Trinity Fellowship

Things which appear as "chance" to us have been meticulously ordained by God from the foundation of the world. Ruth's selection of which field to glean advances the story of redemption through its many reversals. Where the faithlessness of Lot's daughters creates apostate nations, the faithfulness of Ruth creates the true people of God. Where Elimelech led his family to ruin in the field of his enemies, Ruth and Naomi find true rest in the fields of Bethlehem. Where Moab refuses Israel, now Boaz cares for a Moabitess. Boaz is the Christ-figure that these destitute widows so badly need. He uses his character, his wealth, his position, and his strength to abundantly care for the woman who will become his bride. This is a story of hesed; of mercy, covenant faithfulness, and of God's provision. We too may be tempted to find fulfillment in the fields of idolatry. Yet there is no blessing apart from the fields of the faithful God who supplies our every need. Therefore, walk in His fields, trust His provision, and delight in His mercy. At His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11).

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

Q&A Discussion Time related to Dr. Voddie Baucham's "How To Raise Kids In a Wicked World" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqVPzFPzhfs

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

The story of Ruth is a story of exile and exodus, of paradise lost and paradise regained, of bitterness turned to sweetness. Naomi can only see the pain of what God has taken out of her hands but does not yet have eyes to see that He has already started to replace it with something better. Elimelech could only see by sight and was taken from her; Ruth can see by faith and becomes a loyal lifelong companion. Ruth is able to see the blessing and the promise of being an outsider grafted into God's covenant people before the native Naomi is able to see it. God continues to direct providence in each one's life. Will we be like Orpah who counts the cost and returns to complacency? Will we be like Ruth whose resolve is strengthened when she sees what is gained? The return of Ruth and Naomi reminds us that the cross of Christ answers our suffering; the gospel of Christ restores and refreshes and turns the bitter to sweet. By grace, Mara can become Naomi once again.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

The opening scene of Ruth is a sobering picture of life lived by sight rather than by faith. By choosing ease, Elimelech removes himself and his family from the blessing of God. In every generation, we too face a similar crossroads. It may seem as though we too live in an age of spiritual famine; an age where each one does right in his own eyes. Will we find our comfort in compromise or in God's promises? God has promised to meet us when we keep our marriage vows, when we lean into faithful parenting and vocation, and in the ordinary means of grace as we gather with His people. We can be no wiser than God; we will not find blessing where He has not placed it. After deep suffering, Naomi had the humility to return to the Lord and to His people. God continues to take us where we are and not where we should have been. May we learn what this faithful widow learned, and what Christ Himself has promised – that if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He will fill our hands with all good things.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

The story of Ruth and Naomi is a story of needy supplicants who come with nothing. These godly women come with empty hands, hearts of faith, and find redemption through the kindness of Boaz. Boaz and Ruth, as husband and wife are Christ and the church; the husband is free to take the outsider in and cover her with his love and righteousness. In Boaz we see what we also see in Christ Jesus; he is already the son of foreign women who have been grafted into the people of God. The book of Ruth opens with empty arms and the pain of loss, and ends with redemption and arms filled with the promise of new life. The baby sounds of David's grandfather Obed now fills Naomi's heart and home. Mourning has been turned into laughter. Christian, this is your hope in Christ. Ruth went by faith to the source of real redemption. May we likewise follow her footsteps to Him.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

The hinge of history is the redemptive work of Christ for His bride. The drama of Christ's redemption is captured and symbolized in the marriage of husband and wife. And just as the mutual love of Christ and the church overflows into expansion and new life, so does marriage. The goal in all of this is for the knowledge of the glory of the Lord to fill the earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14; Isa. 11:9; Ps. 72:19). When God blesses Christian parents with children, it is because He is seeking godly offspring (Mal. 2:15). Filling the earth with godly offspring requires the transfer of genuine heartfelt faith. This transfer happens through intentional means – prayer, worship, time in the Word, and the normal rhythm of family and church life. How will they know if they are not taught? Parents, you have a heavy joy and a solemn stewardship. Teach your children that their highest calling is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Baptism is a step of obedience for those that have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. It is a sign to the world around us that our allegiances have changed; that we are no longer slaves to sin but belong body and soul to Jesus Christ. In baptism we are confessing that we have died to sin and been made alive to the things of God. As we do this, Christ is also ministering to us, reminding us of what He has done on our behalf. Adoption into God's family and union with Christ are two of the sweetest gifts of grace that God gives. So the charge is to remember your baptism! Reflect on what this all means. Reflect on the sign that God has put on you. Let us spur each other on as we pursue our new identity in Christ.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

Being entrusted with children is a great honour and a heritage from the Lord. Children are to be shepherded to know the Lord and to receive the faith so that they can in turn pass it on to their children. One generation is to commend the Lord's mighty acts to another (Psalm 145:4). As our children grow, the goal should be for them to internalize the gospel so that biblical wisdom can be applied to the various experiences of life. We also know that we cannot give our children that which we do not have ourselves. Parents, our charge is to trust in the Lord as we shepherd our children. Our love of Scripture, our freedom in Christ, and the eyes we have been given to see the world correctly should all become contagious and obvious things for our children to pick up. "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations" (Deut. 7:9).

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

Children are a blessing from the Lord. They are an inheritance designed to transfer the kingdom of God from one generation to the next. Children should be welcomed gladly into our marriages and should be taught to know the Lord from the start. They need to learn who God is and who they are; that they are made in the image of God, born under the Fall, and need the gospel to restore the fallen image. Children born into Christian homes receive the blessing of Christian instruction, and parents should be hopeful and joyful as we teach and disciple in that direction. We are always looking to the prize, which is entering the new creation with our loved ones. The little years are filled with short nights and seeming monotony, and yet these are the years when adults are shaped. These are the years when self-control and discipline first get put into practice. Parents, your charge is to faithfully and carefully shape and mould and shepherd the hearts of your little ones to King Jesus. Teach them that the most obvious, natural, and realistic way to live is in accordance with God's blueprint. Teach them that their sin hurts them, but that through the gospel there is always a way back to the Father.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

Marriage is a vital part of the story that God is telling about His creation. The one-flesh union of a man as covenant head and a woman who builds her home is meant to reflect Christ, the true and perfect covenant head, who builds His kingdom through the faithful labour of His bride, the church. This bond is close, intimate, life-giving, and abundantly fruitful. Christian marriage is the God-ordained garden in which children are welcomed and where fruitfulness, dominion, and the Great Commission are cultivated and extended. The charge in this series is for your eyes to be opened to the glory all around you. Being a man is glorious. Being a woman is glorious. Marriage is glorious, and the little people that result from that marriage bond are glorious. Christian, you are surrounded by glory on all sides. Ask the Spirit to help you see it, and joyfully labour in the heavy joy as you fulfill your calling as man or woman, husband or wife, wherever God has placed you, determining to return His gifts back to Him thirty, sixty, or even a hundredfold.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

Suffering, pain, and affliction are all part of the human experience between the Fall and the Restoration. Suffering reminds us that we walk with a limp. The church walks with a limp in imitation of our Saviour who also walked with a limp. God's children are frequently in heaviness, but not in the darkness. Our suffering reminds us that we are joined to the One who suffered for our redemption. We anticipate entering eternity as conquerors because the suffering has accomplished its assignment. "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."