Imlay City Bible Study

Looking at Jonah 3 and the great blessing that accompanies the preaching of the reluctant prophet makes me think of a more recent Great Awakening. God moves as He chooses and changes multitudes through the simple preaching of His word. Check out the sermon that stirred America in the early 1700's

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God By Jonathan Edwards

Looking at the Noahic Covenant is a major step in the direction of seeing how God deals with His creation. The Covenants of the Bible are like milemarkers on the road of the revelation of God's wonderful Grace.

For a great work on the subject see Arthur Pinks work The Divine Covenants and especially The Noahic Covenant

As we move into Jonah for a few weeks we first see God's man in rebellion and the hand of God moving against him. This is a trial in which we as Christains should rejoice, though it is difficult at the time. It is a token of our Savior's love.

THE CHASTENING OF LOVE - The Lord Jesus declares that He loves His people, and especially the people whom He chastens. Had we not a 'thus says the Lord' for its truth, its greatness would render it incredible; and had we not some experience of it in our own souls- alas! how small the measure! -it would be too spiritual and glorious for our conception. But who are the people upon whom the heart of Jesus is set? They are not angels; and yet He loves angels because they are elect and holy; He loves them as the creatures of His power, and as the messengers of His will. But God loves not angels as He loves man. The Lord Jesus bears not the same affection towards those unfallen and pure spirits as He does towards a poor sinner hiding in His wounded side, cleansing in His blood, and enfolding himself within the robe of His righteousness. He never took part of the nature of angels, nor wept over angels, nor bled for angels- but all this He did for man! - Octavius Winslow (Click the link and read it all, it's worth it!)

Total Depravity as understood by reformation theology is that man is thoroughly corrupted by sin in every area of his being. Not that he is as bad as he can be, but that he can never be good enough. He will never seek after God unless and until God changes him first. His motives are corrupt though he may do outwardly good works.

See Loraine Boettner's short work on the subject in his article entitled Total Depravity.

Noah's flood is a pivotal issue when we look at the Scriptures. The reality of Creation and the Flood as plainly taught in the Bible are essential to the Gospel and the Person of Jesus Christ. There are several great Articles concerning the topic on the Answers in Genesis website.

One in particular that I think is worth reading is called since it sort of brings most of the arguments together rather neatly and succinctly is called The Second Greatest Catastrophe of All Time.

Looking at marriage as God originally intended it. Since we do not live in that pristine environment we need to know how to redeem our marriages. I have gotten a lot of insight in this matter from listening to John Piper's sermons on marriage from Genesis. I would encourage you all to listen to or watch them on his website
www.desiringgod.org

I would encourage you particularly to listen to his talk called, "How is Marriage a Mystery?"

Looking at Genesis 6:1-4 can be a bit like solving a puzzle. It has been debated among theologians, both Jewish and Christian, for thousands of years. There have essentially grown out of that three (or three-and-a-half, one being a combination of two others) recognized interpretations. There are some things that belong to the Lord and I believe that this is one of them. If He had intended us to take hard positions on things like this I believe that He would have made them absolutely clear. Here is a more scholarly debate about the possible interpretations. I will let you decide for yourself.

Who Are the Sons of God?

THE LORD’S DAY, THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH.

Before we enter on the direct examination of this question in the light of the Scriptures, by whose authority alone it can be determined, it becomes necessary to vindicate the good name of Calvin, the greatest of the Reformers, from the aspersion—for we regard it as such—that he maintained "the abrogation of the fourth commandment as a ceremonial institution, and contended for a Sabbath or stated day of worship, under the gospel, only as a wise and necessary human arrangement." That this eminent Reformer did use some expressions which give colour to these assertions, we do not deny, but this is all: he still maintained the Divine authority of the Lord’s day. In speaking of this institution, among other words, he thus defines its end (Inst., Bk.II.; Chap.8; Sec.28):

See the rest of the articel on the Covenenter.org website

This section, Genesis 2:4-25 deals with God's goodness to man in his original estate. There is so much grace here that it is hard to imagine that a man who possessed all that God had to give in the temporal sense is still unable to maintain fellowship with Him. It is in some ways a comfort to me as I consider my own sin-soaked life and wish I was more able to pleasse God by my actions, to know that I am not alone. Yet the comfort of companionship with the rest of sinful men is not to be compared with the additional grace received in the Covenant of Grace. This is a study of contrasts but not of opposites. It is an amplification of God's goodness to wretched sinners like me that even though it would be fair to condemn me for the violation of that first covenant, in His mercy He has extended to me the second of which I cannot fail while I trust in Him who has given the ability to trust Him.

See the general details HERE concerning the concepts of Covenant Theology

With the study of Genesis and the Creation Account, it seems to me that the idea of Apologetics is withing the scope of our text. Here are insights into each of three primary methods of apologetics.

Traditional (Classical)

Presuppositional

Evidential

From Matt Slick at www.carm.org

As we look at the last section of 1 John we will look at the idea that Justification is accompanied by Sanctification. This with the witness of the Spirit should give us confidence to live the Christian life.
Here is a reccomendation, from a modern Christian, Jerry Bridges in an article from Modern Reformation Magazine that speaks to the issue of the relationship of Justification and Sanctification very well.

Gospel-Driven Sanctification

A tremendous Sermon by Jonathan Edwards called Love, the Sum of All Virtue, from 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

Let a man have what he will, and let him do what he will, it signifies nothing without charity. Which surely implies that charity is the great thing, and that everything which has not this some way or other contained or implied in it is nothing; signifying as much as that this is the life and soul of all religion, without which other things that bear the name of motives are empty and vain. And particularly faith is here mentioned as being nothing without it. That faith which has not love in it, though it be to such degree that men could remove mountains, yet is nothing, like an empty, vain thing, and like the body without the spirit.

Here is a reccomendation, John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.

When you go to the page from the above link and scroll down (on the right in the grey column) you will see that the work is in four volumes but it is only about 150 pages. I t is not light reading but as with all of Owens works, worth the effort!

J.C. Ryle was the bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England in the 19th century. Though he was of the Church of England he was very sound in his theology and practical Christianity.

Take a look at his paper entitled Authentic Religion, it is a short work but great insight. I hope you will take the time to check it out!

Horatius Bonar has been called “the prince of Scottish hymn writers.” After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, he was ordained in 1838, and became pastor of the North Parish, Kelso. He joined the Free Church of Scotland after the “Disruption” of 1843, and for a while edited the church’s The Border Watch. Bonar remained in Kelso for 28 years, after which he moved to the Chalmers Memorial church in Edinburgh, where he served the rest of his life.

His gift for words is domonstrated well in this short article which gives the Christian a good perspective on the things of this world. The World Passeth Away

The History of the Work of Redemption is a wonderful book by Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) He was a colonial American Congregational preacher, theologian, and missionary to Native Americans. He is known as one of the greatest and most profound American evangelical theologians.

Volume IV, Section 4, Part 4 is about the rise of the antichrist. It is fascinating reading! Take a few minutes to see what the historical Christian teaching on this subject really is! HERE Or read the whole of Volume IV. HERE

Here is the Complete work by J. A. Wylie called The Papacy Is The Antichrist A DEMONSTRATION I realize how all of this sounds to some and I am not a doomsday kind of guy, but this has been every day Protestant Theology for 700 years and I believe that to disregard historical interpretations of Scripture is a recipe for heresy.

You can download the whole 50 page tract in Acobe Acrobat format by Right Clicking HERE (or just view it by Clicking).

Another brief work on mortification from a more devotional standpoint is
The Believer's Obligation to Mortify Sin by Octavius Winslow.

A Baptist Preacher of the 19th Century, he has a great affection for Christ and His work and it is contagoius in his writing. Please take the time to read this short work by clicking HERE.

This is a HIGHLY recommended read.
John Flavel's classic work On Keeping the Heart. It is a commentary on Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all didigence, for out of it are the issues of life."
There are two links below. one is to the text document the other is to mp3 recordings of the work. I will also have the mp3's with me on Sunday for those interested.