Jason Dollar . Net

There are incredible amounts of trash, filth, and otherwise non-helpful material online. In many ways, the internet is a cesspool of human depravity in a digital format. This does not mean we should do away with the internet, but rather, like everything else, through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and His love, we should redeem the internet with materials that reveal and promote the lordship of Christ.

One place online where this kind of redemption is found, is the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. Edwards was a faithful, intelligent, and articulate pastor who lived during the first half of the 18th Century. I highly recommend the JE Center, which collects most, if not all, of his works into one place, and you can read all you want without paying for books!

As another resource, I recently translated Edward’s most famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, into a modern English version.

The preaching this Sunday (hear the sermon here) came from Matthew 3:5-6, with a particular focus on the place John the Baptist established his ministry, the Jordan River. This unimpressive river, as far as length and width is concerned, is nonetheless a powerful symbol in understanding what God is doing in His work of Redemption. Here are four lessons we learn throughout Scripture from the Jordan River.

1. The Jordan River pictures the difference between living by the Spirit and living by the flesh. (Abraham and Lot)

2. The Jordan River pictures the cleansing power of death. (See Namaan and Romans 6)

3. The Jordan River pictures the change that happens to a person who, Spiritually speaking, crosses it. (Jacob was changed to Israel on its banks)

4. The Jordan River pictures the final obstacle standing between a believer and Rest in the Promise land, in the very presence of God. (Hebrews 4)

1. The Bible is a collection of words that communicate to us the Person and Plan of God, helping us know Him better. Knowing Him is the highest calling of man (2 Tim. 3:14-16; Heb. 8:11).

2. God shares His love for us as we read and meditate upon His Word (Rom. 5:8).

3. Just as Jesus is the Logos (the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us) who came to reveal the Father to us, so the written Word provides a divine vehicle through which God manifests Himself to His people (Jn. 1:1-14; 1 Thess. 2:13).

4. God’s Word, when studied carefully and especially in the context of a healthy Church, provides true knowledge for wise living (Prov. 1:1-7; Eph. 4:11).

5. When applied to life, the Word of God grants to us incredible weapons with which to fight the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil (Mt. 4:1-11; Eph. 6:11-15).

6. Studying the Bible gives the believer an accurate view of world history from beginning to end, and his or her place in that history (Gen. 1; Rev. 19-22).

7. A rich mining of the treasures of Scripture edifies the heart with joy in ways that nothing else can (Ps. 119:24).

8. Knowledge of the Bible leads to our sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with more accuracy and with more passion (Mt. 28:19-20).

Psalm 20:7  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Instruments of war, powerful political figures, and government policy often replace God in our culture. Some things never change.

As the people of God, believers in Christ should quickly abandon these methods of supposed security, and place our full trust in the Lord, not just for the initial moment of salvation, but for all of life. Rather than allow anxiety to control our thoughts, and swell our fears, let us turn rapidly to the Way, the Truth, and the Life, our Savior Jesus Christ. All the promises of God are “yes” and “amen” in Him.