CLARUS 2013

Just a few more days until Desert Springs Church's annual theology conference called Clarus. The conference is completely sold out, but the sessions will be available in audio form on the church's website shortly after the conference. I am very excited for this conference and looking forward to sitting under the teaching of our very qualified speakers, Paul Tripp and Timothy Lane.

Clarus

Here is how DSC’s teaching elder, Pastor Ryan Kelly, explains what Clarus is:

Since 2005 Desert Springs Church (DSC) has held an annual conference weekend with a guest speaker and a focused topic. In 2008 we started giving it a name, Clarus—which is Latin for bright, clear, or radiant. We think that word aptly reflects our intentions with this conference: that God and His truth would be made more clear, more radiant to us, and more powerfully penetrating in us. To that end we set aside a full weekend every year for fellowship, singing, prayer, and instruction about God’s words and ways. In 2011, Clarus became a Regional Conference of The Gospel Coalition.

Clarus 2013

Ryan introduces this year’s theme:

God’s plan for our redemption is not merely to reconcile us to Himself, but to point us to those who share this reconciliation, the church. In Christ, Christians become part of a new family.

. . .Roughly 50 times the New Testament tells Christians to do something one to another. We sometimes refer to these as the one-anothers—e.g., love one another, serve one another, pray for one another, stir up one another, encourage one another, sing to one another, etc. Such commands simply cannot be done alone. We need partners. We need a partnership—which is really what “fellowship” is.

. . .To that end, we Christians meet regularly for worship and teaching; we read the Scriptures and pray, alone and in our families; we read good books and recommend them to others; we keep working at these relationships and our ministry to each other.

Dr. Tripp and Dr. Lane are not addressing a subject reserved for vocational ministers or even those involved in formal biblical counseling. They are addressing Christians with God’s Word concerning a most basic aspect of Christian discipleship: speaking the truth in love.

As Christians, we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), and we are to also grow together (Ephesians 4:15-16). We do not do this perfectly because we are sinful people in need of a Savior. We hurt those that we love the most; we isolate ourselves from others because we don’t want our hearts exposed; we may put on a “good face” when we are around others, but inside we are in utter turmoil; we worship our own kingdoms. Without living in true Christ-centered biblical community, we will wallow in our failures and sins and live as those who have no hope.

But, of course, God calls us to something greater. He calls us to Himself! He calls us through the truth of the gospel, the hope of lasting change and the grace of God. In tune with Matthew 6:33, we seek His kingdom and His righteousness and in so doing, Jesus knits His church together because we are seeking after Him, not our own interests. He exposes our hearts and our sin for the good of His children and for the glory of God. We then let others in because we see that we need Jesus and each other. As Dr. Tripp and Dr. Lane remind us, “change is a community project.”

At DSC, we have been greatly helped by Dr. Tripp and Dr. Lane’s resources.How People Change and Instruments In the Redeemer’s Hands have been used here to train our membership in biblical counseling. This fall, our Community Groups worked through Paul Tripp’s marriage DVD series, What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage.

On a personal note, as a lay-biblical counselor at DSC, I am very excited to be part of a church that upholds the primacy of the Word in the pulpit, but also as central to the life of every Christian. And I’m thankful for this annual conference and the blessing that it has been to our church. Having Dr. Lane and Dr. Tripp teach will serve as an invaluable resource and encouragement, not only for the DSC family, but also for those from around the Southwest region who will join us. My hope is that this conference will remind us of our great need of Jesus both individually but also corporately. Christ is indeed the head of his church. By God’s grace, we are praying for the church in the Southwest region to be encouraged in the all-important work of one-anothering the Word.

For more information on this year’s conference, including talk titles and registration, visit clarusabq.com.

THEOLOGY - The Series

Good morning!  Here is the second question and answer to my NANC theology exam.  Have you ever wondered what infallibility means?  How does it relate to authority?  In Question 2, I will answer what that relationship is...

BIBLIOLOGY

Question 2: What is the relationship between infallibility and authority?

Infallibility, which is a synonym for inerrant, means to be without error regarding either assertions or denials even in matters of history and science.  Authority means that the Bible has the right to command what I do (and not do) and what I think (and what I should not think.)[1]

Since the Bible is infallible, it is linked to authority because it is true in all of its claims.  Jesus Himself testifies that God’s Word is true in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”  Jesus assures us that His Word is true.  Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  If all Scripture is true and is inspired by God, then it has all authority.  Infallibility and authority go hand in hand, and you cannot have one without the other.  They are both necessary in Scripture and since Scripture explains that it is sufficient for all things pertaining to life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence,” then I can be confident that the Bible has all authority for all areas of life.  Another way of explaining the Bible’s infallibility is by the fact that: 1) God cannot lie.  Romans 3:3-4 says, “What if some were unfaithful?  Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?  By no means!  Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”  God is true and faithful.  2) God is the author and perfector of the Bible. Second Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:20-21.  Therefore, since God cannot lie and he is the author of the Bible, the Bible is infallible.  

Second Peter 1:19-21 states, “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in the dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”  This passage helps to define the relationship between authority and infallibility because Peter is very clear about the source of Scripture which is God the Father by the Holy Spirit’s direction.  Since the source of Scripture is from God Himself, and God is the source of all truth and that Scripture is truth (John 17:17), it follows that the whole of Scripture is authoritative and is infallible.  If God’s Word were not infallible or authoritative, then we would be a people without hope (Psalm 19:7-11).  The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:13-19, “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.  We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”  The Bible records the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His rising from the dead and His ascension into heaven.  He then sent the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing the believer’s residence in heaven with Him.  If the Bible is not authoritative or inerrant, then believers are to be pitied most of all people because our hope rests in the truth of the Gospel and in all of Scripture.

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[1] Rob Green, BCTC, Bibliology, Track 5