June 14, 2022 Show with Nate Pickowicz on “R. C. Sproul: Defender of the Reformed Faith” PLUS Mack Tomlinson on “Mature Manhood: Being Useful for the Master”

Live from the historic parsonage of the 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown

Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron.

This is a radio platform in which pastors, Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues facing

the church and the world today.

Proverbs 27, verse 17 tells us, Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens

another.

Matthew Henry said that in this passage, we are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to

have a view in conversation to make one another wiser and better.

It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours and we hope to hear from you, the listener, with

your own questions.

And now, here's your host, Chris Arnzen.

Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Lake City, Florida, and the rest of humanity

living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming at ironsharpensironradio .com.

This is Chris Arnzen, your host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, wishing you all a happy Tuesday on this

14th day of June, 2022.

We've got two returning guests for our program today.

During the first hour, we have Nate Pickowitz returning to the program.

He is pastor of Harvest Bible Church in Gillington Ironworks, New Hampshire and author of a

number of books including Reviving New England and Why We're Protestant.

He's going to be addressing his latest book today called R .C. Sproul, Defender of

the Reformed Faith.

So I'm really looking forward to that discussion.

In the second hour, we're going to be joined by a mutual friend of both

Pastor Nate's and mine, Mac Tomlinson, pastor of Providence Chapel in Denton, Texas

and author of a number of books including In Light of Eternity, The Life of Leonard Ravenhill.

He's going to be addressing the theme Mature Manhood Being Useful for the Master,

and that will be an exposition of 2 Timothy 2, verses 20 through

22.

But first of all, to discuss R .C. Sproul, Defender of the Reformed Faith, it's my honor and privilege to welcome

you back to the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, Pastor Nate Pickowitz.

Well, why don't you refresh our memories or inform for the first time

our listeners who have not heard you before something about Harvest Bible Church in Gilmington Ironworks, New

Hampshire.

In New Hampshire, a rich

people group, I'm working hard,

pretty excited about

that.

Yeah, and it's always so sad when I am reminded about

New England being an unreached people group or a theologically

barren area of the United States when at one time it was the very hub

of Puritanism and Reformed theology.

What we had here at one point, Jonathan Edwards and the tours of George Whitefield and Adoniram Judson and, I

mean, so much happening.

But on the bright side, I think that all the

laborers are few, but it is a good ministry to have, so I'm very thankful to be here and it is a great joy to serve

the Lord here.

Great.

Well, if anybody is going to be passing through Gilmington

Ironworks, New Hampshire, or perhaps you already live very near that area,

I urge you to visit hbc -nh .org.

That's the website of our guest's church, and

I hope that you pay a visit to that church, and if you do not have a church home that is biblically sound

and you live in that area or you know someone in that circumstance,

I hope that either you or they not only visit but join Harvest Bible Church in Gilmington

Ironworks, New Hampshire, and that's hbc -nh .org.

Well, you have written only the second biography that I'm aware of.

There may be more, but the second biography of the late R .C. Sproul,

one of my greatest heroes of the 20th and 21st century

and a man whom I had the honor and privilege to interview on this program and

the honor and privilege to receive from him a glowing commendation for Iron Trip and Zion Radio.

It still blows my mind when I think about it.

What was it that compelled you to say, you know something, I've got to get my own

biography of R .C. Sproul in print?

You know, a figure like R .C. or others, you know, they're daunting, I think, especially when you revere them so highly,

but the publisher reached out to me and asked me, I'd done some work for them before, they asked if I would consider

writing a biography and I was planning on taking a writing break and I said, well, what would you like it to be on?

And they said, R .C. Sproul.

So I went to my wife and I said, honey, they want me to write a book on R .C. Sproul, what do you think?

And she said, well, you have to do that.

So I very joyfully accepted the offer to do that and was

just really blessed to be able to work through that project.

And I already loved R .C. just as a believer, he was an incredible encouragement to me,

but then as a researcher to go and learn more about his life and read all of his works,

thankful that he came to my doorstep.

Yes, a very remarkable and extraordinary and unusual man and one of the

reasons I say he was unusual is that there are

theologians and scholars who predominantly, if not exclusively,

appeal to the academic realm and there are those

that predominantly, if not exclusively, appeal to what has been

nicknamed layman, the ordinary Christian, but R .C. Sproul

had a unique gift of being able to intrigue and

grab the attention of both of those seemingly

opposite wings of Christianity and he was able to

stretch the minds of those that might not quite understand where he is

initially coming from when preaching, teaching, giving a lecture, but then eventually he

breaks those things down, those hard -to -understand words and

concepts, always broke them down for the average reader or listener.

Wouldn't you agree?

Clear communication of truth.

R .C. very easily could have had a career in the academy and at the beginning of his career he was in the academy.

He worked at Gordon Conwell and his alma mater as well, but really very quickly

realized that he liked ministering to people in the pew.

He really enjoyed people.

He loved being around them, he loved teaching them and he's credited really for popularizing the

Reformed faith, at least in our generation.

So really had the acumen for academics, but really had a passion to make sure that

people, everybody anywhere, even down to children, could understand Reformed truth.

So that was a great desire of his.

R .C. Oh yeah, he even wrote several children's books.

R .C. That's right.

And one of the other things that is very memorable about him is

that for some reason he was able to

gain the love and admiration and friendship

of people who were in many ways theologically opposed to

some of his core beliefs as a Reformed and covenantal Christian,

and yet maintained very long -time friendships, not only

friendships, but co -labored in evangelism with men like Dr. John MacArthur,

who was a world -renowned dispensationalist, preacher and teacher and author,

and others that were not quite exactly in the

circle of theological framework that he, Dr. Sproul, made

himself most well -known.

But he was able to lay those issues aside, at least

while co -laboring with somebody like John MacArthur, without diminishing or

compromising.

He just had a unique gift in that way and seemed to attract people from a broad

spectrum of theological viewpoint within Christendom.

R .C.

And it's a theme I stress in the book, too, is he was articulate when it comes to truth.

He wanted to make sure that the truth was very clear, but he also understood what was core doctrine, what is non -negotiable

for the faith.

And so even during some of his doctrinal battles, he knew what the core issues were, and he fought vigorously for

them.

But then he also knew that there were other issues that were relatively secondary, that we were still brothers in

Christ, but just disagreed on more minor points.

And so those were some of the friendships that he had with some of those folks.

But the other thing about him is that he won people over because of his kindness.

And he was kind, he was gracious.

He's not a perfect man, but he really tried to be gentle and kind to people and smile.

I mean, heaven forbid, a Calvinist smile, you know, but he did.

You know, he wanted to win people to the truth, and he wanted to be lockstep with

brothers, with men who could defend the truth with him, and that's why he loved people like John MacArthur and James Boyce,

because they were fierce for the truth with him, and he had a good, loving relationship with those men.

Well, tell us some of the highlights of your biography of Dr. Sproul.

Where do you start in his life, and what are some of the primary landmarks

throughout his ministry that you draw our attention to?

Only going to be maybe 150 pages.

It was not going to be a large volume like Dr. Nichols' book on R .C.

And so I had to be selective with where I went, and what I began to notice when I was researching was that

all the major doctrinal battles that he fought really could be sort of framed within the five

solas of the Reformation.

You know, during the 70s, he was contending for inerrancy in the authority of the Bible.

That was sola scriptura, you know, and then he begins to write about chosen by God, that famous book, Chosen

by God, and the doctrine of God, contending for sola gratia.

He's fighting in the Evangelicals and Catholics together battle, which is quite literally a battle over sola

fide.

He plants St. Andrew's Church with a team of people and really begins to contend for what is the sound

biblical truth of church, and as opposed to the Roman Catholic Church, really contended for Christ alone.

And then really the last decade of his life, he began to do all things, writing music and opening

schools and writing children's books, and everything he touched, he wanted to make sure he did it for the glory of God.

So the framework of the book that I write is really tied to that, more focused on his major

doctrinal battles and his major points than really more of the biographical details.

I want people to read this and be encouraged, instructed, and have someone as a model to

follow after.

We are supposed to imitate the faith of those who imitate Christ, and so that's what I believe Dr. Sproul does.

We have a Christian in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania who has a

question.

A Christian asks, Can you tell us how profoundly the teaching

and preaching and writing of Dr. Sproul affected your own life as not only a Christian but as a

pastor?

For probably about 12 years, but it wasn't really until he passed that I actually

began to think about all the things that I had learned, not just from Dr. Sproul, but also just from

Ligonier, the ministry that he began and the ministry that has been carried on.

And I just began to take stock in the fact that I had learned so much.

Every time I'd have a theological question, I would find myself just grabbing my phone and clicking on Ligonier

and typing in a question and asking a question.

And I always found that whatever answer I got, with the exception of baptism in my case, but every

answer I got was sound, was faithful, was biblically true, and I could trust that

minister.

I could trust his teaching.

So he really became a source of truth for me.

He was able to communicate truth in a way that I could understand, in a way that I could turn around and communicate to

the church people that I had.

So I found that not only him as a teacher, as a shepherd,

but even as a pastor, he's been very helpful to me to model how to communicate truth

clearly and accurately.

That's really and really important.

So I owe him a great debt for that.

And then add to that, just writing the biography was a tremendous joy on top of that.

So he has blessed my life in multiple ways, more than I could even count.

Now, have you had any opportunities to meet Dr. Sproul while he was still with us face -to -face?

I've had a chance to work closely with him, but I never had the

blessing of meeting him on this side of heaven.

So that'll be something I look forward to in the future, 10 ,000 years from now, whenever I get around to

seeing him up there.

Yes, I have very fond memories of meeting him face -to -face.

I've been at a number of events where he was speaking, but I had one wonderful

providential opportunity to be actually having a... actually two

conversations with him, not only on my radio program as a guest, but

I was at a church, Calvary Baptist Church in Manhattan,

where he was speaking at a conference.

And I worked part -time at that time for Calvary Press Publishing, and we had

brought back into print a small book by Jonathan Edwards, which I believe is an

excerpt out of a larger book by Edwards called Heaven, A World of Love.

And I knew that Dr. Sproul loved Jonathan Edwards,

so I wanted, and Calvary Press wanted me to try to get an endorsement from him.

And when I saw that after he finished speaking, when everyone had

stood up to sing a hymn, he snuck out the back, and I knew that he was probably going to the bathroom.

I chased him down the hallway, and I said, Dr. Sproul, and he said, if you want to talk to me, you've got to come in

here.

So I got into the men's room, and I pitched to him, writing the endorsement for

Heaven, A World of Love, while he was at the urinal.

And two weeks later, we got it in the mail, the commendation.

The other time was actually during that same conference.

I had a wonderful time in a fellowship hall having a fun

conversation with him, and he split a gut laughing as I was doing a John Gerstner imitation

for him.

John Gerstner, who was his mentor.

But it was interesting how he was laughing so hard, because at that time in his life, Dr.

Sproul began to sound very much like John Gerstner.

And as far as what made

him stand out in the contemporary realm

of evangelicalism, what would you say are those things that made him

someone very different and unique toward

whether it be his writing or his public presence as a preacher and teacher?

And I don't mean this to degrade other very gifted men

who are preachers, teachers, and theologians, and maybe even writing

voluminously, but what would you say makes him stand out and is marked out as

someone quite unique in this contemporary age of evangelicalism?

It was the fact that no matter

what the question was, he was

constantly learning, and he had a steel trap mind.

I mean, he could just recall things.

He could memorize whole passages from books and things he read and could recall them.

And whenever a question came up, he always seemed to be able to weigh in and weigh in in a way that was

clear, accurate, and even authoritative.

Whenever R .C. spoke, if you were going to disagree, you had to make sure that you had done your homework before you

disagreed because he was so well -studied.

So a man who, in the book I have a line, I say that he had a John Calvin mind with a Billy

Graham reach.

He was able to popularize and reach so many people like a Billy Graham in terms of masses,

but yet he was a theological thinker.

He understood how truth worked, and he had studied doctrine extensively.

He loved the writings of Turretin and just ate that stuff up.

So I think that was the thing, is that we're missing definitiveness.

We're missing truth that is declarative.

We tend to sort of say things with nuance, and we want to sort of tiptoe around truth

where R .C. didn't care.

He just wanted to make sure that it was clear, it was accurate, and the truth was the truth, and you had to deal with that truth.

So he despised something he called studied ambiguity where you would couch

or you would sneak in certain ideas and theological concepts through very vague and broad language,

and he watched the liberals do it for years.

That's where he was reared in all these liberal schools and had to fight against that to get out, but he watched them do it for

years and degrade doctrinal truth through vague terminology, and we see that in our

denominations even today.

So I think we're missing someone who just stands fast on truth, speaks plainly, speaks boldly,

and with conviction and makes sure that the doctrine's accurate, and really nobody did that better than R .C. Sproul.

Amen, and we're going to our first break right now.

If anybody wants to join us on the air with a question of your own, our email address is chrisarnson at

gmail .com.

Chrisarnson at gmail .com.

As always, give us your first name at least, your city and state of residence, and your country of

residence if you live outside the USA, and please only remain anonymous if your

question involves a personal and private matter.

In this case, I can't imagine how it would unless, of course, if you have grown

to love the preaching and teaching of R .C. Sproul and your pastors or

your denomination do not have a heart for Reformed

theology, maybe they have an intense dislike for anyone who has

promoted these truths, and you don't want to identify yourself.

That's really one of the only reasons I can think, someone would remain anonymous.

But, so please, in general, just give us your first name at least, your city and state, and your country

of residence.

Don't go away.

We'll be right back with Nate Pikowitz right after these messages from our sponsors.

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Welcome back, this is Chris Arnzen, and if you just tuned us in, our guest for the first half of the program

is Nate Pikowitz.

He is author of a new biography on R .C. Sproul, titled R .C. Sproul, Defender of the Reformed Faith.

If you'd like to join us, our email address is chrisarnzen at gmail .com, chrisarnzen at

gmail .com.

We have a very loyal listener, one of our oldest listeners, I don't mean by

that his age, I mean by the length of time he's been listening to this program, I think going all the

way back to 2005 when we first launched the program.

We have Grady in Asheboro, North Carolina.

Greetings, brothers.

The one thing that surprised me with Dr. Sproul was that he was a classical apologist and

not presuppositional.

Was this because of his friendship with Dr. Gerstner?

That's interesting.

I know that he wrote a book with Dr. Gerstner on classical or evidential apologetics,

but I don't think Dr. Sproul would have been so shallow to just have that position because of his friendship with

Dr. Gerstner.

But if you care to comment.

Yeah, it's interesting.

He has classes

with Gerstner, and

next thing you know, he's a classical apologetic.

But I think that, to your point, R .C. didn't just flip on a dime because Gerstner said

so.

R .C. had to be convinced.

You had to motivate and convince him from the Scriptures, from reason, from logic, otherwise he wouldn't flip the position.

He had studied out all of these things himself and landed there, and when they wrote the book together on

apologetics with Art Lindsey, they sent Van Til a

copy, and he was delighted.

He was absolutely delighted.

Even though he didn't agree with the position, it was a friendly debate between all of them.

But yeah, R .C. would not have just jumped simply because Gerstner said so, but obviously they would have seen things

the same way.

Thank you, Grady.

And we have an anonymous listener.

An anonymous listener who says, I have been very concerned, in fact

even disturbed, by some of my closest Christian brothers and sisters and

friends who have developed an increasingly soft position on the heresies of Roman

Catholicism.

I was always very blessed by the fact that Dr. R .C. Sproul

held the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism very seriously and

strongly, and in fact so much to the point that he had to publicly rebuke his

friend J .I. Packer for signing the ECT document Evangelicals and

Catholics Together.

Do you know if that rift between Dr. Sproul and J .I. Packer

was ever healed in any measure before Dr. Sproul went home to glory?

I don't think that the

relationship returned to its former position prior to.

And the thing is, if you read up on J .I. Packer's story, he's got a couple of biographies that are out

there, I think he came from a different place than R .C. did, and J .I. Packer

was more willing to give in to some of the errors

because of the common ground.

I mean, he'd come out of the Church of England and they were trying to find common ground so much so that they would bend and

flex quite a bit on certain things, and I think that, to J .I. Packer's credit, he

was trying to be charitable, and he said many times that he didn't consider himself Roman Catholic, he didn't agree

with the doctrine, but for him it was more than, you know, can we find enough common ground?

And R .C. was fine with establishing common ground as well when it came to social issues, but

he was just very clear that when it came to the matters of the gospel, we are speaking very different

languages here, and that was his biggest issue.

One of his biggest issues was, you know, you can say that we're justified by faith, but you have to use the

word alone.

We're justified by faith alone in Christ.

And that was all the difference in the world.

His other issue was over imputation.

Is this an infused righteousness that becomes ours and we sort of grow into, or is this an

imputed righteousness that's credited to us on our behalf?

Those distinctions matter, and that was an issue of gospel or no gospel in the mind of R .C. Sproul, and to

his thinking it was very clear, and you don't hold hands with those as brothers who

disagree with the gospel and refute the gospel.

So I don't know where the final analysis landed on their personal relationship,

but I do know that they were able to work together in a joint statement after ECT came out

affirming the gospel itself and even publishing a book called Getting the Gospel Right, and J

.I. Packer and R .C. Sproul, along with several other leaders, signed that statement together to reaffirm

what is the gospel itself.

It definitely was probably the most tumultuous period publicly of R .C.'s

ministry because he had to disagree so strongly with some of his closest friends, Packer being one and Chuck

Folsom being the other.

What are you aware of that developed over time

and perhaps even changed in Dr. Sproul's thinking and perhaps

theological beliefs?

You just mentioned something, that he seemed to be clearly Vantillian in his

apologetics at one time but then later became an advocate of classical apologetics or evidentialism.

I know of another one where he at one time was an old earth creationist

and became very strongly a young earth creationist, but do you know anything else?

Or perhaps you want to further expand on the two things I mentioned.

I'm really not privy to all of them.

I think for R .C. he was constantly refining.

I know that some of his friends would tease him about changing his eschatological position, his end times position.

You know, you read the last days according to Jesus and he seems to lay out for something pretty straightforward, but he was always being

teased that he was changing that position.

Even going back to what you said though, R .C. saw classical apologetics as really a third way between

evidentialism and presuppositionalism.

He rejected some of the tenets of evidentialism.

So I think he was mostly just trying to refine his understanding of truth.

I don't think he had large, huge swings in his doctrine.

You'd have to push pretty hard and convince him pretty hard to move on something.

It'd have to be irrefutable in his mind.

But I'm not aware of big, huge things that he changed on, especially in the latter years of his ministry.

Now, you mentioned eschatology.

I believe that he was making a case

in his last book that involved eschatology.

I think he was making a case for partial preterism, although I don't know if he

made a specific alliance with either amill or postmill,

because both may be partial preterists.

Do you know where he was on that?

His positions, even in his commentary on Romans, when he exegetes Romans 11,

it's funny because he sounds almost premillennial in his defense of national Israel, but

then you read his last days according to Jesus and he sounds very amillennial.

So he would kind of follow the truth wherever the truth would go, even if it didn't fit into that position.

But the purpose of his writing, The Last Days According to Jesus, was to really refute the full preterist

position.

And that was really the intention of that, to say that.

We don't acknowledge full preterism as being legitimate.

It's not biblical.

But I'll be honest with you.

I had a hard time following his end times position, and I know I'm not the only one.

But I have full confidence that his end times position is very good right now.

So I'll leave it at that.

Have you actually changed your view or opinion or belief

on something significant from either reading Dr. Sproul or hearing and seeing

him preach and teach?

If he had known me.

One thing that studying his life and teaching has done for me more recently is it's really made me focus

in on creedalism and confessionalism and really developing

a love, a fresh love for the early church creeds.

And I would just, you know, over time just listen to him expound on some of these truths.

And, you know, when push came to shove, he would always lean on the early church history to help

articulate because that's what the early church creeds do for us.

They help us put into words the truth that might not have been as clear to us in the earlier years.

They put a fine point on these truths.

And so I really grew to appreciate the early creeds because of that.

And just a little sort of a tip going ahead, I'm actually writing a book on an introduction to

creeds that should be coming out in the next year or two.

So he had a huge impact on me with that to really get me to think about the value of

church history and historical theology, essentially.

So that was very helpful, and I owe him a great debt for that as well.

Now I'm interested about this new book you're writing.

Are you specifically focusing on the ancient creeds or the

17th century confessional statements that came out from the different branches of the

Reformed faith?

The doctrinal development of those.

It's written for laypeople, so it should be very simple to follow.

And the second half of the book, if it goes the way I'm thinking, will be sort of a general survey, a doctrinal

survey of some of the key truths that came out of the Reformation and the confessions

associated with them.

So I'm still working on that.

I want to make sure that it comes together well.

So I don't want to overspeak, but that's something I'm working on currently.

One of the things that Dr. Sproul proved to me

was that the idea that in order to

effectively communicate the gospel to any different people

group, whether it be their ethnicity,

their national origin, or their skin color, that it's always best to have a

representative of that specific group do the evangelizing and teaching.

And Dr. Sproul disproved that because of the fact that there have been so

many, especially black Christians, who came to embrace the Reformed

faith through him, this old white guy.

Did you share my enthusiasm and excitement

over witnessing that?

The same

gospel

that

saves a clear

communication of truth done in a winsome way, and I mean that in a genuine winsomeness, not in a

nuanced way that's popular today.

But R .C. could communicate truth with a smile on his face, and it didn't matter to him what your background, or your

skin color, your culture, your heritage.

He just wanted you to love Christ, and I think that it doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

So I think those kind of barriers can break down when we have the truth in common,

and I think we don't need to overthink that, I don't think.

I think that today's culture, we've gotten so caught up in that, slicing truth and slicing that

up into a million different categories and with all these different nuances.

I just don't think we need that.

Communicate truth clearly, and those who will be saved will be saved.

I think it's very simple.

Well, I'd like you to have several moments of time before we run out of time, since you're only on the first hour.

In fact, less than that, because we have to depart for our midway break at about 53 minutes into the

show.

But if you could, highlight what you most want

our listeners to know about this biography that may further whet their appetites and increase

and heighten their interest in getting a hold of this biography.

What I was hoping that people would come away with, and I think the first one is that we need

leaders and teachers and those who can model a desire for speaking the truth

clearly.

Doctrinal precision.

We're living in times when everything's ambiguous and everything is, like I mentioned earlier,

nuanced, and there's your truth and my truth, and everything's relative, and that's just not the way

of the Lord.

The Lord is a God of truth.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

So we have to be people about the truth.

And so I think that when we're dealing with doctrinal disagreement, the answer is not more

ambiguity.

The answer is more clarity.

And so I think those who would read this, I would hope, would be encouraged to pursue clarity and precision in

the way that they speak and write and share the truths of the gospel, the truths of the faith.

But I think the second component that really matters to me is something that R .C. modeled with his own life,

that he was generous and charitable toward people who disagreed with him.

In watching all the video and reading everything, I didn't find ever a place where R .C.

disparaged people or slandered people.

He would tell you if he disagreed with you for sure, but he would always do it in a way that was kind.

And he would be honest about it.

He wouldn't look for cheap shots.

He wouldn't build straw men and then attack the worst possible position.

Even when it came to his debates over Roman Catholicism, he would talk about what was good in the Roman Catholic tradition,

but then he would say, but here's where we disagree, and here's why this is important.

He wanted to make sure that people were clear on what the issue actually was and not just take cheap shots.

So I think the way that we engage with one another, the way that we communicate truth, the way that we treat each

other, especially in the faith, is of the utmost importance to the Lord.

And so we would do well to model and pattern our engagement after those who do that well.

And I think R .C. did that well.

You watch video or tape of him, even on stage with his friends with whom he disagreed, he

would make his point, and then he would smile and laugh.

I mean, he understood that there was truth, but he also had to be loving to people.

So truth and love, truth and love, that's really the two most important things, I think, coming out of this book for sure.

Arnie in Perry County, Pennsylvania, wants to know, what are your favorite books by R .C. Sproul?

Oh, I don't know.

No, I mean, audience, I love The Holiness.

One book that really actually changed quite a bit for me in terms of understanding the doctrine of justification was his

book Faith Alone.

Faith Alone is a marvelous, marvelous book.

If anybody hasn't read that, please read that ASAP.

But Faith Alone is a great book.

And there's also another book he wrote called Are We Together?

And it's his apologetic against Roman Catholicism.

That's also very helpful.

But so many books he's written that are just really remarkable, must -have books, and

those are some of my favorites for sure.

Yeah, I've got a couple of my own that I have given out in

large numbers over the years.

One has actually changed its title.

It used to be called Grace Unknown, and now it is called What Is Reform Theology.

That's right.

And I gave that book to my very dear friend Dan Buttafuoco, who

in his entire life growing up and into adulthood

has been in Pentecostal Armenian churches.

And one Christmas Eve, I gave him Grace

Unknown.

This was back in the 90s.

And he said to me, Are you kidding me?

You're giving me propaganda for a Christmas present?

Are you out of your mind?

And Dan called me up on January 1st, on New Year's Day, called me up about

11 in the morning or so, and said, Chris, I haven't been to sleep.

I read the book cover to cover.

I agree with Dr. Sproul.

I'm reformed now.

Oh, wow.

And he is still, to this day, Dan is

still standing firm on the doctrines of Sovereign Grace and also a

book that I give out frequently,

especially when people are going through serious trials in their lives.

I give, along with Jerry Bridges, the late Jerry Bridges

classic book, Trusting God Even When Life Hurts, I give Dr. Sproul's book,

Surprised by Suffering.

And that book, and actually, I don't know if it's still available, but he also

used to have, when they used to have videos, I'm assuming it must be available on the DVD

now, but he had a video of that book, of the contents of that book,

provided in a lecture form.

And watching that was of enormous benefit to me

while going through the grieving process after losing my mother in 1995 from

pancreatic cancer.

So I highly recommend both of those books.

And as I said, Grace Unknown is now known as What is Reformed Theology, and

the other one was Surprised by Suffering.

Well, I want you now, in the four minutes that we have left,

to summarize what you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners today before we go off the air.

To know the Lord Jesus Christ and to understand their need for Christ.

And I hope and pray if there are any unbelievers, those who do not profess to know and love Jesus Christ, if

there's anyone who realizes and sees their need for a Savior, that they would turn away from their sins

immediately to forsake their sins, to hate their own sins, and to put their faith squarely in

Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

That Christ gave his life on the cross to pay the penalty for sins and actually

credited us with his own righteousness and took our filthy rags of sin upon himself and

in resurrection gave new life to all those who would repent and believe.

So if people don't know that, they need to know that there's no more important message than that.

And even for those who do profess faith in Christ and who love Christ, that message, I need that message daily.

I need to remember my salvation, not to forget these things.

Just because they're basic to the Christian life, they're not simplistic.

You don't outgrow the gospel.

So that would be my greatest desire.

That was certainly Dr. Sproul's greatest desire, and, Chris, I suspect your greatest desire as well, for people to know

Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Amen.

And before you go, if you could let us know about any upcoming speaking engagements,

or I know that you've already hinted at one writing project.

Tell us about what may be going on in your, not only at Harvest Bible Church in Gimlinton -Ironworks, New Hampshire,

but also your traveling ministry as an evangelist.

With the building

project, and we hired a new pastor back in January, so a lot happening at the home front

with our church as well.

So the Lord has blessed our church.

I am speaking actually with Dustin Benj in October in Pennsylvania at a church.

That announcement will be coming pretty soon.

Like I said earlier, working on a book on the creeds for Christian Focus, also republishing Why We're

Protestant in an expanded edition with Christian Focus, and just signed another book with

Moody Publishers on The Kindness of God.

So I've got quite a lot to work through on my plate, but I'm just really pleased that the Lord has

saw fit to put me into ministry in a region that needs Him the most.

So I'm just thankful to have the blessing of being in ministry.

So that's what's going on.

Well, you know I live in Pennsylvania now, so where in Pennsylvania are you and Dustin Benj going to be speaking?

Because I've got to see if I can attend that.

Yeah, that's only a half hour away from me.

Yeah, well, we'll have to sync up.

And if the announcement comes, you can put it out to your listeners.

It would be great to see people there.

Just out of curiosity, it wouldn't have to be Grace Bible Fellowship Church of Harrisburg, would it?

That's Grace Bible Fellowship Church.

Oh, wow, that is phenomenal.

And as long as I'm alive and my heart's beating and I'm still in this area,

I am going to make a point to attend that.

And I hope that, in fact, I'm going to look up while I'm saying goodbye to you, I'm going

to look up Pastor Josh's,

what do you call it, his contact information for Grace Bible Fellowship Church because I want my fellow

listeners in this area to also attend this event if they

can.

Okay, the phone

number is 717 -652 -5229, 717 -652 -5229.

And the website is gracebfc .com, gracebfc,

for biblefellowshipchurch .com.

And also, don't let me forget to repeat your website for

the Harvest Bible Church in Gilmanton Iron Works, New Hampshire.

That website is, and it's hbc

-nh .org, hbc -nh .org.

And if anybody wants to purchase the book that we have been addressing, the biography

of R .C. Sproul, R .C. Sproul, Defender of the Faith, you can go to Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service, who sponsors this program,

cvbbs .com.

And I have a surprise for everybody who sent in a question.

You are all going to receive a free copy of the book, R .C. Sproul, Defender of the Reformed Faith,

by compliments of our guest today, Nate Pikowitz, the author.

And Nate has assured us he'll be shipping those out very shortly.

Well, thank you so much, Nate.

And I look forward to your return to Iron Truckers Iron Radio.

Thank you very much, Chris.

And don't go away, folks, because we're going to be joined momentarily by Mack Tomlinson.

And he'll be joining us after the midway break, discussing mature manhood being useful for the Master.

Send in your questions to Mack Tomlinson, chrisarnson at gmail .com.

Don't go away.

God willing, we're going to be right back, right after these messages from our sponsors.

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That's also the email address where you can send in a question to Mac Tomlinson, my second guest today.

Mac is a dear friend for many years and has been a faithful supporter of Iron Troupe and

Zion Radio.

He's pastor of Providence Chapel in Denton, Texas, author of a number of books, and today we

are addressing Mature Manhood, Being Useful for the Master, an Exposition of 2 Timothy 2,

verses 20 through 22, and it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to Iron Troupe and Zion Radio, Mac Tomlinson.

Hello, Chris.

It's always a blessing to be with you, and thank you for the invitation today.

Well, tell our listeners about Providence Chapel in Denton, Texas.

Denton,

locally,

and Lord Jesus

Christ.

And if

anybody wants more information about Providence Chapel of Denton, Texas, go to providencedenton

.org, providencedenton .org, and hopefully I

will remember to repeat that before we go off the air.

Well, why is it that you were so eager to specifically address the

issue of Mature Manhood, Being Useful for the Master today?

I

have

a thorough

biblically, and so

I preached

recently.

Well, let

me

read

that

passage.

This is 2 Timothy 2, verses 20 through 22.

Now, in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels,

but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to

dishonor.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor,

sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and

peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

And may God bless the reading of his word today.

So, if you want to begin to exegete this and show us why this is

such an important text bearing upon maturity

in Christian manhood.

...is paying attention, and in

the

Evangelical

Men's

Conference

in

Chesnoky,

relationship

in

a wonderful way.

This is an urgent need in our day for Christian men, and it basically means

to become what God is calling men to be biblically.

It's the only way to take Scripture

seriously about where to be as men.

He has great emphasis on this, about manhood and

godliness as a man.

The New Testament calls all believers to maturity, but he addresses the

responsibility of men especially.

In 2 Timothy chapter 2, Chris, which you just read, this passage has great

application for men and manhood.

Now, it has application for Christian women.

The passage is not just especially applicable to men, to

become the person God wants to shape us into.

So, if we were to go back to the beginning of the chapter, which we will not do, if you look at the

context, the whole chapter really is about what I would summarize

as the difficulties in the Christian life, the dangers in the Christian life, and the

disciplines of living the Christian life.

So, I'll summarize some of those leading up to us just looking at the text.

Chris, you can interrupt me anytime you need to.

If you go back and look at the first six verses, Paul mentions difficulties.

That is,

he

speaks of enduring hardship as a good soldier of Christ.

He speaks about the champion athlete training lawfully.

In verse 6, he speaks about those

things of growing.

You get on down to the middle of the chapter, particularly verse 6,

you read that there are two things.

False teachers, false teaching

says to Timothy,

avoid empty talk and false teaching because it will

impact wrongfully in a negative way any believer or any Christian man

who is subject to false teaching.

Questionable, weak, imbalanced, and false teaching because it is dangerous.

You know, I get often asked,

somewhat ignorant of, what do you

think about this book by this guy?

It might be a popular televangelist.

And I generally have one reply.

You know, books by such men like that, and I'll call the names that they ask me about,

I'll tell you what they're good for.

They tear the pages out and line the bottom of your birth cage

that

those books are good for.

But they are dangerous.

False teachers.

As he does in 1 Corinthians 15.

Those who say the resurrection has already passed, he says, don't be deceived.

Evil communication, evil connection with such people

damages good behavior.

So the second thing he warns here, it is a danger, is false Christians.

Verse 20, Paul speaks about the great house.

And this has to be viewed as meaning all

of professing Christendom.

All of professing Christianity.

Protestantism in a broad way.

And in that, he wasn't meaning that as he wrote it to Timothy, but he's

talking about the whole professing Christianity.

And in that house, he said there are honorable vessels.

Cleanse yourself from these, meaning false teachers, false teaching,

and false brethren, then you to be 22.

And that's what I want to get to.

He said if anyone purges himself from these, he will be,

he's going to mention several,

be connected to wrongly with vessels of

honor

for Christ to become a biblical man.

He can't worship in a worldly church without becoming worldly.

He can't be joined to a compromised church without compromising all.

It's impossible with false Christians.

And Paul warned us about this throughout the New Testament.

If a believer wants to become a man of honor, become a biblical man scripturally,

he cannot be connected to such closely because he will be.

We must remind

ourselves in

that

text,

just because a man is a Christian doesn't mean he's fully useful yet.

Paul uses the word useful for the master.

We have to acknowledge because

of besetting sin, immaturity.

Just because we're a believer doesn't mean we're fully useful yet.

And I would go further than that.

Just because a believer holds to reformed doctrine or he's in a reformed church

doesn't necessarily mean he's truly useful yet.

As we know, it might be proud, argumentative, and

really do no good to anybody.

Because

they're

argumentative

or a Peter's

word,

you will not be buried in

the truth

that you found in

the first one.

In fact, I would like you, so I don't have to interrupt you again at a more

crucial time, I'd like for you to address those two points when we return

from our final break.

If anybody would like to join us on the air with a question, I would ask, I would urge you to do it now because we're

rapidly running out of time.

Our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com.

Chrisarnson at gmail .com.

Give us your first name at least, your city and state, and your country of residence.

Don't go away.

We'll be right back with Mac Tomlinson and Christian Manhood right after these messages.

Attention all men in ministry leadership.

You're all invited to my friend Chris Arnson's Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Free Pastors Luncheon

Thursday, September 22nd, 11am to 2pm at Church of the Living Christ in Loisville,

Pennsylvania featuring me, James White of Alpha Omega Ministries, your keynote speaker.

Not only will you enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship with your colleagues in ministry over a delicious meal, but you'll also

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This is James White of Alpha Omega Ministries hoping to see you Thursday, September 22nd, 11am

to 2pm at Church of the Living Christ in Loisville, Pennsylvania for Chris Arnson's Iron

Sharpens Iron Radio Free Pastors Luncheon.

Anchored in Truth Ministries is the mission arm of Grace Life Church of the Shoals.

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To find out more about this vital work worldwide, visit anchoredintruth .org.

I'm Dr. Joseph Piper, President Emeritus and Professor of Systematic and Applied Theology

at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Every Christian who's serious about the Deformed Faith and the Westminster Standards should have and use

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Thanks for helping to keep Iron Sharpen's Iron Radio on the air.

Hi, this is John Sampson, pastor of King's Church in Peoria, Arizona.

Taking a moment of your day to talk about Chris Arnson and the Iron Sharpen's Iron podcast.

I consider Chris a true friend and a man of high integrity.

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I'm Dr. Tony Costa, Professor of Apologetics and Islam at Toronto Baptist Seminary.

I'm thrilled to introduce to you a church where I've been invited to speak and have grown to love, Hope

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call 631 -696 -5711 that's 631 -696

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Tell the folks at Hope Reform Baptist Church of Coram, Long Island, New York that you heard about them from Tony Costa

on Iron Sharpens Iron.

Lindbrook Baptist Church on 225 Earl Avenue in Lindbrook, Long Island is teaching God's timeless truths in

the 21st century.

Our church is far more than a Sunday worship service.

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It's like a gym where one can exercise their faith through community involvement.

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We're a diverse family of all ages.

Enthusiastically serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

In fellowship, play and together.

Hi, I'm Pastor Bob Waldeman and I invite you to come and join us here at Lindbrook Baptist Church and see all that a church can

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Call Lindbrook Baptist at 516 -599 -9402 that's 516 -599

-9402 or visit LindbrookBaptist .org that's LindbrookBaptist .org.

James

White of Alpha Omega Ministries here.

Excited to announce that my long time friend Chris Arnzen of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio and I are heading to

Washington DC for the G3 Ministries Regional Conference on the theme Just Thinking About the Bible.

The conference will be held Thursday, September 15th through Saturday, September 17th and I'll be speaking along with

Stephen Lawson Josh Weiss, founder of G3 Ministries and Daryl Bernard Harrison and Virgil Walker co

-hosts of the Just Thinking Podcast.

To register, visit G3Min .org that's G3Min .org and click on Events.

Your registration will include a ticket to the Museum of the Bible nearby the conference venue in Washington DC.

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Register now before they run out of seats at G3Min .org that's G3Min .org.

Stop by the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Exhibitor booth and say hi to Chris Arnzen while you're there.

Welcome back.

And Mac Tomlinson if you could now enter into those two main points that you

want us to most focus upon in 2nd Timothy chapter 2, verses

20 -22.

I hear you.

Fine, can you hear me?

Yeah, can you hear me?

There we are.

Yeah, before I do that I just want to make sure just to emphasize again.

You know, the greatest

natum in

the church

of

godliness

within

us in

2nd Timothy.

Certainly not the only one but what we see here in verse

21.

The four

things he says in verse 21 are these.

Mockable use.

That's

number 3.

And that we're to be ready for every.

Let's just briefly go through those.

Verse 21 what we're to be the first thing he says is that we're to be

a vessel of honor.

And that's that simply means that we are to be.

Is that our prayer

that brings honor to Christ

sanctified.

That concept may often

know that when we are joined to Jesus Christ through

faith

he's

talking to Timothy

about initial conversion.

He's talking about a process that if we're going to be a vessel of honor we have to be

sanctified.

Sanctified life looks like

that.

We're

dedicated

that we lead our family in a sanctified way.

That our home and our time are set apart for God's glory.

So many times I've examined my life over the years

as

my

money my home my choices my future.

We

should

ask

ourselves

as

men.

Is my life really useful for the master.

Is it.

Is it.

Am I a vessel that God can use.

Or are there things in my life that are displeasing to him habits upsetting sins.

I've not

when

I'm

gone that my life was truly useful for the master

that excel in our family in good works.

Not emphasized enough but I just want to

quickly mention

good works are not optional.

If we're going to be of

good

works.

So

biblical

manhood

calls us

that we're to be.

Yes I do have a question from a listener but it may take

too long since we only have six minutes left.

It may take too long for you to answer so perhaps you should just proceed.

And as

Christians if we're to fulfill the role of biblical manhood.

But verse 22 he speaks of two things that we are to do

21 is about what we're to do.

And it's very simply outlined there.

If you read the verse he says.

We're to flee some things.

So every man who wants to be a biblical

these practices in his life.

First of all what's the useful love

20.

It means

popularity or just the the

apostle John said.

Love not the world neither the things that are in the world.

For the those who love the world the love of the father is not in them.

So here Paul categorically calls Timothy to be a man by fleeing

from those things.

Believer.

Straightforward

language of Paul calling Timothy.

I'm sorry Titus and Timothy to do that to flee useful

love.

But the second thing he says is we must follow some things.

And again Paul outlines it very very simple in verse 20.

This gets to the heart.

This sanctification is our

job our business and our you know J .C. Raul in the 19th century he put a dagger

in the view of passive.

So

here Paul says.

Follow after righteousness and godly living.

We're to pursue

lots of faith.

No man can be.

The third thing is love.

Love for Christ for a man's wife and children love for his neighbor God

and love for other believers.

We're to pursue after these things to be a biblical

as much as it depends on peace with all men.

So we can't be a man

there

to Timothy wrapping

this

up real quickly kind of things.

In 2 Peter chapter 1 and I'll just quickly hit on them.

He says.

Giving all diligence and

knowledge the knowledge and self -control.

The self -control and perseverance the perseverance godliness the godliness brotherly

kindness and the brotherly kindness love.

And Peter says.

For if these things are yours and are increasing you will not be useless or unfruitful

in the true knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every man who wants to be a biblical man

is going to be a vessel of honor for

a

biblical

our neighbors need to see.

And we are out of time and I want to just recommend a book to the anonymous listener who

could not have his or her question asked because of time limitations.

I strongly urge you I strongly recommend the book What He Must Be If He

Wants to Marry My Daughter by Vody Balcom very much reflecting what

Pastor Mac Tomlinson was discussing today and that's published by Crossway.

You can get that at cvbbs .com Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service cvbbs .com.

And if you want to find out more about Providence Chapel in Denton Texas go to ProvidenceDenton

.org ProvidenceDenton .org.

Thank you so much Pastor Mac for being such a great guest.

Thank you everybody who listened.

Make sure you tune in.

Tomorrow.

Because we not only have Gabriel Wrench joining our program but Dr. James R. White a mutual friend of Mac Tomlinson

and mine is returning to the program.

I want you all to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater Savior than you

are a sinner.