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A Plain Theology of Sin and Redemption

2/13/2020

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”
-Romans 5:12

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
-Romans 6:23

Humanity: Fallen
We can look at the world around us and see that sin is embedded in the fabric of humanity. How did we get here? The Bible teaches that man was created in the image of God and given the breath of life (Genesis 1:26). Being created in the image of God means that humans were created with “a spiritual essence, after the nature of God”. This is why humans have a moral compass unlike the beasts of the field or the birds of the air.

God made humanity and prepared us for fellowship with Him, and His laws were given to prevent breaking that fellowship. Commanding Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree was given to “teach and enforce” God’s authority over Adam. Though we may ask why God didn’t restrain Adam, we must never question God’s goodness in giving him the command not to eat from the tree.

Sin and Death For All
We know the rest of the story. Adam and Eve ate the fruit, and sin entered the world (Genesis 3). Death is not merely the absence of physical life but also separation from God, thus “to leave God is not to be with him, and he only is the Life, as well as the Father of spirits.” Adam and Eve followed the path to death. Boothe says, poignantly:

“There is but one unlocked ‘trapdoor’ to hell, and that is unbelief in the true God. Eve and Adam fell through this door. All who have fallen in all ages have fallen through this door. This still is the direct route to the ‘outer darkness where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.’”

Through their sin, sin and death spread to all people. The situation following Genesis 3 seems very bleak. Yet God was already working on a plan to conquer sin and death through His son. Boothe reminds us that “before the Lord God compels them to go [out of the garden] he graciously set a star of hope in their dark skies”. He promises that Eve’s seed will bruise the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). He also gives them skins to cover themselves (Genesis 3:21).

Hope In A Dark World
Boothe makes the connection between the animal skins and a sacrifice for sin. Where Adam and Eve covered themselves with leaves that wither, God took the life of a beast. He hints at the possibility of a previous preparation of the animal skins to cover Adam and Eve. Even apart from this speculative meditation, he points to God’s sovereign plan of redemption from before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1:3-9; 1 Peter 1:18-20; 2 Timothy 1:9; Revelation 13:8; John 17:24). The Scriptures speak for themselves regarding these deep matters in the mind of God.

God’s previous plan of redemption may seem offensive to some of us, but we ought to respond with reverence, for “the more we think of the sinfulness of sin, the more wonderful the love of God will appear to us.” We don’t know why God would love such sinful people, but we ought to be very thankful that He did (1 John 4:9-11)!

The work of redemption is complex, for God desired to show His perfect love while also being perfectly just and righteous. In humility, we can say with Boothe that “perfect is the plan of salvation.” God sent His Holy and innocent Son to die a gruesome death and endure much suffering in order that we should be saved (Philippians 2:7-8). Only the Son of God, in the flesh, could come and pay for our sin. This is a glorious plan that upholds the glory of God (Acts 2:23).

Humanity: Redeemed
Who can receive such a great salvation? All who believe (John 3:16). Every man or woman who has ever lived, other than Jesus Himself, needs salvation, and “no one who really desires to be made a partaker of its blessings shall ever be turned empty away.” Those who think they can work their way to God won’t make it, and neither will those who think they’re too far gone.

We must believe and preach justification by faith alone (Galatians 2:15-16), for “without the salvation that God has provided they must inevitably perish.” Romans 3:9-12 is emphatic that there are no righteous people in the universe, and we have nothing to offer God for our salvation. The only person fit for salvation is the one who can cry out for the grace and forgiveness of God in Christ alone. Only when we know we need Jesus can we be saved.

Saved from what? Eternal death. Boothe says that spiritual death is “the end of everything that can make existence desirable. It is total and final separation from God...” He doesn’t mean the end of God’s presence, for we have already seen that God is everywhere. Rather it is a final separation from anything remotely good or gracious from God toward men. He drives the picture of death home with this painful, but true statement:

“To be left forever, with all the love of sin and hatred of holiness and enmity to God that belong to the carnal heart, working within—that is a bottomless pit of utter misery. That is what it is to perish.”

Meditate On The Blessings Of Salvation
There are at least 4 blessings of salvation for us to consider and meditate on:

1. Salvation frees us from dirtiness, slavery, and penalty of sin (1 John 1:9).
2. Salvation brings us reconciliation with God, for apart from the gospel, we are enemies and rebels against Him (Romans 8:7, Colossians 1:21-22).
3. Salvation brings us into fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are also in fellowship with the worshiping angels and all believers throughout all time. We get to join together in communion with and worship of God.
4. Salvation brings adoption into a new family (Romans 8:14-17).

We’ve covered a lot of ground today, but as you can see, Boothe takes two massively complex biblical and theological doctrines and lays them out with simplicity and brevity. We gain an understanding of the doctrines—even very deep doctrines—without wading too deep for the average Christian. Packed with plenty of Scripture, Boothe gives us plenty of rich doctrine to help us worship God as we chew on and apply what we’ve read.

Leave a comment with some of your thoughts and meditations on this deep theology!
Be sure to check out the other posts in this series if you haven’t yet! It’s not too late to purchase a copy of the book and work through it slowly, prayerfully, and meditatively. It’s a short volume and perfect to read in small chunks throughout the month.

If you're reading through, let me know what you think!

Be sure to check out the rest of the series here! I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of the book* and work through it slowly, prayerfully, and meditatively. It’s a short volume and perfect to read in small chunks throughout the month.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Image Credit: Amazon

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A Plain Theology of the Trinity

2/10/2020

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“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
-Deuteronomy 6:4

“I and the Father are one."
-John 10:30

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
-Romans 8:26

Throughout Scripture, we see that God is one and that He alone is to be worshiped and exalted. We see clearly that God does not allow the worship of other gods—it’s the first commandment! God inflicted His greatest punishments for idolatry. This is a serious matter to any faithful student of Scripture.

For this reason, Charles Octavius Boothe spoke with “more fear than usual” regarding the “God, who is one in substances and one in character, [and] exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. We should likewise speak most reverently of matters which are the most difficult for us to grasp. Humility is a path we must follow closely.

Cautious Treatment of Scripture

On this side of the New Testament, it is easy to say that we see the Trinity throughout all of Scripture. Boothe is cautious not to use Scriptures that don’t provide definitive evidence of the Trinity. Rather, he runs straight to the clear New Testament passages which teach us that God is, in fact, three-in-one.

For example, Matthew 3:16-17 shows that when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him as a dove, and His Father spoke of being well pleased with His Son. Jesus also points to the triune nature of God when he calls His disciples to make disciples, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

These passages—and many more—forbid us from ever calling the Holy Spirit a “mere influence”. Furthermore, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as a person rather than something impersonal (John 16:26). We also see Paul refer to the grace of Jesus, the love of the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14). Finally, it is through Jesus that we have access to the Father, by the “one Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18; John 14:17,26; 16:7-15).

In Scripture, we see each person of the Trinity, in union with each other, carrying out tasks according to their various roles. We see the Father sending Jesus into the world (John 17:18; 20:21; Isaiah 9:6). We see Jesus cleansing us from sin through His redemptive work on the cross (Hebrews 1:3). Finally, we see the Holy Spirit, sent in the Son’s name, teaching all things, bringing them to remembrance, and comforting the waiting church (John 14:26; 16:7; 3:8).

This only scratches the surface of such a vast doctrine, but what is clear is that God exists in three distinct persons who are united in substance and purpose.

Plain Theology, Pure Devotion

Boothe is confident that “No doctrine of the Christian faith is more plainly taught than that there are three persons in the Godhead.” This is not to say that there aren’t other doctrines that are easier to grasp. However, we see from Genesis to Revelation that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in every aspect of history from the creation to the second coming of Christ. Boothe is also humble enough to admit that “we cannot comprehend [the doctrine of the Trinity], but we can accept it as the truth, and wonder, worship, and wait for the time in which we shall know as we are known.” Notice the two elements of his call to respond to this rich doctrine:

1. We must accept it as truth. Some truths are difficult to grasp but must be humbly believed in our lack of knowledge. Some difficult truths prove to be extremely repulsive to the unsaved soul. The doctrine of a triune God will repulse those who refuse to acknowledge the deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit due to a faulty reading of the Old Testament. They will claim the doctrine is man made, though we have seen verse after verse prove this claim to be false. While the Bible doesn’t use the term Trinity, the triunity or three-in-one nature of God is undeniable.

2. We must respond in worship. Boothe says we should “wonder, worship, and wait” until we know God as we are known by Him. To worship a god other than He who has revealed Himself in Scripture is idolatry. The fact that God exists in three-in-one fellowship and has done so for eternity is awe-inspiring. We ought to lament our human knowledge. Who are we to think we can fully grasp such a mighty, holy, and all-wise God? Yet who are we to deny what is plainly revealed in God’s Word?

Who Can Know The Mind Of God?

As we read through Scripture, we will inevitably run into passages which challenge our faith and stretch our minds. We may find ourselves asking, “How can this be?!” At this point, we must pray for deeper faith to believe God as He revealed Himself. We must say with Paul in Romans 11:33-36:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

If you're reading through, let me know what you think!

Be sure to check out the rest of the series here! I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of the book and work through it slowly, prayerfully, and meditatively. It’s a short volume and perfect to read in small chunks throughout the month.

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A Plain Theology of God (Part 2)

2/7/2020

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This month, my goal is to briefly and simply walk through some of what Charles Octavius Boothe taught in A Plain Theology For Plain People. I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of the book and work through it slowly, prayerfully, and meditatively. It’s a short volume and perfect to read in small chunks throughout the month.

The purpose of these posts is to provide some brief thoughts and insights for meditation. If you find something thought-provoking, please feel free to comment and start some dialogue. I look forward to working through A Plain Theology for Plain People with you this month.

Be sure to check out part 1 of A Plain Theology of God here!

What May Be Known of God (Continued)

6. God is all-powerful.
God displays His power:

In creation. God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). It is impossible to fathom a mere man speaking creation into existence. God spoke and the universe was created. We need no more evidence of Almighty power!

In governing creation through His providence. The creation has been upheld and is moving as God has willed it. The seas and the skies have stayed within their limits, and so have the animals. Scripture is clear, in the case of Daniel and the Three Hebrew boys, that even “the lion’s jaws are locked, and the heated furnace cannot burn against his will.”

In control of men and evil forces to bring about His plan. One example is with Nebuchadnezzar whom God used to receive glory and yet humbled him when he grew proud (Daniel 3:28, 4:37). God uses even ungodly people for His work.

7. God is all-wise.
Boothe says that, “wisdom consists in the ability to apply the various items of our knowledge, in such a way as to accomplish a desired end…” In other words, God has both the knowledge and the ability to use that knowledge to achieve His ultimate, perfect ends. We see this especially in nature, God’s providence, and in the purposes and plans of His sovereign grace (Romans 11:33).

8. God is infinitely holy and perfectly just.
In His Holiness (Isa. 6:1-3, Rev. 4:8, Ex. 15:11,1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 29:2): Boothe is right in saying that “The perfect holiness of God is seen in the rectitude (righteousness) of the divine character; it is the sum of all supreme, moral excellence.”

In His Justice (Psalm 145:17): Boothe rightly asks, "Can perfect holiness and infinite wisdom give birth to unrighteous laws and unequal administrations?" Certainly not! God is holy and He must govern the world with perfect justice. It is thus true that “God’s judgments are always righteous.”

9. God is faithful and true.
Everything God says is true, and God Himself is truth (John 17:17, Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Jeremiah 10:10, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Joshua 23:14). From the fall of Adam and Eve to the coming of the Savior, God has been faithful to give salvation to those who trust in Christ. He spoke it, and it has come to pass. There is not a soul who repents and trusts Jesus that won't receive the eternal life promised in the gospel!

10. God never changes.
Boothe, in his simple and punchy way, says, "Change belongs to man, not to God, who is perfect." We change our minds, alter our plans, and respond in light of newly revealed knowledge, wisdom, and holiness. God isn't like us. He isn't subject to change (Psalm 102:25-27, Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Numbers 23:19). This is clearly seen in the unchanging moral law which has been true and righteous since the days of Adam, Moses, and Daniel. God is still unchanging and so is His holy standard.

11. God is good and merciful.
God displays His mercy:

In the works of creation. Everything God made was good (Genesis 1:31, 2:9, 2:18)

In His providence. God is good to the just and the unjust by providing all with sun and rain (Matthew 5:45). He is a God full of mercy and steadfast love, and He is good to all and merciful over all of His works (Psalm 145:8-9).

In the work of redemption. He loved the world—those who were His enemies—so much that He "made this matchless, amazing sacrifice to open to us again the gates of life!" He didn't spare His own Son, but rather showered us with love in order that we could be called His sons and daughters. What goodness and mercy we have seen!

Respond:
As we continue to mine the depths of these attributes of God, we should be drawn to humility and worship. Let these truths continue to sink in. Read and re-read some of the Scriptures from above. Most importantly, let these truths lead you to deeper faith. God, who is the self-existent, life-giving, eternal, ever-present, all-knowing Spirit loved us enough to save us. He did this through Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead. Knowing that we would fall into sin and death, God devised a redemption plan that is beyond understanding! This is cause for worship and thanksgiving!

Share any thoughts or comments!

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Image Credit: Amazon

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A Plain Theology of God (Part 1)

2/3/2020

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This month, my goal is to briefly and simply walk through some of what Charles Octavius Boothe taught in A Plain Theology For Plain People. I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of the book and work through it slowly, prayerfully, and meditatively. It’s a short volume and perfect to read in small chunks throughout the month.

The purpose of these posts is to provide some brief thoughts and insights for meditation. If you find something thought-provoking, please feel free to comment and start some dialogue. I look forward to working through A Plain Theology for Plain People with you this month.

What May Be Known of God

Boothe lays out 11 attributes of God as laid out in Scripture. It is vital that we know what God says about Himself. None else truly matters when life and death are on the line. Whether we like what He reveals or not, we are called to believe and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37).

1. God Is Spirit.
He is not made of flesh and bones like men, though He appears to us in forms that can be heard and seen. Only in the Jesus is the God made manifest as flesh and blood (John 1:14). Since God is Spirit, He is to be worshiped in Spirit and truth, not figures and forms (John 4:24, Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 4:15-16). Boothe understood the difficulty of comprehending an invisible, spiritual God, and he offers the following encouragement:

“As the creature-life is one of matter and forms, it is hard for us to understand a higher order of life—a life that has no body and that needs no forms. However, we perceive dimly the truth that God is a spirit, and believe it, waiting for eternity to bring us more light.”

2. God Is Self-Existent.
God’s name—YHWH—means “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Everything with life and power draws from God. However, He draws life and strength from no one. The God who existed before all created things needs nothing else to continue living or else His life would be derived from somewhere else. This ought to humble us because we realize that life “comes from the Living God, the Fountain of Life; it is sustained by his food, his drink, and the air round about him.”

3. God is Eternal.
Before creation, God has been God (Psalm 9:1-2). If you try to think back millions and millions of years, you’ll still end up in the “midst of the life of God”, says Boothe. It would exhaust us to go as far back as we could imagine. Then we would have to stretch our minds to fathom as far into the future as we could. After sapping our minds and imaginations completely, we would need to say, “He is, ever has been, and ever shall be.” Since life originates with God, how can He not be eternal?

4. God is Everywhere.
God is present in the deepest depth, the highest height, the brightest light, and the darkest pit—even in the place of the dead, filling heaven and earth (Psalm, 139:7-11, Jeremiah 23:23-24). We see the presence of God in nature, providence, the conscience, and every pursuit of righteousness. We know that God sees and we should tremble under the knowledge that God will judge us someday.

5. God is All-Knowing.
God knows the heart, for His eyes are in every place beholding good and evil (Proverbs 15:3,11). We can’t hide from the Lord. Everything is before Him and all things opened to Him (Jeremiah 23:24, Hebrews 4:13). God declared all things in His mind before they ever came to pass, and He is not caught off guard by anything that happens (Isaiah 49:6,10). In God’s sight, even “hell has no covering and the future has no secrets”. Our consciences feel the presence of God and His knowledge of us.

Respond:
As we ponder the depth of these attributes of God, we should be drawn to humility and worship. Let these truths sink in. Read and re-read some of the Scriptures from above. Most importantly, let these truths lead you to deeper faith. God, who is the self-existent, life-giving, eternal, ever-present, all-knowing Spirit loved us enough to save us. He did this through Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead. Knowing that we would fall into sin and death, God devised a redemption plan that is beyond understanding! This is cause for worship and thanksgiving!

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Image Credit: Amazon

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A Plain Theology of God's Existence

2/2/2020

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Read With Me
Charles Octavius Boothe (1845-1924) was a slave who was freed by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865. He worked tirelessly to improve the plight of black people following the Civil War. He knew that one powerful way to do this was to plant churches and promote biblical literacy among those who had once been fed false teaching at the hands of their former slave masters.

Boothe cooperated with white Christians who worshiped with him to help advance black people and fight the oppression they still faced heavily following the Civil war. Though he is described as a “reluctant teacher”, Boothe wrote A Plain Theology for Plain People* to help the average sharecropper know the Word of God and the God of the Word.

He felt that theology ought to be studied but that it should be done with as much simplicity as possible. He knew of the many deep matters and theological conundrums that come from studying Scripture, but his aim in this work was to provide a simple theological framework for the people he ministered to.

This month, my goal is to briefly and simply walk through some of what Boothe taught. I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of the book and work through it slowly, prayerfully, and meditatively. It’s a short volume and perfect to read in small chunks throughout the month.

The purpose of these posts is to provide some brief thoughts and questions for meditation. If you find something thought-provoking, comment and start some dialogue. I look forward to working through A Plain Theology for Plain People with you this month.

God Revealed To Mankind
Knowing theology is necessary for knowing God. However, we must be humble in our search for knowledge about God because He “is found of the lowly, but hides himself from the proud and self-sufficient man.” We don’t master God when we come to the Word, we let God master us as we grapple with His Word.

Boothe opens with God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. God shows Himself in creation, providence, and prophecy.

God Revealed In Creation And Providence
In creation, we see evidence of God in the things created (Psalm 19:1-2, Romans 1:20). Boothe says, “A human track in a desert would be to me conclusive evidence that a human foot had trodden that desert. Thus Paul argues that the things which are seen and handled are proofs of the unseen things.”

In providence, we see God orchestrating events, both grand and small, for the good of His people and for His glory (Romans 8:28). It is true that “the vulgar will call it luck, unbelievers will call it chance, but deep down in each heart there remains the feeling that in verity there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in common philosophy.”

God Revealed in Scripture
In Scripture, God reveals Himself in 3 ways:

1. In harmony with His creation; We sense God in His creation and providence, and God tells us that He indeed created and upholds the world (Gen. 1:1, Jer. 10:23, John 1:1, Hebrews 1:3).

2. In the moral law; “This law demands that men shall worship God and love one another, neither of which principles have origin in the depraved nature of man. Hence the source of this law, like the works of creation, starts higher than the mind of man, and declares the presence of a heart that is pure and holy.”

3. In prophecy; When God prophesies events, they come to pass. For example, God prophesied Israel’s exile, their subsequent return home, and the devastation of Babylon. (Jer 29:10, Ezra 1:1-4, Isaiah 13:19-22). The grandest display of God's prophetic work pertains to Jesus:

“Whoever traces the development of this Christ-thought in the Bible, from Genesis 3:15, through all its forms, down to the manger at Bethlehem, and thence to the cross, through the tomb, and on to the ascension—whoever traces this idea, with humble purpose to be informed, must of necessity perceive that it is but the unfolding of an eternal purpose, involving not only all of man’s earthly history and mortal career, but having in view his interests in the world to come.”

How I’m the world can we see all of the Scriptures point to Jesus and not stand in awe of God grand design and divine mind?

That’s a lot of rich theology packed in only a few pages! However, Boothe’s logic is clear and his words are simple and biblical. We could probe the depths of Scripture and theology for the rest of our lives and never find everything. Yet, Boothe offers us a plain bit of theology to meditate on. Let it lead you to prayer and worship!

Share any thoughts or comments below!

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Image Credit: Amazon

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Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Man

2/14/2019

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This week, I want to recommend a wonderful resource by Luke Walker. He wrote Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Man to highlight the life of a godly black Christian who has made an impact on the world. I hope this sampling of the book whets your appetite to pick up a copy!

A Boy In Bondage

Olaudah Equiano was the first known writer of the atrocities of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. His autobiographical writings chronicled his life from the moment he and his sister were kidnapped and enslaved to his days as an abolitionist and missionary. He was only eleven years old when he and his sisters were forcefully kidnapped. After this, he was separated from his sister and tossed back and forth amongst domestic slave owners before finally being carried across the Atlantic Ocean to America.

For a short time, he was enslaved in Virginia but was eventually purchased and taken to England. On his way, his name was changed to Gustavus Vassa (the name he would carry most of his life, until his autobiography revealed his birth name). Luke Walker, a biographer of Equiano, calls us to consider a painful reality: “Imagine being a child alone, socially isolated with no explanation given while horrors are carried out all around you. That is perhaps the most frightening aspect of all, the psychological terror of the ice-hearted cruelty of men”. (p. 10)

Glimpses of Providence

A man by the name of Daniel Queen began to instruct Equiano in the scriptures, and this would lead to a passion and love for God’s Word in his life. His master, who should have freed him, instead sold him to another master, bringing Equiano to the West Indies. As he traveled under his new master Robert King and Captain Thomas Farmer, he chose not to run away because he trusted in God’s sovereign hand over his life (though he didn’t fully grasp who God was at the time). This integrity led to a relationship with Thomas Farmer that would ultimately change his entire life.

In God’s Providence, King advised him to pursue his freedom. He even gave Equiano sugar and rum to sell as he sought to purchase his freedom. Though God’s hand was with him, he experienced injustice in his trading with no legal support when fraudulent transactions occurred. Even worse, Equiano recounts the rape, iron muzzles, thumb screws, and other cruel methods used to punish and harm the slaves. Walker says, “I will not let the reader forget that these were real people, created imago dei (in the image of God)” (p. 17). He continues accurately, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles” because of such wickedness (Romans 2:24)!

“I wished to be as happy as them… this kind of Christian fellowship I had never seen, nor ever thought of seeing on earth; it fully reminded me of what I had read in the holy scriptures, of the primitive Christians who loved each other and broke bread.”

Things Are Changing

When Equiano earned enough money to buy his freedom, his master almost didn’t let him go. However, God’s hand was at work just as it was in the days of Joseph in Genesis and Thomas Farmer convinced King to let him go. After buying his freedom, he returned to England where he would use his appetite for learning to gain much knowledge and insight in music, mathematics, and other areas.

In some near-death experiences while traveling with Dr. Charles Irving strike a northern passage to India, Equiano realized that his soul was not free from the bondage of sin. After a season of seeking Catholicism, Quakerism, and Judaism, God opened a door for Equiano to hear the gospel from some sea-faring man he met. This man and his minister would show and speak of the impacts of the powerful gospel in their lives. Equiano writes that “I wished to be as happy as them… this kind of Christian fellowship I had never seen, nor ever thought of seeing on earth; it fully reminded me of what I had read in the holy scriptures, of the primitive Christians who loved each other and broke bread.” (p. 27)

Free At Last

On October 6, 1774, Equiano came across this life-changing verse of scripture: “there is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved” (Acts 4:12). It was then that Equiano “saw clearly with the eye of faith” that he was a wicked sinner, that Jesus died to pay for his sin, and that God’s invisible hand had been with him since he was 11 years old (p.29). Jesus and His Word became sweeter and greater to him than anything else on this earth. He was born again. The slave who had been released from the shackles of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was freed from the eternal shackles of sin and death!

After his conversion, the saints in London urged him to use his gifts as a sailor to spread the gospel. Several of his early missionary efforts were thwarted, but he eventually founded The Sons Of Africa and fought for the rights of blacks in Britain. Being an entrepreneur, he self-promoted his autobiography The Interesting Man to help his work in the abolition of slavery at a time when William Wilberforce and others were also fighting for the same cause.

The slave who had been released from the shackles of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was freed from the eternal shackles of sin and death!

His Legacy Lives On

In 1792, Equiano married Susanna Cullen, a white woman. Like many of the early white abolitionists of his day, he desired to see society as a whole shaped by the freedom of all people. Olaudah and Susanna had two children before Susanna passed away in 1796 and Olaudah in 1797. In 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act was passed by the British Parliament due in some part to Equiano’s life and work some 40 to 50 years prior. It would be another 30 years before slavery was abolished in the United States, but Equiano was undoubtedly aided in the “domino” effect that England’s abolition had in the United States (p. 38)

Though Christianity is often called a “White Man’s Religion”, men like Equiano prove that Christianity—and Reformed theology—are not inherently white or racist. Equiano was a Calvinist and his Calvinistic theology pervaded his views of humanity and our being made in God's image. There is an increasing animosity toward Reformed theology today, but Christians of all races would be wise to look back at men like Olaudah Equiano to be reminded that Biblical truth transcends the racial distinctions set up in any culture.

As you celebrate black history month, thank God for His sovereign hand in the lives of slaves who saw a corrupt form of Christianity but, more importantly, saw the true Savior in His glory. All things work together for those who love God.

Two Christian men, one black and one white, had a major impact on the abolition of slavery in England. The common thread between Equiano and Wilberforce was a robust, Biblical, and Reformed theology of man’s dignity. Every free black person in America and England can be thankful for God’s Providential hand in the life of Olaudah Equiano. Equiano, like other black Christians from his day, can truly look back at all of his former masters and oppressors and say, “as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen. 50:20).

As you celebrate black history month, thank God for His sovereign hand in the lives of slaves who saw a corrupt form of Christianity but, more importantly, saw the true Savior in His glory. All things work together for those who love God.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Lott Carey: Liberated to Preach Christ

2/7/2019

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Image credit: http://lottcarey.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Lott-Carey-Photograph-654x1024.jpg

Since it’s Black History Month, I am reading The African Preachers published by Sprinkle Publications. I plan to share about the four African preachers spotlighted in this wonderful work in order to stir your affections for the work God has done among black Christians in America. I also highly recommend this volume for your personal library! It's a wonderful glimpse into Christ's work amid the horrors of slavery in America, and it will truly remind you that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Early Life and Conversion
Lott Carey (1780-1828) may not be a household name, but God's use of this man will be known and celebrated for eternity. Born a slave, Carey made his way to Africa through God's missionary call on his life.

Carey was raised by godly parents in his hometown of Charles City, Virginia before being moved to Richmond, Virginia to work as a common laborer in a warehouse at the age of 24. For the first couple of years that he was in Richmond, he was described as "increasingly vicious" (p.12), being frequently drunk and very vulgar in his language. God was at work in his life, and this would soon be obvious.

In 1807, Carey was saved by the Lord and "an immediate and remarkable change was discovered in his life" (p.12). This change can be attributed only to the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in transforming his heart. It was at this time that he would hear his pastor preaching about the Spirit’s mighty work of the new birth in the life of believers found in John 3. He devoted himself to learning how to read this passage.

From Slave to Student
At his conversion, Carey was lacked knowledge even of the alphabet (p.13). However, just as God used "uneducated men" to spread His kingdom in the New Testament, He would give Carey all he needed to preach the Word and build enough favor to purchase his own freedom (Acts 4:13). With the help of some young men at the warehouse, Carey quickly taught himself to read John 3. Soon after, he also learned to write.

His learning was not in vain, either. He began preaching and exhorting people to come to Christ immediately. Carey devoted his free time to reading and building up his mind, even being found studying Smith's Wealth of Nations. Meanwhile, as his intellect grew and his call to mission work was growing, Carey "became more and more respected, and useful in his services at the warehouse" (p.14). He took seriously the biblical command to "work heartily as unto the Lord and not unto men" (Colossians 3:23).

His Character and Call

Though a slave, Lott Carey's character and work ethic were highly regarded by both black and white folks, and through God's providence, he was able to earn enough money to purchase freedom for himself and his two children for $850. Sadly, his first wife passed away before he could purchase her freedom. His godly reputation would proceed him so much that when he desired to leave his work as a warehouse laborer, his employers offered to raise his salary to $1000 if he would remain in the United States.

Like Paul, in Acts 20:22, however, Carey was “constrained by the Spirit” to take the gospel to Africa. When asked why he would risk his life, comfort, and prosperity to preach the gospel in Africa, he responded, "I feel bound to labor for my suffering race" (p.17). He must have felt the anguish of Paul who said, "...I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:1-3). This calling would lead Carey and others to form the African Missionary Society which would give money to African mission work. This wasn't enough for him, though. God called him to the mission field in Africa and he desired it as much as God did.

Onward to the Mission Field
Carey and his fellow preacher Collin Teague were approved by the American Baptist Mission Society and the Colonization Society to take the gospel to Africa where being black would be "no disparagement to their usefulness" (p.20). About a year after their approval, Carey, Teague, and their families would be ready to go. In Carey's last sermon, he preached these profoundly prophetic words:

"I am about to leave you and expect to see your faces no more. I long to preach to the poor Africans the way of life and salvation. I don't know what may befall me...nor am I anxious what may become of me. I feel it my duty to go, and I very much fear, that many of those who preach the gospel in this country will blush when the Savior calls them to give account of their labors in His cause, and tells them, 'I commanded you to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature'..." (p. 24)

They traveled to the coast of Africa in the Nautilus on January 23, 1821 and eventually settled in the colony of Liberia, where they would live out the Great Commission.

Carey and His Legacy
Lott Carey was the first African American missionary to Africa. He founded Providence Baptist Church in Monrovia, the first Baptist church in Liberia. We would all do well to imitate Lott Carey's "impeccable life" and remember that "because he trusted God in ordinary things, God blessed him extraordinarily" (p. 4-5). As Christians, we know that all authority has been given to Jesus as He will build His church through us as we "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).

Though Carey only served in Africa for 7 years until his death in 1828, he was a pastor, counselor, and physician to the people there. His impact was not only felt in Liberia but also in the churches who supported him on the mission field. Carey's integrity, commitment to the mission, and faith in God have encouraged and inspired black and white Christians for nearly 200 years since his departure from Virginia.

Bibliography:
“The African Preachers” by Sprinkle Publications
The Lott Carey Global Christian Missional Community: LottCarey.Org

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Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Man

Lott Carey: Liberated to Preach Christ