Equipping Eve: The Discipline of Grace (Part 1)

Striving for eternity and the Bible thumping wingnut are happy to announce the judge not conference

August 11 and 12 in Olmstead Falls, Ohio at Olmstead Falls

Baptist Church.

Speakers include Phil Johnson, Mike Avendraw, Justin Peters, JD

Hall and Chris Roseboro.

Also included is a debate at 7 p .m. On Friday on the topic of the charismatic

gifts Continuationism versus Cessationism.

You can register for the judge not conference at judge not conference dot o -r -g.

Don't miss this awesome opportunity and fellowship on the topic of apologetics and

evangelism.

Judge not conference.

Judge not conference dot o -r -g.

Register today.

As the church today doing everything it can to provide women a firm foundation of truth in Christ Jesus.

Well, it's true.

There's no shortage of candy -coated Bible studies potluck fellowships available to ladies,

but beyond Sunday morning our Christian women being properly equipped to stand against the same

Deceptions that even enticed Eve in the garden in an attempt to address the need for

trustworthy biblical resources for women.

No compromise radio is happy to introduce equipping even a ladies only radio show that seeks to equip women

with fruits of truth.

In an age that's ripe with deception.

My name is Mike a band Roth and I'm pleased to introduce your host Aaron Benzinger a Friend of no compromise radio and a

woman who wants to see other women equipped with a love for and a knowledge of the truth of God's Word.

Well, hello ladies and welcome to equipping Eve.

I am your host Aaron Benzinger.

And this is the show that seeks to equip you with fruits of truth from God's Word.

So that we can stand strong on that word in an age of deception, right?

We just heard that tagline.

What does that mean fruits of truth?

What are we talking about?

Well, we're talking about God's Word the Bible that would be the 66 books contained in your Bible

66.

I say that for a reason.

Look it up.

Send me an email.

We'll explain that further.

So fruits of truth, we're not cherry -picking okay, that's really important for us to

understand when we study scripture that you don't just go in and Pick out a verse that makes you feel good

or a half of a verse.

That's even worse and yet so many quote -unquote Bible teachers do that we don't just go in and cherry

-pick the truths that we like or the truths that seem to fit our situation if we

Pull them out of context.

We take the whole of God's Word, right?

The entirety of God's Word is wait for it.

God's Word.

Therefore the entirety of God's Word is true.

Why.

Because God is true.

God is truth.

Jesus Christ said in John 14 6 I am the way the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father, but by through me.

The truth God is truth.

He cannot lie.

That has been true from eternity past and will be true for all of eternity.

He is immutable.

He does not Change and that's marvelous.

Isn't it ladies?

It's marvelous that our God does not change and because he does not change his word does not change and the truths

contained within that word Do not change they cannot by

their very nature because they are the Word of God and God by his very nature does not

change.

It makes sense.

Doesn't it it makes sense if we sit and we think things through logically and rationally.

Using the good sense that God was gracious to give us these things make sense and then it makes you wonder why some

people so Ridiculously Interpret the

scriptures.

Doesn't it just make you wonder how people can say?

Oh, yes, this passage of scripture means exactly what it says, but this one over here.

We need to spiritualize it.

It means something other than what it said.

It has a deeper more spiritual meaning.

No, no.

No, no, the Bible is pretty clear.

God doesn't stutter.

He's made the Bible accessible to men.

You don't need to be an elite group of Gnostics or Popes or priests

to interpret the scriptures and We don't need to look for

some hidden meaning that requires a decoder ring to figure out.

In order to know what the Bible says.

We just need to read it.

We just need to pray that the Holy Spirit would illumine The scriptures and open our eyes to see the truth that

God has been good to put in those scriptures and to reveal to us.

We love the Bible not because we worship the Bible as a book.

But because the Bible reveals to us the God who we do worship.

The Bible reveals to us Jesus Christ our Savior our

only way of salvation.

So if you don't love the Bible or you are running around accusing people of

worshiping the Bible because they speak highly of it.

Oh my friend.

Please examine yourself.

We speak highly of Scripture because it is God's Word and it reveals God to us and

it reveals Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity God

in human flesh Who came and gave his life

for sinners.

That is why we speak very highly of the Bible that is why we love

God's Word now before we get started today, I

Have a book here.

I think I've shared a little bit from this book before but I buy these things because they're cheap.

Let's be clear.

I'm not spending Lots of money on these ridiculous purchases.

I only buy them if they're cheap.

And I think I've shared an excerpt or two from this in the past.

But I came across it the other day and thought oh, it's been a while.

So let's take a look at this.

It's called 365 things to do before you go to heaven.

So this will keep you busy for a whole year and I did not start on January 1.

So I'm behind but I opened this up and Ladies, you you need to do this.

You'll need to do this this thing before you go to heaven number 135.

Attend the prom or another formal gala.

I'm not joking.

It says this if you were unable to attend your high school prom.

It's not too late.

Oh goody sign up to be a chaperone at your local high school or attend a gala that requires

formal attire.

If you don't own the outfit you need borrow it or rent it.

And that sounds scary and get your hair done and rent a fancy car or limousine if you can afford it.

It doesn't give a reason why you should do this, but apparently you should do this before you go to heaven.

Okay.

Let's see.

What else do we have here?

Oh This is nice.

Become one with nature for at least an hour today.

Appreciate the warmth of the Sun the scent of the flowers the shade of the trees the melody of the birds.

Really listen see smell and Feel what God reveals about himself to the world.

He created and renews every year.

Hmm, you know, I was one with nature today.

I was sitting outside this morning trying to enjoy a little bit of the early morning sunshine my coffee and.

When I came inside I realized I was so one with nature that I was covered in bug bites.

So that was joyous.

So God has revealed Not about himself, but about his

creation that creation has fallen and hence mosquitoes and other biting gnats exist.

So that's what I learned today from my time in nature.

I think I'll stay inside now.

So here's another fun one and then we can move on unless I find another fun one.

Ride a motorcycle.

Drive if you dare ride behind an experienced driver.

Enjoy the wind on your face the feel of the road the nearness of the neighborhood.

Notice things you do not see from a car.

Remember how much you're saving on gas and don't forget to wear a helmet and hang on tight.

Really?

This is supposed to be my priority before I die.

That's no because if I get on a motorcycle.

Let me tell you that will be the day I die because guaranteed I would not last.

That would just be awful.

Here beside the ocean write a prayer for peace in the sand.

Watch the tide come in and take your words out to sea.

Imagine the waves delivering your prayer to beachcombers thousands of miles away.

Well, that's dumb.

First of all, that's just stupid sounding and also now I'm depressed because I don't live anywhere near the ocean.

And let me tell you I would love a vacation.

What is that.

By the way my co -workers keep taking this thing called vacation.

I don't know what that is.

Listen if I am on the beach I'm just going to enjoy being on the beach and enjoy the sound of the ocean

and and the smell of salt water and all.

That wonderfulness.

I'll be one with nature.

Not getting bit up by mosquitoes because those aren't there on the ocean.

So anyway before we digress to terribly far

Let's get started on our topic for today.

So that was your Dose of nonsense for the day.

Don't buy that book.

365 things to do before you go to heaven.

Don't buy it.

If you need some daily nonsense, let me know and I can I can Email you

some from the book.

So this I think I had trouble finding the author before.

Oh contributing writers Christine Dahlman Deanna deck Lydia Harbert and

Carol sticker.

They're all women.

I'm shocked.

Shocked anyway moving on moving on.

What do we talk about today?

Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about about a lot

of things but my thoughts have turned quite often to

and Providentially, I've come across blog posts and scripture and my scripture reading

and sermons.

Not even looking for them.

They're just the sermons that I'm hearing a lot about

grace, I Have just been thinking about that balance.

That is so necessary in our Christian life between law and grace and I've

put a little bit of this on my blog at do not be surprised calm Which by the way is one way you can find me

Equipping Eve.

We do have a website equipping Eve calm or org.

They should both still take you there and you can contact me at either of those.

We're on Twitter.

We're on Facebook.

Just do a little search and you'll find us and anyway

So I put a little bit of this on the do not be surprised blog so if you follow that maybe you saw a

little teaser and It's just really been in my mind lately because

God has been good to give me a lot of different experiences over the years when I was a false Christian I

spent time in secret churches.

I mean Hardcore secret driven churches.

I attended Willow Creek.

Okay, so you don't get much more secret driven than that so,

um, let me tell you I Now see and I'm sure I will continue to see for the rest of

my life how God used those Experiences how he used my past as a false Christian and my experiences there

and even my experiences after being saved I've seen how he's used them and how he's taken his truth

and he's just illuminated those experiences even more and glorified himself in that

and how I've been able to see his truth and and one of the things that I've seen along the way is

Both ends of the spectrum, you know, let us in that grace may abound and also You need to

be holy.

You need to be holy as your father is holy.

You need to be righteous and here's 16 ,000 ways you can do that and you

better get started and If you don't get started soon, you're going to be in trouble.

You're probably not even saved, you know, if you aren't feeling

Just enthralled by reading this Bible passage you probably aren't saved and etc, etc.

So there are two ends of the spectrum here, right and to be clear I have never heard anyone preach

if you don't feel this way you aren't saved but the way that the message comes across that's the implication and

That's a place where we have to be really careful and ladies We're not preaching.

But we have to be very mindful of how we say things because it if we are sending a message that if you don't do

Or you don't feel a certain way you aren't saved and we're talking to someone who is a

Christian.

We could be contributing to some major spiritual depression major spiritual funk.

But I'm kind of getting ahead of myself here so all of this culminates

in Things rolling around in my brain and that's where I've been thinking about this this

Notion this doctrine of grace and I'm not talking specifically about the doctrines of grace

those five points.

If you will I'm talking about actual The doctrine of grace now all of those five

points, of course culminate in God's grace God's mercy God's gospel God's gospel of

grace.

What is interesting to me is that so often those who claim to hold to the doctrines of

grace Actually do not teach preach or live very much grace.

Do they do we let me put myself in there?

Because I have been there and Pray every day that I would not slip back there.

It can tend to be a very spiritually prideful group.

And I say that as one who has been a member a card -carrying

member of the spiritually proud and It's not a good place to be

so Let's go back before we before I continue to get ahead of myself,

which I am doing way too much here.

Let's go back All the way back to the Old Testament and I want us to consider for a moment

ladies the Abrahamic Covenant and I want you to consider this thought that the

Abrahamic Covenant is actually the foundational covenant of the Old Testament.

It is not Sinai it is not the Mosaic Covenant.

Now if you are still listening Thank you

the law Is not the foundational covenant upon which God's

Old Testament scriptures are built and That truth has major implications for our

lives now I'm going to take a moment

and we're going to go off on a trajectory to highlight that by saying this

We are not diminishing the importance or the necessity of the law.

I want to be really clear about that because it's all in God's Word and all of it had a purpose and all of it Continues to have a

purpose.

God's law continues to serve its purpose.

I am just saying that we Perhaps ought to consider and be mindful of the fact that that

is not the foundational covenant of the Old Testament again.

By saying that the Abrahamic Covenant is the foundational covenant of the Old Testament.

We are not diminishing the law.

Why do we need the law?

We need the law.

Let me say that loud and clear.

We need the law.

We must have the law.

Why?

The law shows us our sin, right?

Galatians 3.

We'll start in verse 19.

Why the law then it was added because of transgressions.

Having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator until the seed would come to whom the promise had been

made.

Now a mediator is not for one party only whereas God is only one.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God.

May it never be for if a law had been given which was able to impart life.

Then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.

But the scripture has shut up everyone under sin so that the promise by faith in Jesus

Christ might be given to those who believe.

But before faith came we were kept in custody under the law being shut up to the faith.

Which was later to be revealed verse 24.

Paul writes.

Therefore the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ so that we may

be justified by faith.

The law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ.

The law serves like a mirror right.

And we look at the law and we see our sin.

Romans 7 verse 7.

Ladies turn in your Bible to Romans 7 verse 7 and just a reminder.

I typically use the new American Standard version here.

I'll try to let you know if I'm using something different.

If I'm quoting someone else that might be a different version.

But I use the NASB.

So Romans 7 Paul writes verse 7.

What shall we say then is the law sin.

May it never be on the contrary?

I would not have come to no sin Except through the law for I would not have known about coveting if the law had not

said you shall not covet.

But sin taking opportunity through the commandment produced in me coveting of every kind.

For apart from the law sin is dead.

I was once alive apart from the law but when the commandment came sin became alive and I died and

This commandment which was to result in life proved to result in death for me for sin.

Taking an opportunity through the commandment deceived me and through it killed me.

So then the law is holy and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me.

May it never be.

Rather it was sin in order that it might be shown to be sin by affecting my death

through that Which is good so that through the commandment sin would become utterly Sinful.

The law is good, right?

The law is good.

It shows us our sin.

The law is holy and righteous and good says Paul and I give that a hearty hearty

Amen.

Amen.

RC Sproul writes the first purpose of the law is to be a mirror.

On the one hand the law of God Reflects and mirrors the perfect righteousness of God.

The law tells us much about who God is perhaps more important.

The law illumines human sinfulness.

Augustine wrote the law orders that we after attempting to do what is ordered and so feeling our weakness under the

law May learn to implore the help of grace.

The law highlights our weakness so that we might seek the strength found in Christ.

Hence or here the law acts as a severe schoolmaster who drives us to Christ.

That's exactly what we see Paul writing about, right?

That's exactly what we just saw in Romans 7 so the law is good and holy and righteous and just and

necessary and it shows us our sin and Very important it points us to Christ.

It drives us to Christ.

It drives us to grace that is found in Christ alone and we need the law.

We need to have a right understanding of who we are before God, right?

Romans 3 verse 10 as it is written.

There is none righteous not even one.

There is none who understands.

There is none who seeks for God.

All have turned aside together.

They've become useless.

There is none who does good not even one.

Their throat is an open grave with their tongue.

They keep deceiving.

The poison of asps is under their lips.

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood.

Destruction and misery are in their paths in the path of peace.

They have not known there is no fear of God before their eyes.

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be

closed and All the world may become accountable to God.

Because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight for through the law

comes the knowledge of sin.

We need the law and so I want to make that really clear because I foresee

Someone taking my words out of context which we Say not to do about scripture.

But we do it with people all the time don't we.

And I can see someone taking my words out of context.

Saying that I am running around saying let us sin that grace may abound grace grace.

There's No need for righteousness holiness, whatever.

Now, they're really going to take that soundbite aren't they?

And Aaron's gone completely off the rails and She's crazy

and she's just telling you to run around and sin so that grace may abound.

No.

No, we need the law.

God gave us the law.

It is good.

It is perfect.

It is holy.

It is just but it cannot save you.

Newsflash.

When was the last time you kept the law perfectly.

You never did.

You didn't.

Nope.

Nope, you didn't.

I didn't.

None of us did none of us can there's only one who did it was Jesus Christ.

And so the law shows us our weakness as RC Sproul, right.

Writes that we just quoted I'd say it doesn't even just show us our weakness.

It just shows us our utter depravity and inability right.

Our total depravity our total inability.

The first tea the tea and tulip the first doctrine of grace there and It

shows us.

Oh, oh I Need help

I I can't keep this law.

So how Shall I be saved.

Well That's where grace comes in right.

That's where grace comes in but if we only preach sanctification We

ultimately will lose the gospel of grace.

And it is the gospel of grace, isn't it?

Acts 20 24.

I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may finish my course in the ministry which I Received from the Lord

Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

It is a gospel of grace.

And so that's why it's important for us not to forget the Abrahamic Covenant when we're looking at who God

is.

You know, God is not just a God of the New Testament.

The Old Testament is the same God.

It is exceedingly relevant to our lives today.

Even as New Testament believers and the Abrahamic Covenant ladies.

It is grace it is grace.

Turn with me to Genesis 15.

Genesis 15 we're going to read through this chapter.

Moses writes.

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying do not fear Abram I'm a shield to you.

Your reward shall be very great.

Abram said Oh Lord God what will you give me since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of

Damascus.

And Abram said since you have given no offspring to me one born in my house is my heir.

Then behold the word of the Lord came to him saying this man will not be your heir but one who will

come forth from your own body he shall be your heir.

And He took him outside and said now look toward the heavens and count the stars if you are able to count

them.

And He said to him so shall your descendants be.

Then he Abram believed in the Lord and he the Lord reckoned it to Abram as righteousness.

And he said to him I am the Lord who brought you out of earth the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess it.

He said Oh Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?

So the Lord said to Abram bring me a three -year -old heifer and a three -year -old female goat and a three -year

-old ram and a turtle dove.

And a young pigeon.

Then he brought all these to him and cut them in two and laid each half opposite the other but he did not cut the

birds.

The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses and Abram drove them away.

Now when the Sun was going down a deep sleep fell upon Abram and behold terror and great darkness fell upon him.

Mmm sounds to me like he was in the presence of the Lord.

Verse 13.

God said to Abram know for certain that your descendants will be strangers and a land that is not theirs where they will be

enslaved.

And oppressed 400 years.

But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve and afterward they will come out with many possessions as for you.

You shall go to your father's in peace.

You will be buried at a good old age.

Then in the fourth generation they will return here for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.

It came about when the Sun had set that it was very dark and behold there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming

torch which passed Between these pieces on that day.

The Lord made a covenant with Abram saying to your descendants I have given this land from the River of Egypt as far

as the Great River the River Euphrates.

The Kenite and the Kenazite and the Kedmonite and the Hittite and the Parasite and the Raphaim and the Amorite and the Kenanite and the

Girgashite and the Jebusite.

Okay, God made a covenant with Abram this is

the Abrahamic covenant.

Aptly named right the word covenant means to cut and

so.

That's why the covenants were Symbolized by these

animals being cut in two and of course the birds they're too small.

We don't cut them.

So cut them in two you put them here and then two people of two men were making a covenant with one another they would Walk

through the pieces and you're essentially saying may the same be done to me that has been done to these animals if I

Am to break this covenant.

But what's fascinating about Genesis 15 and about this Abrahamic covenant.

Abram did not walk through.

The carcasses did he?

It was very dark and behold there appeared a smoking oven and flaming torch which passed between these pieces.

On that that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.

Abram was in a deep sleep.

The Lord passed between the pieces.

Meaning This is binding for the Lord.

There is nothing that Abram must do for the Lord to keep his promise.

Do you see that ladies?

Do you see and I'm sure many of you are already aware of this.

But it behooves us to go back to the basics quote -unquote if you will behooves us to go back and look at these Marvelous

truths of Scripture again, and do you see here in the Abrahamic covenant how this

is grace?

How God has made these amazing promises to Abraham.

I'm gonna give you this land.

I'm going to give this land to your descendants.

It's going to be a while.

But they will get this land.

I Will give them this land now on

a side note this covenant and this truth has remarkable implications

on other aspects of your theology such as your eschatology because if

God Was not being true to this promise and will not fulfill it in the future

because it has not yet been fulfilled.

Then we are all in trouble because that means that God is not a God who keeps his promises.

He is not a God of his word, and we are in a great deal of trouble, but we'll come back to that

so do you see how this is an example of grace because Think about it,

and I heard this in the sermon.

So and I will actually link to that sermon so I am copying this this

little bit here.

But I think about it.

What if Abram had said to God okay, God, but you know what if my descendants end up becoming

crazy idolaters and They hate you and they they do everything you tell them not to do

and then what if my descendants even further down the line?

Actually end up crucifying your son and refusing to believe in him and submit to him and and

claim him as Their as their own Lord and Savior and instead they just

crucify him and murder him.

What then God then I guess this Covenant isn't valid anymore is it?

Well, no.

That's not that's not what happened is it?

Because that actually did happen the Israelites did become idolaters the Israelites did crucify

Jesus Christ and yet God's Word still stands.

Why?

Because man's disobedience cannot nullify the promises of God it might delay the blessing.

But it does not negate God's promises.

We have to realize that ladies.

We have to realize that because if we don't we will become so spiritually

depressed that we will be Useless and let me tell you there is nothing that Satan would love more

than a whole bunch of depressed Useless Christians who are busy dwelling on their

sin.

I'm not saying we don't think on our sin.

We don't mortify our sin.

We don't grieve over our sin.

We don't strive for holiness ask God to to grow us into more and more Christlikeness.

I am NOT saying we don't do those things.

But I am saying if you sit around and just dwell on your sin and what a horrible hopeless

useless person you are because you're such a sinner and Instead of turning your eyes to

Christ who died for your sin.

Let me tell you Satan's gonna love that.

He's gonna love that more than he loves Guys, like Stephen Furtick running around preaching craziness.

He's gonna love it more if a true Christian is

Absolutely Paralyzed

because they have forgotten the promises and the grace and mercy of God.

That's why I love looking at this Abrahamic Covenant.

Because we see That this unilateral covenant

made by God God's promises to Abraham.

We see that in spite of all that Israel did over the Generations God's promises are

not nullified.

They they've not been completely fulfilled, but they will be.

Market, they will be.

Man's disobedience cannot nullify the promises of God might delay the blessing.

It cannot undo God's promises.

That is really Really good news for us ladies.

Really good news.

This is a picture of grace.

Do you see that?

Let me end with this quote ladies and we're going to come back to this topic in the next show.

This quote is from Jerry Bridges his little booklet called sins.

We accept Jerry Bridges writes quote as we struggle to put to death our subtle sins.

We must always keep in mind this twofold truth.

Our sins are forgiven and we are accepted as righteous by God because of the sinless life and sin -bearing death of our Lord

Jesus Christ.

There is no greater motivation for dealing with sin in our lives than the realization of these two glorious truths of the

gospel.

But he goes on we must learn to rely on the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

Remember it is by the Spirit that we put to death the sins in our lives.

We're going to come back to this next time ladies, but think on this.

Regardless of how much we grow says bridges.

We never get beyond our constant need of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

Yet while depending on the Holy Spirit we must at the same time recognize our responsibility to diligently

pursue practical steps for dealing with our sins.

We have a vital part to play we are responsible to put to death the acceptable sins in our lives.

We cannot simply lay this responsibility on God and sit back and watch him work at the same time.

We are dependent.

We cannot make one inch of spiritual progress apart from his enabling power and We'll come

back to this ladies, which I've said three times now in the last 30 seconds.

We'll come back to this because we're not done talking about this because it's amazing.

God's grace is amazing and marvelous and wonderful and glorious and

fantastic and Undeserved that's the very definition.

Isn't it?

Unmerited favor.

Think on that until next time ladies and be in your Bibles.

And be on your knees so that you.

Can be equipped.

Thanks for listening.

You've been listening to equipping Eve a no -compromise radio production.

If you'd like to get a hold of Erin, you can reach her at equipping Eve at gmail .com.

Or you can check out one of her two websites.

Do not be surprised calm or Equipping Eve org.

Thanks for listening.