I believe in the original schedule we were to be finished with this third session at 11. Am I correct? Yes? We'll see how close we get to that. But the absolute, to use a theologian's term or expression, the terminus ad quem. That is, the end point will be no later than 15 minutes after 11, but we'll see how well we can do. One little housekeeping matter. I've been promising a free book to the person selected, and I don't know if Joel Hansen is here. That young gentleman. I trust he'll give it to someone who's, well, maybe he can read it, we'll see. I'll sign it and get it to you during the break, okay? It's Joel Hansen. You got 50 cents at least. That's good. I think one of the parents was a little nervous over the break. Someone said to me, I'm sorry if my child was fussing about or causing a little distraction. I said, oh no, I love the distraction. We have, my wife and I, 13 grandchildren, five of whom, six of whom actually, are under the age of three, so we're quite accustomed to all manner of chaos and enthusiastic bustling about and making of noise, so that's not a problem. I didn't finish my last presentation, so let me give you, in a little more than bullet points, what are really the more important things. It's one thing to make historical observations, it's another thing to say something about what bearing some of what we confess in the confession summarizing scripture might tell us by way of evaluating two kingdoms natural law, but the scriptures. are the supreme and final norm for our faith and practice, and so the ultimate question is, what do the scriptures teach? And my first point is, I believe that the account that is provided as comprehensively in the word of God, of the mighty works of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, beginning with creation and then subsequent to the fall, in his great work of redemption in Christ and by the Spirit, ultimately concluding at the time of our Lord's coming in the consummation of the kingdom and of Christ's redemptive work and office as mediator in the new heavens and the new earth, wherein righteousness dwells, and the presence of the Lord, a whole company of people, too many to count, from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, the new humanity, as the Bavink, the Dutch theologian, would put it, the organism of the new humanity in Christ, the whole story is one of God's work of grace in perfecting and bringing creation and his people to their appointed destiny. Or another way of putting it, I understand the story of redemption to be a story of God bringing the created order and in particular his people in the greater than Adam, the head of the new humanity, the elect in Christ to their destiny. And the story ends in the new heavens and the new earth. And as my professor, Anthony Hukum, I don't know if you're familiar with the book, The Bible and the Future, great book on eschatology, once put it, God is not making all new things. He's not starting with another second creation in a manner of speaking. He is making not all new things, but all things new. Or as the Dutch theologian Herman Bovink put it repeatedly, grace does not hover over or is not an additional realm. Beyond that and built upon the foundation of nature or creation, grace perfects. Or another way of saying it, the work of redemption is a work of renewal, is a work of restoration. is a work you could even say of healing. Think Psalm 103, God not only forgives all our sins, he heals all our diseases. Or if I may put it in another way, if you read Paul in Romans 8, the creation is what? By virtue of human sin and God's curse upon the human race that affects even the created order itself, groaning, like a woman in travail awaiting the revelation of the sons of God, at which time the sons of God will be revealed in their full glory and perfection as resurrected saints, glorified saints in Christ and the creation itself. will have been brought to its destiny. Or if I may use another passage, in 2 Peter 3, it seems to me what the Apostle Peter is talking about when he speaks of the refining of the created order so that in the new heavens and the new earth, the whole created order will be a world where in righteousness dwells, or as I put it earlier in my presentation, where everything is stamped holy, consecrated, and devoted to the Lord. Or if I may borrow imagery from the scriptures, channeled through an author by the name of Gregory Beal. The little creation temple that was the Garden of Eden, where God dwelt and fellowshiped with his people, gave them a mandate to live before his face in service to him in all of life, marriage, family, in the exercise of dominion over the created order. In the new creation, the whole of the human race headed up in Christ, the second Adam, will merge into not a little creation garden temple, but a glorious temple, the psalm we just sang. speaks of it in the imagery of the mountains skipping and crying out and shouting, the whole of the created order, a purified and refined and perpetual glorifying of God order in which the people of God will dwell together at peace in a world of righteousness where the holy law of God is honored freely and comprehensively and invariably, gladly, and the world is exactly as God intended and as God has made it to be. I don't think, you might say, well what does that have to do with the two kingdoms natural law perspective? It seems to me the two kingdoms natural law perspective doesn't view the created order and life within that created order in what they call the common kingdom as something that will be ultimately renewed and brought to perfection. In the writings of some of the authors in the Two Kingdom Natural Law Perspective, you get the impression that, in fact, with the exception of the resurrection of the body and the glorification of believers, this creation, its whole history, and all that transpired within it, within the realm of the common kingdom, is tossed on the dust heap and left behind. I don't think that's true. There's a little text in the book of Revelation that talks about even the glory of the various peoples who belong to God's kingdom come in its consummate form will be brought in. By the way, I mentioned yesterday, think about it in these terms. If you read the book of Revelation and you reflect on the imagery of the visions of the new heavens and the new earth, of what are you continually reminded? of the original created order. It's more than that. Even in the early part of the book of Revelation, one of the churches whom Christ addresses among the seven churches in Asia Minor, he speaks of that blessedness promised those who persevere in the way of faith in the paradise of God where there is what? The tree of life, which is a symbol, sacramental, of the fullness of one broken life in communion with God within the world as he has created it and then ultimately redeemed it. Marriage and family are creation ordinances, but they're fulfilled in the consummation of the kingdom. They're not left behind. The point of this all is, biblically speaking, the relationship between creation and redemption is not of redemption hovering over or being an addendum to creation, but it's perfecting. That brings me to my second biblical observation, which has to do with the Kingdom of God. Try to be a little more bullet pointish about this. This is a huge topic, but the kingdom of God and its redemptive expression. The simplest definition of kingdom is God's triumphant will and reign over all that which he has created, which was true at the beginning, which was broken through sin, which will be brought to its perfection in the consummation. where God's will triumphs and all is subject to him as he intends it to be by virtue of his redemptive grace in Christ. What was the big message that Christ preached upon his coming in the fullness of time in the gospels? The presence of the kingdom. And in addition to the word of the kingdom, think Sermon on the Mount, which is a manifesto of kingdom life, as Sinclair Ferguson nicely puts it, in a fallen world. Kingdom life in a fallen world. The message Christ preached was the coming of God's kingdom in redemptive, restorative, repairing and healing the brokenness of human life under the conditions of sin and God's curse. Why his miracles? Those were signs of what the kingdom and its redemptive power eventually brings. Now, you're an over-realized, in your eschatology, person if you think God promises us that healing of the body and its fullness in the here and now. That comes in the day of resurrection. But it does come. And those were signposts of what God intends to bring through his redemptive kingdom. The healing of the brokenness of human life under the conditions of sin in all of its manifest expressions. So I think the biblical themes of creation, fall, redemption, consummation, the theme of the coming of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in this present age and its ultimate fullness in the age to come, militate broadly speaking against some of the basic features of the two kingdom natural law perspective. One last comment by way of these biblical observations. I made it already in the first hour, but you have to keep your balance. Theologians talk about the presence of the kingdom already in this present age between the coming of Christ and his coming at the end of the age. and the presence of the kingdom in its fullness, perfection, and finality upon Christ's return. So here there's a little bit of commonality with the two kingdom perspective. They have it right if by their position they mean to say that we do not anticipate short of Christ coming again. that all of life in God's world among all people and in all respects will be just the way it ought to be. Now we'll continue to pray till Christ come. Come, Lord, come quickly and bring in the fullness of the promises that are ours in Christ Jesus, of which we have already a foretaste by the indwelling spirit, a down payment upon the fullness of life that will be ours in the age to come. We yearn for, we pray for, and we don't expect, even by dint of our best efforts, empowered by the Spirit, to see it happen, short of Christ coming, that the whole world will be happily submissive and delightedly committed to doing what pleases God. So those are my, broadly speaking, biblical observations that relate to, and in my judgment, are not entirely consonant with the teaching of the two-kingdom natural law perspective. Now, my last address, happily, is all positive, and it's summarized well in the title of Vernes Poitras' little book, The Lordship of Christ, especially the subtitle, Serving Our Savior All the Time, in all of life with all of our heart. Now, no one could disagree with that, right? That's what we're really talking about in the most basic sense when it comes to how do I serve Christ not only in church, but in my daily life, in my office as a father, a mother, a husband, wife, a believer, a worker, a laborer, a citizen, you fill in the blank. If it's a legitimate enterprise, calling, task, in which you're engaged within the context of your life before the face of God. Now, I had three points in my first address. This second presentation today is I think—I'm not a post-millennialist, but I'm optimistic—that I can be easily done by quarter after, because I only have two points, not three. The first point has to do with something called the threefold office of believer. I'm going to illustrate what it means to be in Christ, serving Christ from the heart, in all of life, in every way by way of first a comment or two on the threefold office of believer and then a comment on the nature of the Christian life as a Christ by His Spirit authored life of good works, which are done from true faith to God's glory and according to the standard of His holy law, which the Westminster Confession of Faith tells us is a perpetual rule of righteousness. Now we won't have to have it in written form in the coming kingdom. but we will live according to it, gladly, freely. Augustine said that in the kingdom consummated, in the state of perfection and glory, we will willingly, gladly, and delightedly do all that which is pleasing to God spontaneously from the heart and without any prodding or goading by way of God's law. It will be our heart's desire and pleasure. But before I say anything about those two points, I do have a scripture passage to frame my presentation, and it's Romans 12. Romans 12 comes in the context of Paul's exposition of the gospel of God's saving grace and mercy toward us in Christ unto our acceptance with God or our justification, not by works, but by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. And he says in chapter 12 the following, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, in the light of what God has done for you in Christ, accomplished on your behalf, put you in right relationship with God, and properly, rightly, an heir of eternal life, not by works, but by His grace in Christ. In view of that, present sin that grace may bow. No, that's not what he says. He says this, in view of his mercies, I appeal to you to present your bodies. Now, the theologians have a fancy word they call that synecdoche, the part for the whole. You know, of course, that we are holistic creatures, but distinguishable as in-soul bodies or body and soul. He's not just saying with your body in the narrow partitive sense. He's using body as a way, and it's perfectly biblical, to refer to the whole person. It's very concrete, eating and drinking, breathing, everything that you do instrumentally as a creature as a bodied creature. So, offer yourselves, you could translate it. Everything you are and all that you do as the persons you are, offer yourself to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world. but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Now, I hope to explain why that's relevant to my third address by starting with the threefold office of believer, because the language Paul is using in Romans 8 is the language of priestly service. Now, we're not priests in the sense in which Christ is our only high priest. who by his sacrifice of atonement completed and fulfilled all the types and shadows of the Old Testament economy and accomplished perfect redemption. We make no sacrifice for our sins. We add nothing to his work of atonement. Our priestly service is not to offer ourselves as atoning sacrifices, but in virtue of Christ's sacrifice, for which we are heartily grateful. We in thankful service respond to him as those who have been purchased by his precious blood by offering ourselves. If I were Kelvin, I would say, sincerely and promptly, I offer my heart to you, O Lord, which is another synecdoche in scripture. Out of the heart are the issues of life. So at the core of my identity and everything that flows from that as a person in Christ, Bought with His precious blood, I am a priest, and my priestly service is continual intercession, prayer, and the offering of a thank-offering, which is my life, in service to God. Now let me ground this a little bit by referring you. I'm not gonna use the Westminster Larger Catechism, questions 42 to 45, which speak of the threefold office of Christ and of believers. This is a commonplace in the Reformed tradition based on scripture that Christ fulfilled in his office as Redeemer, Mediator, a threefold office. Our only high priest, our chief prophet, and our eternal king. But as those who are members of Christ, Indwelt of the Spirit of Christ, participant in His anointing by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit, we also have a share in His office as prophets, priests, and kings. This is the way the Heidelberg Catechism puts it. Why is He called Christ that is anointed? Because He is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher. who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption. And our only high priest, who by the one sacrifice of his body has redeemed us and makes continual intercession for us with the Father. And our eternal king, who governs us by his word and spirit, and defends and preserves us in the salvation obtained for us. But now listen to the follow-up question. How does that relate to your office as one who is called a Christian, a member of Christ? But why are you called a Christian? Because I am a member of Christ by faith, and thus a partaker of his anointing, that I may confess his name, present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him, Romans 12, and with a free and good conscience, fight against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter reign with him eternally, and listen to the last phrase, over all creatures or over all creation. Now you may be saying to yourself, well now Dr. Venema, how does this have to do with our topic, Christ and culture? You've heard of the office of believer, You sometimes distinguish the office of believer from what we call ecclesiastical office, officers whom Christ appoints, such as if you're a three office person, ministers, elders, deacons, or two office, two kinds of elders, teaching and ruling, and deacons. The forgotten office, the foremost office, and you have to hold this office before you can even be considered for ecclesiastical office, is the office of believer. A theologian of a previous generation in the Reformed Church's CRC in particular, R.B. Kuyper, used to call it the forgotten office. The forgotten office in the church and among the people of God is your high calling as those who partake of Christ's anointing to, under His authority, to exercise and fulfill your calling as a prophet, as a priest, and as a king. And the Dutch theologians, Bovinck and Kuyper, linked those three offices up with what was true of us originally as God created us after His image. With a mind and heart with which to know God and to profess and confess and speak prophetically the truth according to what He has given us to know of that truth. Think the dominion mandate. A priestly office which is to live in service to God and neighbor and service to others in God's name, and a kingly office, think dominion, rule, govern. Now let me put some flesh on those bones, make that a little more concrete. Think of all of your life relationships, all of the distinct callings and tasks that you may face along the way. The question you need to ask yourself is, in fulfillment of this calling, father, mother, parents, What is my prophetic, priestly, kingly service? It's to nurture my children as a prophet in the truth of God's word and of what God has made known to us concerning his saving purpose and work in Jesus Christ. It's to fill their hearts and minds with what God has given you to know so that they can speak prophetically, meaningfully, truthfully, about themselves, about the world, and about the purpose of human life in the presence of God. What is your priestly role? Well, if you're a father and mother, you know it's to serve, to offer yourself and your body sacrificially. for the well-being of your children. I don't think there's any fathers or mothers who have little children who wouldn't say there's a sacrifice involved. There's a price to be paid. I spend a lot of my time spending and being spent taking care of these very needy children. That's spiritual work. That's official. Christ empowered by his spirit. work as a prophet not only, but as a priest in relation to your children. Also, kingly children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. It's to labor to see those children and through your in Christ's authority and name, submit not to your rule finally, but to the blessed rule of the word of the Lord that you convey and communicate to them. Now that's just a little illustration. Have you thought of yourself in that way as a father and a mother? I trust you have. Maybe not articulate it in those terms, but now play that out, take that and work with it in any legitimate calling that you're engaged in. Whether it be in the home, in marriage, as a child, in relation to parents, think of the enterprise of Christian education. It falls ultimately in the first place to parents to instruct their children and to see to it that they're matured by way of instruction and brought to a place where they're competent, wisely, and knowingly to serve the Lord in whatever their particular vocation in life. Now you may make use of a school to help you in that if you don't homeschool. You may, and I won't necessarily insist that in all cases you must, but you may legitimately, and I would encourage you to think in those terms, make appropriate use of a Christian school. Why? Because you want your children to know the true and living God and the world that He has created in themselves in terms of what responsibility they have to glorify God and enjoy Him in all that they do. By the way, this just comes into my mind. I love that shorter catechism for children, derived from the Westminster catechisms. I know it's gone through some new English translations, so I only know it in the old form, but we taught it to our children. You know how much wisdom there is contained in the opening questions? Who made you? God. What else did God make? God made all things. Why did God make you and all things? For his own glory. How can you glorify God? by loving Him and doing what He commands. Do you realize that there's a world of wisdom in that? More profound than half a dozen universities in North America. Wisdom. The fool has said in his heart there is no God. What I'm getting at is as a prophetic, priestly, kingly servant, member of Christ, father, mother, in respect to your children, everything you do in respect to them is captured within the framework of your calling. And I'm using that as a microcosm for, let's say you're a farmer. Let's say you're a businessman. Let's say you're, you fill in the blank, a politician. You're to speak the truth prophetically. You're to offer yourself in service to God and in virtue of your serving God in service to those who are bearers of his image for their well-being. You know, we talk about public servants, but I don't know how many of the so-called public servants these days are actually serving. But if a Christian is in public office, you'll understand the profundity of that. And as well in a kingly way, exercising dominion, sitting on the tractor cultivating the field, you're exercising dominion over the creation. You're bringing forth fruit by God's blessing and favor. You work it out. I didn't say this about, and this may be unfair to the two kingdom natural law perspective, but they sometimes poke fun of the idea of Christian farming and Christian business and Christian politics and so on and so forth. And I understand in part what they're getting at. There are technical aspects of all of those callings that are shared with non-Christians. I mentioned that yesterday when I said it's better a competent unbeliever surgeon than an inept but devout Christian surgeon. I understand all of that, but let's not become lazy, and I think sometimes we're tempted if we use this kind of language that excludes the common life, so-called, or labor of God's people from anything distinctively Christian. My point by appealing to the threefold office of Christ is to say there's nothing that you do in ordinary as well as extraordinary, in common life as well as church life endeavor, in any legitimate area that is not embraced within the umbrella of your calling to office, in fellowship with the second Adam, in renewed labor and work as a prophet, a priest, and a king, in true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. And one of the beautiful things that we should be doing as Christians in our daily vocations and callings is talking more. and pointedly and thinking more carefully about, as a Christian, what difference does it make? Now, we don't have time to go into all kinds of questions, what it might mean for you as a businessman or a businesswoman, that you're a Christian, but it should make a difference. And one of the interesting things about this point that I'm wanting to communicate to you regarding the service and acknowledgement of Christ's lordship in all of life and our office as prophets, priests, and kings is it answers the worry in the two-kingdom natural law context that we're going to act as though what we do for Christ in all of these various areas of our lives is sort of an earning of our salvation or it's a bringing in of the kingdom of God so that we're redeeming the world and God alone is Redeemer and He alone is the one who accomplishes it. That's a false dichotomy. By whose might and empowerment, by what spirit And in union with whom, that is Christ, and in dwelt of Christ's spirit, do we do anything? So it's not as though if I say I'm seeking in my family life and in my marriage or in my workplace to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to make a difference for him and his kingdom, I'm suggesting thereby that I think it's my work. Did you know that the Christian life in its entirety is by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2.10 described as doing the good works that God in advance by His grace through Christ and His Spirit has prepared for us to do? We think sanctification is our work, God justifies, we sanctify. No, no, no. God does both. Now that brings me to my second point, which is the Christian life, which is a life of progressive sanctification where the spirit of Christ indwelling us conforms us after the image of Christ and brings us eventually, not in this life, my catechism again, Heidelberg says we only make a small beginning to perfect obedience in this life. So we don't get there in this life. We begin, we make progress if God be willing, and he is, but we never arrive. But what do the Confessions say based on Scripture is a good work? It's anything that we do legitimately as those who are Christ's from true faith. Why from true faith? Well, it's not done in bad faith. Bad faith would be we work in order to obtain God's favor. biggest, most comprehensive motive in life is the one Paul identifies in Romans 12, gratitude. I don't do what I do, seek to accomplish what I accomplish, live in obedience to God by the power of his spirit, even if not perfect, in order in any way, shape, or form to contribute a single thing to my salvation. Adds nothing to my salvation, but is in its totality A thankful expression in response worked by the Spirit. Repentance, sanctification is also an evangelical grace in which from true faith, so quite literally the confessions are telling us that no work pleases God. if performed for any other reason than out of grateful service for what God has done for us in Christ. It's also done to God's glory. Paul says in Corinthians that whether you eat or whether you drink, whether you play or whether you work, whether you sing or whether you, you fill in the blank, do it all as a purchased property as those who belong to Christ and who seek his praise and glory. So good works are done from true faith, not to obtain salvation, not to bring in the kingdom, but to show forth gratitude. They're done in order to bring praise and glory to God, the God of our salvation. And lastly, they're done according to not custom or human opinion or superstition, but the Heidelberg Catechism puts it very explicitly, they're done according to the standard of God's holy law, which is a perpetual rule of righteousness according to the Westminster Confession of Faith. Now, what does the holy law of God call us to do? Well, it's a catechism question. Everyone knows the answer to love God above all with heart, soul, mind, and strength, with all of us, with all that we are and all that we have. And it's to contrary wise or additionally to love. And by the way, the second table of the law is framed by the first. You can test a person's love for God by whether they love neighbors who bear his image. If I spit upon the portrait of your beloved wife, you're not going to be very pleased. Not because you think the portrait is your wife, but it is a resemblance, a likeness. And if you show contempt for it, you show contempt for her. you show contempt for a fellow image-bearer of God, it says something about your love for God. The second table of the law governs all of our lives and the fullness of those lives in relationship to neighbor. And if you go to the Ten Commandments, and if you look at the, especially the Westminster Larger Catechism's very, very extensive exposition of what God calls us to under each of those rubrics, What will you discover? That within the context of the whole teaching of scripture regarding God's holy, good, and pleasing will, there's nothing left outside the reach and claim upon us through the law. And you say, well, Dr. Venner, what does that have to do with Christ and culture? Well, it has everything to do with Christ and culture. Can you think of anything that you could possibly do in the area of culture that doesn't have to do with loving God, loving neighbor? The work done from true faith to God's glory and for and according to the standard of His holy law. If you read the biblically enriched and fulsome statements of the confessions regarding what God asks of us in all of those commandments, You'll not find a little wrinkle of life, not a little hidden nook and cranny of life that lies outside of the reach of God's claim upon us. To do what we do in our threefold office as prophets, priests, and kings, out of love toward God and love toward neighbor, as Christ through his spirit furnishes us and enables us, even though not perfectly in this life, to give praise and service to Him. I come back then to, as I said, a very simple subtitle, the Verne Poythress' book. The whole point is that we serve Christ, our Savior, all the time, in all of life, with all of our heart, or at least we ought to. So you cannot in any way separate or divide your life as partly in service to Christ and partly in service to some broad common purpose that Christ has, not as redeemer but as creator. By the way, I was gonna start my third talk with a little story so I'll end with it. A number of years ago I was asked I went to a dispensational general association, regular Baptist Christian Academy in California. Anyone know? Maybe I'm talking to someone who's been a member of and maybe even still a member of General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. Very dispensational. And in any case, it wasn't surprising then that after I graduated, many years later, I get one of these school questionnaires to the alumni. And right out of the box, the question is put, are you in full-time or are you in part-time Christian service? Being a smart-alecky professor, I couldn't answer the question I had right in the margin. I think this is a bad question. I think I understand what you're asking. Am I an evangelist, a missionary, a pastor, or am I in some other, quote unquote, secular vocation? And that was my problem. I don't like this question. How could you be a part-time Christian? That's the question. That's no category that fits in any box that is acceptable. You're a full-timer, not a part-timer, as prophet, priest, and king, as a member of Christ and indwelt of His Spirit from true faith to God's glory, living in thankful obedience to all that He asks of me in His holy law. I think that's the real core thing. It's very abstract in general, I recognize. but it's your obligation and mine to think it through in terms of my particular tasks and calling. How does that come to expression? Well, that's it, I'm stopping there. I almost made 15 minutes after, I think it's 17, but I don't know what this means for our break when we resume, but I'll wait upon the pastor to tell us.