Todd Linn's Blog

Can Christians know for sure whether they are saved? I believe so. As we continue our systematic treatment of soteriology (the study of salvation), today’s Theology Thursdays post examines what the Bible teaches about assurance.

This Slideshare presentation provides central passages that teach assurance, some reasons people may lack assurance, and offers the doctrinal phrase “perseverance of the saints” as a better way of teaching assurance than the often misunderstood phrase “eternal security.”

Finally, our study provides “3 Questions To Answer That Can Give Genuine Assurance Of Salvation.” Enjoy!

Assurance of Salvation from Todd Linn, PhD

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We noted in our previous post that sin is always “an inside job.” Having examined the cause of temptation, we look now at the consequence of temptation (should we give in). Next week we’ll explore the correction of temptation.

Once we allow ourselves to be drawn away by our desires and enticed, James warns: “then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

Remember: this all takes place within each person. Again, sin is an inside job. See how it works in one of the most familiar accounts in the Old Testament: King David, a godly man once described as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).

We read in 2 Samuel 11 that King David stays home during a season when kings are generally found on the battlefield. The Bible says that David walks out on his rooftop to look around one evening. And from this vantage point, he happens to see a young woman bathing herself. Now, had David just turned away and gone back inside, that would have been the end of it. But he didn’t. He kept looking, watching this young woman; Bathsheba, watching her as she bathed herself.

His perpetual looking was not Bathsheba’s fault. The text suggests she is entirely unaware of his watching her. It was David’s fault to continue looking.   And the more he looks, the more he thinks and the more he feels. Desire is forming within. And the longer he looks at this unsuspecting woman—a married woman, as he will soon learn—the more greatly David allows himself to be “drawn away by his own desire and enticed.” Remember what James writes next? “When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.”

David calls for Bathsheba and she is brought to the king’s palace. Given his royal position and the expected compliance of all persons under his authority, we shouldn’t be too surprised by Bathsheba’s willingness to follow the king’s directives. The writer’s economy of words is understandable: “Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her…and she returned to her house (2 Samuel 11:4).” 

Many today would consider David’s actions to be nothing more than a “fling,” an affair, or a one-night stand. The Bible calls it a sin, namely the sin of adultery. And, as is often the case with such egregious sins, the duration of the sin was remarkably short compared to the years of consequences that followed. 

James asserts: “When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James is writing metaphorically, and yet, in David’s case, this literally happened. The child conceived by Bathsheba dies as a consequence of David’s sin, discipline by God. And the child’s death was certainly a painful consequence for both David and Bathsheba. And yet a fate far worse than physical death was the death of David’s vigor and spirit for the rest of his days. He is clearly a broken man after his adultery. He is not the man he once was. He is broken, broken by sin and temptation. 

Little wonder James cautions, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” Never think you can give in to a particular temptation “just once,” and all will be well. We must never toy with temptation. Learn from David! Do not flirt with others. Don’t click on questionable web links. Don’t look at the picture. Don’t watch the video. Don’t even joke about sin. Listen again to James’ warning: “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”

Here is a reminder that we are all capable of being deceived. Just as trials are inevitable, so temptation is unavoidable. Remember that James writes, “Let no one say when (not if) he is tempted…” Every Christian is subject to temptation. As Paul warns elsewhere, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).” 

Thankfully, God provides the means of escape from every temptation. Paul goes on to say in the very next verse, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).”

This happy consideration takes us to the next fact Christians should know about temptation–but we’ll save that for next time!

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 32-34, available on Amazon.

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Today’s Theology Thursdays post continues our study of pneumatology, or the study of the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

We’ll study the Greek term “Parakletos” in John 14, including what I believe to be an insightful teaching from Raymond Brown’s The Paraclete in The Fourth Gospel.

The Holy Spirit’s work parallels that of Christ. In some sense, He comes to “replace” Christ, carrying on His work in the world and maintaining His presence with the believer.

So, without further ado, here is today’s SlideShare presentation:

Holy Spirit as Paraclete from Todd Linn, PhD

Years ago, before my oldest son was born, I began a project to restore a bedroom chest of drawers that belonged to me when I was small and had also belonged to my father when he was small.  So, I wanted to complete this project before my son was born so we could place it in the nursery, and he would have it growing up.  But it needed a lot of work.  And so I stored the chest of drawers in my landlord’s woodshed, and I’d go over there after work each evening and work on it.

It still had this strange blend of colors painted on it, popular in the early 70s, with a mixture of green and brown swirls all over it.  And I wanted to strip it down to its original wood and just stain it, so all the paint had to be removed along with, as I discovered, much to my dismay, another color of paint underneath it.  

After removing the paint, I had to remove some of the ruined wood near the bottom of the chest of drawers. It had gotten wet, so there was a bit of unwanted and splintered wood at the base.  I had to remove it and then sand away the rough edges.  In fact, the sanding was some of the most grueling work.  It took a long time to sand the entire piece of furniture, smoothing out all the rough spots before it was ready to have a new coat of stain applied to it.  

While the piece was unfinished, it looked pretty rough.  I didn’t have much time to work on it, so it sat incomplete in my landlord’s shed for some weeks and months.  He was eager for me to finish the job, but I only had so much time after work each day to devote to it.  So it sat in the shed incomplete for many weeks waiting for me to finish it.  

When it was finally finished, I have to say that it looked really good!  In fact, it still looks good, and both of my boys have benefited from having it in their respective rooms as they grew up in our home.

James 1:2-5

In many ways, James is teaching us that God is doing a work in our lives that is largely incomplete until He has finished His perfect work of restoration.  And just like a piece of furniture, God often has to first “strip us down,” allowing trials into our lives to remove some of the rough edges of our personalities or the unwanted shards and splinters of our erroneous thinking.  He breaks off all the unwanted stuff that doesn’t look like Jesus as He tests and strengthens our faith.  He sands and smoothes and ultimately restores us into something beautiful, conforming us to the glorious image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29).

In the last chapter, we read where James made this very point in verse 4: “But let patience (or endurance) have its perfect work (or its full effect), that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing.”

And so James now writes in verse 5, “(and) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,”  which is to say, “If this work I am doing in your life, ‘stripping away and sanding you’ through trials of adversity and difficulty, if this does not seem to make sense to you and you lack wisdom, ask of Me, and I will help you out.”

God provides wisdom for troubled times.  There is power available to us as we persevere through hardships and difficulties.  In these verses, James tells us what to do, how to do it, and what happens if we do it wrong.  First:

What to Do:
Ask God for wisdom

God gives His wisdom generously to all who ask Him.  James says we need only “Ask of God.”  Note that carefully.  Ask of God.  He is the One to whom you go.  He is the One to whom we pray.  The Bible never says, “Ask of Mary” or “Ask of Saint Monica” to pray along with you.  Ask of God.  

The NIV puts it this way: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Ask God for wisdom.  And if you ask Him, here is the promise: He will give it.  He will give wisdom generously to all who ask Him.  He will not rebuke anyone for asking.  He’ll not say something like: “What are you doing here asking me for wisdom?!”  He will not turn anyone away who asks for wisdom.  

And God has an infinite supply of wisdom.  Paul declares: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Romans 11:33a)!”  So we need only ask of God, and He will gladly give to us because He always has a rich supply.

Incidentally, verse 5 is often cited apart from its context.  Make no mistake: it will stand on its own.  In faith, we can ask God for wisdom no matter our need, and God is glad to oblige us.  So you can ask God for wisdom when you are struggling with a problem, trying to figure something out, for example.  It may not be a particular trial or hardship, but you’re just trying to solve a solution at work or something similar, and you ask God for wisdom. 

But the real effect of this verse is found in the context of what James has just said about trials, hardships, difficulties, and affliction.  It is in the context of God’s working in our lives, testing us, strengthening us, chipping away all the stuff that doesn’t look like Jesus, stripping us down in order to “finish us,” mature us, and complete us.  In this context, James says, “Now, by the way, if you are having a hard time persevering through the trials, and you need help seeing things as God sees them, then just ask for wisdom, and God will give it to you.”

Someone said wisdom is seeing our circumstances from God’s perspective.  I like that idea—even if I can’t exactly see how God sees—because I am reminded that God is working through our circumstances, conforming us into Christlikeness.

So what are we to do if we need wisdom during troubled times?  We ask of God.  That’s what to do. 

Next time we’ll talk about how to do it!

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 10-13, available on Amazon.

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Today’s “Theology Thursdays” post provides an overview of the biblical teaching on the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

Three texts are examined in particular, followed by theological implications derived from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology.

So without further ado, here is today’s Theology Thursday’s SlideShare presentation:

Christology 6 (Virgin Birth)) from Todd Linn, PhD

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Thanks to my younger son, nearly every time I read James 5:12, I am reminded of a classic scene in an episode of “The Three Stooges.”  In the 1936 episode “Disorder in the Court,” Curly is being sworn in to testify as a key witness to a murder trial.  There is an extensive back-and-forth between the bailiff and Curly as the bailiff tries his level best to get Curly—who is also holding a cane—to take off his hat, place his left hand on the Bible, and raise his right hand.  

Curly just can’t seem to figure out how to do all three actions at once.  The bailiff becomes greatly agitated, and the problem escalates when the exasperated bailiff, in an effort to end the ordeal as swiftly as possible, hurriedly rattles off the familiar question: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”  Curly can’t understand the bailiff’s speedy question, so the drollery continues for quite some time before Curly is finally “sworn in.”

It really is a funny spectacle!  But goofball antics of this scene notwithstanding, what place does James’ teaching in verse 12 have in today’s court of law? 

Here’s the text:

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.  But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. (James 5:12)

Does James forbid the Christian’s taking an oath to provide testimony?  Is it wrong for Christians to place their hand upon a Bible and swear an oath of office?  There are some who think so.  They read this verse along with statements made by our Lord Jesus and conclude that they cannot, in good conscience, swear to take an oath of any kind.  

On a surface level, James’ words certainly seem to forbid such oath-taking.  At the same time, given the wider scope of scriptural teaching, I do not think the Bible forbids wholesale the practice of taking oaths.  

Before we consider precisely what James is teaching here, we may feel that this verse seems a bit out of place.  How does this seemingly random verse fit into the overall context of James’ letter?

If there is one thing we’ve learned about James, it is that he has much to say about the use and misuse of our tongues.  While chapter 3 stands out as the primary chapter on misuse of the tongue, James’ teaching on this subject begins as early as the first chapter, where he cautions against one’s “saying” he is tempted by God (James 1:13).  

Recall that he warned in the same chapter, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless (James 1:26).”

You’ll also remember that in Chapter 2, James warns against our “saying” to the poor and shabbily dressed worshiper, “You stand over there (James 2:3)” and he rebukes us for “saying” a Christian can have faith without works (James 2:12).

Then there is that extensive and exhaustive treatment of the tongue in chapter 3, verses 1 through 12.  James warns that our tongues are a fire, a world of iniquity (James 3:6), and “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:8).”

In chapter 4, he warns, “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother…speaks evil of the law and judges the law (James 4:11).”

And in our previous study of the opening verses of chapter 5 (the verses immediately preceding our text), we read where James warns—in the context of injustice—“Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned (James 5:9).”  

This last warning (verse 9) is especially helpful in providing context for verse 12.  It is often when we go through trials, temptations, and injustices that we are especially vulnerable and most likely to say things we will later regret.

Consider Peter’s behavior on the night Jesus was betrayed.  Peter was rather “oath-like” in his verbal stand for Christ.  Earlier in the evening, he boasted, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble (Matthew 26:33).”  But of course, Peter himself ended up “stumbling,” abandoning Jesus.  Later, when under pressure to reveal himself as a follower of Christ, Peter thrice denied his Lord, swearing: “I do not know the Man (Matthew 26:69-75)!”

Perhaps it is this kind of behavior foremost in James’ thinking when he writes verse 12.  We cannot say for certain, but we do know that the misuse of our words is a prominent theme in this letter.

Having established the immediate context of verse 12, let us consider a few other passages where oaths are mentioned in the Bible.

It was not uncommon in New Testament times to use oaths in a self-serving way, a means by which to be evasive or avoid personal responsibility.  An oath might be taken not so much to bind one to a commitment but rather as the means by which to get out of one.

For example, in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus warns:

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?”(Matthew 23:16-17)

In addition to addressing the creation of superficial distinctions in the law, Jesus teaches that it is always wrong to use an oath to get out of one’s word.

Oaths used this way often provided a “loophole” to one’s pledge, an “escape hatch” to get out of a commitment.   We may imagine a person saying something like, “Look, I know I promised.  I know I gave you my word, but you need to remember that I swore only by the temple, not by the gold of the temple!  So I am not obliged to keep my promise.”  

This is not too dissimilar from the oaths many of us took on the playground as small children.  We would “promise” to do some such thing, but behind our backs, we crossed our fingers.  We believed that if we had our fingers crossed, then our oath was not binding.  And if we really meant to keep our word, we would say something like: “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye (whatever that means!).”

Jesus also addresses the danger of attempting to strengthen our words by swearing oaths.  In the Sermon on the Mount, He says:

Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.”  But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No.” For whatever is more than these is from the evil one (Matthew 5:33-37).

This particular matter of trying to strengthen one’s words by adding an oath seems to be at the center of what James forbids in verse 12.  The idea is, “Don’t seek to strengthen or enforce your words by adding an oath to them.  Just keep your word!”

At the same time, it seems clear that the Bible does not entirely forbid the practice of taking oaths.

Jesus, Himself, took an oath.  During His trial, the high priest looked at Jesus and said, “I charge You under oath by the Living God. Are You the Son of God?”  And Jesus replied, under oath, “Yes, I am; it is as you say (Matthew 26:63-64).”

Paul’s second letter to the Church at Corinth records an “oath-like” manner of speaking: “Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:23; cf. Galatians 1:20; Philippians 1:8).”

God the Father took an oath when making His covenant with Abraham.  According to the writer of Hebrews: “When God made his promise to Abraham since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself (Hebrews 6:13).”

So when we compare Scripture with Scripture, it is hard to conclude that the Bible strictly forbids the taking of all oaths, without exception.

On the contrary, it would seem that given man’s fallen nature, oaths would be helpful in situations such as a court of law.  It is precisely because we are sinners, liars at heart, that oaths have proved helpful in ascertaining the truth.  Given man’s propensity for trying to find loopholes, a solemn ceremony wherein one is formally bound to tell the truth seems especially needful in modern civilization.

Think about it: Why do we require the placing of one’s hand on the Bible anyway?  In other words, if one has to place his or her hand on the Bible in order to guarantee that he or she is now going to be telling the truth, what does this say about the way a person naturally goes about speaking and behaving when he or she is not placing a hand upon the Bible?

It is as though we are saying, “Oh, but I mean it now, you see.  After all, I am placing my hand upon the Bible!” Or better: “I will place my hand upon a stack of Bibles!”

This reasoning sounds very much like the Pharisee who says: “I swear not merely by the temple, but by the gold of the temple!”

So, while the custom of taking an oath, such as in a court of law, may be permissible in our day, a Christian should never feel the need to strengthen or enforce his words by taking an oath.  This seems to be more what James is after here in verse 12: 

“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.  But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment.”

In essence, James is saying, “Look, don’t be like some unbeliever who has to enforce his words with an oath.  You don’t place your hand on the Bible only when you mean it because, as a Christian, your hand is always on the Bible.” 1

There are No Levels of Truthfulness

For Christians, there are no levels of truthfulness.  We do not reason: “Well, this is one level of truth here, and then there is this little bit of “gray area” here, so I can tell the whole truth here and fudge a little there.”

Christians are expected to be completely truthful at all times.  Placing your hand on the Bible doesn’t suddenly make you a truth-teller.   Placing your hand on the Bible, for the Christian, is really of no consequence because the true Christian always tells the truth.

God is your Judge (cf. James 5:9), and you are always “under oath.”  Always!  You are always “sworn in.”  

There are no levels of truthfulness to your employer, to your clients, to your co-workers, to your parents, to your children, or to your spouse.  Let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No,” “No.”  Be a person of your word.  Tell the truth every time.  Don’t fudge.  Don’t look for the loophole.  

There are No Levels of Integrity

Christians will not fudge the truth, compromise their morality, or cheapen their integrity.  They endeavor to walk not in worldliness but in holiness.

So there are no levels of integrity in your marriage.  You said to your spouse, “I do.”  There was no qualification to that commitment.  You said, “Yes,” so let your “Yes” be “Yes.”

You said, “For richer or for poorer, for sickness and in health, for the good times, and the bad times, too.”

Those who know us should regard us as those who always tell the truth.  We are a people “set apart” from the average person.  And our motivation for always telling the truth comes from God’s truthfulness to us.  His “Yes” can be taken to the bank.  

Imagine If God changed His “Yes” to “No!”  God has said wonderful things such as, “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37)” or, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink (John 7:37).” Or consider this classic promise: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).”

So imagine if God were to say to you, “Look, I didn’t really mean you.  I didn’t really mean all of what I said.  I wasn’t talking about forgiving that sin!”

Here is the supreme motivator for our own faithfulness: God’s faithfulness to us.  God’s faithfulness to us motivates our faithfulness to Him and our faithfulness to others.  

What About You?Are you comfortable taking an oath in a court of law?  Why or why not?  Be sure to use Scripture to support your answer.How does secular society view telling the truth?  Why do you think that is?Are you known as a person of your word?

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 179-186, available in all formats here.

I am indebted to Tim Keller for this phrase “Your hand is always on the Bible,” heard in his sermon, “Communication,” available at https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/communication-5831/  accessed May 28, 2020  PREVIOUS COMMENTSdirectorfsm Great little article; I wholeheartedly agree with the concept of no levels of truth or integrity. There is only God’s standard. I was just having this conversation with a gentleman in my church yesterday concerning some shady construction things we have both seen over the years and how many folks, especially here in the South, have been ripped off by so-called “Christian” contractors. We agreed cutting corners is immoral, unethical, and in many cases illegal, not to mention sinful for a self-proclaiming “Christian.”Comment by post authorTodd Linn, PhD Amen, brother. We, believers, should be setting the best example in the workplace and beyond. Thanks for your comment!

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For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:14b)

The Greek word translated as “vapor” is an old word meaning “mist.”  It’s the word from which we get our English word “atmosphere.”  Our lives are like that evanescent misty steam rising from our morning coffee.  We see it, but for a moment, and then it is gone.  

How foolish that we should speak so presumptuously about our plans for the future when our lives are so fragile, so fleeting, so frail.  

Of course, this does not mean we are to live our lives dejectedly, consigning ourselves to the fatalism of a meaningless existence.  That is not what James is teaching!  Quite the contrary: created in God’s image, we have real meaning and purpose.  God has designed us to live our lives for His glory, and when we live for Him, we experience life on the most joyous level possible.

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:15)

James gives us what we ought to say instead of boasting about our self-made, self-determined plans.  Rather than saying, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,” James argues: “Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 

“If the Lord wills.”  That’s how we are to speak: “If the Lord wills, I will be alive tomorrow.”  Pretty humbling, right?  Someone invites you to go somewhere; imagine you would reply: “If the Lord allows me to live.”  Sounds kind of morose, doesn’t it?!

I’m not sure that James actually means we are to say these exact words every time, but I do think he wants us to think this way every time.   We are to be thinking this way, deep down in our hearts, knowing that our lives are full of uncertainties.  We will only do this or that if the Lord permits.

The Apostle Paul thought this way.  We see evidence of it in his first letter to the Corinthians.  He writes, “I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills (1 Corinthians 4:19),” and, “I hope to stay awhile with you, if the Lord permits (1 Corinthians 16:7).”

This is a healthy and humbling way to think: “If the Lord permits” or “Lord willing.” Christians of earlier generations would often conclude their letters with something of their plans and then append the Latin phrase, Deo Volente, God permitting.

Our lives are characterized by so much uncertainty and frailty.  No one knows for certain what will happen tomorrow or in the next few hours.  We’ll talk more about this in our next post on James…Deo Volente!

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 153-154, available in all formats here.

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Today’s “Theology Thursdays” post addresses the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. In a well-known verse, the Apostle Paul writes:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

But what exactly does that mean? Is the Bible “inspired” in the same way people talk of being “inspired” by Shakespeare? Or does it mean more?

Also, what was the Lord Jesus Christ’s view of the Bible? Should Christians not have the same view as He?

So, without further ado, here is today’s Theology Thursdays SlideShare presentation:

Bible 2, Inspiration and Inerrancy from Todd Linn, PhD

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sophialorenabenjaminthis was such a well written post….keep pushing them out… there’s so many looking forward to such inspiration….Comment by post authorTodd Linn, PhD Thank you, Sophia! I appreciate your encouragementsooner8728I enjoyed this. Looking forward to reading more of your blog.Comment by post authorTodd Linn, PhDThank you, my friend