2001 issue 2 - the hebrews hall of faith part 4 - counsel of chalcedon

8/12/2019 2001 Issue 2 - The Hebrews Hall of Faith Part 4 - Counsel of Chalcedon

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The

Faith

of

Sarah

in

the Establishment

ofthe

Church - Hebrews 11;11-16

I. The Faith of

Abraham: The

Father of

Many

Nations (cont.)(il:8-12)

A. Sarah's Faith Displayed in Obtaining the

Seed ofProinise (11:11)

The author of Hebrews now turns to Sarah's

faith in God's promises and role in the Old

Testament church. Like Abraham,

her

faith was a

remarkable display of submission to God's Word.

There has been controversy surrounding verse

11

and

SOine

do not believe that it properly refers to

Sarah, but to Abraham. The Greek verb trans

lated to conceive seed katabole), is the stan

dard term for to father a child. Hence, it is

sometimes claimed that this verb could not

properly be applied to Sarah, but must instead

refer to Abraham as subject of the vetse and the

father of the child. Moreover; how can SlIfah

commended for hllr faith

When

she laughed at the

divine messenger of the covenant (Genesis

18:12)?

[ t

should also be noted that this verse

continues to be used

as

a proof that the Bible is

not inspired.

t

supposedly teaches that the

woman creates seed in the conception process

even as the man does. While the woman does

contribute an egg, the man provides the seed.

Hence, the Bible contains a scientific error.]

There are three considerations that necessitate a

rejection oflhis hypothesis and support the view .

that the verse properly refers to Sarah. (1) The

chief

mark of

this persbn's faith

is

that they did

not pit physical limitations against God s

prOIJl

ises. This more miturallyrefersto Sarah, who

was not .only batten, put also well past the normal

age for bear-ing children. Men can father children

at i very old age; after Sarah sdeath, Abraham,

though over 100 years old, fathered many more

children with his wife KetUrah (Genesis 2S :1ff.).

(2) We should adopt a secondary but legitimate

interpretation of the verb in question: to lay down

a foundation (Thayers). Jehovah blessed Sarah to

be the mother of the family of God. Whenever

we interpret Scripture, the words chosen by the

Holy Spirit mu st be interpreted in a manner

consistent with the context. t

is

helpful to know

how a word is used elsewhere, but language is

versatile, and different contexts introduce specific

nuances of a word that require careful consider

ation. (3)

Sarah did laugh at th,e messenger

indicating a momentary lapse of her faith in the

divine promise. But dido

t

Abraham demonstrate

occasional lapses in his own life? He went in

to

Hagar, thus seeking to gain God's promises

through human effort.

t

is not patriarchal perfec

tion that makes thein models for faith, but perse

verance in faith and repentance for failures.

Undoubtedly the Angel's rebuke humbled Sarah,

and she was subsequently confirmed in her faith

in the divine promise.

1. She did not limit the power of God.

There was one great physical obstacle to the

fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham and

Sarah. Sarah was old and barren. Not only had

she been barren all her life,

bOt she had also

passed through menopause. .God caused this

situation to

develop so that Abraham aod his

descendants would know that the enjoyment of

God's covenant is by grace alone through faith,

and not through human effort. Man does not

work together with God to bring about salvation.

True faith does not

measure

God's

ability and

faithfulness by human

power and understanding.

God alone can

Save

sinful man and bring him into

fue blessings of the covenant. Sarah, being a

faithful daughter

of

God, believed that his prom

i ~ e s would be fulfilled regardle

ss

of her personal

limitations anq advanced age. True faith, we must

always remember, does not measure God's' ability .

and faithfulness by human.power and understand

ing. Hence, when we consider what God can or

may do in our own

day

let us no t limit him by the

scope of our own understanding. God can and

4 - THE CO'QNSEL of ChalcedOli - 'February/March, 2001


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will do all his holy will, and his power is such

that all obstacles will be overcome when he once

begins his mighty work.

2.

She possessed great confidence in

the

faithfulness of God.

She judged him faithful who had promised.

Confidence in the faithfulness of God to his

promises sustained Sarah during the difficult

years of

wandering and waiting.

t

must have

been extremely difficult

for

Sarah. She enjoyed a

comfortable, secure life with Abraham in

Ur.

When her husband received the divine call to

leave, she complied with his wishes, and con

signed herself to his lot. With Abraham, Sarah

wandered all her remaining years in a land in

which she could never call her home, build secure

dwellings, or settle down to a comfortable life.

Sarah also knew that she played a pivotal role in

the fulfillment

of

everyone

of

those promises, for

they were focused upon a seed of prpmise, a child

through whom all the families of the earth would

be blessed. As the years went by, her barren

condition remained unaltered and normal child

bearing years ended. She was certainly tempted

to despair. But what does our text teach? True

faith in God's power and promises motivates the

faithful child of God to endure testing, waiting,

and weakness, and to cling to the faithful Word of

the omnipotent God. Sarah counted upon God to

fulfill his Word to her and Abraham. Sarah

believed that nothing could hinder God from

fulfilling his promises to his church. Witl, such

confidence in God's promises, we too may receive

strength to remain faithful to God and his king

dom, and endure any hardship or suffering he is

pleased to bring into our lives.

3. She obtained

the heir

of

promise throngh faith.

God rewarded Sarab's faith and gave her

supernatural ability to conceive Isaac. Moses'

account is a beautiful display

of

God's love for

Sarah and the certainty of his Word. And the

Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord

did for Sarah as He had spoken (Genesis 21:1).

The Lord, in his perfect time, wrought a great

miracle in Sarah's life and overcrune her physical

disabilities.

By

persevering in faith and obedi

ence, Sarah obtained the heir of promise, through

whom Abraham and the Children

of

Israel inher

ited the land of Canaan, and more importantly,

through whom the Lord Jesus Christ came and

established his kingdom over the face of the

whole eartll. Sarah's life teaches us that without

faith it is impossible t ) plea,se God, and

that

the

only way we will obtain God's promises

in.

our

lives is to trust God completely, and to cast

ourselves, our futures, and our weaknesses into

his omnipotent and faithful arms.

B. Abraham s .Faith Displayed

in Becoming

the

Father

of Many

Nations (11: 12)

1. His weakness revealed

God s

grace,

omnipotence, and faithfulness.

Once again, our author emphasizes that

Abraham's life shows how human weakness

displays the omnipotence and sovereignty

of

God.

Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

. Our text somewhat humorously describes him as

good as dead (cf. Romans 4:19). Frbm a human

perspective, Abraham had arrived at the age when

men slow down and die, certainly not when they

egin

obtaining God's promises. Yet with God,

all things are pO lsible, and he delights in fulfill

ing his promises when his people are at their

weakest, so that they might learn that fue power

and glory resides in

him

alone

(2

Corinfuians

12:10).

2. He became

the father

of

many

nations

(Galatians

3:26-29).

As a result ofAbraham's persevering faith, he

became the father of many nations. Here,

Abraham's family is described hyperbolically as .

many as fue stars in the sky and the

sand

on the

beach. From one child, Isaac, Abraham pecame

the father of a great family, the family

of

all who

believe.

t

should be stressed fuat tllis verse also

overturns a serious theological error in our day.

Abraham is not viewed in Scripture primarily as

the fafuer of the physical Jews. It is true that the

nation

of

Israel sprang from

i).is

loins,

but

redemptively and covenantally, Abraham's most

important descendants, and the only ones who

will ever receive anything good from God are

those who like Abraham embrace God's promises,

his Messiah, and his

l;:tw.

The New Testament is

replete with passages which teach US that it is the

Christian, the believer in Jesus, who can .claim

FebruarylMarch, 2001 - THE COUNSEL of.ChaJcedon - 5


3/9

Abraham as his father, not the unbelieving Jews

who lack the

faith

of

their

f a t h e ~

Abraham (Ro,

mans 2:28,29; 4:1,22; Galatians3 :1,9, 26,29).

Hence,

by

believing in the Messiah,

we

become

Abraham's

children, heirs with

him

"of every ,

promise

God

has made his people.

C. Abraham's

faith is

Ii model for

every child

of

God.

1. Nothing

but

faith

can induce

a

man

to

abandon the world

and commence

a

pilgrimage

to

the

city

of

God.

The Church in Abraham's day began with a

call

to

separation from the world and consecration

to God

and his covenant. The saine is true today.

Those who wOllld receive

God's

promises must

separate themselves unto God, depart from evil,

and dedicate themselves to faith and obedience (2

Corinthians 6:16,18). Only the Holy Spirit, by

regenerating ow: hearts and rooting out our love

for the world, can reform us so

that we

will

be

able and willing to abandon sin and follow God

whe.rever

he

leads. Hence, it is foolish to think

we

can imitate Abraham's life without a true work

of

grace

in

our

hearts. The temptations, tests, and

delays that the.Christian encounters cannot be

overcoO)e except through a living

union

with

Christ, faith in his promises, and

the

sanctifying .

work

oIthe Spirit. The first thing, then,to which

this passage would lead us, is self,examination.

We rimst make our calling and election sure and

work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

We must humble ourselves before the Lord, cast

ourselves

npon

his metcy in Jesus Christ, and

recognize tbat only

he

can give

us

the faith and

obedlence'required

to

enjoy life and salvation in

him.

2.

The Christian

man submits himself to

the

authority

of God's Word .

Faith involves complete confidence in and

submission to

the

Word

of

God. Faith leads a

Word,celltere,d life. Whatever God's Word

teaches; faith submits thereto without questioning

or doubt. It recognizes the authority of the

Creator over

the

creature, and the illegitimacy of

the

latter disputing with authority of Scripture.

Faith continues to thrive, as in Abraham's case,

by

continual trust in

God's

Word.

It

is a student

of the Bible, reading,O)editating, applying, and

drawing strength from everything written therein.

I t lives not by man's wisdom, but by every word

that

comes out

of

God's

mouth (Matthew 4:11).

3. The

startlng point

of all

true

faith is self,deniaJ.

It

is quite in vogue today for preachers and

teachers to minimize or ignore altogether the

radical change

of

life to which God calls Christ's

disciples. Missionaries are taught how to blend in

local traditions, beliefs, and practices with the

gospel. Cosmopolitan churches have created a

Christianity that requires very little from its

professors, but looks shockingly similar to the

latest Hollywood productions, self,help manuals,

and amusement parks. This is not an accurate

reflection of God or

of

his kingdom. Our heav,

enly Father demands complete and immediate

abandonment of everything in order to

be

a

citizen

of

his glorious city. It is radically incon,

sis tent for a man to profess to be a Christian and

hold on to his former ways and beliefs. .The

Spirit

of

God always does a thorough house

cleaning, purging,

of

ail those he brings to faith in

Christ. The Bible calls the Christian a "new"

'TVt'ry

r=:ersorl

; - l ~ ; ; \ j i t y . r ~ c sin t r ~ l ~ I(CC',JS

L L ~ rrc('1 cec;::::c \ivith Clod,

/esser-ls

(ki

'

- love

; r

r ; ~

1(Ir.gCOrY1, or

rer:cie' s l..IS lJrlclt)iC' to

frLJrll the

war

C1Ljdlfl\l sin and

S ' t&l.

must

Ix ciecisively, qlClcJly.

and

perrrkifwiltly

clt)r-1ndol1ed, or we' drc ~ o r \iVon

ny

o t ) ( ~

ca: eci C i l ( l ) ~ s Usc

i

,0;es.

man, because his old man is completely

sold

nto

sin and slavery, unable and unwilling to

p l e a ~ e

God (2 Corinthians 5

:1

7; Ephesians 4:24). Christ

himself, when speaking

of

true discipleship

speaks

of

the radical 'nature

of

its demands. He

says,

Ifany m lll

will come after me,

let

him deny

himself, take up his cross and follow me" (Mat"

thew 16:24). And, "

He

' that finds his life will lose

it: and he that loses his life (in service to me) will

find it" (Matthew 10: 39). Abraham

was

required

to leave behind everything .he had known before

and enter upon an unfettered, wholehearted

pursuit

of

life with God. Though the parameters

of that calling are different, the sum and

sub,

stance is the same. Every person, activity, and sin

6 '

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COUNSEL

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4/9

that keeps us from peace with God, lessens our

love for his kingdom, or renders us unable to

fight the war against sin and Satan, must be

decisively, gladly, and permanently abandoned, or

we are not worthy to be called Christ s disciples .

Then,

we

must be willing

to

undergo every

hardship, trial, persecution, and personal loss

in

following Christ. The demands of discipleship

are radical and lifewide. If we are to be God s

children, we must gladly fulfill them.

4. The

Christian

life is one of

constant

testing.

Since Abraham is our father, we cannot expect

to escape a life similar to his own. If suffering,

hardship, and delay were necessary in the age

when the city of God was a yet future, how much

more are these required,

now

that the city has

been established, Satan and his forces begun to be

resisted, and the far reaches

of

the earth con

fronted with the claims ofthis city. Abraham s

life, therefore, is not the exception; it is the

example of how God keeps his people under

discipline, so that they will be weaned off of the

world, their wills conquered for Christ, and their

desires fixed upon life in his kingdom. Therefore,

do not expect a life

of

ease

in

the city and king

dom of

God.

Yes

Christ has established it, but it ,

is not yet perfected. Yon will be called upon to

do

your part, to endure hai dship iI\ its building.

The New Testament is cIe,

ar

- all those who live

godly

in

Christ Jesus will endure hardship and

persecution (Acts 14:22; 2Timothy 3:12). For

when confronted with the.demands of Christ and

his kingdom, the n:;ttions only have two options :

repent and enter the city of God, or rebel. Ifthey

choose the latter, they will inevitably and progres

sively afflict Christ s servants, until the cup

of

their iniquity is full, and Christ comes upon them

in judgment (Isaiah 60:12; Romans 16:20).

5. The C,hristian must have a

multi-generational perspective.

Abraham s life brings out the importance

of

capturing the next generation fo r Christ. When

God established his covenant with Abraham, he

made it clear that the promises were not for him

alone, but extended to his sons and grandsons,

down through their generations, for an everlasting

covenant. That everlasting covenant, of course,

was the covenant of grace, in which Almighty

God, having determined to save his elect, sent the

Lord Jesus to pay the whole penalty for all their

sins and make them righteous through his obedi

ence. The condition of this covenant is faith in the

gospel promises. This covenant Abraham entered

when he surrendered his life to those promises.

Yet

it was not enough for him to believe them.

His children and grandchildren must embrace

God s covenant promises as well.

Do not forget, Christian parents, that the goal

of your salvation is not attaineq simply through

your own confession and faithfulness. If

you

go

to heaven without your children, much

of

the

work you have invested in the city will be un

done. This is why tbe Bible constantly stresses

the importance

of the third generation (Genesis

45:10; Exodus 34:7; 2 Kings 17:41;

s ~ l m

103:17; 128:6; Proverbs 13:22; 17:6; Jhemiah

2:9; Ezekiel 37:25).

f

a man dies kno:.ving that

his grandson is faithful to

Christ, he can die in

peace and confidence, knowing that his labors and

good name will be perpetuated through many

generations of God-fearing, Christ-loving chil

dren and grandchildren. Therefore, fathers and

mothers, you must have a long-term vision for

your family. Your job is not finished when your

children reach

18

and are sent packing to college.

You must plan on being an active grandparent as

well. Grandparents are the key to the future

success of the kingdom

of

God. When tlley do

their job, are tender toward the gospel, and

encourage the next generation to be faithful to

God, the young ones pick up on their godly

example, and dedicate themselves to God s city.

Yet, when they are indolent, delight more in

spending their children s inheritance than laying

up one for them, and take little active interest in

the spiritual education of their grandchildren, you

can be sure that regardless of their personal faith

and piety, little ofthat will be passed on to the

next generation.

6;

The arrival

of

the

city

of

God

in

human history places great

demands

upon

God s

people.

We

now live in the great day for which

Abraham longed. We are no longer in

the

shad

ows of the old covenant. Rather, we live in the

full light

of

the gospel age and kingdom which

FebrullrylMarch, 2001- THE COUNSEL

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5/9

Jesus came announcing and by his death estab

lished. Greater privileges bring greater obliga

tions. IfAbraham was called to'pursue this city

with joy, patience, and endurance, how much

more does God require us to base our lives and

priorities around life with God in his city, the

church ofJesus Christ?

a) Righteousness - The heart

of

life with God

in his city or kingdom is righteousness. "The

kingdom

of

God is not meat and drink but righ

teousness, peace, and

joy

in the Holy Ghost"

(Romans 4: 17). The inhabitants of the city of

God must and will dedicate themselves

to

righ

teous, holy living. Christ says, '

But

seek first the

kingdom

of

God, and his righteousness" (Mat

thew 6:33). Kingdom and righteousness are

inseparable in Scripture (Matthew 5 :20). Righ

teousness is essentially justice. Throughout

Scripture, the standard

of

ustice is God's holy

law. Whatever is contrary to God's law, is unjust,

a sin 1 John 5:3). Hence, that person who is not

seeking after greater conformity to God and his

revealed will, regardless of their profession, has

no right to call himself a citizen ofGod's holy

city, a Christian (John 14:15; Romans 6:13,18-20;

Ephesians 5:9; 1 John 2:29). And not being a

citizen

of

that city, he is .cllt off from fellowship

with God. The very fust thing, then, we mllst

remember about life with God is his kingdom, the

chllrch of Christ; is that a holy God can be en

joyed, loved, and served only by a people dedi

cated to righteousness in their own lives.

b)DiscipJeship - God promises a future of

worldwide expansion

of

his city.

It

is not limited

to a few scattered individuals here and there, but

as God promised to Abraham, the Messiah will

bring salvation to all the families of the earth

(Genesis 12:1-3; Romans 4:11,12). Now Christ

has established his church, and in so doing, the

means through which that pr.omise will be

u -

filled. Hence, immediately prior to his ascension,

his royal processional to

be

crowned King

of

kings and Head of the church, he commissioned

the apostles, and

tl 1rough

them the church, to

bring the tidings of his saving message to the

ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20).

t

is

through her authoritative use of the keys of the

kingdom

of

heaven, the faithful preaching and

teaching

of

his whole counsel, that the nations are

.discipled to him, i.e., made his willing and obedi

ent servants. One of the primary concerns of

every citizen of the city of God is the expansion

of the city. He longs and prays for the conversion

of the nations. Not a day goes by when he does

not think about those around him who are perish

ing as aliens from the commonwealth

of

God's

city.

n

a

day

when the faithful preaching

of

God's Word the authoritative use

of

the key that

opens the kingdom to repentant sinners, lan

guishes, his heart is broken. He knows there is a

direct, God-ordained relationship between faithful

preaching

or

God's whole counsel and the number

of

true disciples being converted to Jesus Christ.

Though he may not be called to preach the gospel

as a minister in the Church, he is devoted to the

gospel, and according to his station and opportu

nity, regularly seeks to impress upon others the

duties offaith in Jesus Christ and repentance. He

supports worthy mission projects around the

world, foregoing personal luxury and conve

nience, ifnecessary, in order to support the

primary work of the city of God, the discipling of

the nations. He involves himself fully in the .Iife

of the local congregation. For it is there that lie

city of God meets together, This cannot be

missed. The local assembly

of

he church of

Jesus Christ is the .earthly assembly

of

God's holy

city. Its worship is heavenly. Its preaching is the

ministry

of

the Holy Spirit. Its fellowship is a

foretaste

of

heaven perfected. A man who is not

milch interested in the local congregation and

who does not enter fully into its life and work is

not a faithful citizen of the city of God.

c) Education - Citizens ofGod's holy city

are

extremely concerned with Christian education.

Their covenant seed are the next generation of the

city, and they must be taught how to function

as

faithful citizens, in covenant with God, walking

with him in obedience and fear in every area of

life. The world has stolen this educational idea

from the church, but it has radically redefined the

goals. John Dewey's educational program, which

is followed by today's government schools, is

established

Upon

the premise that since objective

(transcendent) truth and ethics are unknowable to

man, education is concerned with making men

good citizens.

It

serves a utilitarian purpose.

Modem education serves to train up generations

8 - THE COUNSEL

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of

graduates to build the city

of

man, the human

istic city

of

the devil, who is arrayed against

Christ and his holy city. The Christian s idea of

citizenship and education is completely different.

For him, the chief and driving motivation behind

education is to make God s little children faithful

to his covenant and equipped to build God s city.

We do

not educate our children in the home or

Christian school primarily to escape culture or the

duties of city living, to get away from the bad

apples in the public schools, or to add a few

religious lessons to the unbeliever s basically

correct views

of

life and education. We educate

them

as

we

do

because it is our duty to train up a

future generation who will overcome the see

of

the serpent by bui lding the city

of

God

Hence,

the quality of our education

is

vital. The modern

homeschool and Christian school movements will

fail

in

their true objective if they produce a

generation

of

lower-class citizens, and I do not

mean monetary. I mean a generation

of

young

people who are so sheltered that they retreat

within the four walls

of

the home or church, who

are so cowered by evil that they are ashamed to

stand

up publicly for Christ, and who are so

insufficiently trained that they cannot stand for

his interests in every sphere ofhuman activity.

We

are training warriors and laborers for the city

of God, not 1I\0nks and nuns who know about

Jesus but about little else. Our educational

efforts, curriculum, and intensity must reflect that.

Its fruit, a generation

of

godly, well trained, and

faithful citizens in God s city will demonstrate the

true value

of

the Christian education movement in

the 20th century.

7

The current

demise

of

the city

of

God calls

for

sorrow, repentance,

and

reformation

Passages like this should produce tears in the

Christian: tears

of oy

over the amazing grace

of

God in Christ that has been poured out upon

world history and into the lives

of

his elect. Yet

there will also be tears

of

sorrow, especially in

our own day, when we see God s city in ill_repair,

and the city of man so glamorous and towering

upon its foundation

of

sand. The condition

of

the

church today must be an occasion

of

real tears.

Bitterness over abandonment, anger over errors,

and fears over the future are part of

the

Christian s sorrow, but not enough. We are

sorrowful because we know that its professing

citizens are abandoning the grace, glory, and

calling ofGod s city, the church ofChrist. Her

walls of salvation are scribbled upon with graffiti

of

false doctrines. Her foundations of truth and

sound doctrine are eroded by an emphasis upon a

new living word from God in addition to the

Bible and an utter ignorance

of

the English Bible

that would make the popes

of

old cringe. Her

unstoppable weapons are tarnished

by

compro

mise with the world, materialism, laziness, and

indifference for the glory and honor of Jesus

Christ. Her impact upon world civilization and

culture are but forgotten memories, dim echoes

from the past. Her streets of gold are full

of

the

piss and dung

of

entertainment driven worship

services, slick televangelists who sound more like

humanists and psychologists than Holy Ghost

filled students of Scripture, and Christians who

allow the truth to be trampled in the streets and

fools to fill the pulpits. Beloved, the single

reason our country is in the condition we find it

right now is because professing Christians would

rather live easy and comfortable under the shad

ows

of

the city of man, with all its convenience,

glitz, and wealth, than work day and night to

rebuild the city

of God, the church

of

Jesus

Christ. Such a condition must make any lover

of

God, Scripture, and history wail in agony and

distress (Psalm 119:136; Isaiah 62:1-7; Jeremiah

4: 19-22), and give the Lord

of

the church

no

rest

until he reverses the situation and makes his

church a praise in the earth.

8. Anticipation

of

the

perfected

city of

God

is a

powerful incentive to

covenant

faithfnlness.

The church in the 20

th

century has often been

so heavenly minded she has been no earthly good.

The Reformed faith, by emphasizing the historical

and cultural implications of Christ s saving work

and Lordship seeks to call men back to the task

of

seeking God s kingdom and will on the earth.

Our time on earth after conversion is appointed

for intense labor and diligence in laboring to see

Christ s kingdom established victorious over all

men and nations. Let us not forget, however,

as

our text teaches us, the importance of fixing the

eye of faith upon the perfected city

of

God, our

heavenly reward. The glory of

the reward and life

that awaits

us

with God will make sin far less

February/March, 2001 - THE COUNSEL

of

Chalcedon - 9


7/9

attractive, fill us with faith and zeal for God's

glory, and inflame our passion to see all men

surrender to our great and glorious God.

In

times

of

cultural crisis, moreover, when we do not see

God's kingdom expanding as we would like, the

perfected city of God keeps our faith from

Ian

guishing through unbelief, and encourages us to

persevere in faith and obedience. Our Hebrew

brothers and sisters needed to turn their a,ttention

to the glories of heaven immediately. Only when

we are persuaded that ife with God in the perc

fected city is our greatest good, will we be able to

endure suffering, deprivation, and even death' for

his cause and kingdom.

9.

The

faith

of

Christian

women is

vital

to

the

building

of

Christ s kingdom.

Sarah's life is important for several reasons,

the most obvious of which relates to her confi

dence in God's Word and faithfulness to his

promises and people. Consider also how the Holy

Spirit illustrates in her that the faith of Christian

women is vital to the establishment of God's holy

city and Idngdom. Contrary to modem detractors

from the Bible, and advocates of gender-neutral

texts,

the

Bible needs no amendments to include

the contributions of women to the work of the

church. The Bible here speaks very highly of

Sarah's faith and constantly references the faith of

other great women (Jochebed - Exodus

2:2 3wl

Hebrews 11:23; Rahab - Joshua

2,6;

Jael,

Deborah - Judges 4-5; Hannah - 1 Samuel; Ruth

- Ruth; Mary - Luke 1,2; Priscilla - Acts 18:26;

Romans 16:3).

t

is our ignorance of Scripture

and our desire to remake God and Christianity

into our own image that have produced such

radical attitudes toward the Bible in our day, not

any deficiency or male chauvinism in the sacred

text.

a) They are the helpmeets

of

godly

Christian

men.

Sarah's life serves

as

a great example to the

modem Christian woman of obedience, submis

sion, and faith (1 Peter 3:5ff). Abraham's lot

would have been much more difficult had Sarah

proven unwilling to accompany him on his

lifelong pilgrimage in Canaan. She did not,

however, resist him, in spite of the difficulties

involved in obtaining God's promises. She rever-

enced Abraham, submitted to his leadership, and

called him lord (Genesis 18:12).

n

Abraham,

Sarah recognized the godly leader whom God had

placed in her life. She saw it as her duty to

follow Abraham wherever he led, and to see

herself

as

his helpmeet through all the difficulties

they would share together. The title lord . does

not indicate a master slave relationship. On the

contrary, Sarah highly respected Abraham,.found

herself in loving service to him; and enjoyed life

with him. t was natural for her to think of him as

her lord. She recognized Abraham's headship

over the family and gladly submitted to it. A

Christian woman will see nothing in Sarah's

action that is demeaning to a woman's person or

value. t is recognition ofthe loving protection

and authority that a holy and good God has

placed in her life.

(1)

What

is a meek

spirit?

Sarah possessed two particular attributes that

made her a faithful helpmeet, Christian, and

instrument in the building of

the kingdom of God:

meekness and quietness. In contrast to women

whose primary concern is physical appearance,

Sarah had an inner beauty that made her a true

helper to Abraham. Meekness is not mousiness,

wimpiness, or cowardliness. Moses is said to

have been the meekest man who ever lived, and

yet he boldly confronted Pharaoh and the rebel

lious children

of

Israel with the word

of

God

(Numbers 12:3). Meekness is a teachable disposi

tion. The Psalmist writes that God teaches and

leads the meek (25:9). Being taught by the Lord, a

meek man will boldly obey that word even in the

face

of

tremendous opposition. A wife demon

strates meekness by submitting to her husband,

allowing him to lead and direct her for God's

glory, according to God's Word, and for the good

of the family. Even

if

he is failing in some or all

of these areas, Peter writes that meekness will

cause the godly woman to submit to her husband.

She will endeavor to win him not by browbeating

or verbal argumentation, but by a daily life of

decency and reverence. She must certainly appeal

to her husband, but always in a humble, submis

sive manner. Sarah is perhaps the greatest ex

ample

of

a meek woman to be found in Scripture.

She followed Abram from

Vr

to an unknown

land. She placed herself under his authority. She

10 -

THE

COUNSEL of Chalcedon - FebruarylMarch, 2001


8/9


9/9

bands are frustrated in living for Christ amid this

hostile culture, it is you who must go alongside to

~ n c o u r g e him in his zealous defense

of

the

Christian worldview againstall enemies

of

Christ.

When the church around you is faithless to her

charge and in great danger

of

outright apostasy

from Christ, you must give refuge and support to

godly ministers

of

the gospel, who may, refreshed

by your hospitality and encouragement, pick up

the sword of the Spirit in defense

of

the city of

God. When the world's children are being edu

cated

in

the citadels

of

humanism and godless-

ness, it is up to you to preserve Christ's little ones

from the lies of

Satan, take them up in your arms

like Christ, teach them to walk n covenant with

God, and train them to stand for his interests in

every area

of

life. Christian women, you do not

realize how important you are You truly shape

the next generation for Christ. Godly men like

Timothy, Augustine, and Spurgeon all testify that

it

was a godly mother who constantly read the

Scriptures to them and taught them the love

of

Christ, that laid the foundation for their later

usefulness in the church

of

Jesus Christ. How

many of the French Huguenots, and even John

Calvin himself, found refuge in the castle

of

Marguerite of Valois, Queen

of

Navarre, from the

tyranny, persecution, and idolatry of Roman

Catholicism? How many homes over the past

2,00Q years can testify that it was a godly mother

who encouraged the father to lead in family

worship, moderate discipline so as to avoid

embittering a future soldier

of

Christ, and set an

example for meekness, gentleness, and consis-

tency for generations to come. Under your wise,

diligent, and faithful oversight, the Christian

home becomes a worship center, a financial

institution, a school, a hospital, a recreation

facility, a library, a training ground for the con-

quering of this world by the gospel

ofJesus

Christ. You, my dear sisters, are the first line of

defense for the church

of

Jesus Christ. Therefore,

like Sarah, you must be persuaded

of

the truthful

ness

of God s

promises respecting your children,

your church, and your world You must be more

impressed and awed by the power and faithfulness

of

God than by your own limitations and the evils

of your culture By God's grace, if you can attain

to that goal, like Sarah, you will be her daughter

and a faithful mother to Israel.

b) They need godly husbands who

will treat them biblically .

Peter stresses that for the wife to attain to

God's goal for her life, the husbands must dwell

with them in an understanding manner. Husbands

must love their wives devotedly and cherish them

daily (Ephesians

5:

17ft). The Bible commands

the husband to love because it presupposes that

his greatest tendency is to be domineering, de

manding, and demeaning. Christian husbands

must realize that their wives are not their servants.

They are fellow heirs of God's covenant promises

and citizens of God's holy city, the church

of

Jesus Christ. Moreover, they are their helpmeets

in storming the gates

of

hell and conquering them

for Christ. Hence, Peter commands us to dwell

with them

in

understanding. This means to

appreciate them for what they are and treat them

accordingly. To dwell with them in understanding

includes regular times

of

fellowship and commu

nication, in which the future

of

the family can be

discussed in detail. t certainly inv'olves a loving,

trusting, and open relationship in which a unity

of

life can develop in all areas. And then, the

husband must give the wife every tool she needs

in building Christ's kingdom

in

her particular

sphere. Whether domestic or educational, the

wife must be provided for so that she can help

him subdue the earth for the glory

of

Christ.

Probably most importantly, however, the husband

must view his wife as his helpmeet not as his

doormat. The wife should never be bossed about,

addressed in a condescending manner, treated

harShly, or worked mercilessly. At every step, the

husband must be a living image of Christ to his

wife, tenderly encouraging in her many difficult

duties, helping in all domestic and educational

responsibilities, and speaking

to

her tenderly and

with great affection. Husbands, do not forget that

you can persevere in faith and obedience and

obtain God's promises only through the help

of

godly, faithful, and well-loved wives. If you take

your calling seriously, make use of the helpmeet

that the living God has taken from your side.

TO

BE

CONTINUED

12 - THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon - FebruarylMarch, 2 1

2001 issue 2 - the hebrews hall of faith part 4 - counsel of chalcedon

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