Coram Deo (December 2016)

Coram Deo: Dr. R.C. Sproul writes in his commentary Mark, “At the climax of that period of darkness, Jesus cried in agony—not the agony of the scourging or the agony of the thorns and nails, but the agony of forsakenness.” The incarnate Lord was cut off for the sake of other men and women so that we can enjoy fellowship with God forever. No higher price could have been paid, and we are called to never cease loving Him and thanking Him for His sacrifice.

Though we are prone to wander and forget God, God has promised that He will never allow us to forget Him in the end. In order to help us remember Him, our Lord has provided us with abundant means to remember Him. The Lord has given us His inspired, authoritative, and inerrant Word, and He has given us the ability to know it, to love it, and to hide it in our hearts. Moreover, the Lord has given us Himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ. —Burk Parsons in December's Tabletalk Magazine

Prayer is not magic. God is not a celestial bellhop ready at our beck and call to satisfy our every whim. —R.C. Sproul

Good teachers teach in three parts: they tell you what they’re going to teach you, teach it to you, and then remind you what they just taught you (and why it’s important). These three views of a topic—forward looking, in the present, and backward—are critical for mastering any subject. The Bible, with God as master-teacher, does the same thing. The Old Testament tells what redemption will look like when it comes. The Gospels tell what God did through Jesus Christ to accomplish redemption. And in the rest of the New Testament, God details the intricacies of the redemption already accomplished and how He applies it to the church. In this way, the Bible tells of redemption alluded to, redemption accomplished, and redemption applied. —Joe Holland in December's Tabletalk Magazine

Coram Deo: Even if we deny God before others, He will forgive us when we repent. However, an impenitent refusal to be identified as a follower of Jesus is an indication that saving faith is not present. Are you prepared to stand firm for Jesus no matter the cost? Pray that the Lord would strengthen you to be faithful to Him. And if you have denied Christ, repent and return to Him this day.

Our response to those who are involved in homosexuality must be marked by genuine compassion. But a central task of genuine compassion is telling the truth, and the Bible reveals a true message we must convey. Those who contort and subvert the Bible’s message are not responding to homosexuals with compassion. Lying is never compassionate—and it leads ultimately to death. —Albert Mohler in December's Tabletalk Magazine

Coram Deo: John Calvin comments that in Jesus’ burial, “the cursing, which he had endured for a short time, began to be removed; for his body was not thrown into a ditch in the ordinary way, but honorably laid in a hewn sepulcher.” His burial proves that His work of atonement was perfect, so we are called to look only to Him for reconciliation with God. Our works do not and cannot atone for our sin.

Coram Deo: The women went to the tomb while not expecting anything out of the ordinary. Often, we also go about our days the same way. Yet, as we serve a God who loves to delight us by surprising us with good things, we sometimes find good from His hand that we have not expected. The women experienced this at the tomb, and they feared God. Let us honor and fear the Lord when He intervenes in an unexpected and powerful way.

Coram Deo: Because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all have the same essence, they must work in common toward creation. One person of the Trinity is not more powerful than another, nor is any divine work the exclusive act of just one person. Thus, all three persons are equally worthy of our worship, and we will spend eternity glorying in and worshiping the Holy Trinity.

God’s work is easy for Him. He doesn’t look for shortcuts because He never grows weary. We get tired and frustrated, however. We’re tempted to look for the simple path, the quick answer, the effortless way forward. But there is none. Sanctification requires diligently attending to the means God has given us. The growth may be slow, almost imperceptible at times, but it is sure. —R.C. Sproul in December's Tabletalk Magazine

Coram Deo: Our actions tend to reveal what we really believe, so if we believe Christ has been raised from the dead, we must tell the world. And we tell the world by telling those with whom we have personal contact about Jesus and supporting the work of the church to make disciples of all nations. Are you sharing the good news of Jesus’ resurrection? Are you giving to and praying for the task of world missions?

Jesus kept the Law for you and for me, and received the reward for us. —R.C. Sproul

God is faithful not because of our trite sentiments, but rather because His Word says He is. God is pure and, therefore, His faithfulness is pure and true. God’s faithfulness means that He can never act against His nature and character. When you’re tempted to believe He’s absent, the Bible tells us that He’s near. When your sins and guilt tell you that you are unloved, the Bible tells us that Jesus came out of great love and has removed the stain of sin from your life. When you fail, struggle, and question your worth, the Bible says that your identity as a Christian is found in Christ. —Trillia Newbell in December's Tabletalk Magazine

Coram Deo: The New Testament is better preserved than any other ancient book. We can be confident that we have the message God revealed to the Apostles because of the number and quality of the New Testament manuscripts. New discoveries always confirm that we have the text of the Apostles. That should be expected, for our faithful God will preserve His Word. We can trust it for sure guidance in all areas of faith and life.

Dr. Sproul has said often, “Everyone’s a theologian.” And the point he is making is that everyone has an opinion on theological matters, but not all opinions are created equal. Some are right, some are not. This study demonstrates the stunning gap in theological precision and awareness throughout our nation. —Chris Larson in December's Tabletalk Magazine

Coram Deo: When God determines to save someone, nothing can stop Him, not even the person’s “free will.” The Lord effectively persuades all those whom He has chosen, regenerating them by His Spirit, giving them the gift of faith, and working in them so that they will persevere. Our salvation is not ultimately in our hands, which enables us to be confident as we serve Him, knowing that our failures cannot inhibit the advance of His kingdom.

If ever there were a time there was nothing, there would be nothing now. —R.C. Sproul

Coram Deo: Many Christians go through periods of doubt and think that this makes them unable to serve the Lord or to be used by Him to do great things. We dare not believe such untruths, however. What matters is whether we trust Christ in the present. If we trust Him today, He can use us for the good of His kingdom no matter how we have failed in the past.

The church needs mothers to care for the family of God. We must rise to our responsibility, eagerly searching for whom the Lord would have us nurture. There is no barrenness among believing women. Through the gospel, all become mothers in their maturity. —Jen Wilkin in December's Tabletalk Magazine

Coram Deo: John Calvin writes, “Miracles were promised only for a time, in order to give luster to the gospel, while it was new and in a state of obscurity.” Miracles confirm that those who claim to be giving divine revelation are actually from God, and once this revelation has been given, miracles are no longer needed. But God continues to intervene supernaturally in His creation, so we pray for the sick and believe the Lord is able to heal them.

The greatest awakening since the time of the early church occurred in the sixteenth century with the Protestant Reformation. The pope and most bishops had reached a low point, and they had effectively lost their grasp on the gospel. Martin Luther stood up in the midst of this situation and proclaimed the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. —Keith Mathison in Tabletalk Magazine

Coram Deo: Christians are called to be good citizens who pay their taxes and pray for their political leaders (Rom. 13:1–7; 1 Tim. 2:1–2). But only One deserves unquestioned allegiance—Jesus Christ. Let us resolve in our hearts now that we will serve Him as Lord of all so that we will be prepared to stand if we must ever suffer for our faith.

Coram Deo: When God saves His people, He equips them to preach the gospel according to their abilities where they find themselves. The gospel message is not something we can keep to ourselves, but we must proclaim the lordship of Christ to our children, our spouses, our friends, our family, and our communities. Let us pray for boldness to preach the gospel, and let us make disciples where God has called us.

Coram Deo: Not only must we study the truth, we must also love the truth. If we refuse to love the truth (2 Thess. 2:10), we will not be saved. As we seek to know God’s truth, let us pray that the Lord would give us a love for His truth—even His hard truths—that we would serve Him faithfully and shine the light of His wisdom in this dark world.

In the Bible, memory is an act of faithfulness to God. It is an appraisal of the past that understands history as the outworking of God’s providence in the world. Such a stance has a way of transforming how we understand the rest of our lives. —Scott Redd in December's Tabletalk Magazine

Coram Deo: Ultimately, there are only two possible kingdoms where we can hold citizenship. We can hold citizenship in the kingdom of this world and experience eternal death, or we can be citizens of the kingdom of God and live in His glorious presence forever. We become citizens of God’s kingdom only by trusting in Christ. With whom will you share this message today?

Coram Deo: God does not give all of His people the same evangelistic gifts. However, that does not mean we cannot grow in our ability and willingness to evangelize. Studying the basic outline of the gospel message will help us be ready to share the gospel when the opportunity arises. We should also pray that God would open doors for us to preach His good news to others in our lives.

Coram Deo: From time to time, we should all stop and consider how we are playing our part in evangelizing and discipling the nations. Are we well equipped with the basic gospel so that we can share it, or do we need to follow a program to prepare ourselves for evangelism? Are we contributing money and time to our local church and Christian ministries that instruct people in God’s Word? Are we discipling people who could benefit from our wisdom?

Coram Deo: Ephesians 5:1 tells us to “be imitators of God, as beloved children.” This is our Lord’s command, and since He is the original missionary and evangelist, one of the ways we must imitate God is in the work of missions and evangelism. If we are not engaging in this task insofar as we are able, we are disobeying our Creator. Taking the gospel to all nations and building up people in God’s truth is a matter of obedience.

Coram Deo: We dare not rest on our own cleverness or organization when it comes to fulfilling the task of world missions. Though we are to use wisdom in how we approach the task of preaching the gospel to all nations, the success of our efforts depends wholly on the Spirit. Let us keep that in mind as we plan for and engage in evangelism and missions, praying for the Spirit to bless our work.