Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sovereign Grace Bible Church
Jim Kang, Pastor-Teacher
THE HEART OF BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY
Psalm 115
INTRODUCTION
Since the inception of Sovereign Grace Bible Church, I’ve been giving a special Reformation message every year on the last Lord’s Day of October. In our first year, I gave an address called “Martin Luther, A Mighty Reformer.” Our second year, the message was called “The Influences of John Calvin on Today’s Churches.” And this year, in case you didn’t know, I am devoting the whole month of October on the theme of Reformation. Hence, for the past two Lord’s Days I gave a two-part series on the Lord’s Table from biblical, theological, and historical perspectives, and not to mention what all that implies in relation to the Reformed Christianity.
This morning I want to draw your attention to a particular section in the Bible that truly captures the heart of what Reformed theology is all about, and it’s not from the typical Calvinists’ favorite chapters such as Ephesians 1 or Romans 8-9. In fact, it’s not even from the New Testament. With that in mind, let me draw your attention to Psalm 115.
Let me give you two reasons why our attention is given to Psalm 115 this morning. One, it is always good to dwell in the OT. As a pastor, I don’t want to give the impression that the OT is not important. Although we have spent last two years primarily in Matthew and Ephesians, I tried to preach OT if the text that I am in has a significant OT connection. Because I don’t preach the OT enough, it is always a special treat when I get to.
The other reason why our attention is given to Psalm 115 this morning is because to me this particular section of the Bible is perhaps the best summation and description of what the Reformed Christianity is all about. I’m amazed how well it is summarized and systematized even though this particular portion of the Bible is not known for a systematic theology genre, but a poetic literature! However, even within a poetic literature like Psalms, there are many didactical parts, for the purpose of teaching. In fact, isn’t that what 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says?
NAU 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God (including Psalm 115) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
As we reflect, especially, on this month when we commemorate God’s providence for starting such massive movements in the history of Christendom for the past 500 years or so, we thank God and we give him the glory for helping the church to rediscover the biblical gospel.
With that in mind, let me draw your attention to Psalm 115. As I already mentioned, Psalm 115 provides some of the best summation and descriptions of the Reformed theology. In fact, I see four key characteristics of the Reformed theology.
I. Giving God the Glory (v. 1)
The heart of the Reformed theology is giving God the glory. In this world there are only two types of glory – self glory and God’s glory. One is vain, the other – worthy. One is temporal, the other – eternal.
Perhaps the best summation of our Christian life is found in Westminster Shorter Catechism, in which the first question asks, what is the chief end of man? Its responding answer states “The man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Or, if you are a John Piper fan, he says God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him.
In the OT a name often reflected one’s character. For instance, Abraham means “father of many.” David means “beloved.” Moses means “son” or “deliverer.” Saul – “asked for” or “prayed for.” Hence, Hebrew names in the OT often reflected their character. This is especially true for God’s name. The most popular and proper name for the God of Israel is YHWH (pronounced Yahweh), which in Hebrew is written with only four Hebrew letters. The technical word for this collective four letter word is called tetragramaton, hence it is translated to English with four capitalized letters “LORD” to reserve specifically to the God of Israel, the God of the OT, also known as the true and the living God.
According to the psalmist, giving glory to God was based on two factors: 1) because of his loving-kindness and 2) because of his truth (or faithfulness in ESV). In regards to the latter, the point is God is reliable, consistent and trustworthy. He is same yesterday, today, and forever.
II. The Sovereignty of God (v. 3b)
According to A.W. Pink, “God is subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him.” Moreover, “Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as in name, that He is on the Throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things ‘after the counsel of His own will.’”[1]
God is not obligated to anyone. He does whatever he pleases. He is certainly not obligated to his creations. He does whatever he pleases.
III. The Transcendent Attributes of God (vv. 3a, 4-7)
The fact that “our God is in the heavens” (v. 3a) should remind us that he is a transcendent being, that is God is not like us. Throughout the Bible, one of the reasons why he is worshipped is because of his otherness. In other words, God is distinctively different.
One of the reasons why so many are ignorant and/or fail to see the otherness of God is because there have been too much emphasis on God who is like us. We have dethroned him from the heavens and placed him as a mere friend or companion who dwell among us. Moreover, there has been a subtle paradigm shift from God’s incommunicable attributes to overly obsessed with the communicable attributes alone. That is why the majority of people get the impression that God is only love, and that is the religious or theological system which they operate by.
So, contrary to the God of the Bible (the true and the living God), the god (with a small g) of the majority or a redefined god of fallen imagination is well described by this psalmist from verses 4 to 7. First, the god of the majority or a god who is redefined by man is “the work of man’s hands” (v. 4b). In other words, such a god or gods have been created by man. They are one of the direct products of human depravity. In fact, these gods would were a label that says “made in depravity.”
The reason why people want to have “the god of the majority” or “a god who is redefined by man” is so that the people do not have to be accountable to the true and the living God. Moreover, it is so that the people can continue with their idolatry. They prefer a god who is silent when they sin, and a god who would pad them when their conscious get disturbed.
What verse 4 clearly implies is that the God of the Bible is not like the description of those idols. The point is Yahweh is not and cannot be the product of man’s hands. In 2 Chronicles 2:6, King Solomon said this about Yahweh: “But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?”
Second, contrary to the God of the Bible, a man-made god may “have mouths, but they cannot speak” (v. 5a). To say it reversely, Yahweh speaks! This is perhaps one of the great foundations of Christianity, namely the belief that God speaks, he has spoken, and that his spoken words are preserved in writings! In fact, the basis for any church’s existence or the basis of any pastor’s existence is that God is a speaking God. If God is mute or dumb, then there is no reason for church’s existence or need for a preacher.
Third, a man-made god or idols have eyes, but they cannot see (v. 5b). How does this point force the people of God to think about Yahweh? That God sees!
Fourth, the idols or a man-made god cannot hear (v. 6a). Since that is the case, then what does the psalmist want the people of God to think about Yahweh? That God hears! The fact that God sees and hears should remind God’s people that Yahweh is an all-knowing God. This can be a comforting thought to godly people, where to ungodly people this is a condemning thought. Hence, the thought that God is omniscient brings both peace and judgment.
Fifth, the idols cannot smell (v. 6b). What does the psalmist want the people of God to think about Yahweh? That God can smell. Again, it is just another illustration that God’s senses are fully functional and that he knows everything.
Sixth, the idols or a man-made god has hands and feet but they cannot feel and walk (v. 7a). In other words, they are weak, dysfunctional, and not helpful. On the contrary, God’s hands are not shortened that he cannot save or he cannot destroy. Moreover, contrary to these idols or man-made god that cannot walk, our God chose to come down in a form of man, chose to dwell among men, and chose to die to redeem and reconcile us to God.
Seventh, the idols or a man-made god cannot make a sound (v. 7b). On the contrary, God can not only clear his throat in a sound of thunder, in which the land can shake and cause creatures to flee in fear, but in the beginning God by one word has brought things into existence out of nothing! If God can do that, God by one sound can also destroy the whole planet, if not the whole galaxies.
All that is to say, God is absolutely powerful and supreme! Those seven implications alone by the psalmist clearly reveal to us the otherness of God. These are some of the aspects of incommunicable and transcendent attributes that God alone possess. Ponder on these things because these things make God even more glorious! Behold your God! Behold your Creator! Behold your Redeemer! Behold your Sovereign King! Behold your God!
These are some of the key characteristics of the Reformed Christianity, the Reformed theology, Calvinism, or simply biblical Christianity. It magnifies a high view for God and a high view of God, who is gloriously revealed in Scripture.
Finally, I want to raise a question, namely what does all this mean? Moreover, what is the goal or end for understanding and knowing God like this?
I’m so glad that the Holy Spirit did not leave the psalmist hanging, but provided the answers not only for him but also for us. The answers? There are two connected applications, namely trust and worship.
IV. Trust and Worship (vv. 8-18)
The Reformed theology puts a big premium on your mind, namely to train to exercise your intelligence, renew your mind with truth, think deeply about things of God, and so on. Personally, the sharpest people I’ve encountered are Calvinists. Also, academically, at least in the Christian academic community, the people that made deepest impressions on me are Calvinists. In fact, the Reformed theology values the importance of education and creating educational institutions, especially, biblical education, where the Bible is not a mere addendum but the very fiber and foundation for all academic disciplines.
That is why, historically, it was the Calvinists or the people of the Reformed traditions have established schools, not only in Europe but here in North America during the founding and colonial period. In fact, many of the schools that instituted during the colonial period in America were by Calvinist tradition, such as Harvard, which was found by John Harvard, a young English minister, was originally a school that trained the Puritan pastors. Also, Princeton was another institution that was established during the colonial period to train Presbyterian pastors, which by the way, their third president was none other than Jonathan Edwards, a staunch Calvinist.
I say this to remind you of our rich Christian heritage. Calvinists are thinkers and readers, that is, the people of both the Book and also books. This is because Calvinists not only love the God of the Bible, but also their Bible that reveals such God. For that reason, the Reformed Christians are passionate about discovering truth, delivering truth, and being driven by the truth.
However, it is simply wrong to assess that Calvinists have big head but small hearts. That is to say, Calvinists are good at focusing and fighting for truths but not so good at applications. That would be a complete misnomer.
The biblical Christianity not only emphasize on mind but also the heart. That is why I imposed the question earlier, what does all this mean? In other words, what is the goal or the end for knowing and understanding the God of the Bible? There are two connected answers, namely to trust and worship.
[1] A.W. Pink, The Attributes of God (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1995), 12.
