs” of computer use. It almost seems as if they have some innate sense of what to do and how to do it. Shouldn’t they have to learn it the hard way like I did? Clearly, if I was smarter (or more perfect) I should be a computer expert by now!

Obviously, this is quite ridiculous, as anyone can see. It is however, indicative of the heart of a perfectionist. The person driven by perfectionism doesn’t see what is a reasonable goal or a realistic outcome. The perfectionist also applies to others the same standards of “perfection” that he applies to himself. No one ever completely measures up to this standard, thus putting those relationships at risk. When our standard is wrong, our results will be wrong. This is always a “no-win” situation.

There is only One who is perfect in every way. The men and women in those Biblical accounts that God holds up to us as examples of what He considers “perfect” and “blameless” (Noah, Moses, David, Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Solomon, Paul, Peter, and many others) shared a common determination. They purposefully and faithfully walked with God, pursuing Him with their whole hearts. They were quick to repent when they sinned. Even though their behavior was not perfect, God judged their heart attitude as “perfect.” When we view our lives from God’s perspective, we see that a humble heart which seeks to walk with God, is far more important to Him than perfect behavior. If our heart is right with God, then our behavior will be ultimately become right as well.

The perfectionist’s heart and mind are rarely at rest. It takes great effort to shut down that internal drive to set everything perfectly in its place. Someone driven by perfectionism never completely relaxes because he is always seeing life’s many imperfections and keeps working diligently to “fix” them. Learning to trust God and letting go is the ever-present challenge.

This is obviously something that I can not do in my own strength. With the grace and mercy of God, I renew my purpose to let the Holy Spirit push the remaining vestiges of perfectionism from my life, restoring balance to those areas that are still out of balance. The older I get, and the more God reveals Himself to me through His Word and by His Spirit, the more odious the sin of perfectionism becomes to me. When I feel that I haven’t measured up, I want to be able to say with increasing regularity (and a twinkle in my eye), “Once again perfection slips from my grasp! Not to worry, God has things well under control.” I want my heart to find rest.

“I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be; but thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’” ~ John Newton (1725 – 1807)

“Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9b (NKJV)

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21 (NKJV)

Related Content: http://americanvision.org/3881/slumbering-in-the-slough/

Copyright © 2013 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

War Through Worship

Psalm 9 (NKJV)

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence. 
For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment. 
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble. 
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.

 Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.

The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
The Lord is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.

Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men.

Selah