Wish List for the Reformed Institute of Ministry (RIM) Library

I am coming up with a list of important Biblical and theological books for our Reformed Institute of Ministry. Here are some of the titles that I come up with arranged according to topic or subject. Bible commentaries are not yet included here. I hope to come up with another list of books on commentaries later.

Introduction to Theology
1. Manual of Christian Doctrine – Louis Berkhof
2. The Christian Life – Sinclair Ferguson
3. What Is Reformed Theology – R.C. Sproul
4. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith – R.C. Sproul
5. Concise Theology – J. I. Packer
6. Our Reasonable Faith – Herman Bavinck
7. The Marrow of Theology – William Ames
8. A Body of Divinity – Thomas Watson
9. Introduction to Systematic Theology – Cornelius Van Til
10. Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms – Richard Muller
11. Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena (Vol.1) – Herman Bavinck
12. The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God – John Frame

Systematic Theology
1. Systematic Theology – Louis Berkhof
2. Reformed Dogmatics – Heinrich Heppe
3. Reformed Dogmatics - Herman Hoeksema
4. Systematic Theology – Charles Hodge
5. Outlines of Theology – A.A. Hodge
6. Selected Shorter Writings – B.B. Warfield
7. Collected Writings of John Murray
8. Institutes of the Christian Religion – John Calvin
9. Institutes of Elenctic Theology – Francis Turretin
10. Reformed Dogmatics – Herman Bavinck
11. Christians Reasonable Service – Wilhelmus a Brakel
12. The Christian Faith - Michael Horton
13. A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith – Robert L. Reymond
14. A Puritan Theology – Joel Beeke & Mark Jones
15. Reformed Confessions Harmonized – Joel Beeke & Sinclair Ferguson

Doctrine of God (Theology Proper)
1. Reformed Dogmatics: God and Creation (Volume 2) – Herman Bavinck
2. The Doctrine of God – John Frame
3. The Existence and Attributes of God – Stephen Charnock
4. The Providence of God – Paul Helm
5. Knowing God – J. I. Packer
6. Attributes of God – A.W. Pink

Doctrine of Man
1. Created in God’s Image – Anthony Hoekema
2. The Christian View of Man – J. Gresham Machen
3. Calvin’s Doctrine of Man – T. F. Torrance
4. Not the Way It Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin – Cornelius Plantinga

Doctrine of Christ
1. Reformed Dogmatics: Sin and Salvation in Christ (Vol. 3) – Herman Bavinck
2. The Person of Christ – Donald MacLeod
3. The Work of Christ – Robert Letham
4. The Person and Work of Christ – B.B. Warfield
5. The Cross of Christ – John Stott

Doctrine of the Holy Spirit and Salvation
1. Redemption Accomplished and Applied – John Murray
2. Saved by Grace – Anthony Hoekema
3. The Holy Spirit – Sinclair Ferguson
4. The Atonement – Leon Morris
5. The Gospel of Free Acceptance in Christ – Cornelis P. Venema
6. Accepted and Renewed in Christ – Cornelis P. Venema

Doctrine of the Church
1. Reformed Dogmatics: Holy Spirit, Church and New Creation (Vol 4) – Herman Bavinck
2. The Church – Edmund Clowney
3. The Glorious Body of Christ – R. B. Kuiper

Doctrine of the Last Things
1. The Promise of the Future – Cornelis Venema
2. The Bible and the Future – Anthony Hoekema
3. A Case for Amillennialism: Underatanding the End Times – Kim Riddlebarger
4. The Last Things – Herman Bavick
5. The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views – Robert G. Clouse
6. The Bible on the Life After – William Hendriksen
7. The Man of Sin – Kim Riddlebarger

Biblical Theology
1. The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses – Vern Poythress
2. The Christ of the Covenants – O. Palmer Robertson
3. The Christ of the Prophets – O. Palmer Robertson
4. Biblical Theology – Geerhardus Vos
5. The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament – Edmund Clowney
6. A New Testament Biblical Theology – G.K. Beale
7. The Drama of Scripture: Our Place in the Bible Story – Michael Goheen and Craig Bartholomew
8. Promise and Deliverance (4 Vols.) – S.G DeGraaf
9. The Coming of the Kingdom – Herman Ridderbos
10. Paul: An Outline of His Theology – Herman Ridderbos
11. Jesus and Israel: One Covenant or Two – David E. Holwerda

Covenant Theology
1. Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man (2 vols.) – Herman Witsius
2. Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation: The Shorter Writings of Geerhardus Vos – Richard Gaffin
3. The Christ of the Covenant – O. Palmer Robertson
4. Christ and the Covenant – J. Mark Beach

Historical Theology
1. The History of Christian Doctrines – Louis Berkhof
2. Historical Theology – William Cunningham
3. Historical Theology – Geoffrey W. Bromiley
4. Historical Theology – Alister E. McGrath
5. The Christian Tradition - Jaroslav Pelikan

Bible Interpretation
1. Let the Reader Understand – Dan McCartney and Charles Clayton
2. Principles of Biblical Interpretation – Louis Berkhof
3. Exegetical Fallacies – D.A. Carson
4. Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics – Graeme Goldsworthy
5. Goldsworthy Trilogy – Graeme Goldsworthy
6. According to Plan – Graeme Goldsworthy
7. Knowing Scripture – R.C. Sproul
8. How to Understand Your Bible – T. Norton Sterett and Richard L. Schultz
9. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth – Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
10. Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament – G. K. Beale

Christian Ethics
1. The Ten Commandments – J. Douma (trans. Nelson Kloosterman)
2. The Doctrine of the Christian Life – John Frame
3. Principles of Conduct – John Murray
4. Evangelical Ethics – John Jefferson Davis

Apologetics and Cultural Engagement
1. Always Ready – Greg Bahnsen
2. Presuppositional Apologetics Stated and Defended – Greg Bahnsen
3. Reasons of the Heart – William Edgar
4. Apologetics for the Glory of God – John Frame
5. Christian Apologetics – Cornelius Van Til
6. The Defense of the Faith – Cornelius Van Til
7. Warranted Christian Belief – Alvin Plantinga
8. Christian and Culture Revisited – D.A. Carson
9. Lectures on Calvinism – Abraham Kuyper
10. The Gagging of God – D. A. Carson

Missions and Evangelism
1. Tell the Truth – Will Metzger
2. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God – J.I. Packer
3. An Introduction to the Science of Mission – J. H. Bavinck
4. Introducing World Missions – A. Scott Moreau, Gary B. McGee, Gary R. Corwin
5. Let the Nations Be Glad – John Piper
6. Go and Make Disciples – Roger Greenway

Church History
1. The Church in History – B. K. Kuiper
2. Church History in Plain Language – Bruce L. Shelley
3. Sketches from Church History – S. M. Houghton
4. The History of the Christian Church – Phillip Schaff

Church, Church Government and Offices
1. Biblical Church Government: The Church Fulfilling Its Calling – Frank H. Walker
2. Biblical Church Government – Kevin Reed
3. Order in the Offices: Essays Defining Roles of Church Offices – Mark R. Brown, editor
4. Paradigms in Polity: Classic Readings in Reformed and Presbyterian Church Government – eds. David Hall & Joseph Hall
5. Church and Its Polity – Charles Hodge
6. The Glorious Body of Christ – R. B. Kuiper

Ministers, Elders and Deacons
1. The Christian Ministry – Charles Bridges
2. Lectures to My Students – Charles Spurgeon
3. With a Shepherd’s Heart – John Sittema
4. Called to Serve: Essays for Elders and Deacons
5. Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership – Alexander Strauch
6. The Elders Handbook: A Practical Guide for Church Leaders – Lester De Koster and Gerald Berghoef
7. The Deacons Handbook: A Manual of Stewardship – Lester De Koster and Gerald Berghoef
8. The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church – Timothy Z. Witmer

Biblical Preaching
1. Christ-centered Preaching – Bryan Chapell
2. Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture – Graeme Goldsworthy
3. Preaching and Preachers – Martin Lloyd-Jones
4. Between Two Worlds – John R. W. Stott
5. The Supremacy of God in Preaching – John Piper
6. Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching – Joel Beeke, John MacArthur, etc.
7. Preaching Christ from the Old Testament – Sidney Greidanus
8. Biblical Preaching – Haddon W. Robinson
9. The Preacher and Preaching – Samuel T. Logan
10. He Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World – R. Albert Mohler

Church Education
1. Foundational Issues in Christian Education: An Introduction in Evangelical Perspective – Robert W. Pazmiño
2. Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision – Thomas H. Groome
3. Rediscovering Catechism: The Art of Equipping Covenant Children – Donald Van Dyken

Church Worship, Liturgy and Discipline
1. Biblical Worship – Kevin Reed
2. Corporate Worship in the Reformed Tradition – James Hastings Nichols
3. Worship Revised and Extended Edition: Reformed According to Scripture – Hughes Oliphant Old
4. Reformed Worship: Worship That is According to Scripture – Terry Johnson
5. With Reverence and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship – D. G. Hart and John R. Muether
6. Scripture and Worship: Biblical Interpretation and the Directory of Public Worship – Richard Muller and Rowland Ward
7. Christ-centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape our Practice – Bryan Chapell
8. What to Expect in Reformed Worship: A Visitor’s Guide – Daniel Hyde
9. Handbook of Church Discipline – Jay Adams
10. Calvin’s Doctrine of the Word and Sacrament – Ronald Wallace

Christian and Reformed Spirituality
1. Puritan Reformed Spirituality – Joel R. Beeke
2. Calvin’s Doctrine of the Christian Life – Ronald S. Wallace
3. Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification – Donald L. Alexander

In Living Communion with God - Part 2

"15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”" ~ Genesis 2:15-16

Our first parents' living communion with God has entailed a divine call (v.15). But that living communion has also involved a sovereign command (vv.16-17). And that's what we're going to talk about here.

A Sovereign Command (vv. 16-17)

In verse 15 we are told of the divine purpose for man. In verse 16-17 we can see that this relationship also involves a sovereign command. It reads, “And the LORD commanded man….” Adam’s relationship with God does not only state a comprehensive purpose of work and worship that he has to seek to fulfill. It also specifies a definite command to first, enjoy God’s provisions from the garden (v.16), and second, to keep His prohibition to refrain from eating the forbidden tree (v.17).

The text tells us that man was given the freedom to eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It does not explicitly tell us the reason why God puts this one restriction. However, it does tell us the result of eating from the forbidden tree. It says that the day Adam eats from this tree he will surely die. This is a very solemn command that Adam has to obey. His life depends on his obedience to this command. Not only that, his continued presence in the garden of God in Eden depends upon his obedience to the command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

I will not dwell on the fine points of this prohibited tree. What I would like to point out here are two observations about the command. First, let’s talk a bit about the content of the command. Second, let’s focus on the giver of the command.

The thing that strikes me about the content of the command is the fact that both in the provision of every tree (v.16) and the prohibition from the forbidden tree (v. 17) the theme of food or the idea of eating stand out. Food is one of the most prominent themes throughout the Bible, even in this passage. This picture of abundant food and delight in eating lead us to look forward to the Messianic banquet at the end of the age (Matt. 22). Furthermore, the image of trees in the garden, especially the tree of life, brings us to the tree of life in Revelation 22 wherein we are told that this tree bears twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month (v.2).

However, in between these trees of life in Genesis and Revelation is the cursed tree in Calvary where the God-man Jesus Christ died. He was crucified and condemned to die in this tree not because He disobeyed God but because Adam and his descendants did. We are descendants of Adam. We were condemned both on account of Adam's failure to obey God regarding the forbidden tree, and our actual sins against God.

But Christ, the last Adam, took upon himself the burdens of our sin and misery, including death, including the most severe punishment of sin which is separation from the blissful presence of God. He bore them all in that tree so that in His death, that cursed tree became a tree of life for us who believe in Jesus Christ.

Now as believers of Jesus Christ in the new covenant by His blood, God allows us to partake of a new food, a new banquet, wherein our souls will be nourished and our faith in Him will be strengthened by His Word that confirms that food. The Lord's Supper and the green pasture of preaching the Word, when they are received by faith, enable us to enjoy and obey God by the Holy Spirit.

Another thing that draws our attention concerning this command is the Giver of the command Himself. God, in this passage, is portrayed as the Sovereign LORD over man. So the command is sovereign because it proceeds from the Sovereign LORD, the God and creator of the heavens and the earth.

It is interesting to note that the name LORD used two times in our text is the same name God gave to Moses when he asked about God’s name (Exo. 3). The name LORD is also the name God used to call Himself when He gave the Ten Commandments to His chosen people in Sinai. The LORD is the Sovereign God. He is the God who establishes covenant with His people. LORD is His covenant name.

In the New Testament, the title LORD is likewise designated to Jesus Christ. Time will come that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He was with God the Father from the very beginning and He Himself is God. Through Him all things were made and without Him nothing was made that has been made. His disciples call Him Lord. The apostle Paul says that because of Christ Jesus’ perfect obedience, even in his death upon that shameful cross, God has highly exalted Him and has given Him the name that is above every name.

Thus the inspired author of the book of Revelation calls Him ‘the King of kings and the Lord of lords.’ Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Since He is the Lord of lords who gives His command to us new covenant believers to keep and obey we must humbly and gratefully submit to His lordship by faithfully keeping everything He commands to us. He is the Lord worthy of our trust and obedience. His word is our life. His law is our delight.

In Jesus Christ man experiences the ultimate union and communion with God. In Him and through Him, man’s living relationship with God is perfected. No one comes to the Father except through Him. Union with Jesus Christ is the essence of man’s relationship with God. Through Him God fully dwells with man in perfect communion.

Thus let us turn to Christ today and always for God calls us to worship Him in Christ. God desires from us a kind of service that springs from our faith-relationship with Him through Christ. God commands us to look unto Christ. He is our life and our salvation. God has established His gracious covenant relationship with us through Jesus Christ. It started in the Garden of God in Eden and it will consummate in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, when it will come down out from God in heaven above. Blessed is he who hears this Word and believe, for he will be satisfied by the water of life who is Jesus Christ!

The Ultimate Triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ over His Enemies

In my study of the final battle in Revelation 19:11-21, I was led to its Old Testament background of Ezekiel's prophecy in chapters 38-39, on the judgment of the wicked nation, Gog, for her role in attacking God's people. The parallel is that, just as God has judged Gog for her wickedness in going against His old covenant people, Israel, so also Christ will judge the wicked beast and the false prophet together with the kings and rulers and peoples of the nations whom they've gathered to battle against Him and His new covenant people.

Then I came across this beautiful concluding comment on Ezekiel 38 by Dr. Peter C. Craigie,

Thus Ezekiel's portrayal of a final and great battle is a projection onto an apocalyptic screen of the battle that has always existed in our world between good and evil. His picture is extracted, as it were, from the framework of all human history and painted now on this single canvas. And the prophet's portrayal of events in these gloomy chapters is, at bottom, an extraordinary statement of faith; ultimately, the world's evil will be conquered by the direct intervention of God in the world's affairs.

Indeed, the outcome of the final battle has been revealed in Revelation 19:20-21 and Revelation 20:10. By the power of the sharp sword that comes from the mouth of Christ, the one who rides on the white horse (Rev. 19:11), who is called 'The Word of God' (Rev. 19:13), and whose name written on His robe and on His thigh is 'the King of kings and Lord of lords' (Rev. 19:16), the enemies of God - the beast, the false prophet, and the dragon, together with their followers - will be thrown forever into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

One pastor has rightly concluded that the battle portrayed in Revelation 19:19-21 will end in the ultimate downfall and defeat of all of God's enemies as His just punishment for their wickedness, thus vindicating the cause of His people and relieving them from all their troubles and fears. He says,

In the end, all those who were portrayed as enemies of God, the harlot in Revelation 17-18, the beast, the kings of the earth who stood with the beast, the false prophet who deceived and performed miraculous signs in the name of the beast, as well as any and all who worshiped the beast, they are all defeated and destroyed in the scene that is before us. The beast and his prophet are said to be thrown alive into the lake of fire (sulfur). This emphasizes the severity of God’s judgment and punishment upon those who deliberately conspired against Him and persecuted His church.

Useful Directions For Reading and Searching the Scriptures

by Thomas Boston (1676-1732)

(These directions are also available at http://www.puritansermons.com/boston/bost3.htm)

1. Follow a regular plan in reading of them, that you may be acquainted with the whole; and make this reading a part of your private devotions. Not that you should confine yourselves only to a set plan, so as never to read by choice, but ordinarily this tends most to edification. Some parts of the Bible are more difficult, some may seem very barren for an ordinary reader; but if you would look on it all as God's word, not to be scorned, and read it with faith and reverence, no doubt you would find advantage.

2. Set a special mark, however you find convenient, on those passages you read, which you find most suitable to your case, condition, or temptations; or such as you have found to move your hearts more than other passages. And it will be profitable often to review these.

3. Compare one Scripture with another, the more obscure with that which is more plain, 2 Pet. 1:20. This is an excellent means to find out the sense of the Scriptures; and to this good use serve the marginal notes on Bibles. And keep Christ in your eye, for to him the scriptures of the Old Testament look (in its genealogies, types, and sacrifices), as well as those of the New.

4. Read with a holy attention, arising from the consideration of the majesty of God, and the reverence due to him. This must be done with attention, first, to the words; second, to the sense; and, third, to the divine authority of the Scripture, and the obligation it lays on the conscience for obedience, 1 Thess. 2:13, "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe."

5. Let your main purpose in reading the Scriptures be practice, and not bare knowledge, James 1:22, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Read that you may learn and do, and that without any limitation or distinction, but that whatever you see God requires, you may study to practice.

6. Beg of God and look to him for his Spirit. For it is the Spirit that inspired it, that it must be savingly understood by, 1 Cor 2:11, "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God." And therefore before you read, it is highly reasonable you beg a blessing on what you are to read.

7. Beware of a worldly, fleshly mind: for fleshly sins blind the mind from the things of God; and the worldly heart cannot favour them. In an eclipse of the moon, the earth comes between the sun and the moon, and so keeps the light of the sun from it. So the world, in the heart, coming between you and the light of the word, keeps its divine light from you.

8. Labour to be disciplined toward godliness, and to observe your spiritual circumstances. For a disciplined attitude helps mightily to understand the scriptures. Such a Christian will find his circumstances in the word, and the word will give light to his circumstances, and his circumstances light into the word.

9. Whatever you learn from the word, labour to put it into practice. For to him that has, shall be given. No wonder those people get little insight into the Bible, who make no effort to practice what they know. But while the stream runs into a holy life, the fountain will be the freer.

How will Christ be seen by all in His second coming

I had the privilege of sharing a message of comfort to my wife's relatives on the occasion of her uncle's death. I shared from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 that talks about the future of those who have died in Christ and the comfort it gives to the grieving loved ones. Although some would focus on the 'rapture' in this passage, that is not the message of the text. The point of the passage is that God will not forget those who have died in their faith in Christ but He "will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him" (v.14).

In His return, Christ will bring with Him those believers who have gone ahead of us in glory. We who are alive at the time of His return, however, will be changed as the apostle Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52,

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

That’s the reason why Paul could conclude the 1 Thessalonians passage with an exhortation, "Therefore encourage one another with these words" (v.18). We should not think that our believing loved ones who died will be forgotten. Christ will bring them with Him when He returns again in glory.

In His coming (or presence, from Greek "parousia"), Christ will 'come down from heaven' with spectacular phenomena: "...with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God" (v.16). Definitely everyone alive at that time will see and hear these sounds.

But how will the second coming of Christ be visible and audible to all? Dr. Greg Beale has a beautiful description of this descent of Christ in His 'parousia.' In his commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians (p.138) he said,

Comparing other descriptions of Christ's coming, it is apparent that 'motion' from heaven down to earth may not be the precise way in which Christ manifests his end-time presence [parousia]. Revelation 6:14 refers to the end of the present cosmos in terms of 'a scroll that has been split and each of the two halves then rolled up'. If John were living today, he might use an analogy of a stage curtain with pictures on it, which is drawn from both sides to reveal the actors behind it. In short, the present physical reality will in some way disappear and the formerly hidden heavenly dimension, where Christ and God dwell, will be revealed (see further Rev. 11:19; 19:11; 21:1-3).

In other words, when our Lord Jesus Christ returns, "he will not descend from the sky over Boston or London or New York City or Hongkong [or Davao City] or any other localized area. When he appears, the present dimension will be ripped away, and Christ will be manifest to all eyes throughout the earth (see Mt 24:27). Just as one can lay flat a map of the whole world and see it all at one glance, so Christ will appear and be able to behold humanity at one glance and they him" (Beale, p.138-139).

How will this happen "in literal geographical terms is certainly unclear, but the answer lies in recalling that a new dimension will break into the old physical dimension, and the possibilities of new kinds of perception and of existence beyond present understanding will then be realized" (Beale, p.139).

In Living Communion With God - Part 1

Genesis 2:15-17: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

(I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness to my Old Testament professor, Rev. Mark Vander Hart, for his Genesis Bible Study Guide, from which much of the thought of this meditation were taken.)

The study of the book of Genesis is fascinating not only because it is the first book of the Bible, but also it addresses many of the issues that confront us today. From the origin of the universe to the history of Israel, from the creation of man to the choice of Abraham’s descendants, Genesis is filled with dramatic accounts that shed light to many of our questions today. Genesis records many of the first things in history, both redemptive and natural.

Interestingly, the book of Genesis accounts the beginning of God’s dealing with His created world, specifically with man, and most especially with God’s covenant people, the Israelites, with whom God established the most gracious relationship. It was and is a living relationship, living in the sense that this relationship exists between the living God, who created the world, and His living creature with whom He breathed the breath of life. This living communion between God and man, often called the covenantal union and communion, would be the focus of our study today.

Our text this morning tells us that the LORD of creation establishes a living relationship with man in the Garden of Eden. This relationship involves at least two things: first, it entails a divine call; second, it includes a sovereign command. I will only deal with the first point here. In our next installment, we will talk about the second point.

A. A Divine Call (v. 15)

Verse 15 tells us that God initiates this relationship with a divine purpose or calling. Going back to Gen. 1:26-27, we read the account of God’s thought and His subsequent act in creating man. It took place after God had set the whole universe into place. By the time God created man, the world had been 'fully furnished', so to speak, for man to dwell and live. Gen 1:28 adds that God blessed man and gave him a mandate to rule and subdue the earth. Gen. 2:8 picks this theme up when it says, “And the LORD….”

Here in Gen. 2:15, we read a recapitulation of these two accounts. Thus, God’s blessing and mandate to man in Gen. 1:28 to rule and to fill the earth is further explained by the phrase ‘to work and to take care of it.’ Man's divine calling in this relationship is to be God’s servant-king working where God puts him.

Though the whole earth is in mind, the Garden of Eden, where God put the man, is the specific place for man to start fulfilling his calling. Prior to this mandate of working and taking care of the land, the preceding passages tell us that God Himself has been working in the land of Eden.

The context portrays God not only as the Creator of the universe but also as a Gardener who plants and prepares a beautiful garden for man, where man can fulfill his divine calling and enjoy his relationship with his Creator and LORD. The blessedness of the Garden in Eden is pictured not only by the absence of sin or corruption, but also by the abundance of vegetation (trees and other plants), water supply (the four rivers), and precious stones (pearls, golds and onyx).

So aside from giving man the proper authority to rule and the perfect ability to get his job done, God has also provided man the best possible ambience to exercise his God-given vocation. God did all these to bless man so that in return man will ‘glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’

Now it is clear for us that God’s divine calling for man is to work and to take care of the Garden of God. Man, being God’s image-bearer and governor, was given a special authority and ability by God to fulfill this holy task of working the land. Again, I would like you to take note that all these had taken place before man fell into sin.

This is an important point to remember because some think that work was a result of the fall of man to sin. But that's not true! Work is not a curse on account of sin but a divine calling from God before sin entered the world. To work faithfully and obediently before the presence of God as a grateful response to all His blessings is the greatest thing to aspire now as it was before. Work is a blessing! Sin makes it difficult and a burden but God’s plan for work is for our good.

Another important point in verse 15 that I would like to show you is that God’s call for man is not all work and no pleasure or rest at all. In v. 8, we are told that God put man in the garden. After digressing a little bit, the author returns to this idea of God putting man in the garden in verse 15. The verb ‘put’ in verse 15 is a different verb in Hebrew than the one in verse 8. Though they carry the same meaning of 'putting,' the verb ‘put’ in verse 15 has also the idea of rest, comfort and safety. The root word is the same word where the name Noah comes from.

In Genesis 5:29, we are told that the name Noah means ‘comfort and relief’ from all labors and toils. So in putting man in the garden God’s intention all along is for him not only to work but to work in safety and to have rest and relief from work. In this sense the idea of Sabbath is in mind. Another thing, the word ‘Eden’ means delight or enjoyment.

Thus, verse 15 conveys the idea that when God put man in the garden to work, God's main purpose is for man to serve God with the greatest pleasure and utmost delight in God and in what he does for God.

Furthermore, the two verbs ('to work' and 'to keep') in verse 15 describing man’s responsibility imply far more than work. The first word translated as ‘to work’ or ‘to cultivate’ means nurturing the ground in such a way that it brings forth the desired food and other natural products. It has the idea of developing ‘the earth’s resources for the greater glory of God.’ The thought carries us to the entire range of cultural enterprises that make up life within the kingdom of God.

The same verb is actually used in describing man’s worship of God or service to God. Psa. 2:11 and Psa. 100:2 use the same verb to describe service to the LORD. “Serve the LORD with gladness!” We are aware that these psalms refer to the worship activities of God’s people. Thus in Scripture to work is actually to worship God for the same word can be used for both work and worship, both for culture and cultic activities. We call our gathering today a 'worship service.' Rightly so because our worship and our service to God are two sides of the same coin. They are inseparable.

We Christians believe with all our hearts that all of life is lived "coram Deo," that is, before the face of God. Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper said that ‘not one square inch in the whole universe of human life falls outside the kingship of Jesus Christ.’

Our Lord Jesus Christ sees the whole universe and claims it as His. Therefore, just as Adam was created to worship God in the midst of all his work, we also are called to worship and to take delight in the LORD on His day, Sunday. We are to perform our priestly duty on the LORD’s day and from there we must be lead to work as faithful stewards and vice-gerents for the LORD through out the week.

To recap, work and worship in God’s garden-sanctuary constitute man's calling. Servant-king and priest describe our relationship with the Creator-Lord of the universe. Faithfulness to God and to His divine calling summarizes man’s response to this living relationship with God who created and blessed man with goodness and grace.

Brothers and sisters, all these are true to us now through Jesus Christ, just as they are true in Adam, the first man. In Christ, we work and worship in God's world. In Christ, we are God's servant-kings and priest, ministering to one another in the body of Christ as well as to our neighbors. In Christ, God calls us to be faithful to Him and to our calling as His priests in His holy temple, the church.

I can’t overemphasize the need for us to keep on gathering together on the LORD’s Day in order to express our grateful worship to Him. It is the source of our delight and strength for the week to come.

Parents, it is our privilege to bring our families to the church to worship God. Together with other believers, we experience a spiritual union and communion with God through Jesus Christ by the Spirit when we gather as His covenant people here on earth.

Children, sometimes going to church may not be that exciting to you. But if your delight is in Christ you will never get tired of coming back to serve the Lord again and again, for this is our spiritual act of worship.

Christian Homeschooling: A Way to Educate Our Children the Christian Way

So why do we homeschool our children? Why do we use Biblical and Christ-centered curricula and materials in teaching our children? What is our goal?

First, we must see our children as God’s children. They are ultimately God’s. They are heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Our children are ultimately not our own. We are God’s representative to our children. We treat our children the way God would treat them. We are to nurture, admonish, guide, discipline, and love them as God would do it.

What’s the essence of our parenting then? We are parenting our children in God’s stead.

Second, what should our goal be in homeschooling? Of course, in everything we do, our goal should always be to glorify God by obeying His commands. The Word of God requires us parents to instruct our children in the Christian faith and the doctrine of salvation. That’s what Deuteronomy 6:4-9 tell us. That's what 2 Timothy 3:14-15 shows us. This does not mean that you are talking to your children always, 24/7, all things about the Lord and you don’t talk to them about the ordinary things in life.

When the wise men of Scripture talk about setting a good example to our children and training them in righteousness, they mean that in the context of all of life – at home, at work, along the road, at the workshop, or in the market place.

Some of us, parents, especially those who are newly converted to the Christian faith, in our zeal and passion, we have the tendency to always correct and rebuke our children and talk to them only about God to the point of embittering them by always saying all the negative things. And our children actually end up saying, “I don’t like that God for MY God. That’s a horrible religion!” It’s all negative! It’s all outward behavior and performance that we are after in our children.

However, we will never win over our children to God when our religion is primarily negative. Yes, we must be correcting and rebuking our children – we must warn them about worldliness and waywardness – but that’s not the bulk of Christianity. That’s a part of it. The bigger part is the gospel, the grace of God in Christ, the glory and the purpose, as well as the meaning and fulfillment of life in God through Jesus Christ.

Christianity is essentially positive in nature. Our God who revealed Himself through His Son Jesus Christ is not a grumpy God, always correcting and rebuking, but a very attractive, joy-filled, tender-hearted, loving, and patient God. "He does not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever" (Psalm 103:9). As his children, He does rebuke us but in a very gentle way.

Here is where the education of our children comes in. We need good Christian education primarily not to get our children away from the world or ungodly children or spare them from embarrassment and bullying and materialism but PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST! Christian education does not primarily mean teaching them good values and wisdom. That’s only a small part of it.

The bigger part of Christian education is to teach every subject or every knowledge to our children and how this knowledge relates to the Lordship of Christ and how it glorifies God! Christ is the sum and the bottom of education. He is the center of education! The positive teaching is the call of the gospel – the invitation to the fullness of Christ and the fact that Christ is both the object and subject of Christian education.

As object of Christian education, Jesus is the foundation and the goal of teaching our children. Why do we teach our children Language and Logic and Science and History and Geology and Astronomy and Anatomy and Math? So they may know God through our Lord Jesus Christ, His person and His work, His saving power and majestic rule, and in knowing Him they would learn to bow down before His Lordship and glorify Him in their knowledge.

We don’t want our children to have perfect scores in Language and Logic but they don’t understand the Bible and they do not know God. We don’t want them to have excellent grades in Science and Social Studies but they don’t bow down in adoration before the God who created our bodies and the whole universe and saved us through His Son Jesus Christ.

As Rev. Greg Lubbers writes, “This [i.e., the glory of God] is the exclusive goal of Christian education. This is what gives [Christian education] inestimable value. Where this is understood, there will be an invisible caption written above every classroom of Christian instruction and every page of Christian curriculum quoting Ecclesiastes 12:13, ‘Let us hear the conclusion of every matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man’” (The Outlook, Sept/Oct 2010, p.10).

As the subject of our children’s education, Jesus is the one who imparts His divine instruction. He acts in revealing His lordship to the hearts of our children, bringing them to bow down in humble fear. Christ accomplishes this work through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, it is the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit within the heart of our children that reveals the sovereignty of Christ and brings the appropriate response of faith, repentance and obedience.

So as the subject of Christian education our Lord Jesus acts – He does something for us that we cannot truly understand every subject without Him and without the power of His Spirit guiding our path and illuminating our mind.

Note also Ephesians 6:4 and the emphasis of nurturing our children “in the Lord.” We don’t raise our children according to OUR ideas of nurture and admonition but the nurture and admonition of the LORD and His ideas. Spiritually, morally, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically, we are to raise our children on behalf of God according to His Word.

The whole book of Proverbs illustrates this. Parental, especially paternal (because the father is the primary teacher), and covenantal approach (God calls us “My son…”, “My daughter…”) is the Biblical pattern of educating our children. A Christian home must be a temple in which God is not forced down children’s throat but God is acknowledged and cherished and worshiped (Psalm 34:11-14).

That means we teach our children continually (day by day), as opportunities arise (formal or informal), but we do so primarily positively, truthfully, and honestly teach them all areas of life. And in all those areas, Christ is sovereign. He is Lord of all our lives. It’s a daunting and unending task – always teaching our children. But we have the promise of God that He will equip us as we faithfully teach them.

So Christian education, especially Christian homeschool education, is valuable because it is exclusive, in that it seeks to do something nothing else does – not the public education, not the mediocre Christian education, not the godless or humanistic or man-centered education – in bringing the student face to face with a sovereign Christ as He displays His sovereignty through His person and work, calling for a response of humble fear.

While only eternity will fully reveal the results of such labor, may we, by the grace of God, labor on with immovable hope that God will crown and reward faithful Christian Homeschool education with His blessings!

(This message was first shared at our December 2011 Lighthouse Homeschool Network General Assembly. The essence of the message was based on a lecture on parenting by Dr. Joel Beeke and an article by Rev. Greg Lubbers, “The Exclusive Goal of Christian Education” from the Christian magazine The Outlook, Sept/Oct 2010).