Shame, Nakedness, and Being Clothed by Another

"I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."
-Adam to God in Genesis 3:10

“And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”
-Genesis 3:21

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
-Hebrews 4:13
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“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!".
–Revelation 7:9-10

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

We all have a problem. We know it, others know it, and most importantly God knows it. The problem is nakedness. Ever since the Fall we have been on a dead run, lest our nakedness be exposed. Our answer is fear, running, and hiding. God’s answer is to arrest us mid-stride, show us our nakedness, and then provide clothing for us. Even going back to the Garden, and on the cusp of man’s betrayal, God provided clothing for man. To cover man’s nakedness blood had to be shed. From the beginning God’s initiative was seek to man on the run, reconcile alienated man to Himself by the shedding of blood, and cover man’s nakedness in garments He provided. This has been done gloriously for us in the gospel. The Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost (Luke19:10). God provided reconciliation to sinners by the shedding of blood of His Son (Hebrews 9:22-28). And, God has clothed the sinner’s nakedness with the righteousness of His Son (Romans 4:7). What makes the gospel good news is the knowledge that this is God’s doing. He has pursued us when we were running the opposite direction. He will accomplish what he has begun. He has taken away our nakedness and shame. He has clothed us with unspotted righteousness. And, He has reconciled us to Himself. What was lost in a garden was restored on a desolate Cross.

Grateful to be dressed in the righteousness of Another,

Pastor Dan

Charitable Judgments

‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.’
-Proverbs 18:21

"Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.’
- Matthew 7:1-5

‘For we all stumble in many ways….’
- James 3:2

‘If we are not loving our neighbors in the normal course of things, how will we ever do it when the stakes are much, much higher?’
- Paul David Tripp, War of Words, p. 166

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

I’ve seen relationships destroyed because ill thoughts had been harbored from one party toward another. I have jeopardized and lost friendships because of my lack of love and my lack of genial deference toward others. The fact of the matter is that we are sinfully hard-wired to be suspicious and disparaging. More often than not our first thought is not charity, especially for those who are different from us. The corrosive effects of uncharitable judgments are like battery acid to the soul. They eat away at the most tender parts first and then form a callous all around. Soon our thoughts and then our speech become poison both for us and for others. It seems as if there is no escaping it. At points we may think we have a handle on it and then out of nowhere, there it is…an unkind word, an off-handed comment, or a tidbit of gossip. Truth be known we have no inherent power to change. We have no humanly possible remedy for uncharitable judgments. The war against these sinful habits must come from outside us. Thankfully, God has spoken a charitable judgment over us, but this not before he pronounced a severe judgment upon His Son. Christ died as a penalty for our uncharitable judgments. He received the just judgment of God due us and now He pronounces, not judgment, but benediction upon us. And in His benediction upon us He not only calls us to charitable judgments, but He gives us the power to make them for others.

Because of Christ I desire to make all judgments charitable judgments.

Pastor Dan

Abiding and Fruit-bearing

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
-John 15:4-5

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
- John 15:8

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Over the last several months we’ve planted a number of trees (both fruit and evergreen}, and a number of blueberries, and in recent weeks a small garden. Each is doing well. The fruit trees have new leaves and blossoms on them. The evergreens have doubled in size and have tufts of new growth at the ends of the branches. The blueberries have new small blossoms. And the garden is now taking off with new growth from planted seeds. Each plant is part of the whole and to remove any parts of these plants from their source is to invite death. A branch can neither grow nor bear fruit by itself. A branch by itself will not only not bear fruit, a branch by itself will die. Living in vital and vibrant union with Christ will bring fruit. The Christian faith is built upon a relationship. That relationship has been won by Christ in His redeeming work for His people, but it looks like a relationship nonetheless. In the gospel God has restored, even surpassed, what was lost in another garden. It was in this first garden that sin brought misery and separation. Man wanted autonomy and aloneness. The vine and branches seemed irreparably severed, but God, the great Gardner, has restored what no man ever could. The vine and branches are once again joined and it is here that relationship and the fruit-bearing of being joined again to Christ exist and blossom and grow. Fruit-bearing is proof that we are connected to Him and we belong to Him. A vibrant relationship with Christ brings fruitfulness in our lives. Fruit-bearing demonstrates we are connected to the life-giving vine. In bearing fruit we prove to belong to Him as His disciples.

Desiring new growth and an abundance of fruit with you,

Pastor Dan

Redemptive Proclamation

‘I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’
-Genesis 9:11-13

‘So Moses went down to the people and told them. And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’
- Exodus 19:25-20:2

‘In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
- Luke 3:1-6

‘For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
- Romans 10:13-15

‘The first and greatest work of ministers of of Christ is acquainting men with the God who made them; He is the source of their blessing. We should open up the treasures of His goodness for them and tell them of the glory that is in His presence, a glory that His chosen people shall enjoy.’
- Richard Baxter, quoted in Preach the Word, p. 127

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Surrounding the redemptive events found in Scripture there is proclamation. Either before, after, or both, God helps us by interpreting the redemptive event through human means. Noah, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, John the Baptist, Matthew, Mark, Luke John, Peter, and Paul were all ‘proclaimers’ of redemptive events. God graciously brings redemption and then interprets it for us so that we may understand. One of the great gifts God gives to the church is that of interpretation and proclamation. We are the recipients of good news proclaimed. God has provided redemption for us and His desire is that we hear the good news about it. Week after week we have the privilege of hearing the proclamation of redemption. God has reconciled us to Himself through the redemptive work of His Son and His ‘proclaimers’ bring us this news. We bear witness, by our hearing and assent, to God’s great plan of redemption.

May we have ears to hear and hearts to believe the redemption proclaimed.

Pastor Dan

The Primacy of Christ

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
- 1 Cor. 2:1-2

“The church in America will have to learn what it means to mourn before it can dance. Sticking to the story, fixing our eyes on Christ – even if it means distracting us from what we have diagnosed as our real issues – is the kindest thing a pastor can do for a congregation, the most precious gift we can receive and pass on to our neighbors, and the most relevant mission on earth.”
- Michael Horton, Christless Christianity, p. 259

“We have a God who is capable of self-sacrifice for us. It was although he was in the form of God, that Jesus Christ did not consider his being on an equality with God so precious a possession that he could not lay it aside, but rather made no account of himself. It was our God who so loved us that he gave himself for us. Now, herein is a wonderful thing.
- B.B. Warfield, quoted by Carl Trueman in The Wages of Spin, p. 127

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Whatever is said of us may it never be said that we were deficient in being Christ-centered. Of anyone, we have the most incredible story to tell. I fear, though, at times we live as if the good news found in Christ is a modest proposal, rather than the singular grand message in all of creation. Reconciliation to God through the person of Christ makes all other news anemic, but I’m afraid much of the time we treat it as yesterday’s headlines. This news alone has the power to save. This person alone has the prerogative and authority to forgive. Our many transgressions are against Him and it is He alone that brings forgiveness at great cost to Himself. In Warfield’s words, ‘It was our God who so loved us that he gave himself for us. Now, herein is a wonderful thing.’ Our priority and primacy is Christ. We must keep our eyes fixed upon Him. He must capture our gaze. It is this beatific vision that will change us and in turn provide impetus for sharing that same gospel that will change our family, neighbors, and friends. May we resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Desiring the primacy of Christ with you,

Pastor Dan

Union with Christ

‘But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.’
- Ephesians 2:4-7

‘What is that union which the elect have with Christ? A. The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God's grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling.’
– The Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 66

‘Union with Christ is, in fact, the foundation of all the blessings of salvation. Justification, sanctification, adoption, and glorification are all received through our being united with Christ.’
- Robert Letham, quoted in, He Who Gives Life, p. 217

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

If you are a Christian you have been ‘spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably’ joined to Christ. Christ’s life has become your life, Christ’s death has become your death, and Christ’s resurrection has become your resurrection. Because they are His they become yours. He freely and graciously gives them to you and they cannot be taken away. Think of this…every spiritual blessing imaginable has become yours and they cannot be removed. Because He has been raised He has raised us. This is His work of grace in you and for you, and if you are a Christian this can never be removed. There is no danger of Christ changing His mind. There are no worries about God rescinding His adoption of us at a future date. The security and bond with which He holds believers secure is the placement of Christians in inseparable union with Him. In our frequent sin and vacillation we need an unchanging Savior that holds us secure. We need a Savior whose Cross was sufficient for all of our sin and a Redeemer whose Resurrection was full of power to save. In Christ we have found both and He has made us glad and thankful participants in His life by joining us to Him. He has loved us and demonstrated that love to us by an unbreakable bond which He has secured for us forever. Amazingly, we are really and inseparably united to Him.

Stunned by the immeasurable ramifications of our union with Christ,

Pastor Dan

The Post-Resurrection Great Commission

“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
- Matthew 28:18-20

“Christ’s triumph, then, will be the triumph of evangelism.”
- R.B. Kuiper, God-Centered Evangelism, p. 241

“Jesus Christ is the ‘missionary’ par excellence: the basic and foundational mission is his. He has been sent by the Father to effect forgiveness and salvation, especially through his death and resurrection, and then to announce it to Jews and Gentiles alike. In fulfillment of the Servant’s role his task is to bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.”
- Kostenberger and O’Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, p. 269

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Last week we celebrated Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. In these two events lies the good news of the gospel. Christ has ransomed sinners for Himself through His own blood on the Cross and He was raised for the sinner’s justification in God bringing Him back to life. At the Resurrection all authority was granted to the risen and ascended Lord and it’s in this authority that mission can move forward. We have no other authority by which we can evangelize or advance the gospel forward than that which has been given by the resurrected and ascended Christ. Everything the church does is to be grounded in Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, because it is here where authority has been given and here that authority is derived. This gives us hope in evangelistic advance, such as the making of disciples, in teaching, and in baptizing, therefore, we have hope that our efforts will not be in vain. The resurrected and ascended Lord is our source and power. We mustn’t preach the gospel without the power of the resurrection. We cannot have the one without the other. The Cross alone is forgiveness without effectual power and the Resurrection alone is power without forgiveness for sins. In our mind they must be inseparable as we carry on our evangelistic efforts. Christ’s triumph is the triumph of evangelism.

I’m grateful for the Great Commission that is grounded in the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ,

Pastor Dan