Deus Pro Nobis

Three in One

2012-01-28T21:42:00.002-05:00

I’ve been following with some interest the conversation between T. D. Jakes, Mark Driscoll, and James MacDonald, over the doctrine of the Trinity. I confess I have some concerns. Having perused the material, T. D. Jakes still sounds like a modalist to me.

What is modalism? In brief, it’s a heretical movement that arose in the third and fourth centuries. Adherents maintained that God is an absolute monad without distinctions within the unity. That is to say, they affirmed that there isn’t any numerical distinction within the Godhead. God is one indivisible essence with three fundamental activities. As such, He has appeared in history under three successive aspects: (1) as the Father (the Creator); (2) as the Son (the Redeemer); and (3) as the Holy Spirit (the Divine Presence). And so, according to modalism, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit aren’t three distinct persons, who are one essence. Rather, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three manifestations of one person. God’s name – “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” – simply represents three distinctions in our experience of the one God.

Obviously, modalism is a long way from orthodox Christianity. As Trinitarians, we affirm that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three persons. We also affirm that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one essence. God is triune – He’s three (tri) persons in one (une) essence. “We worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance… Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, the Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but there is one God.” Amen.

Why should this interest us? Why should the conversation between Jakes, Driscoll, and MacDonald concern us? Let me frame the question another way: Why should we cherish the doctrine of the Trinity?

(1) It’s foundational

When we speak of God triune, we aren’t being academically picky or theologically fussy. Despite what countless people will tell us, this doctrine isn’t irrelevant or unimportant. Here’s why: if we aren’t worshipping God as He reveals Himself to be… if we aren’t worshipping God according to His name… if we aren’t worshipping God triune… then we’re worshipping an idol. There’s no other possibility. There’s no wiggle room here. Modalism isn’t a Christian belief system. There’s no such thing as a Christian modalist.

(2) It’s exceptional

The doctrine of the Trinity distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. In other words, it sets Christianity apart from all other belief systems. As Christians, we don’t have anything in common with any other religion. Why? There’s only one God, and He’s God triune. That’s why the church has traditionally stressed the Apostles’ Creed. When we recite the Creed, we affirm our belief in God, who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That’s the starting-point for the Christian faith.

(3) It’s personal

The religions of the world go in one of two directions. Some stress God as infinite and transcendent; e.g., Islam. Some stress God as personal and immanent; e.g., Hinduism. Christianity alone teaches that God is both. God dwells in unapproachable light, yet God is in relationship with Himself. And God draws His people into that relationship. “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 Jn. 1:3).

(4) It’s essential

Our salvation rests upon the doctrine of the Trinity. We’re “elect… according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood” (1 Pet. 1:1–2). We praise the Father for choosing us, the Son for redeeming us, and the Holy Spirit for sanctifying us. We praise God triune for the eternal covenant of redemption whereby the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit accomplish our salvation. “All non-Trinitarian formulations of the gospel message are by biblical standards inadequate and indeed fundamentally false, and will naturally tend to pull Christian lives out of shape” (J. I. Packer).

(5) It’s missional

The Father sends the Son into the world to redeem His people. The Son sends the Holy Spirit into the world to regenerate His people. God sends us into the world to proclaim the gospel. As Christians, therefore, our mission is Trinitarian. It’s an extension of the Holy Spirit, who was sent by the Son, who was sent by the Father. That gives perspective to all we do. We see our calling as an extension of the activity of God triune. We see the purpose of our calling as the glory of God triune.

(6) It’s delightful

God’s tri-unity is fundamental to a proper understanding of His love. Why? It means love is essential to His eternal self. In a word, God is the object of His love. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit dwell in an eternity of mutual delight. That means He’s satisfied in Himself. He doesn’t need to love us, nor does He need us to love Him. He doesn’t gain anything from loving us. That shouldn’t trouble us or offend us. It should comfort us, because that’s the kind of love we need. In a word, we need someone to love us, who doesn’t need us. That’s pure love. And God has that love in Himself. Here’s the wonderful thing: He lavishes it upon His people.

(7) It’s fundamental

By this, I mean the doctrine of the Trinity is fundamental to the cross. As Christ hangs upon the cross, He cries with a loud voice: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). We must be clear here. (1) Christ doesn’t cry with a loud voice, because of what men do to Him. They reject Him, assault Him, ridicule Him, betray Him, and desert Him. But those things never cause Him to cry with a loud voice. (2) Christ doesn’t cry with a loud voice, because of His physical suffering. In terms of His physical pain, we must admit that others have suffered as much and perhaps more than Him. (3) Christ cries with a loud voice, because of His sense of His Father’s displeasure. As He hangs on the cross, there are two eclipses. The first is external: it hides the light of the sun. The second is internal: it hides the light of the Father’s countenance. Christ is in complete darkness (external and internal). Why? His Father has forsaken Him. The Father withdraws the light of His countenance from His Son. The Father strikes the Son. The Father does not spare His Son (Rom. 8:32). Christ submits to desertion – that which we deserve for deserting God.

Quotable: “When we have said these three things – that there is but one God, that the Father and the Son and the Spirit is each God, that the Father and the Son and the Spirit is each a distinct person – we have enunciated the doctrine of the Trinity in its completeness” (B. B. Warfield).

The Blessed Man

2012-01-24T15:05:00.002-05:00

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:7–8).

(1) What is blessedness?

It’s happiness, satisfaction, or contentment. John Calvin describes it as “true peace of mind.” Everyone wants it, yet very few people find it. Why? They look for it in all the wrong places.

(2) What is the source of blessedness?

It’s God. The mind can only be satisfied by what’s true. The heart can only be satisfied by what’s beautiful. The will can only be satisfied by what’s good. Therefore, the soul can only be satisifed in God - all that's true, beautiful, and good. To be blessed is to know God. It’s to love God. It’s to trust God. It’s to trust Him for guidance. It’s to trust Him for provision and protection. Above all else, it’s to trust Him for salvation.

These verses in Jeremiah are actually part of a larger section, in which God compares two men.

On the one hand, there’s a “cursed” man. He’s cursed, because he trusts in man. As a result, he’s like a bush, planted in the middle of the desert. When drought comes, he withers. This man doesn’t think he needs saving. He thinks he’s okay without God. If there’s a God, and if there’s a heaven and hell, and if there’s a judgment, he thinks he’ll be alright. But he isn’t alright. “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9).

On the other hand, there’s a “blessed” man. He’s blessed, because he trusts in God. He knows his heart is desperately sick. He knows he needs forgiveness. He knows he needs a Savior – Jesus Christ. To trust in God is to trust in Christ. It’s to accept the fact that I can’t obey God, and that I deserve to be punished. It’s to believe that Christ has obeyed God on behalf of sinners, and that Christ has been punished on behalf of sinners. As the apostle Paul declares, “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account” (Rom. 4:7).

(3) What is the fruit of blessedness?

First, the “blessed” man perseveres. A tree, planted by streams of water, is free from the crippling damage of drought. Similarly, when trials and tribulations appear, the blessed man is protected. Because of his relationship to the river (God), he’s able to persevere despite all that happens to him. He draws his strength from God.

Second, the “blessed” man prospers. A tree, planted by streams of water, bears fruit. Its leaf remains green. Likewise, the blessed man does not cease to bear fruit. He prospers in his personal life, growing and maturing spiritually. He prospers in his marriage and family. He prospers in all his relationships.

Quotable: “Millions of men mistake both the nature of blessedness and the way thither” (Thomas Watson).

Who would want the apostle Paul as a pastor?

2012-01-14T15:41:00.003-05:00

“How would the apostle Paul fare if he were to seek pastoral employment among evangelicals today?” (David Wells). That is an interesting question. I've summarized Wells' answer as follows.

Many would be offended by his personality. He wasn’t known for his charisma. He wasn’t very engaging. He wasn’t primarily concerned about making friends or building relationships. He wasn’t accepting of everyone. By today’s standards, his personality would be seen as an obstacle to creating a comfortable, friendly, welcoming environment.

Many would be scandalized by his insistence on church discipline. He was in the habit of confronting and rebuking people. He viewed it as necessary. He handed people over to Satan, if they refused to repent. By today’s standards, his insistence on doctrinal fidelity and moral purity would be seen as unloving. He would be dismissed as harsh and judgmental.

Many would be insulted by his refusal to grant the legitimacy of each person’s private views. He insisted that truth is given objectively in Christ, not subjectively through private intuition. He was committed to Scripture, not a voice in the back of his head. In a sea of relativism, he proclaimed God’s Word. By today’s standards, his commitment to absolute truth would be seen as intolerant and arrogant. He would seem pathetically out of touch.

Many would be confused by his preaching. He never told stories. His preaching was never inspirational. He never gave practical “how-to” seminars. He preached sermons that lasted more than 20 minutes. He continually related NT faith to OT promises. As a matter of fact, the OT provided the framework for his preaching. He wasn’t guided by the latest headlines, latest philosophies, latest trends, or latest world events. By today’s standards, his preaching skills would be seen as severely lacking – his preaching would be viewed as boring. He would probably fail most seminary courses in homiletics.

Many would be agitated by his theological focus. He defined all things according to God’s glory, not man’s happiness. He insisted on explaining complex theological concepts. He used terms unknown to his audience – justification, sanctification, regeneration were as unknown then as they are now. He viewed the knowledge of God as an end in itself – after all, what could be more beneficial than knowing God? By today’s standards, he would be seen as too bookish, too irrelevant, and too impractical.

Quotable: “Paul would probably be condemned to flit from place to place, not out of choice but necessity… his resume fatally scarred by his many pastoral failures until, abandoned and worn out, he would be left to pass his closing days in a home for the aged” (David Wells).

Itching Ears

2012-01-09T12:45:00.001-05:00

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul charges Timothy to “preach the word.”

To preach is to proclaim as a herald. In ancient times, a herald was a king’s primary means of communication with his subjects. With that relationship in mind, Paul charges Timothy to be God’s herald. Interestingly, his charge follows his declaration that “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). In other words, Scripture is the Word of the living God. It’s His message to His subjects. Therefore, it alone is what the preacher proclaims.

Paul proceeds to tell Timothy what his preaching must look like. In short, it must (1) evidence conviction (“be ready in season and out of season”), (2) expose sin (“reprove, rebuke”), (3) encourage obedience (“exhort”), (4) exemplify patience (“with complete patience”), and (5) emphasize doctrine (“teaching”).

Why does Paul charge Timothy to preach like this? The answer is found in verses 3–5. To sum up, people have “itching ears,” meaning they gravitate to preaching that caters to their passions. Two thousands years later, Paul’s charge is just as timely. As I survey North American evangelicalism, I see four “itches” that people want scratched…

(1) They itch for the sensational

Some people love a good conspiracy theory. Some people love novelty. Some people love controversy. As a result, they gravitate to the “new” – what they perceive as exciting. And so, they’re more interested in the identity of Gog and Magog than in the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. They’re more interested in dreams and visions than in the faith once for all delivered to the saints. They’re more interested in hidden numerical codes than in the doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. They’re more interested in dooms-day theories than in the pursuit of holiness. They’re more interested in the “Da Vinci Code” than in sound historical analysis. They’re more interested in “The Shack” than in sound biblical theology. They’re more interested in “23 Minutes in Hell” than in sound biblical faith.

(2) They itch for the sensual

Some people love the spicy and saucy. Last week, Mark Driscoll sent a shock wave through the blogosphere with his new book. There was even an article on the CNN website. From all reports, his book is controversial. The book’s merit or demerit doesn’t interest me right now. (It does concern me, but not in terms of the point I’m making here.) My present concern is that people are drawn to this sort of thing. Why? We’ve witnessed a steady decline in moderation among those professing to be God’s people. As I survey the land, I find I’m asking more and more: Where’s the sense of decency? Where’s the love for wholesomeness? Where’s the desire for purity? It seems to me that, generally speaking, God’s people have become so desensitized by their close proximity to the world that they’ve lost their tender conscience. Nothing shocks them anymore. Is this a sign of sexual wholeness or sexual perversion?

(3) They itch for the sinful

Some people want others to condone their sin. This is often masked behind cries for tolerance and acceptance. The promiscuous wants to hear that what he does in private is his own business. The materialist wants to hear that his money is for his personal use. The alcoholic wants to hear that his sin is actually a physical disease. The carnal wants to hear that he can approach God however he pleases. The idolater wants to hear that he can serve God and follow his own ambitions. The legalist wants to hear that God does keep score. The idle wants to hear that some sins are mere trifles. The misogynist wants to hear that he’s exercising his God-given authority in the home. The embittered wants to hear that he has a right to be angry. The irresponsible wants to hear that someone else is to blame.

(4) They itch for the sentimental

Some people want to hear about the perfectibility of man, not the depravity of man. They want to hear that God wills their prosperity, not their adversity. They want to hear that God loves them unconditionally, not that He unconditionally commands them to repent. They want to hear that God is concerned about their happiness, not their holiness. They want to hear that God is satisfied with semi-regular Sunday-attendance, a few cold prayers, and a half-baked faith, not that He (a great King) demands their absolute allegiance. They want to hear that God is accepting, not that He has ordained a narrow gate that leads to a narrow way.

Summary

As sinners, when we hear God’s Word, we come to a fork in the road. We face two choices: (1) we can submit to it; or (2) we can find a church that will tell us what we want to hear. There are plenty out there.

As sinners, when we preach God’s Word, we come to a fork in the road. We face two choices: (1) we can declare it; or (2) we can adapt its teaching to cater to itching ears – the opinions, sentiments, lifestyles, desires, and values of the age in which we live.

In the face of that trend, Paul charges Timothy to “preach the word.”

Quotable: “He who is in a worldly condition cannot judge spiritual realities properly” (Jonathan Edwards).

A New Year's Resolution

2012-01-01T18:33:00.001-05:00

On Jan. 1, 1705, Matthew Henry penned the following New Year’s resolution: “Lord, grant that this year I may be more holy, and walk more closely than ever in all holiness; I earnestly desire to be filled with your holy thoughts, to be carried out in holy affections, determined by holy aims and intentions, and governed in all my words and actions by holy principles. O that a golden thread of holiness may run through the whole web of this year.”

I’ve heard people express similar sentiments – not in so eloquent terms.

I want to be more zealous in pursuing holiness. I struggle with the same sins. As long as I avoid public sins, I deceive myself into thinking I’m alright. I’m too casual and careless.

I want to be more sincere in praying. My mind wanders. When others pray in public, I rarely pay attention. By the time I hear Amen, I have no clue what has been said.

I want to be more diligent in serving. It’s much easier to remain uninvolved. Besides, I’m busy with other things. Besides, I’m not sure I’m really needed or appreciated.

I want to be more consistent in suffering. The tiniest inconvenience overwhelms me. I’m up and down like a yo-yo, depending on my circumstances.

I want to be more courageous in witnessing. I have so compartmentalized my life that I don’t live out the Christian faith at home or work or school.

I want to be more cautious in speaking. Words escape my mouth before I have time to think. I’d like to speak less and listen more.

I want to be more faithful in reading and studying. I know the Bible is God-breathed, but there’s always some distraction, keeping me from the Word.

It’s a new year. Like Matthew Henry, we decide to make some resolutions. But there’s a problem: we make plans, but we seldom see them to completion. Why? We lack the necessary motivation. If we want to resolve ourselves to grow in godliness, we must grasp what it means to live coram Deo.

In 1 Tim. 6:13, Paul writes, “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession…” In 2 Tim. 4:1, Paul writes, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom…”

Paul’s main point is this: God sees, and we must act accordingly.

When Hagar flees from Sarah, she ends up in the wilderness. She’s in a state of despair. God tells her that she’s going to have a son, Ishmael. And He makes a number of promises. Hagar responds, “You are a God of seeing (El Roi)” (Gen. 16:13). That truth is affirmed throughout Scripture. God is present everywhere. “God’s center is everywhere, His circumference is nowhere” (Thomas Watson). Therefore, He’s a God of seeing. Our lives are open to His continual gaze. That’s the starting-point for living coram Deo, but it isn’t enough. Lots of people believe God sees, yet it makes little difference to the way they live.

Last June, the Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final. After the final game, an orgy of destruction erupted in downtown Vancouver. It was captured on video. Traffic cameras, mounted at intersections, captured the destruction. Security cameras, mounted on stores and offices, captured the destruction. Hundreds of people with phone cameras captured the destruction. It took the police thousands of man-hours to watch all the video. The rioters knew the cameras were there. It didn’t stop them.

Similarly, lots of people know God sees, but it doesn’t affect them. Living coram Deo is much more than simply acknowledging God sees. To live before God is to have a deep sense of His majesty and mercy, whereby we fear to offend Him and long to please Him.

(1) We have a deep sense of God’s majesty and mercy

In other words, we don’t merely know that God sees. We know the God who sees. Paul emphasizes two truths in 1 Tim. 6:13 and 2 Tim. 4:1.

First, God gives life to all things (1 Tim. 6:13)

In this, we see God’s majesty. “Who made God?” The answer is this: God is uncreated. Why? He’s self-existent. Why? He has life in Himself. That reminds us of His majesty – His greatness. “From him and through him and to him are all things” (Rom. 11:36). (1) From him. He’s the efficient cause: the source from which all things exist. (2) Through him. He’s the instrumental cause: the means through which all things exist. (3) To him. He’s the final cause: the end for which all things exist. In a word, this universe is the stage on which God displays His majesty: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

In this, we see God’s mercy. God upholds the universe by His power. He holds the planets in orbit. He sends the sun and rain. He sustains the beasts of the field and birds of the air. He gives breath to man. Prior to the fall, these were acts of grace – apart from merit. After the fall, these became acts of mercy – against merit. In a 24-hour period, we take 21,600 breaths – each is an expression of God’s mercy.

Second, God judges the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1)

In this, we see God’s majesty. A day of judgment is coming. Christ will be revealed in flaming fire (2 Thess. 1:8). He will destroy His enemies. Their punishment will be the destruction, not of their being, but of their bliss. As Christ hangs on the cross, there are two eclipses. The first is external: it hides the light of the sun. The second is internal: it hides the light of the Father’s countenance. God forsakes Christ. That’s the essence of hell. God will forsake unbelievers for all eternity.

In this, we see God’s mercy. “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Heb. 9:27–28). According to this verse, Christ appears twice. (1) He has already appeared, “having been offered once to bear the sins of many.” He came in the flesh to make atonement for sin. Christ submitted to desertion – that which we deserve for deserting God. (2) He will appear “a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” That appearing will be terrible for unbelievers, but wonderful for believers.

(2) We fear to offend God

There are two kinds of fear.

First, there’s ungodly fear; it’s accompanied with hate. It’s caused by a sense of God’s majesty alone. We see it in Christ’s encounter with Legion (Matt. 8 and Lk. 8). People witness the encounter. They see the demon-possessed man run to meet Christ. They see him prostrate himself before Christ. They hear his cry. They hear Christ speak to the demons. They see the swine run down the hill into the sea. They see it all. Luke tells us that they became frightened. In this state, they run back to the village to report all that happened. All the people of the country of the Gerasenes come to meet Christ. Luke tells us that they’re gripped with great fear. How do they react? They ask Him to leave. They’ve just witnessed a manifestation of divine power. They’ve just seen the Son of the Most High God exercise His authority as Possessor of heaven and earth. They’ve lived with the demoniac for some time. They know, first hand, the power of these demons. Yet their only concern is self-preservation. At that moment, Christ is nothing more to them than a perceived threat. They hate Him. And so, they ask Him to leave. They’re more comfortable with the demon-possessed man than with the Son of the Most High God – the Possessor of heaven and earth. That’s ungodly fear.

Second, there’s godly fear; it’s accompanied with love. It’s caused by a deep sense of God’s majesty and mercy. The Father and the Son dwell in an eternity of mutual delight. At the cross, the Father forsakes the Son. Christ no longer enjoys that mutual delight. He no longer experiences that heavenly joy. The Father withdraws the light of His countenance. Does that not cause you to love Christ? Does it move you to think of what Christ has done for you? Godly fear is accompanied with love, because it arises from a deep sense of both God’s majesty and mercy. It creates a tender heart, whereby we fear to offend Him.

(3) We long to please God

This past summer, the Paluxy River in Glen Rose was bone-dry. Why did it dry up? No rain! That’s precisely what happens when there’s no fear of God in the heart. The desire to please God dries up. The fear of God is the fountain from which all obedience flows. “Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep my commandments, that it might go well with them and their descendants forever!” (Deut. 5:29).

And that’s what it means to live coram Deo.

Quotable: “There are two things that render Christ’s love wonderful: 1. That he should be willing to endure sufferings that were so great; and 2. That he should be willing to endure them to make atonement for wickedness that was so great” (Jonathan Edwards).

All Things

2011-12-28T12:58:00.001-05:00

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). In this verse, Paul states two facts, before drawing a conclusion.

Fact #1: God did not spare His own Son

That statement takes us back to Genesis 22, where God commands Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, upon the altar: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (v 2).

We must pause here, just for a moment. I realize many people object to this story. Why? They think it makes God a monster. What kind of God asks someone to sacrifice his child? That’s despicable. In Homer’s Iliad, king Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter, in order to please the gods, so that they grant favorable winds for his journey to Troy. Is that what’s happening here? Is God some tyrant, searching for a bloody sacrifice? To understand God’s command, we need to remember a few things. (1) We need to remember that Abraham and his family are sinners. (2) We need to remember that the wages of sin is death. (3) We need to remember that the firstborn is the family. When God told Abraham to offer Isaac, He was calling in Abraham’s debt. Abraham’s son was going to die for the sins of the family.

Now, let’s return to Genesis 22. Abraham obeys. He’s ready to plunge the knife into his son. But God speaks: “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld (spared) your son, your only son, from me” (v 12). Isaac is Abraham’s son – his only son, his beloved son. But Abraham doesn’t spare him. Years later, on these same mountains, God doesn’t spare His only Son, His beloved Son.

The angels are God’s sons by creation (Job 1:6). The saints are God’s sons by adoption (Rom. 8:14). Christ is God’s only Son by nature. He’s co-eternal, co-equal, and co-essential with the Father. Yet, at the time of His greatest distress, His Father doesn’t spare Him. God hears Naaman, when he cries for healing. He hears Hannah, when she cries for a child. He hears Hagar, when she cries for help. He hears the Ninevites, when they cry for mercy. He hears Elijah, when He cries for assistance. When Christ cries with a loud voice, there’s deafening silence.

Christ doesn’t cry with a loud voice, because of what men do to Him. They reject Him, assault Him, ridicule Him, betray Him, and desert Him. But those things never cause Him to cry with a loud voice.

Christ doesn’t cry with a loud voice, because of His physical suffering. If we look merely at His physical pain, we must admit that others have suffered as much and perhaps more than Him.

Christ cries with a loud voice, because of His sense of His Father’s displeasure. As He hangs on the cross, there are two eclipses. The first is external: it hides the light of the sun. The second is internal: it hides the light of the Father’s countenance. Christ is in complete darkness (external and internal). Why? God has forsaken Him.

This separation isn’t the dissolution of the union between the Father and the Son. That’s impossible. God is one indivisible essence. Christ declares, “I and the Father are one” (Jn. 10:30).

This separation isn’t the dissolution of the union between the divine nature and the human nature. That’s impossible. “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8).

This separation is a suspension of God’s comfort. As Christians, we believe God is triune. We confess it in the Apostle’s Creed. We confess it, when we’re baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). We believe the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God. We also believe the Father isn’t the Son, the Son isn’t the Spirit, and the Spirit isn’t the Father. That is to say, we believe God is three distinct persons in one substance. That’s important for understanding God’s love. Why? Love requires multiplicity. Love requires an object. Since God is love, He must have an object to love. He must be more than one person. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit love each other. God dwells in an eternity of mutual delight.

Yet, at the cross, the Father forsakes the Son. In other words, Christ no longer enjoys that mutual delight. He no longer experiences that heavenly joy. The Father withdraws the light of His countenance. God does not spare His Son.

Fact #2: God gave up His Son for us all

Why did God need to do that? The answer: we’re wicked. Sin has dominion over us.

At times, sin’s dominion is obvious. Some people live with the visible effects and consequences of their sin. It takes a toll on their body, appearance, family, etc. I lectured for several years at Toronto Baptist Seminary, located on Jarvis Street – a rough part of town. I didn’t have to walk very far to see a drunk on a park bench or a prostitute on a street corner. In such cases, sin’s dominion is obvious.

At times, sin’s dominion isn’t so obvious. It’s hidden. It’s secret. But it’s just as real, just as powerful, and just as wicked. Sin has many manifestations, but it always has the same root: idolatry. We make idols out of just about everything we touch – food, possessions, cars, etc. We make idols out of our emotions – fear, hate, love, etc. We make idols out of our relationships. We make idols out of sports. We make idols out of successes and failures. There are very few things that we don’t turn into idols.

We’re wicked, because we’ve forsaken God. But God gave up His Son for us all. Christ submitted to desertion – that which we deserve for deserting God. “He poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors” (Isa. 53:12). Christ didn’t take the stain of our sin upon Himself, but the guilt of our sin. He was condemned, so that we might be justified. He was punished, so that we might be pardoned. He was cursed, so that we might be blessed. He was wounded, so that we might be healed. He was forsaken, so that we might be accepted.

Conclusion: God will graciously give us all things

Having stated those two facts, Paul draws his conclusion. If God didn’t spare His own Son but delivered Him over for us all, then all things belong to us. “All things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God” (1 Cor. 3:22–23). If the purchasing price of our inheritance was Christ’s blood, then we’ll most certainly receive the inheritance.

Quotable: “In giving His Son, He gave everything. The cross is the guarantee of the continuing, unfailing generosity of God” (John Stott).

God's Perfect Gift

2011-12-25T15:04:00.001-05:00

What makes the perfect gift?

First, what it costs the person who gives. The gift must involve a measure of sacrifice in terms of thought, time, creativity, effort, energy, etc. The sacrifice is the expression of love.

Second, what it offers the person who receives. The gift must satisfy a need. I didn’t say it must meet a desire. Often times, our desires can be sinful. It must satisfy a real need.

In short, the perfect gift must cost the giver and bless the receiver. We see both in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” There are four things, in this verse, that make God’s love wonderful.

(1) The Object of God’s Love: “the world”

The world is man, covered in the filth of his sin. Most of us think of our sin in terms of breaking God’s rules. That’s transgression. While sin includes transgression, it isn’t limited to transgression. The essence of sin is loving the wrong thing. We make things more important than our relationship with God. Our refusal to center our lives on God is the nature of sin. Our refusal to love God supremely is the nature of sin. Yet “God shows his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:9).

(2) The Expression of God’s Love: “that he gave his only Son”

God gives Christ in two ways.

First, God gives Christ for us, in that He redeems us. He pays the penalty for our sin, on the cross. Love left a glorious crown. Love came in humility. Love walked in our flesh. Love took our infirmities. Love gave sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, and life to the dead. Love was hungry, thirsty, and weary. Love was in a bloody agony. Love was sorrowful unto death. Love was betrayed, arrested, and condemned. Love was pierced with thorns, scourged with cords, and pierced with nails. Love climbed a shameful cross. Love bore the guilt and shame. “The essence of sin is we human beings substituting ourselves for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for us. We put ourselves where only God deserves to be; God puts himself where we deserve to be” (John Stott).

Second, God gives Christ to us, in that He converts us. He makes us one with Christ. As a result of this union, we enjoy the benefits of the cross. His forgiveness is greater than our sin. His merit is greater than our guilt. His strength is greater than our weakness. His humility is greater than our pride. His sufferings are greater than our failures. His fullness is greater than our want. His tenderness is greater than our temptation. His righteousness is greater than our vileness.

(3) The Nature of God’s Love: “that whoever believes in him”

As humans, we need love, just like we need food and water. We can’t live without it. Therefore, when we love, we expect to be loved in return. That means our love is always self-serving to some degree. But God’s love isn’t like that. He doesn’t need to love us, nor does He need us to love Him. He doesn’t gain anything from loving us. That’s pure love. God has that love in Himself. And here’s the wonderful thing: He lavishes it upon His children. What a glorious truth! We don’t need to earn God’s love. We don’t need to merit God’s love. We don’t need to worry that God’s love for us will change. We don’t need to worry that God’s love for us is contingent upon our performance. God’s love is merciful. We simply believe. To believe is to receive God’s gift.

(4) The Result of God’s Love: “should not perish but have eternal life”

Here, Christ states the same truth negatively and positively. Negatively: we’re saved from perishing. To perish is to be forsaken by God for eternity. Positively: we’re saved to eternal life. We enjoy that life right now, as we live in the light of God’s favor. One day, we’ll enjoy it in full.

Living Blessedly Forever

2011-12-22T10:22:00.002-05:00

I started to research this book, in early 2005. Seven years later, it has made it into print. Many thanks to Jay Collier at Reformation Heritage Books!

The book begins with a brief account of William Perkins’s life and ministry. It then considers several factors that shaped Perkins’s interpretation and application of Christ's Sermon on the Mount. It then examines Perkins’s exposition of Matthew 5–7, identifying six marks of godliness: blessedness, repentance, righteousness, sincerity, contentment, and faithfulness. It concludes with a challenge to join practice with knowledge of the word of Christ.

“One of the great puzzles of church history is the church’s failure to keep in print the works of William Perkins. Why, when so many of the Puritan writers were reprinted in the nineteenth century, was Perkins, the prince of the Puritans, passed by? In his own day he topped the best seller list of English theological/practical writers. In our day, this problem is slowly (very slowly) being remedied. For this reason, I am thankful for Stephen Yuille’s exposition of Perkins’s commentary on the Sermon on the Mount. Yuille’s work is a clear presentation of Perkins and written with the same goal as Perkins, that men and women may live blessedly forever. I enthusiastically commend this book to one who wants to get better insight into Perkins, as well to all who desire a practical exposition of Christ’s most famous sermon.” — Joseph A. Pipa Jr., President of Greenville Presbyterian Seminary, Greenville, South Carolina

Quotable: "[Theology] is the science of living blessedly forever" (William Perkins).

Emmanuel (that means God with us)

2011-12-14T15:12:00.001-05:00

Some people view Christ as a great philosopher – a spiritual guru. They think He imparted important teaching. Of course, they’re selective when it comes to what they accept from His teaching. They uphold His ideals, ethics, and truisms, as a standard for all people, while ignoring any of His explicit references to sin and salvation.

Some people view Christ as a great humanitarian. He ministered to the destitute, cared for widows and orphans, walked with social outcasts, and championed the oppressed. They view Him as a social reformer. They view Him as a standard for modern-day humanitarian efforts. And they emulate what they perceive to be His compassion.

Some people view Christ as a great prophet. They think He’s one in a long series of prophets, including Muhammad, Moses, Buddha, Confucius, and Oprah (I’m joking, sort of), who have shown us something of the way to God. They believe that each of these prophets possesses a part of the picture, but not the entire picture. They reject any claims of absolutism.

Some people view Christ as a great counselor. If He were alive today, He would have written “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” They see Him as possessing a modern-view into the human psyche. They accept those segments of His teaching, which they think are aimed at improving humanity – human experience, awareness, and behavior.

But all of these views are deficient. Christ only gives us one option. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also” (Jn. 8:19). “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me” (Jn. 12:44). “Whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” (Jn. 13:20). There’s no wiggle room. In order to be a follower of Christ, we must believe He’s exactly who He claims to be – God.

Elsewhere, we read that “[Christ] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:4). On the back of our coins (Canadian coins, that is), there’s an image of Queen Elizabeth. It’s a likeness of the Queen, but it doesn’t embody her essence. She’s not in her image on our coins. However, Christ is the “exact imprint of [God’s] nature.” The term “nature” (or substance) denotes essential being. In other words, Christ is the very impress of God’s substance. He is Emmanuel.

Quotable: “All that God is, in His nature and character, is expressed and manifested, absolutely and perfectly, by the incarnate Son” (A. W. Pink).

Light Dwells with Him

2011-12-06T11:38:00.001-05:00

When we enter a dark room, what’s the first thing we do? If we’re smart, we turn on the light. Light illuminates. It dispels darkness, and reveals what’s hidden from view. In the same way, God is an illuminating light: “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (Dan. 2:22).

God’s knowledge is an inexhaustible subject. Zophar asks, “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea” (Job 11:7–9). Here, Zophar makes a comparison between our inability to measure the universe and our inability to measure God. In the time it takes me to snap my fingers, light circles the earth seven times. Traveling at that speed, it would take billions of years to reach the edge of the universe. We might be able to do the math, but the distance is beyond our comprehension. We can’t measure the heavens. How can we possibly measure God’s knowledge?

There are three things that set God’s knowledge apart from ours. First, God’s knowledge is independent. That means He doesn’t obtain His knowledge from outside of himself. We do. Our knowledge comes from parents, teachers, books, etc. But God isn’t like us: “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?” (Isa. 40:13). Second, God’s knowledge is infallible. In other words, He doesn’t err in His knowledge. We do. There are countless things we think we know, but we don’t really. But God isn’t like us: “The LORD of hosts has sworn: ‘As I have planned, so it shall be, and as I have purposed so shall it stand’” (Isa. 14:24). Third, God’s knowledge is immutable. He doesn’t change in His knowledge. We do. Today, there are things we’ve forgotten since yesterday. Tomorrow, there will be more things we’ve forgotten. Our knowledge is in a constant state of flux. But God isn’t like us: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Prov. 19:21). Because God is eternal (Ps. 90:2), immortal (Acts 17:24–25), and immutable (Jas. 1:17), His knowledge is an ever present. He proclaims, “Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isa. 46:9–10).

As the apostle John declares, “God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything” (1 Jn. 3:20). “God knows instantly and effortlessly,” explains A. W. Tozer, “all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creature-hood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feelings, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven, and hell.” That’s breathtaking. In our day, we’ve witnessed an explosion of information. We have an incredible amount of knowledge available to us on the Internet. It’s startling, when we compare what’s available today to what was available a mere century ago. Yet despite this information highway, our knowledge is still a proverbial drop in the ocean in comparison to God’s. He knows all things. As Daniel proclaims, “the light dwells with [God].”

As light, God is the source of all knowledge. Apart from His disclosing and enabling, there’s no knowing. In other words, knowledge is impossible apart from Him. “Truly, [our] God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries” (Daniel 2:47).

Quotable: “Wisdom among men is gained by age and experience, furthered by instruction… but the wisdom of God is his nature. As the sun cannot be without light… so neither can God be without wisdom” (Stephen Charnock).

My Ways

2011-11-07T10:03:00.001-05:00

David declares, “When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies” (Ps. 119:59). What does it mean to think on our ways? It includes many things, but I want to focus on four questions that should occupy everyone’s thoughts. If we took these seriously, it would transform us.

First, who made us? The answer, of course, is God. “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth” (Eccl. 12:1). Do we give any thought to who He is? “He is before you, behind you, round about you, yes, within you, or else you could not keep your breath in your body for a moment, and will you not then take some time to season your heart with thoughts of God?” (Thomas Manton, Works, VII:128).

Second, why did God make us? “The LORD has made everything for its purpose” (Prov. 16:4). Specifically, He made us in His image, so that we might enjoy Him, thereby glorifying Him. “I was not made for nothing, not to sin away my life, nor to sport it away, nor to talk it away, nor to drudge it away in the servile and basest offices of this life; my end is to enjoy God, and my work and business is to serve and glorify Him” (Thomas Manton, Works, VII:129).

Third, what has happened to us? In brief, we’re completely senseless to the purpose for which God created us. “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand” (Isa. 3:1). We amuse ourselves with the temporal rather than the eternal, the material rather than the spiritual, the trivial rather than the exceptional. Like children we amuse ourselves with toys. “The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God” (Ps. 14:2). What does He see? “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt” (Ps. 14:3). The term corrupt means spoiled. In other words, we’re like rotten fruit—useless.

Fourth, what will happen to us? “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!” (Ps. 50:22).

Having thought on his ways, what’s David’s response? “I turn my feet to your testimonies.” That’s repentance—a fitting response for all who examine themselves in God’s sight.

Quotable: “Everything that passes before your eyes proclaims an invisible God, an infinite and eternal power that made you and all things. Shall the heavens above, and the earth beneath, say, Remember God; and shall every creature, every pile of grass, say, Remember God; and will you be so stupid and scornful as not to cast a look upon Him?” (Thomas Manton).

The Lord is My Portion

2011-11-04T08:41:00.000-04:00

In the midst of Psalm 119, David utters this statement: “The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words” (v. 57). (For a similar thought, see Ps. 16:5; 73:25; 142:5.)

I’m uncertain as to the reason behind David’s use of the word portion. It might be a reference to God’s distribution of the land of Canaan among the sons of Israel. God allotted a portion of the land to each one. And so, David might be using that concept to stress the fact that his portion (or inheritance) is God. But whatever the reason behind David’s use of the word, his point is clear—he had taken God as his happiness.

In many ways, this is the essence of what it means to be a Christian. Thomas Manton remarks, “Grace restores us to the inclinations of nature when it was innocent; therefore, the soul, that came from God, must center in God, and it cannot be quiet without Him” (Works, VII:111). In other words, when we’re born again, the Holy Spirit implants a new spiritual sense within us. As a result, we realize that God alone is all-sufficient (Gen. 15:1). He’s eternally and immutably good—the only good that can satisfy our souls. Again, Thomas Manton remarks, “God is satisfied with Himself and sufficient to His own happiness, therefore surely there is enough in Him to fill the creature. That which fills an ocean will fill a bucket” (Works, VII:112).

That being the case, here’s a question we must ask: Is God our portion? That question leads to another: How do we know? Now, I’m not interested in what we say. (After all, Judas was a follower of Christ by profession, but a follower of Satan by affection.) I’m far more interested in how we live. Take another look at David’s statement in Psalm 119:57, “The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words.” To put it another way, the fact that David had taken God as his portion was manifested in his desire to please Him. Conclusion: unless we’re concerned about pleasing God, we haven’t taken Him as our portion.

Quotable: “The soul is like a sponge, always thirsting, and seeking of something from without to be filled—a chaos of desires. Man was made to live in dependence” (Thomas Manton).

Why God Delays

2011-10-26T11:31:00.000-04:00

God often delays (from our perspective, anyway) His response to our prayers. Why?

First, God delays His response, in order to prepare us to receive what He’s going to give. Thomas Manton remarks, “The baker watches when the oven is hot, and then puts in the bread.” In other words, the oven must be warmed, before it’s ready to receive the bread. Similarly, our hearts must be prepared to receive what God gives. In delaying, God heightens our appreciation of His good gifts. The result is praise and thanksgiving. We prize those things for which we must work and wait.

Second, God delays His response, in order to make us more fervent in prayer. When a child is in need, he cries out to his father or mother. In that cry, he acknowledges his absolute dependence upon them. Likewise, when we cry out to God in prayer, we experience a most wonderful reality: God is our Father. As the Westminster Confession of Faith states, “All those that are justified… enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, have His name put upon them; receive the Spirit of adoption; have access to the throne of grace with boldness; are enabled to cry, Abba, Father” (XII). As our Father, God loves us (Matthew 10:29), hears us (Matthew 7:11), disciplines us (Hebrews 12:6), comforts us (2 Corinthians 1:3), protects us (Romans 16:20), forgives us (Romans 8:1), blesses us (1 Corinthians 2:9), and keeps us (Romans 8:30). He wants us to depend upon Him. Delays are often designed with that end in view.

Third, God delays His response, in order to prove our faith and perfect our patience. I’ve never understood the appeal of competitive weight-lifting. If I understand correctly, the weight-lifter must hold the weights above his head for three seconds. On some level, I suppose that’s an accomplishment. But the fact remains: it’s only three seconds! I have far greater admiration for the Angolan woman, who is able to carry a load of fire wood on her head, a baby on her back, and a jug of water in each hand, as she returns from the well that’s located a two hour walk from her home. Now, that’s strength! My point is this: enduring a delay for a day or two is one thing, but enduring a delay for a year or two is another thing entirely. Simply put, it’s a more perfect thing, because it requires both faith and patience.

Fourth, God delays His response, in order to magnify His work of providence. God doesn’t work when it pleases us most, but when it glorifies Him best. Recently, a friend shared with me a conversation he had with his five-year old son. They had been reading some of the great narratives in the Old Testament—all those great stories about Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and Daniel. He asked his son, “What have these stories taught you about God.” His son’s reply: “God always waits to the last minute.” Out of the mouths of babes! God delights to delay before responding to prayer, in order to ensure that we don’t miss His wondrous works. In so doing, He magnifies His glory.

Quotable: “We despise easy-gotten favors, but that which is long and earnestly sought is dearer to us” (Thomas Manton).

Striving to be a Man of God

2011-10-08T09:40:00.001-04:00

What does it mean to be a man of God? Paul says that a man of God is known for seven things (1 Tim. 6:11–21).

(1) A man of God is known by what he flees from (6:11)

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.”

What things? In 6:9, Paul speaks of those who “desire to get rich.” (1) They fall into “temptation.” (2) They fall into a “snare;” they’re like trapped animals. (3) They fall into “harmful desires;” these endanger both body and soul. (4) They succumb to “all kinds of evil.” (5) They “wander away from the faith;” they neglect their souls. (6) They “pierce themselves with many a pang.” The verb “pierce” means to put on a spit. The word “pang” refers to grief, distress, boredom, dissatisfaction, gloom, etc.

We must flee from these things. Why? They’re perilous to the pursuit of godliness. Christ warns, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or her will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24). A servant (who has two masters) will find himself in difficulty. One will ask him to do this, while the other will ask him to do that. There will be a conflict of interest. So too, says Christ, when it comes to serving God and money. It’s impossible to serve both. Materialism wants your affections; so does Christ. Materialism wants your devotion; so does Christ. Materialism wants your time; so does Christ.

(2) A man of God is known by what he seeks after (6:11)

“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”

As we flee from the “desire to get rich,” we don’t run in any direction we feel like. When we run aimlessly, we fall into all sorts of trouble. As we flee from a self-centered life, we must seek after a Christ-centered life.

(3) A man of God is known by what he fights for (6:12)

“Fight the good fight of faith.”

Anyone who flees from a self-centered life and seeks after a Christ-centered life will find himself in the midst of a pitched battle. He’s going to struggle with the flesh, the world, and the devil.

(4) A man of God is known for what he holds onto (6:12)

“Take hold of eternal life...”

Eternal life is our future hope. We’re to take hold of it by making it a present reality. When we do, we find motivation to worship God, mortify sin, deny ourselves, rejoice in affliction, and live for God.

(5) A man of God is known for what he aspires to (6:13–16)

“Keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach...”

This likely refers to everything Paul has said in this letter – how we pray, how we dress, how we speak, how we eat, how we manage our families, how we raise our children, how we care for our widows, how we honor our leaders, how we work, how we handle wealth. God’s grace compels us to bring every area of life under His influence.

(6) A man of God is known for what he hopes on (6:17–19)

“Charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches...”

We must not fix our hope on riches, but on God. Why? One is uncertain; one is certain. “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt. 6:26). I like to imagine there was a flock of birds flying overhead when Christ spoke those words. If God’s providence extends to the birds, then His providence most assuredly extends to us.

(7) A man of God is known for what he believes in (6:20–21)

“Guard the deposit entrusted to you.”

Clearly, as far as Paul is concerned, there’s a standard of Christian belief. It’s called “the teaching” (6:1), “the doctrine” (6:3), “the sound words” (6:3), “the truth” (6:5), and “the faith” (6:10). We must avoid two dangers. (1) Liberalism: blindly promoting change, thereby sacrificing truth. (2) Conservatism: blindly opposing change, thereby confusing tradition with truth.

Quotable: “Christ doesn’t want us to trifle with the things of God. We are not to pick them up and play with them at our convenience… If our passion, chief interest, focus, priority is sports or self or things or pleasure or anything besides God, then we have misunderstood the meaning of life. We’re still lost. To know God at all is to passionately long for Him and His righteousness” (Terry Johnson).

The Supreme Sovereign of Scripture

2011-10-01T14:47:00.001-04:00

Hurricane Irene caused a lot of destruction. As she pummeled the east coast, an article appeared on the CNN website – “My Take: God no longer in the whirlwind” (August 28). Here’s a portion...

“As I am riding out Hurricane Irene on Cape Cod, I cannot help thinking about how differently New Englanders in colonial times interpreted these natural disasters. While we speak of the eye of the hurricane, they were ever mindful of the eye of God, who was watching over them… Psalm 107:25 reads: “For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.” Today, the overwhelming majority of Americans—including the overwhelming majority of American Christians—believe that when God has something to say He speaks in less dramatic ways… The overwhelming majority of Americans believe in God. But their God no longer acts out his fury as in Bible days. Our storms have not yet been tamed. But our God has.”

Most professing Christians have tamed God, because they believe in a form of deism. The central tenet of deism (1700s) was this: having created the universe, God withdrew from it. Today, many people have adopted a similar view. They believe in God, but they don’t believe He’s involved in events. They believe in God, but they don’t believe He makes any demands on them. He’s present, when needed. And He exists for the purpose of fostering their sense of personal peace and happiness.

For those who hold to such a view of God, the notion of His involvement in a hurricane is reprehensible. It doesn’t have any place in their worldview. If I affirm that God loves everyone and seeks to foster their personal peace and happiness, then I can’t believe God caused Hurricane Irene. If God didn’t cause it, then I must re-think the idea that God is all-powerful. In short, I must limit His power, limit His authority, and limit His sovereignty.

People end up doing just that, because they make two crucial mistakes concerning God’s love. (1) They think God’s love is sentimental. Sentimental love is indulgent, lenient, non-judgmental, and non-committal. God is nice. He smiles upon us. He’s happy with us. He wants us to be happy. (2) They think God’s love is unconditional. In other words, He doesn’t make any demands of us. Because of His unconditional love for us, He accepts us just the way we are.

Because of this false concept of God’s sentimental and unconditional love, people surrender God’s absolute sovereignty, God’s absolute authority, and God’s absolute power. What’s the result? They tame God. “The god of this twentieth century no more resembles the Supreme Sovereign of Scripture than does the dim flickering of a candle resemble the glory of the midday sun” (A. W. Pink).

With all that said, I want to look at 1 Timothy 6:15–16. And I want to note four truths concerning the Supreme Sovereign of Scripture.

(1) God is the incomparable King

God is the “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kinds and Lord of lords.” That means He’s without equal. “Who in the skies is comparable to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD?” (Ps. 89:6).

(2) God is the immortal King

God is beyond time. He doesn’t have a beginning or ending. He’s eternal, because He’s immortal. He has life in Himself. His life isn’t derived from anything or dependent upon anything. Because He’s immortal, He’s unchangeable. What He was yesterday, He is today. What He is today, He will be tomorrow. There aren’t any factors and processes inside or outside God that cause Him to change in any way. That means His power is perfect. That means His wisdom is perfect. That means His goodness is perfect.

(3) God is the invisible King

God is Spirit. He doesn’t have any spatial limitations. “He is in the world, yet not confined to it. He is out of the world, yet not debarred from it. He is above the world, yet not elevated by it. He is below the world, yet not depressed by it” (Augustine). (1) God isn’t mixed with the heavens and the earth. He fills the heavens and the earth with His essence. There’s no place that’s deprived of His presence. (2) God isn’t limited to heaven and earth. He’s infinite and, therefore, He’s above everything. He created the universe; therefore, the universe can’t contain Him.

(4) God is the unapproachable King

Paul tells us that God “dwells in unapproachable light.” That is the splendor of His holiness. We can’t approach this Light. We can’t look at this Light. As A. W. Tozer notes, “Before the uncreated fire of God’s holiness, angels veil their faces.” There isn’t any creature that can behold the resplendent glory of God’s holiness. “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers” (Isa. 40:22).

Quotable: “[Their view of God] is the figment of human imagination, an invention of mushy sentimentality… millions manufacture a god out of their own carnal mind. In reality, they are but atheists, for there is no other possible alternative between an absolutely supreme God and no God at all” (A. W. Pink).

The Mystery of Godliness

2011-09-06T11:59:00.002-04:00

During his third missionary journey, Paul visits the city of Ephesus (Acts 19:28). The temple of Artemis stands at its center—one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It houses an enormous image of Artemis. People travel from all over the Empire to worship at its feet. But, through Paul’s preaching, people are beginning to turn from their idolatry to worship the true and living God. As a result, the demand for silver images of Artemis is plummeting. Demetrius (a silversmith) is losing business. And so, he gathers a crowd, and tells them that Artemis will soon be counted as nothing. Upon hearing this, the people become enraged, crying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

I can’t help but wonder if Paul had that event in the back of his mind when he penned 1 Timothy 3:16, “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness.”

There’s something great in our lives. What is it? What occupies our secret thoughts? What stirs our strongest emotions? Our answer to those questions is the greatest thing in our lives. Is it God, or is it pleasure, success, beauty, sex, approval, control, performance, sports, wealth, popularity, fame, acceptance, power? If it’s anything but God, we’re guilty of idolatry.

We can’t remove idols without replacing them. That’s why we need something greater (more real, substantial, meaningful, exciting, and exhilarating) than sports, money, clothes, I-Pods, sex, lust, success, alcohol, or video games. We need something greater than fame, acceptance, performance, control, power, or popularity.

In a word, we need Christ—“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness.”

(1) “He was manifested in the flesh”

That’s a reference to Christ’s incarnation: the eternal Son of God united Himself to human nature—body and soul. Is there a greater truth that staggers the human mind? “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty. It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?” (Job 11:7–8). Here, Zophar likens our inability to measure the universe to our inability to measure God. In the time it takes to snap my fingers, light circles the earth seven times. Traveling at that speed, it would take billions of years to reach the edge of the universe. We can’t measure the heavens. And we can’t measure God. He’s “the King of Ages, immortal, invisible” (1 Tim. 1:17). Here’s something great: He became a man.

(2) “He was vindicated by the Spirit”

Let’s imagine I’m wrongly accused of a crime. I claim to be innocent, but the authorities ignore my claims. Eventually, however, I’m able to prove my innocence. As a result, I’m vindicated. This verb vindicate comes from the Latin vindicare, meaning to claim or avenge. In other words, vindication is a form of vengeance. I avenge myself by proving my claim to be innocent. Paul says that Christ was vindicated by the Spirit. When? “[He] was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). Christ claimed to be the Son of God. He performed signs to substantiate His claim. He healed the lame, blind, deaf, and dumb. He calmed the sea. He cast out demons. He raised the dead. We rejected His claim. And we murdered Him on a cross. But He, who was manifested in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit. His resurrection vindicated His claim to be the Son of God.

(3) “He was seen by angels”

In this statement, Paul seems to be stressing the fact that Christ appeared to the angels. He did so at the time of His triumphal ascension to His Father, who “seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but in the one to come” (Eph. 1:20–21). At that time, Christ’s divine nature was exalted. All the mists, which clouded His deity, were removed. And, at that time, Christ’s human nature was exalted. All the weaknesses and infirmities, which marked His humanity, were removed.

(4) “He was proclaimed among the nations”

At the tower of Babel, the nations reject God. God abandons them to their sin, while continuing to shower His common grace upon them (Acts 14:16–17). Thereafter, God restricts His special revelation to the nation of Israel. With Christ’s advent, however, God turns once again to the nations. John declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). At the tower of Babel, God confused man’s language, dispersing the nations across the face of the earth. On the Day of Pentecost, when He poured out the gift of tongues upon the church, He united the nations in one house with Christ as its head. Paul can say, therefore, to the Romans, “Your faith is proclaimed in all the world” (Rom. 1:8).

(5) “He was believed on in the world”

What do we believe? We believe two great truths. (1) We believe that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am foremost (1 Tim. 1:15). (2) We believe that there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:5). That’s the essence of the gospel (good news). In 1500, 92% of all Christians were European. By 1980, Christians from the southern hemisphere outnumbered Christians from the northern hemisphere. Today, Christianity expresses itself in 9,000 of the world’s 13,000 people groups.

(6) He was taken up in glory

At that time, the Father said to His Son, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” (Acts 2:34–35). As Stephen lay, dying, he cries out: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). Christ is standing, not sitting. Why? He isn’t a make-believe monarch. He isn't an idle spectator. He isn't a passive bystander. He’s the supreme ruler of all, actively engaged in the affairs of men (1 Cor. 15:23–26).

Quotable: “For believers, Christ is, always has been, precious—the sun, the rock, the life, the bread of their souls—everything that is good, useful, amiable, desirable” (John Owen).

Following Jesus, the Servant King

2011-08-19T16:44:00.001-04:00

Jonathan Lunde, Following Jesus, the Servant King: A Biblical Theology of Covenantal Discipleship (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2010).

In Following Jesus, the Servant King, Jonathan Lunde references an interesting study by Christian Smith and Melinda Denton, in which they describe the dominant view of Christianity among today’s youth as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (p. 277). Quite the mouthful! Simply put, adherents of this view believe that God exists to serve them, and that he demands very little in return. That is to say, God does not require them to do anything that might compromise what they see as his chief concern—namely, their personal peace, happiness, and well-being.

Unsurprisingly, MTD has resulted in a lukewarm brand of Christianity. According to Smith and Denton, “This is not a religion of repentance from sin, of keeping the Sabbath, of living as a servant of a sovereign divine, of steadfastly saying one’s prayers, of faithfully observing high holy days, of building character through suffering, of basking in God’s love and grace, of spending oneself in gratitude and love for the cause of social justice, etc. Rather, what appears to be the actual dominant religion among U.S. teenagers is centrally about feeling good, happy, secure, at peace” (p. 283).

It is this narcissistic view of Christianity that leads Lunde to address the age-old question of what it means to follow Jesus. He explains, “As the King, Jesus summons his followers to a life of single-hearted commitment and loyalty to himself. As the Servant, Jesus provides the righteous fulfillment of the law’s demands and its final sacrifice. The demand of the King is therefore juxtaposed with the grace of the Servant. Rightly resolving the tension created by these two roles of Jesus gets at the heart of discipleship—the heart of what it means to follow him” (p. 28).

Lunde proceeds to resolve this “tension” by asking three questions.

First, why should I be concerned to obey all of Jesus’ commands if I have been saved by grace? Lunde answers this question in chapters 2 to 5. From his study of the various covenants in Scripture, he establishes two foundational truths: (1) God always deals with his people on the basis of grace; and (2) God’s righteous demands never diminish in the wake of grace. Lunde summarizes, “What we discover is that grace has always grounded God’s relationship with his people, but that same grace persistently brings the demand of righteousness” (p. 35). The same holds true in the New Covenant. Through faith in Jesus, we receive the righteousness that God demands; however, that grace does not nullify his command to obey.

Second, what is it that Jesus demands of his disciples? Lunde answers this question in chapters 6 to 10. He employs three analogies to describe Jesus’ relationship to the Old Testament law. (1) Jesus functions as a “filter,” fulfilling certain things in the law; e.g., its commands concerning food, sacrifice, and circumcision. (2) Jesus functions as a “lens,” clarifying certain things in the law; e.g., its commands concerning love, truth, and mercy. (3) Jesus functions as a “prism,” elevating certain things in the law; e.g., its commands concerning murder, adultery, and justice. From his analysis, Lunde concludes that Jesus (1) “echoes and strengthens the call to righteousness found in the Law and the Prophets,” and (2) “summons people to follow him as the King whose reign is extending across the earth” (p. 183).

Third, how can the disciple obey Jesus’ high demand, while experiencing his yoke as light and easy? Lunde answers this question in chapters 11 to 17. He makes it clear that the Old Testament prophets had a “two-age” perspective of history: the present age of sin and suffering; and the future age of joy and peace (p. 188). They expected a dramatic shift from the first to the second. They did not anticipate what Lunde describes as the “inaugurated” kingdom—an era in which the two ages overlap. At his coming, Jesus only inaugurated the kingdom. This means that some aspects of the New Covenant are only inaugurated. We are, therefore, “caught in the tension between two salvation-historical realities—between the ongoing frailty characteristic of the old era and the Spirit-enabled, absolute demand of righteousness pertaining to the new era” (p. 193). Because of this “tension,” we must return repeatedly to Jesus for “renewing and transforming” grace (p. 206). When we do, we discover that his yoke is light and easy. Lunde elaborates, “Learning to remember Jesus’ consummate representative work on our behalf and pausing long enough so that the Spirit brings this gracious truth alive in our hearts again will enable us to live in Jesus’ completed righteousness instead of our own frail attempts. This in turn will enliven our own efforts to respond to Jesus’ provision with lives of repentance and righteousness” (p. 273).

Lunde’s central thesis emerges from his answers to the above three questions; namely, we cannot understand what it means to follow Jesus without first understanding what it means to be “in covenant” with God. “Covenantal discipleship,” he declares, “is learning to receive and respond to God’s grace and demand, which are mediated through Jesus, the Servant King, so as to reflect God’s character in relation to him, to others, and to the world…” (p. 276). This paradigm is timely. It speaks to those who need to awaken from a half-hearted discipleship that essentially ignores Jesus’ commands. It also speaks to those who are bound by a deadening legalism in relation to Jesus’ commands. Finally, it speaks to those who are frustrated by their inconsistency in remaining faithful to Jesus’ commands.

In conclusion, I greatly appreciated Following Jesus, the Servant King—a scholarly study of Christian discipleship in the context of biblical theology, an insightful analysis of the relationship between God’s covenantal grace and demand, and a valuable guide for all who desire to follow Jesus.

Serving Christ Jesus cont'd

2011-08-17T11:38:00.002-04:00

In his first epistle to Timothy, Paul explains how we’re to behave in God’s household (3:14–15). He has something to say to just about everyone – men, women, apostates, heretics, elders, deacons, widows, slaves, poor, rich, etc. In 4:6–16, he has something to say specifically to ministers of the gospel. Yet the principles (in these verses) are relevant for all Christians. Why? We’re all servants of Christ. The question is this: Are we good servants? Paul gives eight marks of “a good servant of Christ Jesus” (4:6). I considered four in the previous post. Here are the remaining four.

(1) Be Convinced! (4:13)

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching…”

Here, Paul urges Timothy to give attention to the public reading, preaching, and teaching of God's Word. Why? God’s Word is the means by which God’s Spirit works in His people. Are we convinced of that?

The Reformers place great emphasis on what Calvin calls “the sacramental word,” meaning they believe God’s Word is the only means by which God accomplishes His will among His people. In this respect, the Reformers differ from Catholicism, which looks to images, thereby cultivating a spirituality of senses. They also differ from Quakerism, which looks to the inner light, thereby cultivating a spirituality of feelings. The Reformers look to God’s Word alone. Do we?

The Holy Spirit inspired the authors, who penned the pages of Scripture. Since then, the Holy Spirit has illuminated what He inspired. Therefore, any experience of the Holy Spirit must be tied to the Bible. We’re slowly drifting away from that conviction. We’re witnessing in our day a resurgence of both Catholic and Quaker concepts of spirituality. As in the past, both will prove (in time) to be spiritually bankrupt.

Are we thoroughly convinced that the Spirit of God only works through the Word of God to accomplish the will of God among the people of God?

(2) Be Faithful! (4:14)

“Do not neglect the gift you have…”

The context suggests Timothy has the gift of teaching. Paul encourages Timothy to be faithful in its use. God has enabled all of us to serve in some way. Are we faithful?

“When I think of faithfulness, I remember a quiet man from a church, where I was a staff member. On Sunday, his arrival was always unnoticed, for he came long before anyone else. He unlocked the doors, got the bulletins, and then waited outside. When you walked up, he’d give you a bulletin and big smile. But he couldn’t talk. Something had happened to his voice long ago. He also had extensive arthritis, which stooped his shoulders and prevented him from turning his neck. Everything in his life worked to keep him in the background, even his name – Jimmy Small. Yet despite his drawbacks, setbacks, handicaps, and a plethora of potential excuses, he willingly served God. And he served in a disciplined way, which in the sight of God was neither small nor in vain” (Don Whitney).

(3) Be Careful! (4:15–16)

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching…”

We must “watch” our senses. “Set a strong guard around your outward senses: these are Satan’s landing places, especially the eye and the ear” (William Gurnall). (2) We must “watch” our affections. They’re easily allured. We must “watch” our motives. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 6:1).

(4) Be Persistent! (4:16)

“Persist in this…”

Persistence is rare among us. Why? We want instant gratification. By way of corrective, we need to cultivate a long-term view of things. William Carey labored for seven years in India, before he saw his first convert. Adoniram Judson labored for seven years in Burma, before he saw his first convert. Robert Morrison labored for seven years in China, before he saw his first convert. So too, we must be persistent. “We must not be infected by the world’s valuation of either speed or success” (J. B. Phillips).

What will be the result of Timothy’s persistence? “You will save both yourself and your hearers” (4:16). That’s odd. Aren’t they already saved? We must not forget the context, established in 4:1–5. Paul is warning Timothy of the threat posed by false teachers. He tells Timothy what he must do, in order to save (guard or preserve) himself and his hearers from the threat.

Quotable: “There is nothing that ought to be more diligently learned in God’s school than the study of a holy and upright life” (John Calvin).

Serving Christ Jesus

2011-08-10T15:33:00.001-04:00

In his first epistle to Timothy, Paul explains how we’re to behave in God’s household (3:14–15). Given his purpose, he has something to say to just about everyone – men, women, apostates, heretics, elders, deacons, widows, slaves, poor, rich, and so on.

In 4:6–16, Paul has something to say specifically to ministers of the gospel. That being said, the principles (in these verses) are relevant for all Christians. Why? We’re all servants of Christ. The question is this: Are we good servants?

These verses contain eight marks of “a good servant of Christ Jesus” (4:6). I’m going to share four in this post.

(1) Be Vigilant!

“If you put these things before the brothers...” (4:6).

What does Paul means by “these things?” He’s referring to 4:1–5, where he addresses the issue of false teachers.

Paul describes their error (4:1–3). He warns that some people depart from the truth, devoting themselves to deceitful spirits. (1) They confuse the nature of holiness; they adopt asceticism as a path to godliness. (2) They bind the conscience of man; they convince themselves that asceticism pleases God. (3) They corrupt the worship of God; their confusion stems from a superstitious view of God.

Paul dispels their error (4:3–5). He does so by affirming two truths. (1) Everything created by God is good. See Gen. 1:31. (2) Everything is to be received with thanksgiving. Simply put, that means we’re to use God’s good gifts sacredly, soberly, and sensibly.

It’s “these things” that Timothy must “put” before the church. He must charge the false teachers not to teach any different doctrine (1:3). Likewise, we must be vigilant, when it comes to refuting error. Why? Wrong thinking about God means wrong thinking about the gospel, which means wrong thinking about godliness.

(2) Be Studious!

“Being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine…” (4:6).

The verb “to train” means to nurture. Metaphorically, it means to digest inwardly. The present participle (“being trained”) implies an on-going process. Thus, Paul is affirming that we must continually feed upon God’s Word.

“Do not expect to master the Bible in a day, a month, or a year. Rather, expect to be often puzzled by its contents. It is not all equally clear. Great men of God often feel like absolute novices when they read the Word… Do not expect always to get an emotional charge or a feeling of quiet peace when you read the Bible. Often you will get no emotional response at all. Let the Word break over your heart and mind again and again as the years pass by, and imperceptibly there will come great changes in your attitude and outlook and conduct” (Geoffrey Thomas).

(3) Be Disciplined!

“Train yourself for godliness…” (4:7–10).

Godliness is the equivalent of the fear of God. “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil” (Prov. 8:13). That means we must train ourselves to hate evil.

We face a daily dilemma, as we struggle with sin. Why? We wrestle with two truths. (1) We know sin feels good. (2) We know sin displeases God. Which of these truths will we choose to follow? Answer: the one that’s most attractive.

When we train ourselves for godliness, we’re striving to make sin unattractive. How do we do that? We find a good answer in Phil. 4:8, where Paul declares, “Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” In a word, we must learn to savor our standing in Christ. When we think of our sin, we must remember His forgiveness. When we think of our guilt, we must remember His merit. When we think of our weakness, we must remember His strength. When we think of our pride, we must remember His humility. When we think of our failures, we must remember His sufferings. When we think of our want, we must remember His fullness. When we think of our temptation, we must remember His tenderness. When we think of our vileness, we must remember His righteousness.

Along those same lines, we must immerse our minds in what it means to be adopted into God’s family, what it means to be clothed with Christ’s righteousness, what it means to be assured of sins forgiven, what it means to be part of a royal priesthood, what it means to be chosen from the mass of humanity by God’s sovereign grace. As we think upon these things, we grow to savor them. We’re attracted to them.

An athlete, training for the Olympics, is motivated by the prize. Likewise, we need motivation. Paul provides it be reminding us that “godliness is of value in every way.” How? (1) It holds promise for the future – blessedness. (2) It holds promise for the present – contentment (6:6). Paul expands on the second in 4:9–10. He explains that we toil and strive in this life, but it isn’t in vain. Why? We set our hope on the living God, who supplies all our needs. How can we be sure God will meet our needs? He’s the Savior (Provider) of all people. His benevolence extends to all, especially believers. Therefore, we know that if we train for godliness, God will take care of the rest. As Christ says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33).

(4) Be Consistent! (4:11–12)

“Set the believers an example…” (4:12).

Timothy was a relatively young man – likely in his 30s. Paul expects some of the older men in the church at Ephesus to dismiss Timothy because of his youth. And so, he prescribes a sure way for Timothy to get their attention: “Set an example!” He touches on five areas: speech, conduct, love, faith, purity.

Examples are powerful – in the home and church. What kind of examples are we? What do people learn from our speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity? We would do well to remember that our confession is only as compelling as our speech; our doctrine is only as compelling as our conduct; our teaching is only as compelling as our love; our service is only as compelling as our faith; our activity is only as compelling as our purity.

Quotable: “Do not leave your Bible at church, and hear nothing from it all week long! Bring it home to your house! Let it dwell with you! Converse with it continually as your intimate friend! Let this book of books be often before you, and always in you! Let it be your meditation all day long!” (George Swinnock).

Spiritual Rest

2011-08-04T13:51:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, put to death whatever in you is worldly: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry" (Col. 3:5).

"Spiritual rest is promoted by the mortification of sin. Sin is the sole cause of all the discord, perturbation, and misery that there is in the universe. It was sin that produced the disorderly commotion; it was sin that tore the heart; it was sin that let loose all the fierce winds of passion to howl tempestuously over the mind. If you catalogue the causes of your discontent, your restlessness, your unhappiness, your feverish fretfulness, you will find their names to be such as these: pride, hatred, envy, revenge, lust, covetousness, fear, worldliness. Until these wild beasts are driven out of the soul, there can be no quietness" (James Alexander).

Quotable: "As greatest things obscure the least, so let the being of the infinite God so take up all the powers of thy soul, as if there were nothing else but he" (Richard Baxter).

Self-Sins

2011-07-29T15:04:00.002-04:00

A few more thoughts from A. W. Tozer...

"Love is not self-seeking" (1 Cor. 13:5).

"To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love, and a host of others like them.

The grosser manifestations of these self-sins; egotism, exhibitionism (attracting attention to oneself), self-promotion; are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders, even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy! They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. They appear to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the visible church. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ, is currently so common as to excite little notice."

Quotable: " To keep off the world in a fit distance, that it do thee no deadly hurt, and undo thee quite, keep still fresh and strong in thy thoughts, a true estimate and right conception of the mutability of all things here below, and thine own mortality" (Robert Bolton).

Modern Playthings

2011-07-27T21:14:00.003-04:00

Thoughts from A. W. Tozer...

"After He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening had come, He was there alone" (Matt. 14:23).

"Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions, and beats us down by destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength before going out to face the world again.

Where is the solitude to which we can retire today?

Science, which has provided men with certain material comforts, has robbed them of their souls by surrounding them with a world hostile to their existence. 'Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still' is a wise and healing counsel. But how can it be followed in this day of newspaper, telephone, radio, and television? (I suppose we could update this list to i-pads, i-pods, i-phones.) These modern playthings, like pet tiger-cubs, have grown so large and dangerous that they threaten to devour us all!

No spot is now safe from their intrusion."

Quotable: "Self wants to be honored, admired, esteemed, bowed down to... But, Jesus says, 'No! I must reign supreme!" (J. C. Philpot).

Four Commands

2011-07-25T11:35:00.000-04:00

“Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the LORD” (Ps. 4:4 –5).

In these verses, David reproves the ungodly. Yet, there are four commands that even the godly must obey.

First, “Tremble, and do not sin.” The reason we sin is we have no fear. We don’t fear sin’s consequences. We don’t fear sin’s shame. Most importantly, we don’t fear God.

Second, “Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.” I believe the Psalmist means we must remove ourselves from distractions (“upon your bed”), so that we can reflect upon God’s truth. The Puritans liked to meditate upon “the nature of God,” “the states and offices of Christ,” “the threefold state of man,” and “the four last things” – death, judgment, heaven, and hell.

Third, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness.” Calvin provides a helpful explanation of this command: “There is in the words an implied contrast between the sacrifices of righteousness, and all those vain and spurious rites with which the counterfeit worshippers of God satisfy themselves.” That means our acts of worship must be according to God’s Word.

Fourth, “Trust in the LORD.”

Quotable: “I do not spend time enough endeavoring to affect myself with the glories of Christianity” (Jonathan Edwards).

Why read the Puritans?

2011-07-21T16:48:00.000-04:00

Last week, a friend (Jonathan) asked me why I read the Puritans. I rambled on and on. He had to listen – we were stuck in a car together, driving to Dallas. I’ll spare you the details of what I told him. But here are three quotes that provide a pretty good answer to the question: Why read the Puritans?

“The Puritans were men sure of God, sure of his will, sure of the absolute duty to act in his sight and for his approval. Nothing else mattered by comparison. Consequences were of no account. Obedience alone held the secret of freedom, courage, peace, power, happiness, and salvation. Essentially, they were right” (F. J. Powicke).

“[Read the Puritans to] help you in general to understand and enjoy the Scriptures, and to prepare you for the pulpit… Those men were preachers, they were practical, experimental preachers… As you read them you will find that they not only give you knowledge and information, they at the same time do something to you” (M. Lloyd Jones).

“Maturity is a compound of wisdom, goodwill, resilience, and creativity. The Puritans exemplified maturity; we don’t. We are spiritual dwarfs… The Puritans, by contrast, as a body were giants. They were great souls serving a great God” (J. I. Packer).

Quotable: “Pelagianism is the natural heresy of zealous Christians who are not interested in theology” (J. I. Packer).

Instructions for Maintaining Love in Marriage

2011-07-19T10:05:00.000-04:00

The following "instructions" are condensed from Richard Baxter’s A Christian Directory. He is speaking to men.

Choose [a wife] at first that is truly amiable.

Marry not till you are sure that you can love entirely.

Be not too hasty, but know beforehand all the imperfections, which may tempt you afterwards to loathing.

Remember that justice commandeth you to love… until death.

Remember that women are ordinarily affectionate, passionate creatures, and as they love much themselves, so they expect much love from you.

Remember that you are under God’s command; and to deny conjugal love to your wives, is to deny a duty which God hath urgently imposed on you.

Remember that you are relatively, as it were, one flesh.

Take more notice of the good, that is in your wives, than of the evil. Let not the observation of their faults make you forget or overlook their virtues.

Make not infirmities to seem odious faults, by considering the frailty of the sex, and of their tempers, and considering also your own infirmities, and how much your wives must bear with you.

Stir up that most in them into exercise which is best, and stir not up that which is evil; and then the good will most appear, and the evil will be as buried, and you will easier maintain your love. There is some uncleanness in the best on earth; yet if you will be daily stirring in the filth, no wonder if you have the annoyance; and for that you may thank yourselves: draw out the fragrance of that which is good and delectable in them, and do not by your own imprudence or peevishness stir up the worst, and then you shall find that even your faulty wives will appear more amiable to you.

Overcome them with love; and then whatever they are in themselves, they will be loving to you, and consequently lovely. Love will cause love, as fire kindleth fire. A good husband is the best means to make a good and loving wife. Make them not forward by your forward carriage, and then say, we cannot love them.

Give them examples of amiableness in yourselves; set them the pattern of a prudent, lowly, loving, meek, self-denying, patient, harmless, holy, heavenly life. Try this a while, and see whether it will not shame them from their faults, and make them walk more amiably themselves.

Quotable: “Nothing causeth so near and fast and comfortable a [marriage] as to be united in one God, one Christ, one Spirit, one Church, one hope of heavenly glory” (Richard Baxter).

One Mediator

2011-07-07T13:39:00.000-04:00

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Tim. 2:5–6). I want to highlight three facts in these verses.

(1) There is one God

Who is He? He’s God triune. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Spirit is God. The Father isn’t the Son. The Son isn’t the Spirit. The Spirit isn’t the Father. God is three distinct persons in one being.

We behold Him at the dawn of the old creation: God creates through His Word by His Spirit. We behold Him at the dawn the new creation: the Son emerges from the water, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father declares, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” We behold Him in the sinner’s salvation: the Father elects, the Son redeems, and the Spirit regenerates.

There is only one God: He’s God triune. Consider the following scenarios…

What if there’s no God? That means there’s no such thing as love. When we speak of the love between husband and wife, parent and child, brother and sister, we’re speaking of something that doesn’t exist. We’re speaking of a mere chemical reaction in the brain.

What if there’s a God, but He isn’t triune? That means He isn’t love. Before the creation of angels and humans, there wasn’t anything for Him to love. Therefore, in His eternal self, He knows nothing of love. Love isn’t an essential property of God.

But, there is one God! He’s God triune. Therefore, He’s love. The Father, Son, and Spirit dwell in an eternity of mutual delight.

(2) There is one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus

Because of our sin, we’re cut off from God, who is love. We need someone to bridge the gap. Christ is the middle-man.

Christ is fully God, and able to communicate with God. He’s able to act on God’s behalf.

Christ is fully man, and able to communicate with us. He’s able to act on our behalf.

Christ stands between the righteous God and the rebellious sinner, bridging the expanse, bringing us into God’s perfect happiness. How?

(3) Christ Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all

The term “for” implies a change of persons – substitution. In other words, Christ took the place of others. When He suffered upon the cross, He did it on our behalf. He bore our sin and punishment.

What happens if someone hits my car? There’s a debt to be paid. Someone has to pay it. There are only two options: either I pay it or the other person pays it. The same is true in our relationship with God. We’ve incurred a debt through our disobedience. It must be paid. Christ’s ransom is the means by which God pays our debt and brings us into His perfect love.

Quotable: “For believers, Christ is, always has been, precious—the sun, the rock, the life, the bread of their souls—everything that is good, useful, amiable, desirable” (John Owen).

Peace of Conscience

2011-06-07T12:15:00.001-04:00

We all have a conscience. It’s our internal faculty, by which we judge our actions. The problem is, because of sin, our conscience doesn’t work properly. Years ago, a friend of mine had a big German Shepherd. He installed an invisible fence around his property. The dog had a collar that emitted a shock, whenever it crossed the fence line. But the dog became so accustomed to the shock that it would ignore the pain. My friend would let it outside. It would run straight for the property line, flinch, and keep running. That’s what our conscience is like. It no longer works like it should. For this reason, we need the Holy Spirit to do two things.

First, we need the Holy Spirit to wound our conscience. The Holy Spirit does so by showing us our sin in the light of God’s law. Paul says, “I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died” (Rom. 7:9). There was a time, when Paul was alive apart the law. In other words, he didn’t really understand the law. As a result, he thought all was well with his soul. However, the time came when the law struck home, and sin became alive. Paul saw the depth of his depravity. The Holy Spirit wounded his conscience. That killed him, making him utterly weak.

Second, we need the Holy Spirit to heal the conscience. How? He draws us to Christ, “who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God,” in order to “purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14).

- Christ offered “himself.” By Christ’s atonement, the guilt of sin is removed. Christ bore my shame, my guilt, and my condemnation. He paid my penalty in full.

- Christ offered “himself to God.” John Owen explains, “God is considered the author of the law against which sin is committed, as the supreme ruler and governor of all, unto whom it belongs to inflict the punishment which is due unto sin.”

- Christ offered “himself through the eternal Spirit.” That might mean one of two things. (1) It might refer to Christ’s spirit, meaning He offered Himself through the heavenly aspect (eternality) of His deity. (2) It might refer to the Holy Spirit, meaning He offered Himself while anointed with the Spirit, who gave dignity and efficacy to His sacrifice.

- Christ offered “himself without blemish.” That refers to the purity of His nature and the holiness of His life.

- Christ offered “himself to purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (9:14). Why are our works “dead?” (1) They’re dead, in that they proceed from a principle of spiritual death (Eph. 2:1–5). (2) They’re dead, in that they’re useless and fruitless (Rom. 7:5; Jas. 2:14–16). (3) They’re dead, in that they deserve death as a punishment (Rom. 6:23).

How is the “conscience” cleansed? (1) By Christ’s atonement, the guilt of sin is removed. That’s justification. (2) By Christ’s atonement, the defilement of sin is removed. That’s sanctification.

“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear. It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast. It’s manna to the hungry soul and to the weary rest” (John Newton).

Quotable: “Peace of conscience is nothing but the echo of pardoning mercy” (William Greenhill).

Triumphing Over Sinful Fear

2011-06-02T13:43:00.000-04:00

The following is from Reformation Heritage Books:

How will you triumph when your heart is left trembling? To some degree, everyone experiences fear. It impacts the decisions we make and leaves us feeling helpless. John Flavel begins this book by examining various fears and discussing general ways God governs it in this world. He then turns to sinful fear in particular, explaining its causes and disastrous effects. His longest chapter discusses rules for dealing with sinful fear, showing how a proper fear of God is the ultimate remedy for all other fears. This practical book will help you avoid making excuses for sinful fear and encourage you to trust in Christ’s commitment to settle His people’s feeble and trembling hearts.

Endorsement: “One of the great biblical principles which our Reformed and Puritan forefathers lived by may be summed up in these words: It is always better to suffer than to sin. This excellent book by John Flavel, now reissued in up-to-date style, gives solid reasons why every believer in Christ must seek to correct his fear of man by reminding himself of the need to fear God far more. God’s covenant faithfulness will always sustain the Christian. Here is a summons to every child of God to live daily in the fear of the Lord and with a good conscience so as to appear with joy before the Great Judge at the last.” —Maurice Roberts

Table of Contents:
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Types of Fear
3. Uses of Fear
4. Causes of Sinful Fear
5. Effects of Sinful Fear
6. Remedies for Sinful Fear
7. Objections Answered

About the Author: John Flavel (1628–1691) was an English Puritan minister in the thriving seaport of Dartmouth. His complete works have been reprinted in six volumes by Banner of Truth Trust.

Series Description: Interest in the Puritans continues to grow, but many people find reading these giants of the faith a bit unnerving. This series seeks to overcome that barrier by presenting Puritan books that are convenient in size and unintimidating in length. Each book is carefully edited with modern readers in mind, smoothing out difficult language of a bygone era while retaining the meaning of the original authors. Books for the series are thoughtfully selected to provide some of the best counsel on important subjects that people continue to wrestle with today.

A Trustworthy Saying

2011-06-01T15:03:00.001-04:00

Is the Christian life all smiles or all tears? In other words, am I supposed to be happy or sad? The answer is both. The Christian life can be described as joyful sorrow or sorrowful joy. (1) I’m sorrowful, because I know the truth about me; I know who I am. And so, I sing: “Alas! and did my Savior bleed? and did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred Head for such a worm as I?” (Isaac Watts). (2) I’m joyful, because I know the truth about Christ; I know who He is. And so, I sing: “No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him is mine! Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine” (Charles Wesley).

These two (sorrow and joy) aren’t contradictory in the Christian’s experience; they’re complimentary. I can’t have joy without sorrow or sorrow without joy. Why? Comprehending the magnitude of what I am in Christ rests upon comprehending the magnitude of what I am in me. Therefore, the height of my joy rests upon the depth of my sorrow. That truth is summed up in the second beatitude: “Blessed are those who mourn.” The Christian life, therefore, is all smiles and all tears.

By way of example, we see both in 1 Timothy 1:15, where Paul declares, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

Paul’s experience is all tears, because he knows the truth about himself: he’s the foremost sinner. Interestingly, he doesn’t use the past tense in this verse. He doesn’t say, “I was the foremost sinner.” He says, “I am the foremost sinner.” Two verses earlier, he gives a detailed description of his sin. He was a blasphemer: one who slanders God. He was a persecutor: one who pursues as a hunter. He was a violent aggressor: one who deliberately mistreats others for the purpose of hurting and humiliating them.

Paul’s experience is all smiles, because he knows the truth about Christ: He came into the world to save sinners. The law shows us our sin, thereby convincing us of our twofold need. (1) We need someone to obey the law on our behalf. Christ does that. (2) We need someone to pay the penalty on our behalf. Christ does that. “By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Rom. 8:3–4). The gospel (good news), therefore, is that we don’t need to earn our way to God, because Christ has earned our way for us.

Quotable: “Here’s a paradox: the foundation of man’s happiness is laid in misery” (Robert Harris).

Rapture Fever

2011-05-25T13:21:00.001-04:00

According to Harold Camping, Christ was supposed to return on May 21st. Clearly, He didn’t. As a result, Camping has adjusted his prediction to Oct 21st. Yikes!

Camping’s predictions are based on a “secret” code, which he thinks is hidden in the Bible. It includes the dates of significant world events, plus the symbolic significance of certain numbers, followed by a convoluted formula of multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. It reminds me of a little ditty I learned years ago: “Wonderful things in the Bible I see, especially those put there by you and by me!”

Sadly, Camping is a modern-day example of the false teacher, described in 1 Timothy 1:3–7. (1) He usurps the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, teaching “different doctrine” (1:3). (2) He gravitates to novelties, devoting himself to “myths and endless genealogies” (1:4). (3) He undermines the gospel, promoting “speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1:4). (4) He fails to address the heart, forgetting that the apostolic “charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1:5). (5) He swerves from the way, wandering into “vain discussion” (1:6). (6) He’s dogmatic about his ignorance, desiring to be a “teacher” without understanding the things about which he makes “confident assertions” (1:7).

How should we respond? With all the confusion surrounding Harold Camping (and other so-called prophecy “experts”), we must resist the temptation to become cynical. We must hold to what we believe. Here’s my unwavering hope (i.e., confident expectation)…

When I die, I’ll enter an intermediate state – between my present state and my final state. My soul will be separated from my body; my body will be placed in the grave; my soul will enter heaven. “I will experience the end of death into endless life… the end of sin into endless holiness… the end of sorrow into endless joy” (David King).

When Christ returns in glory, my soul will accompany Him. My body will be resurrected from the grave. Christ’s resurrection body is a transformation of His pre-resurrection body. There’s change and continuity (1 Cor. 15:35–41). The same will be true of my resurrection body. My body and soul will be united. If I’m still alive when Christ returns, I will be caught up to meet Him. At that moment, my soul and body will be glorified (1 Thess. 4:13–18).

When Christ returns, He will judge the living and the dead. Moreover, He will bring His plan of redemption to consummation. At the fall, God subjected creation to futility. It waits anxiously for the revealing of the sons of God. Our glorification will mark the redemption of creation (Rom. 8:20–25). It will usher in a new heaven and a new earth.

That’s my hope. It comforts me, when believers die, when hardships arise, when struggles overwhelm, when temptations assail. What is my only comfort in life and death? “That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.”

Quotable: “When I stand before the throne, dressed in beauty not my own, When I see Thee as Thou art, love Thee with unsinning heart, Then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till then how much I owe” (R. M. M’Cheyne).

Christ-Exalting and Soul-Satisfying Truths

2011-05-16T09:57:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite hymns is John Newton’s How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds. Here’s the first stanza:

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear.
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast.
It’s manna to the hungry soul and to the weary rest.

With that in mind, I want to share four Christ-exalting and soul-satisfying truths from 1 Timothy 1:1–2.

(1) Christ is God (1:1–2)

Here, Paul affirms Christ’s deity in two ways. First, he makes it clear that divine commands proceed from both the Father and the Son: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” (1:1). Second, he makes it clear that divine blessings proceed from both the Father and the Son: “To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (1:2).

Paul’s statements shouldn’t surprise us. After all, Christ made His identity clear, when He declared, “I and the Father are one” (Jn. 10:30).

Why’s Christ’s deity a soul-satisfying truth? Because of our sin, we’re cut off from God. We need someone to bridge the gap. Christ is fully God and, therefore, able to communicate with God; Christ is fully man and, therefore, able to communicate with us. Christ stands between the righteous God and the rebellious sinner, bringing us into God’s perfect happiness.

(2) Christ is our hope (1:1)

Paul says that God is “our Savior” and Christ is “our hope.” We can only understand what he means in the context of God’s wrath. Divorced from God’s wrath, salvation is meaningless. Because of our sin, we need to be saved. Why? “For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs” (Ps. 75:8). In a word, we need to be saved from God’s wrath. Here’s the good news: Christ drained the cup of God’s wrath at Calvary’s cross (Matt. 26:39). Anne Ross Cousins expresses it beautifully:

Death and the curse were in our cup – O Christ, ‘twas full for Thee;
But Thou hast drained the last dark drop, ‘Tis empty now for me.
That bitter cup – love drank it up; Left but the love for me.

Jehovah lifted up His rod – O Christ it fell on Thee!
Thou wast forsaken of Thy God; No distance now for me.
Thy blood beneath that rod has flowed: Thy bruising healeth me.

For me, Lord Jesus, Thou hast died, And I have died in Thee;
Thou’rt risen: my bands are all untied; And now Thou liv’st in me.
The Father’s face of radiant grace, Shines now in light on me.

Christ’s death satisfies God’s wrath and merits God’s favor, thereby making Him our hope.

(3) Christ is our Lord (1:2)

Paul says that “grace, mercy, and peace” come from “God the Father” and “Christ Jesus our Lord.” He gives us a brief glimpse of our Lord in 1:17, “To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” He’s from everlasting to everlasting. He’s beyond all time and space. He’s incomparable in essence. He’s limitless in power, wisdom, and goodness.

Christ’s lordship is particularly encouraging, as we face wildfires, tornadoes, and floods, as we hear of the meltdown of nuclear reactors and the assassination of high-profile terrorists. In the midst of what appears to be chaos and confusion, we know Christ sits enthroned in majesty, ruling over His creation and the affairs of men.

(4) Christ is the fountain of blessing (1:2)

Paul mentions three blessings: grace refers to divine gifts and resources; mercy refers to divine care and protection; and peace refers to divine rest and tranquility. Christ purchased these blessings, when He purchased the Holy Spirit through His death upon the cross. As Jonathan Edwards says, the Holy Spirit is “the sum of all blessings.” He imparts grace, mercy, and peace, to us from Christ.

Quotable: “They lose nothing who gain Christ” (Samuel Rutherford).

The Voice of Faith

2011-05-03T10:31:00.001-04:00

In “The Voice of Faith,” Peter Beck seeks to unpack Jonathan Edwards’s theology of prayer. His analysis is thorough. He offers more than enough to keep the mind challenged and the heart encouraged. Personally, I was drawn to Beck’s explanation of what lay at the foundation of Edwards’s theology of prayer; namely, his delight in God triune. “Edwards’s theology of prayer,” writes Beck, “is God-centered, Christ-dependent, and Spirit-driven” (p. 189). Here’s a brief synopsis of what he means.

(1) God-centered

Beck deals with the first (“God-centered”) in chapter one: “The prayer-hearing God.” Here, he answers three questions. Who is God? Does God answer prayer? What about unanswered prayer?

In the course of answering these questions, Beck explains that (for Edwards) God’s character provides the necessary impetus for prayer. How? God is all-good, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-encompassing. God knows all things. God is able to do all things. God’s goodness informs all that He does. Therefore, His actions are never capricious or arbitrary. What other encouragement do we need to pray? Beck remarks, “God’s unchanging character acts not as an impediment to prayer but as the basis of one’s hope in prayer as God can be trusted to act according to his flawless character” (p. 53).

(2) Christ-dependent

Beck deals with the second (“Christ-dependent”) in chapter three: “The excellent Christ.” Here, he answers two questions.

First, who is Jesus? Beck provides a succinct summary of Edwards’s thought on the subject: “Not only is [Jesus] fully God, capable of communicating with God, he is also fully man capable of communicating with man” (p. 88). For this reason, above all else, He’s our Mediator. He stands between the “righteous God” and the “rebellious sinner.”

Second, what is Jesus doing? Through His role in salvation, says Beck, Jesus “makes meaningful communication between God and man possible” (p. 101). How? As Edwards explains, “Christ, by his obedience, has purchased this privilege, viz. that the prayers of those who believe in him should be heard. He has not only removed the obstacles to our prayers, but has merited a hearing of them” (as quoted by Beck, p. 101).

(3) Spirit-driven

Beck deals with the third (“Spirit-driven”) in chapter five: “The true spirit of prayer.” Here, he answers three questions. Who is the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do? What does the Holy Spirit have to do with prayer?

In answering these questions, Beck stresses Edwards’s conviction that the Holy Spirit is the “sum of all blessings” (p. 181). In Edwards’s own words, “God the Father is the person of whom the purchase is made; God the Son is the person who makes the purchase, and the Holy Spirit is the gift purchased” (as quoted by Beck, p. 188). That means, according to Beck, that salvation “culminates” not only in the forgiveness of sin and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, but in “the abiding presence of God’s Spirit and the intimacy with the Creator that ensues” (p. 182).

Quotable: “God is as ready, and more read, to bestow than we are to ask, and more ready to open than we are to knock” (Jonathan Edwards).

Remembering God

2011-04-26T11:33:00.000-04:00

I’ve heard many Christians lament the gap between their head and their heart. They’re discouraged by the disconnect between what they know, what they feel, and what they do. In this post, I want to offer some counsel by way of an old Puritan, Thomas Manton.

Manton turns our attention to David’s declaration in Psalm 119:55, “I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law.” Please notice two things.

(1) David’s Practice

“I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night…” What does it mean to remember God’s name? In a word, it means “to stir up our minds with clear and heart-warming apprehensions about God’s nature and will” (Manton). It isn’t enough to be sound and orthodox in our knowledge of God. It isn’t enough to comprehend notionally God’s communicable and incommunicable attributes. We must, according to Manton, seek “lively and powerful impressions.”

Our hearts are like fire. Without fuel, they’ll go out. To prevent this, we must remember God. According to Manton, “You have not a true and full notion of God if you conceive him only as the most eminent of all beings: no being must appear as being in his sight and in comparison of him” (Manton). We should focus on three attributes in particular: God’s power, wisdom, and goodness, as seen in creation, providence, and redemption. Remembering these attributes stirs the affections. (1) God’s power stirs reverence. (2) God’s wisdom stirs trust. (3) God’s goodness stirs esteem.

(2) David’s Response

“I have kept thy law…” The result of “remembering God” is obedience. (1) It draws the heart away from the creature: “That is a true sight of God which abases all things beside God, not only in opinion but affection” (Manton). (2) It draws the heart away from self: “A sight of God will best discover yourself unto yourself, that in the light of God’s glorious majesty you may distinctly behold your own vileness and misery” (Manton). (3) It draws the heart away from sin: When we “remember” God, we see that “sin is a deformity to God” (Manton).

In brief, if you want to obey God, set your affections upon God through regular meditation upon who He is. If you do, you’ll quickly close the gap between head and heart.

Quotable: “A man addicted to God… will always be working towards God day and night” (Thomas Manton).

Rediscovering the Church Fathers

2011-04-13T11:26:00.003-04:00

Here’s a helpful introduction into what can only be described (for most people) as terra incognita. Sadly, the world of the church fathers (those who wrote between 100 and 700 AD) is completely foreign to much of the contemporary church. In Chapter 1 of Rediscovering the Church Fathers, Michael Haykin laments this trend: “Far too many modern-day evangelicals are either ignorant of or quite uncomfortable with the church fathers” (p. 13). He then gives six reasons why this shouldn’t be the case. Here’s a brief summary…

First, study of the church fathers liberates us from the present (p. 17). It’s easy to develop blind spots, when it comes to understanding and evaluating the contemporary church. As a result, we’re often unaware of our own biases and prejudices and distortions. Knowledge of the past always provides a lens through which we gain a clearer perspective of the present.

Second, study of the church fathers provides us with a guide for Christian living (p. 18). While we affirm and defend the authority and sufficiency of Scripture (Amen!), we also acknowledge that we’re the product of history. To ignore the church fathers (or, any era of church history, for that matter) is to sever ourselves from components that make up our own foundation.

Third, study of the church fathers helps us to understand the New Testament (p. 19). Here, Haykin quotes T. F. Torrance as follows: “I have always found it difficult to believe that we modern scholars understand the Greek of the New Testament better than the early Greek fathers themselves.” We should be interested in how the church fathers interpreted the NT. Are they infallible guides? Certainly not! However, to dismiss them as unimportant borders on arrogance.

Fourth, study of the church fathers helps to correct misconceptions of the early church (p. 20). By way of example, Haykin turns to Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Do you remember some of the erroneous claims made in that book? One of my personal favorites was that Constantine was responsible for forcing the deity of Christ as dogma upon the church. Utter nonsense to anyone conversant with the church fathers! Knowledge of the church fathers preserves the church from the unnecessary uncertainty that arises whenever some pseudo-historian makes outlandish historical claims.

Fifth, study of the church fathers aids us in defending the faith (p. 22). By way of example, Haykin turns to Islam. Today, many are interested in defending the authority of Scripture, the deity of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, the centrality of the cross, etc. against the teaching of Islam. Rightly so! Many are also interested in unmasking Islam for what it is – a Christian heresy. Rightly so! So, why not consult those Christians who actually wrote against Islam, at the time of its conception, in the 7th century? This is true of other belief systems. “There is nothing new under the sun.” The names change, but the underlying systems of thought do not. The church of the past has already dealt with every doctrinal defection and aberration that plagues the church today.

Sixth, study of the church fathers provides spiritual nurture (p. 27). Here, Haykin quotes Gilbert Beers as follows: “We live in a throwaway society; we dispose of things we consider a burden. My concern is that we do not add our predecessors to the collection of throwaways, carelessly discarding those who have made us what we are.” What could the church fathers, reformers, puritans, or anyone else from the past, possibly teach us? We’ve come so far. Have we? We live with the illusion of progress, propped up by the erroneous claim of evolutionary theory – we’re advancing. In actual fact, we aren’t. There are wonderful deposits of past wisdom that would furnish the church with what it needs to confront so many contemporary issues and problems. We turn a deaf ear to our own detriment.

Having laid this foundation, Haykin provides six glimpses into the world of the church fathers (chapters 2-7). These chapters are scholarly works. However, to view these chapters as only that is to miss the point. Haykin demonstrates (in a subtle fashion, at times) that each of these fathers speaks to issues facing today’s church. Therefore, these chapters bring the voices of the church fathers through the corridors of time to the present. Chapter 2, Dying for Christ: The Thought of Ignatius of Antioch, teaches us how to endure persecution (even martyrdom) for the glory of God. How relevant is this for the church in the 10/40 window? Chapter 3, Sharing the Truth: The Letter to Diognetus, demonstrates the uniqueness of the Christian faith in a pluralistic society. How relevant is this for the church in North America, riddled with relativism (even within its own quarters – the emergent church)? Chapter 4, Interpreting the Scriptures: The Exegesis of Origin, shows the importance of sound biblical interpretation. How relevant is this for the church, plagued by a subjective (at times almost mystical) approach to Scripture? Chapter 5, Being Kissed: The Eucharist Piety of Cyprian and Ambrose, emphasizes the centrality of the Lord’s Supper in the church’s life and mission. How relevant is this for the church, which (in many instances) has relegated the Lord’s Supper to a three-minute occasional ceremony? Chapter 6, Being Holy and Renouncing the World: The Experience of Basil of Caesarea, deals with the struggle of what it means to be a Christian in a “Christian” society. How relevant is this for the church in the Bible-belt, where Christianity is reduced to a child-hood prayer and a small list of dos-and-don’ts? Chapter 7, Saving the Irish: The Mission of Patrick, reveals what it means to be passionate for the spread of God’s glory. How relevant is this for the church, which (to a large extent) has lost sight of God’s plan for the nations. (You don’t believe me - just look at most church budgets!)

The book ends with some practical insights on how to begin to study the church fathers.

I thoroughly enjoyed Rediscovering the Church Fathers. On a personal note, it stirred memories of lectures from 15 years (or so) ago, when I had Haykin as a professor at Toronto Baptist Seminary. I highly recommend it. The discerning reader won’t be disappointed.

Quotable: “The fathers are not the Scripture… We listen to them respectfully, but are not afraid to disagree when they err” (Michael Haykin).

Taking it to Heart

2011-04-04T11:16:00.004-04:00

“If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you…” (Mal. 2:2).

Do I take it to heart to give honor to God’s name?

God requires a whole heart. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30). How would my wife respond if I were to say to her, “I’ve given you 73% of my heart?” She wouldn’t be very impressed. Actually, she wouldn’t even be impressed with 99% of my heart. Neither is God impressed with anything less than a whole heart. Why? A divided heart is an adulteress heart.

God requires a sincere heart. “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (Eph. 6:24). Love is corrupted when it’s self-serving or self-seeking. It’s corrupted when our chief concern is: “What’s in it for me?” A mother loves her child without receiving anything in return. She doesn’t need to be rewarded. Similarly, God requires us to love Him for who He is – not merely what He gives us. “That love which is greater for the gift than the giver is the love of a harlot” (Augustine).

God requires a lively heart. “We give thanks to God for all of you… remembering… your labor of love” (1 Thess. 1:3). Love is an action verb. It can’t help but express itself. We’re prepared to do things for those whom we love. We’re prepared to sacrifice things for those whom we love. We’ve prepared to endure things for those whom we love. “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

God requires a devoted heart. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:28). Christ isn’t saying we shouldn’t love our family members. He’s saying that our love for Him should eclipse our love for them. Our love for Him should be so intense that we’re prepared to lose the love of family members. God must be the sole object of the cream of your affections.

God requires a longing heart. “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). Loved ones, separated by distance, long for the time they’ll be together. Likewise, we long for the beatific vision – the enjoyment of our chief love.

God requires a broken heart. “[Peter] went out and wept bitterly” (Matt. 26:75). Why? He had sinned against the object of His love. It broke Him. “The heart that burns in love melts in tears” (Thomas Watson). True sorrow for sin isn’t compelled by consequences. It’s compelled by the knowledge that we’ve sinned against God’s goodness.

God requires a willing heart. “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (Jn. 14:21). That’s new obedience – obedience that flows from the new birth. “God hates that love which is invisible” (Thomas Watson).

Quotable: “The master-wheel of the soul… is the love of God, grounded on the right knowledge of God; whereby the soul being ravished with the apprehension of God’s infinite goodness, is earnestly drawn and called out… to desire a union, vision, and participation of God’s glory and presence; yielding up itself unto God… and conforming all its affections and actions to God’s will” (Edward Reynolds).

In Light of Eternity

2011-03-30T12:12:00.004-04:00

I first met Mack Tomlinson in February. We were both preaching at a conference in Denton, TX. A month later, we met for breakfast. During the course of our conversation, he asked me what I knew of Leonard Ravenhill. Sheepishly, I confessed that I’d never heard of him. Mack immediately handed me a 600-page biography he has written on Ravenhill: In Light of Eternity.

It’s a great book (with lots of pictures too!) Chapters 1–13 provide an account of Ravenhill’s life and ministry in England (where he was born) and America (where he died). Chapters 14–24 present Ravenhill’s views on topics such as theology, prayer, evangelism, and revival. Chapter 25 is a compilation of letters, penned in appreciation of Ravenhill’s ministry.

I highly recommend it, although I must warn you: it will make you feel very uncomfortable (probably a good thing). Why do I say that? “[Ravenhill] was too radical for most people because he threatened the comfort zone of traditional dead evangelicalism” (p. 277).

Sadly, his voice has fallen silent – so too has his message (for the most part). I say sad, because it’s the very thing the church needs today. Oh, that the Lord would raise up more like him!

Quotable: “Leonard lived all his life with eternity’s values in view” (Martha Ravenhill).

The Just Shall Live By Faith

2011-03-21T21:37:00.008-04:00

In reference to Paul’s epistle to the Romans, Martin Luther penned, “It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.” In The Just Shall Live By Faith, I have published the “bare bones” of sermons I preached on Romans between 2005 and 2007. If interested, you can find it at amazon.com.

A Christian Response to Disaster

2011-03-16T06:55:00.002-04:00

Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes… they occur with such frequency that (if we aren’t careful) we’re in danger of growing desensitized. It’s important to pause, to think, to reflect. How should we (as Christians) respond to the recent disaster in Japan?

(1) We grieve

We grieve because of the physical and emotional suffering in Japan. We can’t understand this suffering without understanding what happened in the Garden. Because of Adam’s sin, God subjected the world to “futility” (Rom. 8:20). The consequences of Adam’s sin are evident all around us – tragedy, poverty, brokenness, loneliness, despair, pain, death (to name but a few). It should break our hearts.

(2) We repent

Why? Despite the abundance of God’s blessings in our lives, we’re the biggest bunch of whiners. (At least, I am.) We complain about so many things that are of a trivial nature. Ultimately, this is a manifestation of our self-centeredness. We insist on things going our way. When the least inconvenience arises, we grow impatient. One of our greatest failures is that we don’t understand what we have. This becomes painfully clear in the face of this devastation in Japan. We should repent of our self-absorption.

(3) We trust

“I am the LORD, and there is no other. Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity. I am the LORD who does all these” (Is. 45:5–7). We don’t know why this disaster has happened in Japan. (And we dare not presume to know.) But we do know this: God is in control. We need to remind ourselves that this disaster (like all disasters) isn’t beyond God’s control. “A faithful Christian cannot accept the claim that God is a bystander in world events. The Bible clearly claims the sovereign rule of God over all his creation, all of the time” (Al Mohler).

(4) We pray

Years ago, I read something by John Piper in which he suggested four prayer requests at a time like this. (1) Praise God that He’s sovereign, that He has ultimate control over all, and that nothing takes Him by surprise. (2) Ask God to use this situation to bring unprecedented spiritual openness to people affected by the tragedy. Ask Him to draw people to Himself as the overwhelming nature of the tragedy has left them with nowhere else to turn. (3) Ask God to bless the ministry that will be thrust upon the church or community affected by the tragedy. Ask Him to empower them with a powerful witness when they are called upon to speak about or reflect on the situation. (4) Thank God for the vivid reminder of our own mortality and vulnerability.

(5) We prepare

We live in a bubble. One day, it might burst. God might choose to display His wrath against this country, this city. We might be caught in the middle of it. We should be prepared for it. “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet. 3:11). This realization should make us loosen our grip on earthly things. It should make us more serious in our walk before God and man. It should make us more urgent in the proclamation of the gospel. It should make us more diligent in the pursuit of godliness.

(6) We preach

“I tell you… unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Lk. 13:5). That’s the truth. We must not downplay the reality of God’s righteous indignation. Yet, we must declare it compassionately in the shadow of the cross. Christ’s cross declares that He loves Japan. He wants us to show Japan His love by sharing our lives and by declaring His gospel. At a time like this, we should seek ways to do so.

(7) We wait

“The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:19). The expression “anxious longing” means to watch with head outstretched. If you’ve ever lined up for a parade, you’ve found yourself stretching your neck to see what’s coming next. That’s the idea here. “The whole creation is on tiptoes to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own” (J. B. Phillips). When disaster strikes, it should make us yearn even more for the return of the King, and the establishment of a new heaven and new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Quotable: “When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done” (Chronicles of Narnia).

Symptoms of False Doctrine

2011-03-14T12:23:00.002-04:00

The following is from J. C. Ryle…

“Many things combine to make the present inroad of false doctrine peculiarly dangerous.

1. There is an undeniable zeal in some of the teachers of error: their 'earnestness' makes many think they must be right.

2. There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge: many fancy that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe guides.

3. There is a general tendency to free thought and free inquiry in these latter days: many like to prove their independence of judgment, by believing novelties.

4. There is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded: many seem half ashamed of saying that anybody can be in the wrong.

5. There is a quantity of half-truth taught by the modern false teachers: they are incessantly using scriptural terms and phrases in an unscriptural sense.

6. There is a morbid craving in the public mind for a more sensuous, ceremonial, sensational, showy worship: men are impatient of inward, invisible heart-work.

7. There is a silly readiness in every direction to believe everybody who talks cleverly, lovingly and earnestly, and a determination to forget that Satan often masquerades himself ‘as an angel of light’ (2 Cor. 11:14).

8. There is a wide-spread ‘gullibility’ among professing Christians: every heretic who tells his story plausibly is sure to be believed, and everybody who doubts him is called a persecutor and a narrow-minded man.

All these things are peculiar symptoms of our times. I defy any observing person to deny them. They tend to make the assaults of false doctrine in our day peculiarly dangerous. They make it more than ever needful to cry aloud, ‘Do not be carried away!’”

Quotable: “Philosophical pluralism has generated many approaches in support of one stance: namely, that any notion that a particular ideological or religious claim is intrinsically superior to another is necessarily wrong. The only absolute creed is the creed of pluralism” (Don Carson).

Do we believe in hell?

2011-03-08T09:38:00.001-05:00

There’s some controversy at the moment, surrounding a book that will soon be available. Sorry, I don’t know what it’s called. The author is Rob Bell. I don’t know him. I don’t know anything about him. I’ve never read anything by him. But, apparently, he touches on the subject of hell in his book. The controversy stems from the question of whether or not he believes in it.

To be honest, I’m not particularly interested in what he believes. (Perhaps I should be.) I’m far more concerned with what we believe—whether or not we believe in hell.

This concerns me, because I’m convinced that we profess many things in word, which we deny in deed. If we really believed in hell, would we live like we do? Would we toy with sin in our lives? Would we spend as much time dallying with the trivial? Would we be so half-hearted in declaring the gospel to the lost? Would we allow envy, bitterness, and resentment to fester among us? Would we be so non-committal to our local church? Would we be so flippant in worship? Would we be so self-centered?

When I look at Evangelicalism at large, I’m not convinced most people (despite what they profess with their words) actually believe in hell. If we did, things would be different. Wouldn’t they?

Christ declares, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). What does it mean to be cast into hell?

In hell, the sinner loses all the comforts of earthly possessions. “As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die” (Eccl. 5:15–16). At death, people are stripped of everything that they’ve enjoyed in this life. Their homes are gone. Their cottages are gone. Their leisure activities are gone. Their favourite sports teams are gone. Their art is gone. Their music is gone. Their family heirlooms are gone. Their favourite sceneries are gone. Their hobbies are gone. There will be nothing in hell to provide any comfort. There will be nothing in hell to provide any pleasure. There will be nothing in hell to provide any joy.

In hell, the sinner loses all the comforts of family and friends. “For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him” (Ps. 49:17). The context of this verse seems to be the glory of a man’s house—his family. At death, all familial ties are lost. In addition, all friendships are lost. In hell, people don’t receive any comfort from their spouse. They don’t receive any comfort from their children. They don’t receive any comfort from their parents. They don’t receive any comfort from their siblings. They don’t receive any comfort from their friends. These relationships are meaningless. The presence of friends and family doesn’t ease their suffering; on the contrary, it only increases their suffering.

In hell, the sinner loses God. “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). This is why hell is so painful: it’s a total and final departure from God. At death, the sinner loses the dearest father, the wisest guide, the strongest shield, the greatest good, the closest friend, the richest grace, the highest honour, the kindest comfort, the finest beauty, the deepest truth, and the sweetest love. At death, the sinner loses the Lord of life, the Lord of light, the Lord of glory, the Lord of lords. At death, the sinner loses the God of hope, the God of grace, the God of comfort, the God of peace, the God of gods. The sinner loses the only source of happiness and contentment—the One in whose presence is fullness of joy and the One in whose right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11). As Robert Bolton notes, this is “the more horrible part of hell,” for sinners lose “God’s glorious presence” and, therefore, are separated from “bliss above.”

In hell, the sinner gains the most intense pain imaginable. The sinner will “be cast out into outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12). In the Bible, hell is often described as fire. Why? Fire speaks of hell’s intensity. In hell, the sinner becomes the object of God’s intense hatred and wrath. In hell, the sinner falls into the hands of God—a “consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). Augustine describes this pain as follows: “When you remember all your former sinful pleasures, of which nothing remains but your present shame and pain; when you reflect upon the former offers you had, of all the dainties which others feed on in heaven, and despair now of ever obtaining the least crumb that falls from the master’s table; when you see the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus, the reuniting of your body to your soul, the… endless torments which soul and body must endure together; your past sins will horribly perplex you, your present shame will lamentably confound you, your future tortures will unspeakably frighten you.”

Do we believe all that? Do we really believe in hell?

By his craftiness, the devil’s greatest success has been to convince people that there’s no hell.

By her worldliness, the church’s greatest failure has been to convince people that there’s no hell.

Our greatest mistake is to believe either of them.

Quotable: “Because the authority of an infinite God is despised, the law of an infinite God disobeyed, the love of an infinite God undervalued, and the image of an infinite God defaced by sin, therefore there is an infinite demerit in sin: and because man cannot give satisfaction infinite in value, therefore he must give that satisfaction which is infinite in time, or rather in its eternity” (George Swinnock).

Resolutions

2011-03-05T11:12:00.003-05:00

Some thoughts from Jonathan Edwards...

Edwards: “Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstances, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it” (Res. 44). In other words, Edwards desired to know God. He judged the value of things by their contribution to this great end: the knowledge of God. How many of us live like that? Do we set our minds on the things above? Do we judge the value of things by their contribution to the knowledge of God? Do we strive with God in secret? Do we make it our life’s ambition to know Him? Do we judge every action according to its suitability to godliness?

Edwards: “Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same” (Res. 28). In other words, Edwards desired to see a marked progress in his understanding of the Bible. At the end of each month, each year, he wanted to be able to look back and detect growth. How many of us think like that? Do we have a plan for growing in our knowledge of Scripture? Do we know things today that we didn’t know five years ago? Do we think we know all there is to know? Do we resent being challenged by neglected truths and doctrines? Do we desire to expand our minds and enlarge our hearts? Do we want to be left alone in a state of mediocrity?

Edwards: “Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can” (Res. 5). In other words, Edwards desired to make the most of his time. For him, procrastination was a great sin. He wrote a treatise, entitled, Procrastination (or, The Sin and Folly of Depending on Future Time). (1) Do you not set your hearts much more on this world, than you would, if you had no dependence on the morrow? (2) Inquire, whether you would not much less meddle with the concerns of others, and be much more employed with your own hearts, if each day you had no dependence on living another day. (3) If you each day depend on no other but the present, would you not engage and interest yourselves much less in party designs and schemes, than you are now wont to do? (4) Inquire, whether or not you do not allow yourselves in some things, and endeavor to flatter yourselves that there is no evil in them, which you would by no means dare to do if you had not a dependence on living till tomorrow. (5) Inquire, whether you do not some things on the presumption, that you shall hereafter repent of them. (6) Inquire, whether you improve this day, as one who doth not depend upon ever having opportunity to keep another Sabbath, or to keep or read another discourse. (7) Are you thus careful effectually to see to it, that you are on a sure foundation? If not, then you behave yourselves as those that depend on tomorrow.

Edwards: “Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before” (Res. 30). In other words, Edwards desired to know God experimentally, not theoretically. Do we possess a true sense of God’s glory?

.
Quotable: “Joy is an act of love, begotten in us by the sense of the love of Christ, revealed in the word, and shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whereby the soul is more affected with delight in the grace of the Redeemer than with all other things whatsoever” (Thomas Manton).

Reasonable Worship

2011-02-23T13:19:00.001-05:00

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom. 12:1, ESV).

(1) “I appeal to you, brothers”

“I urge you” (NASB). It’s an expression of urgency. When we say to someone “I urge you not to do that,” we’re trying to get across the fact that we’re serious. In effect, Paul says, “You must listen to what I’m about to say. It’s crucial. I’m going to tell you how you should live. You must understand this. It’ll save you from a life of disappointment and frustration. It’ll help you live in a manner that pleases God.”

(2) “By the mercies of God”

In the Greek, the term mercy is in the plural – mercies. What are they? We find them in chapters 1-11. God foreknew us before the foundation of the world. God predestined us to adoption as sons. God redeemed us by the blood of His Son. God called us. God justified us. God reconciled us to Himself. God poured out His Spirit upon us. God made us one with Christ. God made us co-heirs with Christ. God freed us from the bondage of sin. God freed us from the curse of the law. God grants us access to Himself. God calls us His sons. God promises to work everything together for our good. God promises that nothing separates us from His love. God sanctifies us. God glorifies us. Paul appeals to these mercies as the supreme motive for listening to him.

(3) “To present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God”

First, what are we to present? In the OT, the body of the sacrifice was placed on the altar. Similarly, we’re to offer our bodies to God. That refers to our complete person. It includes our eyes (all we see), ears (all we hear), hands (all we do), brains (all we think), and hearts (all we feel). The death of self is the key to Christianity. It’s turning our lives over to God. It’s exchanging our will for His will.

Second, how are we to offer our bodies? (1) It must be a living sacrifice. In the OT, the sacrifices were dead. We have died in Christ. Now, we live in Christ. (2) It must be a holy sacrifice. The OT sacrifices had to be without spot or blemish. We too must seek to be holy. (3) It must be an acceptable sacrifice. The burnt offering in the OT was a “soothing aroma to the LORD” (Lev. 1:13). Our sacrifices are made acceptable in Christ.

(4) “Which is your spiritual worship”

The noun can be translated “service” or “worship.” The adjective can be translated “spiritual” or “reasonable.” Therefore, the phrase can be translated “reasonable service,” “spiritual service,” “reasonable worship,” or “spiritual worship.” Which is it? Service and worship express the same thing. Reasonable is preferable to spiritual because of what Paul says in 12:2 about being transformed by the renewing of our mind. Given the mercies of God, it’s only reasonable that we should seek to live for Him.

“William Borden came from a wealthy privileged family, was a graduate of Yale University, and had the promise of a wonderful and lucrative career before him. But he felt a call to serve God as a missionary in China and left for the field even though his family and friends thought him a fool for going. After a short time away and even before he reached China, Borden contracted a fatal disease and died. He had given up everything to follow Jesus. He died possessing nothing in this world. But Borden of Yale did not regret it. We know this because he left a note as he lay dying that said, ‘No reserve, no retreat, and no regrets. Like so many others, he found the service of Christ to be eminently reasonable, and he gained a lasting reward” (James Boice).

Quotable: “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an off’ring far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all (Isaac Watts).

Cleaving to God

2011-02-10T10:47:00.003-05:00

What does it mean to worship God? There are numerous books, courses, and seminars on the subject – some of them are helpful; some of them aren’t so helpful. Personally, I have found the Puritans to be a rich resource on this subject. According to William Perkins (the father of English Puritanism), worship of God is twofold: inward and outward. By outward worship, he means those things we traditionally associate with worship; e.g., praying, singing, preaching, fasting, etc. By inward worship, he means the heart: “the very ground and foundation of all true worship of God.”

To explain the mechanics of inward worship, Perkins turns to Deut. 6:13, where Moses declares, “It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.” Based on this verse, Perkins maintains that inward worship consists of two “heads.”

(1) Adoration of God: “It is the LORD your God you shall fear”

The first “head” is “adoration of God.” “Adoration,” says Perkins, “is that part of God’s worship whereby a man, upon a vile and base estimation of himself, as being but dust and ashes, submits and subjects his soul to the glory and majesty of God.” This definition consists of two components: “exaltation of God” and “abnegation of self.” Perkins sees both in the seraphim of Is. 6:2, “Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.” What’s the significance of their wings?

With two wings they cover their faces. That’s reminiscent of an incident in Moses’ life. He asks to see God’s glory. God responds, “You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live” (Ex. 33:20). Why can’t Moses see God? He’s a sinner. To see God’s face is death. Now, what’s interesting is this: the seraphim aren’t fallen (i.e., sinful) creatures, yet even they can’t look upon God’s face. His glory is too bright even for them. And so, they cover their faces with two wings. That’s an “exaltation of God” – the first component of adoration.

With two wings they cover their feet. That’s reminiscent of another incident in Moses’ life. He approaches the burning bush in the wilderness. God says, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5). In ancient times, a servant never wore shoes. Why? It served as a symbol of his inferiority. Feet are a symbol of finitude. God tells Moses to remove his sandals, because he’s on holy ground. The seraphim too are but creatures. Their feet are symbols of their finitude. Therefore, they cover their feet with two wings. That’s an “abnegation of self” – the second component of adoration.

We see both of these components in Abraham, who cries, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord [exaltation of God], I who am but dust and ashes [abnegation of self]” (Gen. 18:27). We also see them in Daniel, who declares, “To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness [exaltation of God], but to us open shame [abnegation of self]” (Dan. 9:7). We see them again in the Canaanite woman, who says, “Yes, Lord [exaltation of God], yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table [abnegation of self]” (Matt. 15:27).

Perkins proceeds to identify four “virtues” in such adoration: (1) fear, whereby we revere God absolutely; (2) obedience, whereby we subject our conscience to God’s Word; (3) patience, whereby we quiet our hearts in the face of God’s sovereignty; and (4) thankfulness, whereby we acknowledge in our hearts that all things come from God.

(2) Cleaving to God: “Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear”

The second “head” of inward worship is “cleaving to God.” Perkins believes it consists of four “virtues.” (1) Faith: “we rest upon God’s mercy for the forgiveness of our sins, and life everlasting.” (2) Hope: “with patience we wait the Lord’s leisure, for the performance of His promises.” (3) Love: we “cleave unto God, and [are] well pleased with Him simply for Himself… [and] seek by all means possible, to have true fellowship with God in Christ.” (4) Invocation: we lift up our “heart unto God, according to His will, by desires and groans unspeakable.”

Perkins turns to Abraham as an example of these four “virtues.” “In hope [Abraham] believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told” (Rom. 4:18). Notice two things…

First, Abraham believed “against hope.” According to Paul, Abraham contemplated two undeniable facts. First, he considered “his own body, which was as good as dead” (Rom. 4:19). Second, he considered “the barrenness of Sarah’s womb” (Rom. 4:19). Abraham was perfectly aware that they were beyond childbearing-age. God had promised him a son. God had promised him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Humanly speaking, God’s promise was hopeless. Yet Abraham believed “against hope.”

Second, Abraham believed “in hope.” In addition to contemplating his circumstances, Abraham contemplated his God. He was “fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Rom. 4:21). As a result, he grew “strong in faith.” And, in so doing, “he gave glory to God” (Rom. 4:20).

That’s the essence of what it means to cleave to God. When we hold to God’s promises despite our circumstances, we glorify Him, in that we declare our confidence in His unsearchable greatness. When we permit our circumstances to get the better of us, we rob God of His glory, in that we cast doubt upon His unsearchable greatness. Have you ever wondered why God put Abraham through all that? God promised him a son. Why did He wait so long in fulfilling His promise? The answer is simple: God glorified Himself in Abraham. Abraham believed in the midst of unbelievable circumstances. And this declared God’s greatness, God’s goodness, God’s sufficiency, and God’s majesty. That's worship.

Quotable: “Faith is to believe God simply and solely because He is God. Nothing glorifies God more than this” (Martyn Lloyd-Jones).

Altogether Lovely

2011-02-06T16:27:00.002-05:00

Close to 20 years ago, I attended a Saturday-morning Bible class. One of the church elders (my father, actually) was teaching on Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. As we made our way through the opening verses, Paul’s use of the phrase “in Christ” really grabbed my attention. Paul tells us that we are “blessed” in Christ, “chosen” in Christ, “redeemed” in Christ, “predestined” in Christ, and “sealed” in Christ. In short, our salvation from start-to-finish rests entirely upon Christ. From that moment, I realized that there’s nothing more soul-satisfying than contemplating Christ and our interest in Him.

What does the world offer in comparison? The famous German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, was raised in a Christian home. But he rejected the Christian faith. As a young man, he developed his “Death of God” philosophy. He didn’t affirm that God was literally dead, but that belief in God was dead. He probed the implications of his philosophy in the Madman: “A madman appeared in the marketplace one morning, holding a lighted lantern in the bright daylight. He startled everyone by crying, ‘I’m looking for God! I’m looking for God!’ The people made fun of him, saying, ‘Do you think God is lost? Is He hiding?’ The madman leaped among the people, his eyes wild with alarm, crying, ‘Where is God? I’ll tell you where He is. We have killed Him – you and I. All of us are His murderers. We have cut ourselves off from God as though we had unchained the earth from the sun, and we are wobbling out of control, plunging backward, sideward, forward, in all directions. We’re becoming cold and dark and empty. Don’t you feel it?’” Unable to live with the logical implications of his own philosophy, Nietzsche went stark mad. He collapsed on the street one day, and ended up in an insane asylum. He spent the last 12 years of his life under the care of his Christian mother.

Apart from Christ, there’s no truth, no hope, no comfort, and no peace. And the thinking man crosses the line into despair.

What does the world offer to cope with this despair? It offers Chicken Soup for the Soul – a plethora of self-help books. It offers CDs, reproducing the sounds of birds, oceans, and rainfall. It offers yoga, and other eastern exercises. It offers vibrating chairs, massage machines, special lights, and scented candles. It offers all these things in a vain attempt to bring peace to an immortal soul.

But there’s no true peace apart from Christ. He declares, “Not as the world gives do I give to you.” He alone returns the soul to its true center and rest: God. He gives peace graciously. He gives peace abundantly. He gives peace eternally.

As Redeemer, He delivers us from sin. As Mediator, He reconciles us to God. As Husband, He unites us to Himself. As Father, He cares and provides for us. As Priest, He intercedes for us. As Shepherd, He leads and protects us. As Prophet, He instructs and illuminates us. As Advocate, He pleads for us. As Friend, He loves us with fervent affection. As King, He rules and keeps us. As Surety, He guarantees our inheritance. As Rock, He satisfies us. John Flavel declares, “Look on [Christ] in what respect or particular you will; cast your eye upon this lovely object, and view Him any way; turn Him in your serious thoughts which way you will; consider His person, His offices, His works, or any other thing belonging to Him; you will find Him altogether lovely.”

Quotable: “Unto them that believe unto the saving of the soul, [Christ] is, He always has been, precious—the sun, the rock, the life, the bread of their souls—everything that is good, useful, amiable, desirable, here and unto eternity” (John Owen).

38 Years Ago

2011-01-23T16:17:00.003-05:00

“The LORD gave her [Ruth] conception” (Ruth 4:13). I’ve meditated on those words, this past week, particularly in light of the fact that yesterday was the 38th year anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Since that Supreme Court decision on Jan. 22, 1973, there have been an estimated 1.5 million abortions, performed each year in the USA. In our day, 30% of all babies conceived in the USA are killed.

What do we say?

As Christians, we reject the argument that abortion is a better alternative than giving birth to an unwanted child. We reject it, because there’s no such thing as an unwanted child. There are Christians (and non-Christians), across this country, who would adopt this very moment, if the opportunity were given to them. They would sacrifice finances, comforts, and all else, to embrace a baby as their very own. There’s no such thing as an unwanted child.

As Christians, we reject the argument that abortion is a woman’s right to choose. I have no right to choose to drink and drive. I have no right to choose to discharge a firearm on my neighbor’s front-lawn. These actions threaten the lives of others. And so, the government restricts my right to choose these things. The notion that the right to choose trumps the right to live, in the case of abortion, is utter nonsense.

As Christians, we reject the argument that abortion is a necessary method for controlling world population. The notion that the world is over-populated is a fallacy. The world isn’t over-populated; the world is mismanaged. We lived in Angola in 1992. That country by itself has the agricultural capacity to feed all of Africa. So, why doesn’t it? Greed... Human overpopulation isn’t the problem. Human depravity is the problem.

As Christians, we affirm that abortion is morally reprehensible. “I do not think terminating a pregnancy is wrong. A potential person is not a person, any more than an acorn is a tree” (Katha Pollitt). At 3 weeks, the baby’s heart begins to beat. At 6 weeks, the baby has brain waves. At 8 weeks, the baby begins swallowing. At 12 weeks, the baby’s organ systems are functioning. The baby has skeletal structure, nerves, eyelids, nails, and fingerprints. At 14 weeks, the baby’s heart pumps several quarts of blood through his or her body. At 18 weeks, the baby is perfectly formed. Yet, at any point during that time, and for many weeks after, it’s legal to dismember, or do whatever is necessary, to kill that baby.

As Christians, we affirm that abortion confirms what the Bible says concerning man’s utter darkness. It confirms what Christ uttered centuries ago: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning” (Jn. 8:44). Abortion is the termination of a human being, made in the image of God, created for the expressed purpose of exalting, glorifying, and magnifying God. Abortion is, therefore, a direct assault upon God Himself.

As Christians, we affirm that God’s wrath gathers like the waters behind a great damn. The day will come when the damn will break, and the water will sweep away all that lay in its path. And yet, we also affirm that God abounds in mercy. What do we say to someone who has had an abortion? We tell them, “You’ve committed murder, but that isn’t the worst thing you’ve ever done.” Abortion, and all other sins for that matter, pale in comparison to our role in Christ’s death - the greatest sin we've committed. And yet, Christ's death is our only hope, because His blood is able to wash away the deepest and darkest stain. Beverly Smith McMillan opened the first abortion clinic in Jackson, Mississippi. God saved her. Years later, she wrote, “The good news that makes the gospel so relevant today is that God forgives. I know from personal experience that the blood of Jesus can cover the sin of abortion.”

As Christians, we call upon our government (at all levels) to fulfill its God-given mandate: to protect and preserve human life (Gen. 9; Rom. 13). Our government’s main responsibility isn’t to provide education, to establish social programs, to ensure retirement savings, to strengthen labour unions, to sponsor the arts, to provide foreign aid, to subsidize banks, to help the homeless, to build houses, to establish day cares, or anything like that. First and foremost, our government’s main responsibility is to protect and preserve human life, based upon this self-evident truth: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” We judge our elected officials, on that basis.

As Christians, we pray that God would visit us (His people) with days of refreshing, transforming us, so that we might be His agents of transformation in our society. We pray that our society might awaken to this great evil, turn from it with heart-felt repentance, and embrace, uphold, and defend the sanctity and dignity of human life.

Call me "Mara"

2011-01-20T15:18:00.002-05:00

In Herman Melville’s classic novel, Captain Ahab loses his leg in a confrontation with the white whale, Moby Dick. The captain descends below deck, clinging to life. Melville describes what happens next: “For long months, Ahab and anguish lay stretched together in one hammock, rounding in midwinter that dreary, howling Patagonian Cape, then it was, that his torn body and gashed soul bled into one another and so inter-fusing, made him mad.” The ship eventually makes it back to harbour. The captain survives, but he’s consumed with his desire to destroy Moby Dick. And so, he soon sets sail, in search of the whale. It costs him his life.

Melville’s description of Captain Ahab is striking: “his torn body and gashed soul bled into one another.” I’ve met people like that. Their bitterness, at what has befallen them in life, eats them alive.

For this reason, as Christians, it’s important to have a firm grasp on the doctrine of divine providence. It anchors the soul in storms and refreshes the soul in droughts. Calvin writes, “When the light of divine providence has once shown upon a godly man, he is then relieved and set free not only from the extreme anxiety and fear that were pressing him before, but from every care… Ignorance of providence is the ultimate misery; the highest blessedness lies in knowing it…”

The Book of Ruth describes the relatively unimportant details in the lives of relatively unimportant people, demonstrating a supremely important truth: God rules over all. I want you to notice three things about Naomi.

(1) She suffers a terrible loss

She says, “I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty” (Ruth 1:20). By “full,” she means her husband and two sons. They’re her joy, strength, and purpose. Her life revolves around them. Suddenly, they’re gone. Their deaths change everything for Naomi. She had an expectation of what life would be like. She and Elimelech would grow old together, surrounded by their children and grandchildren. Now, her dream is gone.

Lesson: “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

(2) She attributes her suffering to God

She says, “The hand of the LORD has gone out against me” (Ruth 1:13). “The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me… the LORD has brought me back empty… the LORD has testified against me… the Almighty has brought calamity upon me” (Ruth 1:20-21). Twice, Naomi refers to God as the “Almighty” (Shaddai). This name stresses God's power. Once He determined that bitterness would enter Naomi’s life, there was no other possibility. Naomi undertsands that. She grasps what Hannah celebrates years later, “The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts… the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and on them he has set the world” (1 Sam. 2:6-8).

Lesson: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Ps. 115:3).

(3) She remains faithful

When she hears that “the LORD had visited his people and given them food” (Ruth 1:6), Naomi returns to Bethlehem. Bidding farewell to her daughters-in-law, she says, “May the LORD deal kindly with you” (Ruth 1:8). Again, “The LORD grant that you may find rest” (Ruth 1:9). The hand of God has gone out against her. She’s living in a foreign land, surrounded by foreign gods, yet she never wavers in her commitment to God. She knows He’s good. She knows He’s faithful. While her experience is bitter; she isn’t bitter. Naomi returns “empty” to Bethlehem. But it’s a material, not a spiritual emptiness. The fullness of the creature is uncertain. But there’s a spiritual fullness that can never be taken away.

Lesson: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

Quotable: “If all the gold of the whole world were melted into one stream, and if all the pearls and precious stones were set on the banks of the stream, and if the excellence of all other creatures were crushed into sand at the bottom of the stream, it would still be an unworthy metaphor for setting forth the least perfection in our portion – God!” (George Swinnock).

Taking Hold of God

2011-01-08T12:31:00.004-05:00

Here's one of the latest RHB books. It will be available by the end of the month.

Preface
1. Martin Luther on Prayer and Reformation — Brian G. Najapfour
2. John Calvin on Prayer as Communion with God — Joel R. Beeke
3. John Knox: A Theologian of Prayer — Brian G. Najapfour
4. William Perkins on the Lord’s Prayer — J. Stephen Yuille
5. Anthony Burgess on Christ’s Prayer for Us — Joel R. Beeke
6. John Bunyan on Praying with the Holy Spirit — Michael A. G. Haykin
7. The Puritans on the Help of the Holy Spirit in Prayer — Johnny C. Serafini
8. Matthew Henry on a Practical Method of Daily Prayer — Joel R. Beeke
9. Thomas Boston on Praying to Our Father — Joel R. Beeke
10. Jonathan Edwards on Prayer and the Triune God — Peter Beck
11. Puritan Prayers for World Missions — Joel R. Beeke
12. Prayerful Praying Today — Joel R. Beeke
Bibliography
Scripture Index
Subject Index

“Here is a master stroke indeed! — a book on the prayer-filled lives and teaching of nine masters of the Christian life (plus others included for good measure). Many of us feel either infants in the school of prayer or intimidated and beaten down by those who accuse us of being prayer-less but do not teach us how to be prayer-full. But here can be found nourishment, example, instruction, encouragement, and, yes, deep challenge, all in one volume. May these pages serve as a tonic for our weakness, a remedy for our sickness, and an inspiration to greater prayerfulness in our churches!”

Sinclair B. Ferguson, Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina, and Professor of Systematic Theology at Redeemer Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas

Our Chief Portion

2011-01-07T11:48:00.002-05:00

From George Swinnock...

“But God is all good things, and every good thing. He is self-sufficient, alone-sufficient, and all-sufficient. Nothing is lacking in Him – either for the soul’s protection from all evil, or for the soul’s perfection with all good. Reader, if God were your portion, you would find in Him whatever your heart could desire and whatever could lead you to happiness! Art you ambitious? God is a crown of glory, and a royal diadem. Are you covetous? God is unsearchable riches, yes, durable riches and righteousness. Are you lustful? God is rivers of pleasures and fulness of joy. Are you hungry? God is a feast of wine on the lees and of fat things full of marrow. Are you weary? God is rest – a shadow from the heat and a shelter from the storm. Are you weak? God is everlasting strength. Are you in doubts? God is marvellous in counsel. Are you in darkness? God is the Sun of righteousness, an eternal light. Are you sick? He is the God of your health. Are you sorrowful? He is the God of all consolations. Are you dying? He is the fountain and God of life. Are you in any distress? His name is a strong tower, to which you may run to find safety. He is a universal medicine against all sorts of miseries. Whatever your calamity, He can remove it. Whatever your necessity, He can relieve it. He is silver, gold, honor, delight, food, raiment, house, land, peace, wisdom, power, beauty, father, mother, wife, husband, mercy, love, grace, glory, and infinitely more than all these!”

Quotable: "But God is all good things, and every good thing" (George Swinnock).

Sermon for New Year's Day

2011-01-01T11:42:00.002-05:00

From Charles Spurgeon, Sermon for New Year's Day...

“There are children of God who need this text, ‘Behold, I make all things new,’ whose sigh is that they so soon grow dull and weary in the ways of God, and therefore they need daily renewing. After a few months, a vigorous young Christian will begin to cool down; and those who have been long in the ways of God find that final perseverance must be a miracle if ever it is to be accomplished, for naturally they tire and faint.

Well, now, dear friends, why do you and I ever get stale and flat? Why, it is because we get away from Him who says, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ The straight way to a perpetual newness and freshness of holy youth is to go to Christ again, just as we did at the first. A better thing still is never to leave Him, but to stand for ever at the cross-foot delighting yourself in His all-sufficient sacrifice.

They that are full of the joy of the Lord never find life grow weary. Getting near to Christ, you will partake in His joy, and that joy shall be your strength, your freshness, the newness of your life. God grant us to drink of the eternal founts, that we may for ever overflow.”

Quotable: “When the light of divine providence has once shown upon a godly man, he is then relieved and set free not only from the extreme anxiety and fear that were pressing him before, but from every care… Ignorance of providence is the ultimate misery; the highest blessedness lies in knowing it…” (John Calvin).

The Realization of God's Purpose

2010-12-24T14:13:00.002-05:00

Another reason Christ’s birth is wonderful is this: it accomplishes God’s purpose. The angel declares, “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

Many people view Christ as a great philosopher. They think He imparted some special teaching, while on earth. Of course, they’re very selective in what they accept of Christ’s teaching. They’re prepared to uphold His ideals, ethics, and truisms as a standard for all civilized people. Yet, they ignore His references to redemption from sin. They’re prepared to accept Christ as a great philosopher, but the angel doesn’t say anything about a philosopher.

Many people view Christ as a great humanitarian - ahead of His time. He ministered to the destitute, cared for the homeless, walked with social outcasts, and championed the oppressed. They view Him as a social reformer – a standard for modern-day humanitarian efforts. They emulate what they perceive to be His compassion. They’re prepared to accept Him as a great humanitarian, but the angel doesn’t say anything about a humanitarian.

Many people view Christ as a great teacher. They think He’s one in a long series of teachers who’ve shown us something of the way to God. They affirm that the way to God is the common denominator that’s shared by all these teachers. Anything beyond that common denominator isn’t important. Christ (along with Muhammad, Moses, Confucius, and others) had great insight into this way to God. People are prepared to accept Him as a great teacher, but the angel doesn’t say anything about a teacher.

Many people view Christ as a great psychologist. If He were alive today, He would have written “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” They see Him as possessing a modern-view into the human psyche. They accept those segments of His teaching, which they think are aimed at improving human experience, human awareness, human behavior, human society, or whatever else is man-centered. They’re prepared to accept Him as a great psychologist, but the angel doesn’t say anything about a psychologist.

The angel is very explicit: “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Consider the three components in this declaration…

First, Christ will save His people from their sins. We’ve all broken God’s law. Therefore, we don’t need a moral philosopher. We don’t need a warm-hearted philanthropist. We don’t need an outspoken prophet. We don’t need a sympathetic psychologist. We need an answer to our sin. We need a Savior. Christ will save His people from their sins.

Second, Christ will save His people from their sins. In the eternal purpose of God, there are two groups of people. According to Gen. 3:15, there’s the seed of the serpent. This includes Satan’s people: those who are in the first Adam. There’s also the seed of the woman. This includes God’s people: those who are in the last Adam (Christ). Christ will save His people from their sins.

Third, Christ will save His people from the sins. How? “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed” (Is. 53:5). “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly… while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-10). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24). Christ bore the sins of His people. Christ became a curse for His people. Christ died for His people. Christ’s blood satisfied God’s holy demands for sin. Christ’s blood secured God’s mercy toward sinners. Christ will save His people from their sins.

Quotable: “The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the most sweet and comfortable knowledge… How our hearts are ravished with the discoveries of Christ in the gospel!” (John Flavel).

The Revelation of God's Power

2010-12-18T10:42:00.002-05:00

At this time of the year, we celebrate Christ’s birth. In this post and the next, I’m going to reflect on two reasons why His birth is wonderful. The first is this: it’s the revelation of God’s power.

The angel declares to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35). Here, the name Most High is the superlative of the Greek term for height. In other words, God is the highest. There’s nothing higher than Him. “Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You” (1 Kgs. 8:27). When He overshadowed Mary, He revealed the greatness of His power. How?

(1) In framing Christ’s human nature

First, the Most High revealed His power in framing Christ’s human nature. By human nature, I mean Christ’s body and soul. The matter (or substance) was natural; it was Mary’s egg in Mary’s womb. However, the conception was supernatural. There was no human father. Rather, the Holy Spirit worked upon the substance in Mary’s womb, thereby producing Christ’s human nature. That’s power. And this revelation of God’s power is extremely important, because it ensured that Christ was of the substance of Adam, but not of the seed of Adam. Ponder this…

When I say that Christ is of the substance of Adam, I mean that Christ possesses the same human nature as Adam and as us. God could easily have formed Christ’s body from the dust of the earth and breathed into Him a living soul. But, if He had done so, Christ wouldn’t have possessed Adam’s human nature. Consequently, Christ couldn’t be our kinsman.

When I say that Christ isn’t of the seed of Adam, I mean that Christ doesn’t possess the same sinful human nature as Adam and as us. Adam’s nature was created in God’s image. By virtue of the fall, Adam’s human nature lost that image. It was corrupted. Adam has transmitted that corrupt (sinful) human nature to all of his seed (his descendents). However, Christ didn’t inherit it. Why? He was conceived of the Holy Spirit.

These two facts are extremely important. Christ is of the substance of Adam, but not of the seed of Adam. He possesses our human nature, but not our sinful human nature. How is this possible? It’s possible, because the power of the Most High overshadowed Mary.

(2) In uniting Christ’s human nature to His divine nature

Second, the Most High revealed His power in uniting Christ’s human nature (body and soul) to His divine nature. In Christ, we have creator and creature, strength and weakness, authority and futility, immutability and mutability, independence and dependence, the infinite and the finite. In Christ, all these meet in a personal union. His human nature didn’t absorb His divine nature. Conversely, His divine nature didn’t absorb His human nature. He’s fully God and fully man in one person. His human nature and divine nature are united in one person, while remaining distinct.

The Creed of Chalcedon states that Christ is “to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Why’s that so important? It’s our only hope of salvation. As the God-man, Christ was able to bear man’s sin without being tainted by that sin. If He had been a mere man (although a perfect man) He couldn’t have assumed the imputation of our sin without contracting corruption from that sin.

How’s it possible that Christ is the God-man? It’s possible, because the power of the Most High overshadowed Mary.

Quotable: “[Christ’s incarnation is] a mystery by which apprehension is dazzled, invention astonished, and all expression swallowed up” (John Flavel).

Trusting God

2010-12-06T11:30:00.000-05:00

“As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything” (Eccl. 11:5).

We err, when we think that wisdom is a deepened insight into the providential meaning of events. We err, when we think that to be wise is to understand everything that happens.

Most of us have been in an airplane. As we taxi out to the runway, we have no idea what’s happening. We can’t see the pilot, who’s in constant contact with the tower. We can’t see the tower, where the air traffic controllers are monitoring their computer screens. We can’t see the computer screens, where every plane is tracked. We can’t see the entire system, whereby the departure and arrival of every plane is planned and orchestrated. Many of us think that wisdom is moving from the plane to the tower – a deepened insight into the providential meaning of events. It isn’t. Wisdom is accepting the inexplicable.

“We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good” (Belgic Confession).

Since God is incomprehensible, His providence is ultimately a mystery. The key to wisdom, therefore, is to trust in a sovereign and incomprehensible God. Job teaches us that. Do you remember all the terrible things that happened to him? By the end of his ordeal, he’s no clearer in his understanding of why those things happened as he was at the start. What is he clearer about? “Now my eyes see you” (Job 42:5). That’s wisdom. To be wise isn’t to understand all that God does. It’s to understand all that God is.

Quotable: “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, but this healing fear is today hardly found among Christian men” (A. W. Tozer).

Straying

2010-11-29T16:22:00.002-05:00

We all know the story of David’s fall. He commits adultery with Bathsheba. He murders Uriah by orchestrating his death on the front lines. In a word, David derails. “He forgets his longings after righteousness, flings away the joys of divine communion, darkens his soul, ends his prosperity, brings down upon his head for all his remaining years a cataract of calamities, and makes his name and his religion a target for the barbed sarcasms of each succeeding generation of scoffers. As man; as king; as soldier – he is found wanting” (Alexander MacLaren).

Nevertheless, God doesn’t abandon David. He sends Nathan, the prophet, to confront him. Nathan begins by telling David a parable about a man, who owns a lamb. He raises this lamb in his home. He treats it like one of his children. One day, a wealthy neighbor takes that lamb, in order to prepare a meal for a visitor. David is furious: “As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die” (2 Sam. 2:5). To which, Nathan replies, “You are the man!”

(1) David teaches us that the greatest saint can stray

Church history confirms it. That being the case, we must be on guard. How? We’re most vulnerable to straying, when pride remains unchecked. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Prov. 16:18). Pride clouds our self-perception, making it diffiuclt for us to see our weak spots. Pride also undermines our dependence upon God’s grace. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).

(2) David teaches us that straying is deadly to the soul

He cries, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer” (Ps. 32:3-4). While David strayed, his communion with God was broken. The joy of fellowshipping with God’s people was gone. The joy of worshipping in God’s house was gone. The joy of meditating upon God’s law was gone. His vitality was draining away.

(3) David teaches us that God’s grace abounds to sinners

He cries, “I have sinned against the LORD.” To which, Nathan says, “The LORD has taken away your sin; you shall not die.” In reflecting upon this incident, David writes, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD;’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Ps. 32:5).

Application:

Have you strayed? Perhaps you’re grumbling in the face of trials. Perhaps you’re allowing your mind to wander to places it should never go. Perhaps you’re negligent in your handling of God’s Word. Perhaps you’re careless with your tongue – gossiping, backbiting, and complaining. Perhaps you’re struggling with bitter jealousy or selfish ambition. Perhaps you’re living for the material and temporal. Perhaps you’re involved in an ungodly relationship. Perhaps you’re thoughtless when it comes to the needs of others. Perhaps you’re self-absorbed.

If that’s the case, and if you're a Christian, then you undoubtedly feel like a bone out of joint. The Spirit of God won't give you peace. Here’s the remedy: “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions” (Ps. 51:2).

Quotable: “Oh, that I might never be so void of love to my fallen brother as not to give him a serious reproof, nor so void of love to myself as not to receive a serious reproof” (George Swinnock).

The Persecuted Church

2010-11-15T14:02:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the international day of prayer for the persecuted church. Here are a few thoughts from the sermon I preached at GCC. If interested, you can hear (or watch) it in full at www.gccministries.org.

(1) Why are Christians persecuted?

“It is not the punishment, but the cause that makes the martyr” (Augustine). In all, I can think of three “biblical” causes of persecution.

The first is our Christ. The world hates Christ. It doesn’t hate Christ as depicted by popular culture – the long-haired, effeminate Jesus, who runs around half-dazed. They hate the Christ of Scripture – the Light, who shines into the inner recesses of the soul, exposing its sin and hypocrisy.

The second is our character. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10). The Beatitudes provide a composite picture of Christ’s followers. The world admires the self-confident, not the poor in spirit. It admires the lighthearted, not the sorrowful. It admires the proud, not the meek. It admires the shameless, not the righteous. It admires the avenger, not the merciful. It admires the self-indulgent, not the pure in heart. It admires the aggressor, not the peacemaker. In brief, why did Cain kill Abel? “Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1 Jn. 3:12).

The third is our creed. We declare (unapologetically) the inability of man, the reality of hell, the certainty of judgment, the sovereignty of God, the deity of Christ, the necessity of the cross, and the exclusivity of the gospel. These are offensive to the natural man.

(2) Why don’t we (in the States) experience much persecution?

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk. 9:23). “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (Jn. 15:20). “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). “Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). “To this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21).

So, why don’t we see much of this? A legitimate reason is the first amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom. The founders (owing to their own experience) were diligent to ensure that this country would be a safe haven from religious persecution.

However, I’m convinced that there are other factors at play. (1) Is it possible we don’t experience persecution, because we live in a Christian bubble? To put it another way, is it possible we’ve cloistered ourselves from the world? (2) Is it possible we don’t experience persecution, because we’re reluctant to speak the truth? We downplay those things that people find offensive. (3) Is it possible we don’t experience persecution, because we’re worldly? Writing 60 years ago, Martyn Lloyd-Jones maintained that the world looks at the church, and sees its own reflection. The absence of persecution might very well mean we’ve made peace with the world.

(3) Why is persecution necessary?

“You have been grieved with various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith… may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:6-7). God uses persecution to mortify sin; to cure apathy, materialism, and carnality; to produce heavenly-mindedness; to foster unity; to adorn the gospel; to cultivate character; and to glorify Christ.

Quotable: “Many think they can be good Christians, yet live a life of ease and peace, without any trouble… This is like a soldier who goes to war never expecting a battle, or like a sailor who goes to sea never expecting a storm” (Thomas Manton).

The Beauty of Patience

2010-11-11T04:01:00.000-05:00

“Therefore be patient,” says James. He gives three examples of such patience.

(1) The Farmer (5:7-9)

The farmer plants his seed. Then, “he waits for the precious produce of the soil” (5:7). He must be patient “until it gets the early and late rains” (5:7). There aren’t any immediate results, when he sows his seed. He must wait for the harvest. We can relate to that. Many of us planted gardens in the spring. We didn’t see any immediate results. The seed must germinate. The plant must mature. The fruit must appear. When we planted our gardens, we knew the harvest would come. We knew the beans and peas would sprout. We knew the tomatoes and melons would ripen. But, we had to wait for it. We had to be patient. James says, “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near” (5:8). The righteous suffer while the wicked prosper. But that isn’t the whole story. Christ is coming.

Before proceeding to his second example of patience, James takes the opportunity to insert a practical application: “Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door” (5:9). The coming of the Lord is near. That’s an incentive to cease from speaking against one another.

(2) The Prophets (5:10)

We don’t know which of the prophets James has in mind. There are so many to choose from. But his point is this: the prophets “spoke in the name of the Lord.” They served God. That’s why they suffered. Yet, they suffered patiently. Why? Their eyes were fixed on the coming of the Lord.

We see this in David. He was oppressed by Saul and countless other enemies. Yet, he declares, “Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You” (Ps. 39:7). We see this in Isaiah. He was oppressed and eventually killed because of his faithfulness as a prophet. Yet, he declares, “I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him” (Is. 8:17). We see this in Micah. He was persecuted and imprisoned. Yet, he declares, “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me” (Mic. 7:7). We see this in Habakkuk. He was oppressed. Yet, he declares, “I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:18).

The prophets are an example of patience. Christ says this very thing: “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:12).

(3) Job (5:11)

Job was a godly man. “There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:8). But his godliness didn’t mean that he was beyond the reach of suffering. He lost his wealth, family, honor, and health. Yet, despite his loss, he declares, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15). His eyes were fixed upon God. As a result, he endured. What was “the outcome of the Lord’s dealings” with Job? It was that he might learn that “the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” God had compassion for his afflictions. And God had mercy for his sins.

This is the God upon whom we fix our gaze. This is the God concerning whom Asaph declares, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever… As for me, the nearness of God is my good” (Ps. 73:25-26,28).

Application:

Those who are patient are heard by God: “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry” (Ps. 40:1).

Those who are patient are blessed: “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him” (Is. 30:18).

Those who are patient experience God’s goodness: “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him” (Lam. 3:25).

Those who are patient won’t be ashamed: “Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed” (Ps. 25:3).

Those who are patient will renew their strength: “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Is. 40:31).

Those who are patient will inherit the earth: “For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land” (Ps. 37:9).

Those who are patient will be saved: “And it will be said in that day, ‘Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation” (Is. 25:9).

Those who are patient will receive the glorious things prepared by God for them: “For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him” (Is. 64:4).

Quotable: “An unsound convert never takes up his rest in God; but converting grace does the work, and so cures the fatal misery of the fall, by turning the heart from its idol to the living God” (Joseph Alleine).

The Peril of Prosperity

2010-11-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

James declares, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you” (5:1). This denunciation raises two questions.

(1) Who are the rich?

James isn’t referring to everyone who’s wealthy. If we interpret him as denouncing the rich in general, then we’re guilty of misinterpreting and misapplying what he’s saying. James has a very specific group in mind. They bear four marks. (1) They’re greedy (5:2-3). Their riches have rotted. Their garments have become moth-eaten. Their gold and silver have rusted. In other words, they’re so reluctant to part with their wealth that they’ll let it rot rather than use it to help others. (2) They’re oppressive (5:4). They withhold the pay that’s due to their workers. They take advantage of them by abusing their power over them. (3) They’re decadent (5:5). They live in wanton pleasure. They’re bored with the simple pleasures of life. As a result, they look for novel ways in which to entertain themselves – vices. (4) They’re unjust (5:6). They walk over others in order to get what they want.

(2) What are the miseries that come upon them?

These miseries are associated with the “coming of the Lord” (7:1). God will hold the rich accountable. James makes this clear in 5:4, mentioning two “cries.”

First, James says that the “cry” of the rich reaches God. In other words, God takes note of their sin. Do you remember God’s words to Cain? “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10). Do You remember God’s words to Abraham? “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave” (Gen. 18:20). God sees every sin. God judges every sin.

Second, James says that the “cry” of the oppressed reaches God. In other words, God isn’t blind to their suffering. He sees and hears them. He declares, “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry” (Ex. 22:23). God isn’t indifferent toward suffering. The oppressed cry out for vengeance. God answers in full.

James tells us that these two cries reach “the ears of the Lord of hosts.” He’s the only NT author to use this title. It points to God’s sovereignty over all things – particularly, God’s sovereignty over all creatures. It may appear that God is indifferent to what’s happening in the world. It may appear that God is powerless to do anything about the injustice in this world. But this title points to the certainty of God’s judgment. The rich will “weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon [them]” (5:1).

We find an example of this “weeping and howling” in Luke 16, where Christ tells the story of a rich man (Dives: Latin for rich man) and Lazarus. “There was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendour every day” (Lk. 16:19). Dives refuses to help Lazarus – a poor man, lying at his gate. Lazarus cries out to the Lord of hosts. Dives’s also sin cries out to the Lord of hosts. And the Lord of hosts hears both. Both Dives and Lazarus die. “In Hades [Dives] lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame’” (Lk. 16:24).

Application:

“Pure and undefiled religion” (1:27) includes handling wealth in an appropriate manner. How? (1) We evaluate ourselves according to our heavenly (not earthly) treasure. “Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, and my yield better than choicest silver” (Prov. 8:18-19). (2) We give glory to God for His material blessing (1:14). “The rich and the poor have a common bond, the LORD is the maker of them all” (Prov. 22:2). (3) We mortify all affection for material possessions. Paul warns that those who “want to get rich” fall into temptations, snares, and harmful desires. These lead to ruin and destruction (1 Tim. 6:9). (4) We serve God by giving. Paul says that the prosperous should be “rich in good works,” “generous,” and “ready to share” (1 Tim. 6:17-19). In other words, we should view our prosperity as a ministry. God has entrusted it to us, so that we can use it for Him. “He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed” (Prov. 19:17). “He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor” (Prov. 22:9). “He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses” (Prov. 28:27).

Quotable: “They who are truly religious have such a deep sense of God’s mercy to them that they are changed into the divine nature, that they cannot but pity the miserable and afflicted” (Thomas Manton).

The Obedience of Christ

2010-10-29T12:57:00.001-04:00

Reformation Day is almost upon us. So what?

In the early sixteenth century, Henry VIII initiated a power struggle with Rome, which came to a head when Parliament passed the Supremacy Act by which Henry was declared “the only supreme head in earth of the Church of England.” This Act focused upon the authority of the pope, not the doctrines of the Roman Church. At heart, Henry still accepted many of Roman Catholicism’s practices, as is evident in the Six Articles passed by Parliament in 1539. They condemned all who opposed transubstantiation, vows of chastity, private masses, and auricular confession, and all who supported the giving of the cup to the laity and the marriage of the clergy. There were those who disagreed with these Six Articles, viewing the Reformation as more than freedom from papal intrusion into domestic affairs. Therefore, from the outset, the English Reformation actually “embraced two distinct tendencies” (Philip Schaff). The first was semi-Roman while the other was anti-Roman. This struggle continued through the Elizabethan era into the reign of the Stuart kings.

One of the most important figures in this struggle was William Perkins, who lived during the reign of Elizabeth I. He preached and lectured in the midst of this pitched battle with the Roman Church. Expectedly, many of his writings reflect this conflict. In one of his most well-known, A Reformed Catholic; or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion, and wherein we must forever depart from them, he makes it clear that “union of the two religions” (Protestantism and Catholicism) “can never be made, more than the union of light and darkness.” By way of explanation, he adds, “For though in words they [i.e., the Catholics] honor Christ, yet indeed they turn him to a pseudo-Christ and an idol of their own brain.” They have wandered so far from the teaching of Scripture that they have lost the true knowledge of Christ. In Perkins’s estimation, therefore, Roman Catholicism is not merely one of several acceptable Christian traditions; on the contrary, it is the “great whore.” In his treatise, he highlights 22 points of contention between Protestantism and Catholicism, identifying four as particularly worthy of “separation:” the meaning of Christ’s satisfaction, Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, prayers to saints, and justification.

Regarding the last, Perkins makes it clear that “believers are accounted just before God through the obedience of Christ.” In other words, justification involves a “translation” of our sin to Christ and of Christ’s righteousness to us by way of “mutual imputation.” (1) God imputes my sin to Christ. In other words, God treats Christ as though He lived my life. (2) God imputes Christ’s righteousness to me. God treats me as though I lived Christ’s life. It’s what Martin Luther calls “the wonderful exchange.”

Now that’s worth celebrating on Reformation Day!

Quotable: “Our souls and our salvation must be built on Christ. This is done by our faith in Christ: for as mutual love joins one man unto another, so true faith makes us one with Christ” (William Perkins).

Hating Sin

2010-10-26T09:36:00.001-04:00

The Puritans go to great lengths to unmask sin’s repugnancy. Why? They know we will only mortify sin when we hate it. Prior to leaving for a trip to Ireland in 1999, I dutifully turned off the electricity in our apartment. However, I neglected to empty the fridge and freezer. We were living in Portugal at the time. It was July—the warmest month of the year. Two weeks later, we returned to our home, unaware of what was lurking behind the door. When I opened it, the smell of the putrefying meat was so strong that I nearly fell to my knees. It is precisely that sense of repugnancy that the Puritans seek to cultivate through their dark portrayal of sin.

(1) Sin’s effect on man

For starters, they seek to convey sin’s repugnancy by demonstrating its effect on humanity. They go all the way back to Adam’s sin, which resulted in his alienation from God. That deprivation had a negative impact upon Adam’s faculties, meaning his will was no longer directed by an understanding that knew God or affections that desired God. For the Puritans, that is the essence of original sin. George Swinnock explains: “So hath original sin debauched the mind, and made it think crooked things straight, and straight things crooked; loathsome things lovely, and lovely things loathsome; perverted the will, and made it, as a diseased stomach, to call for and eat unwholesome meat against his own reason; enthralled his affections to sensuality and brutishness; chained the whole man, and delivered it up to the law of sin, and laid those strengths of reason and conscience in fetters, by which it might be hindered in its vicious inclinations and course of profaneness.”

Here, Swinnock affirms that original sin has “debauched” the mind, “perverted” the will, and “enthralled” the affections. In essence, original sin has “chained the whole man.” Robert Bolton echoes this sentiment, stating, “My mind is blind, vain, foolish, my will perverse and rebellious, all my affections out of order, there is nothing whole or sound within me.” That has been the predicament of Adam’s posterity ever since the fall. Because of the corruption of his nature, Adam could not transmit the perfect nature of his soul to his descendants. Instead, he transmitted the corrupt nature acquired by the fall. As a result, all of us are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).

(2) Sin’s affront to God

The Puritans also seek to convey sin’s repugnancy by demonstrating its affront to God. They make it clear that at the root of all sin is the desire to substitute God with self. This necessarily means that sin is opposed to God’s sufficiency. In the words of Jeremiah Burroughs: “As far as sin appears, it holds this forth before all and speaks this language: that there is not enough good in God, that is, the Blessed, Glorious, All-Sufficient, Eternal, Unchangeable Good and Fountain of all Good. Yet sin makes this profession, that there is not enough good in God to satisfy this soul, or else why does the soul depart from him in any sinful way and go to the creature for any good if there is enough in God himself?”

Not only is sin opposed to God’s sufficiency, but it is opposed to God’s existence. For Ralph Venning, sin “makes the sinner wish and endeavour that there might be no God, for sinners are haters of God.” Swinnock agrees, “Sin is incomparably malignant, because the God principally injured by it is incomparably excellent.” It is “a breach of this incomparable God’s law,” “a contempt of this incomparable God’s authority,” “a dishonouring this incomparable God, whose name alone is excellent,” and “a destroying this incomparable God.”

Application:

Due to their vivid portrayal of sin, the Puritans are often viewed as dark and dour kill-joys. That is an unfortunate misrepresentation. Their description of the depths of our depravity is entirely biblical. Moreover, it is absolutely necessary as it arises from their firm conviction that we will not mortify what we do not hate. A view of sin’s repugnancy is the only thing that will produce the necessary impetus for mortification—the daily overthrowing of sin’s dominion.

Quotable: “O miserable man, what a deformed monster has sin made you! God made you ‘little lower than the angels;’ sin has made you little better than the devils” (Joseph Alleine).

A Mist

2010-10-20T16:14:00.002-04:00

(1) The Sin of Presumption (James 4:13)

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.’” James doesn’t condemn all business practices. He doesn’t condemn planning and scheduling. He doesn’t condemn saving and making provision for the future. He condemns the sin of presumption: the act of assuming something is true. What do these people assume is true? Death is a long way off. Based on this assumption, they live for the present. “Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations” (Ps. 49:11).

(2) The Folly of Presumption (James 4:14)

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” In Gen. 3, God declares to Adam: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return”. In Gen. 4, Seth has a son, whom he calls Enosh – frail or mortal. In Gen. 5, Moses records the genealogy from Seth to Noah. Eight times, he notes, “he died.” God is telling us something. “As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer” (Ps. 103:15-16).

We’ll die. We might die when we’re eight or eighty. We don’t know. But we know it will happen. Two generations after we’re gone, few (if any) will remember us. It’s folly to think otherwise. It’s folly to live otherwise. “Man’s life is so short, that Augustine doubts whether to call it a ‘dying life,’ or a ‘living death.’ Man’s life is but the shadow of smoke, the dream of a shadow” (Thomas Brooks).

(3) The Remedy for Presumption (James 4:15)

“Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” That’s the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. In Matt. 10:29, Christ declares, “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” How many sparrows have lived since the creation of the world? Relatively speaking, they’re worthless. Yet not one has died apart from God’s will. “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Ps. 135:6).

God controls all things, including the day of our death. “No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death” (Eccl. 8:8). God alone determines when we die: “Man’s days are determined, the number of man’s months is with God, and man’s limits God has set so that man cannot pass” (Job 14:5). That should cure us of presumption.

(4) The Evil of Presumption (James 4:16-17)

First, it's a sin against God: “You boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil” (4:16). Presumption denies God’s sovereignty. Second, it’s a sin against knowledge: “To one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin” (4:17).

Application

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). “Certainly man will never be wise till he is able to number his days, and doth sufficiently possess his soul of the uncertainty of his abode in this world” (Thomas Manton).

Quotable: “If you will but often wind up this weight of your approaching death, it will keep your soul in a quick, spiritual, and regular motion at all times. As ashes preserve fire, and keep coals from going out, so the thought that we will ere long be turned into ashes will preserve the fire of grace alive and in action” (George Swinnock).

Quarreling

2010-10-13T09:17:00.000-04:00

(1) The Source of Quarrels (James 4:1-3)

“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?” The term “pleasures” denotes the soul’s satisfaction in fulfilling its lusts. The term “members” denotes the faculties of the soul. The “pleasures” we experience in satisfying our lusts wage war against our faculties, seeking to overthrow the mind, captivate the affections, and enslave the will. These “pleasures” are the source of quarrels. Why? James gives three reasons. (1) They are insatiable (4:2). (2) They lead to envy (4:2). (3) They corrupt prayer (4:2-3).

(2) The Seriousness of Quarrels (James 4:4)

James seeks to dissuade us from quarrels by showing us their seriousness. In effect, he says they make us two things. (1) They make us adulterers. The pursuit of pleasures through the satisfaction of the lusts is spiritual whoredom. Why? We deny God’s self-sufficiency. (2) They make us enemies. These pleasures are opposed to God, who “jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us” (4:5). Our spirit is prone to lust (1:14). This is contrary to God, who desires conformity to His will.

(3) The Solution for Quarrels (4:5-12)

Here, James quotes from the OT. He may have Ps. 138:6 in mind: “For though the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the haughty He knows from afar.” Or, he may have Prov. 3:34 in mind: “Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.” Or, he may have the general tenure of OT Scripture in mind. Whatever the case, Scripture is clear that God opposes the proud. James uses this warning as the foundation for seven commands.

“Submit to God” (4:7). We must place ourselves under God. (1) We must submit ourselves to His providence (1:2-13). (2) We must submit ourselves to His will (2:8-13).

“Resist the devil” (4:7). (1) We must guard our hearts: “Do not give the devil an opportunity” (Eph. 4:27). He targets envy, malice, covetousness, bitterness, anger, etc. (2) We must take hold of Christ’s person by faith: “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Eph. 6:13). (3) We must take hold of God’s promises by faith: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20). (4) We must pray: “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Eph. 6:16).

“Draw near to God” (4:8). “If we saw God, and heaven, and hell before us, do you not think it would effectually reconcile our differences and heal our unbrotherly exasperations and divisions? Would it not hold the hands that itch to be using violence against those that are not in all things of their minds? What abundance of vain controversies would it reconcile! As the coming in of the master doth part the fray among the school boys; so the sight of God would frighten us from contentions or uncharitable violence” (Richard Baxter).

“Cleanse your hands” (4:8). In referring to “hands,” James is looking beyond the physical to the spiritual. Sin is a hindrance to prayer and fellowship. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Ps. 66:18).

“Be miserable and mourn and weep” (4:9). Carnal joy should be turned into mourning. Thomas Watson distinguishes between “carnal” and “spiritual” mourning. The latter bears three marks. (1) “We must mourn for sin as it is an act of hostility and enmity. Sin not only makes us unlike God, but contrary to God.” (2) “We must mourn for sin as it is a piece of the highest ingratitude. It is a kicking against the breasts of mercy.” (3) “We must mourn for sin as it is a privation; it keeps good things from us; it hinders our communion with God.”

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord” (4:10). The presence of God induces humility. When we compare ourselves to God’s natural excellence, we see our littleness. When we compare ourselves to God’s moral excellence, we see our sinfulness.

“Do not speak against one another” (4:11-12). By speaking against others, we sin. When we sin, we make ourselves superior to the law. When we make ourselves superior to the law, we invade God’s office.

Quotable: “[Pride] is a sin that sets itself most against him. Other sins are against God’s laws, this is against his being and sovereignty” (Thomas Manton).

Wisdom from Below

2010-09-30T11:24:00.001-04:00

In James 3:1-12, we learn that the tongue is destructive. In James 3:13-16, we learn why. Here, James describes false wisdom. It’s unable to bridle the tongue. It thinks it’s justified in criticizing others, maligning others, gossiping about others, or murmuring against others. It thinks it has reason to do so, because it thinks it’s in the right. But James tells us three things about this wisdom.

(1) The Origin of this Wisdom

It arises from “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition” (3:14). In a word, it arises from envy: “a disposition natural in men that they love to be uppermost; and this disposition is directly crossed, when they see others above them” (Jonathan Edwards). There are two important points in this definition. (1) The desire to be “uppermost” is a natural disposition. We all desire to be honored, esteemed, or admired. (2) Envy is experienced when our desire to be “uppermost” is crossed by others. That’s precisely what lurks behind murmuring, backbiting, gossiping, and maligning.

(2) The Nature of this Wisdom

It is “earthly,” “unspiritual,” and “demonic” (3:15).

(3) The Fruit of this Wisdom

It results in “disorder and every evil thing” (3:16). When our desire to be uppermost is crossed, envy rears its ugly head. If it isn’t mortified immediately, it will seek to destroy its object. Bitterness will take hold. Resentment will take hold. Malice will take hold. These things will fester. Eventually, it will strike out.

We see it in the case of Cain and Abel. God is pleased with Abel’s sacrifice. He isn’t pleased with Cain’s sacrifice. Cain’s desire to be uppermost is crossed. “Cain becomes very angry and his countenance falls” (Gen. 4:5). He envies Abel. His envy leads to “disorder and every evil thing.” He kills his brother with his own hands.

We see it in the case of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph has several dreams, depicting that fact that his brothers will bow down to him some day. Their desire to be uppermost is crossed. “They hate him even more for his dreams and for his words” (Gen. 37:8). They envy Joseph. Their envy leads to “disorder and every evil thing.” Most of them want to kill him. They settle for selling him into slavery.

We see it in the case of David and Saul. The women sing, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Saul can’t bear it. His desire to be uppermost is crossed. “Saul looks at David with suspicion from that day on” (1 Sam. 18:9). He envies David. His envy leads to “disorder and every evil thing.” He tries to kill David.

We see it in the case of Haman and Moredcai. The king honors Moredcai. Haman’s desire to be uppermost is crossed. “When Haman sees Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he doesn’t stand up or tremble before him, he’s filled with anger against Mordecai” (Est. 5:9). He envies Mordecai. His envy leads to “disorder and every evil thing.” He tries to kill Mordecai.

We see it in the case of Daniel and his colleagues. “Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.” Their desire to be uppermost is crossed. They envy Daniel. Their envy leads to “disorder and every evil thing.” “Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel” (Dan. 6:3-4). They try to kill him.

We see it in the case of Christ and the Jewish religious leaders. They don’t possess His authority. They can’t preach and teach like Him. They can’t challenge His wisdom. Their desire to be uppermost is crossed. They envy Christ. Their envy leads to “disorder and every evil thing.” “For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over” (Matt. 27:18).

Envy always spawns murderous intent. Why? Envy causes the individual to hate whatever has crossed his desire to be uppermost. And this murderous intent is almost always expressed through the tongue. That’s how many friendships are destroyed. That’s how many families are destroyed. That’s how many churches are destroyed.

In the context of the church, it’s particularly sinister. Why? Envy hides itself behind a cloak of piety; or, it hides itself behind a mask of zeal. Gossiping, maligning, backbiting, criticizing, and murmuring – all under the banner of Christ! People think they’re justified in doing so. They think they’re in the right. They think they’re being zealous for the Lord. They think they’re defending the faith. Pull back the curtains, and what do we discover far too often to be the case? There are other motives lurking out of sight: “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.”

Quotable: “It is easy to take on a pretence of religion, and to baptize envious contests with a glorious name” (Thomas Manton).

Taming the Tongue

2010-09-23T10:23:00.000-04:00

James begins chapter 3 with a solemn warning, directed at teachers. We’ll be judged with greater strictness (3:1). Why? The position of teacher is extremely influential. And so, we must guard ourselves against speaking careless words. Now, this leads James into a discourse concerning the tongue, which applies to all believers. In 3:3-12, he gives us four facts that are intended to help us control our speech

(1) The tongue is powerful (3:3-5)

We direct a horse with a small bit, and we direct a ship with a small rudder. In other words, small things guide big things. “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things” (3:5). It’s powerful. It can inspire, comfort, instruct, appease, encourage, and correct. Without the tongue, the mother can’t sing lullabies to her children. Without the tongue, the teacher can’t instruct his students. Without the tongue, the lieutenant can’t direct his soldiers. Without the tongue, the lawyer can’t defend his client. Without the tongue, the preacher can’t proclaim the gospel.

(2) The tongue is dangerous (3:5-6)

“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire” (3:5). This summer, there were numerous forest fires across North America. Hectares of trees were lost. All kinds of wildlife were killed. Homes were destroyed. Human life was lost. How do fires start? It may be a broken piece of glass that creates a spark when it catches the sunlight. It may be a discarded cigarette. It may be a coal from a camp fire. Something so small, and seemingly insignificant, gives rise to fires that burn out of control for days, weeks, or even months. James says that the tongue is a fire (3:6). It’s a spark that “sets on fire the entire course of life” (3:6).

Deceit is a spark that creates a great blaze. While David is fleeing from Saul, he visits Ahimelech (the priest) in the city of Nob (1 Sam. 21:1). He tells Ahimilech that he’s on the king’s business. And so, Ahimelech gives him the consecrated bread and Goliath’s sword to assist him in his commission. Doeg, the Edomite, witnesses this exchange. He tells Saul: “Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for David, and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine” (1 Sam. 22:10). What was the result? Saul kills 85 priests, and destroys the city of Nob.

Harshness is a spark that creates a great blaze. Solomon dies. Rehoboam, assumes the throne. The Israelites present themselves before him. They ask him to lighten their load. He replies, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions” (1 Kgs. 12:14). His harshness costs him half the kingdom.

To these examples, we can add gossip, backbiting, malice, and a whole host of other sins. The tongue destroys reputations, friendships, families, ministries, and churches. The tongue creates a blaze that burns out of control.

(3) The tongue is uncontrollable (3:7-8)

Men are able to tame wild animals: elephants, dolphins, bears, etc. Yet, no man can tame his own tongue. Why? (1) It’s a “restless evil” (3:8). Animals are contained in cages, but nothing can contain the tongue. (2) It’s “full of deadly poison” (3:8). Like a snake, the tongue is full of venom.

It’s worth mentioning that this struggle often (not always) grows in intensity with age. “There is no age exempted; it is not only found in young men, that are of eager and fervorous spirits, but in those whom age and experience hath more matured and ripened. Other sins decay with age, this many times increases; and we grow more forward and pettish as natural strength decays… I say, when other sins lose their vigour, as being tamed and subdued by the infirmities of old age, we see the spirit grows more tart, nature being drawn down to the dregs, and the expressions more passionate” (Thomas Manton). With age, certain sins weaken. This one actually strengthens. Why? As the mind and body decay, we can easily become frustrated and impatient. We can become quick tempered. We can become annoyed. We become resistant to change. We become uncomfortable with change. We become intolerant of change. Many factors combine to increase our susceptibility to this sin.

(4) The tongue is inconsistent (3:9-12)

James says that we bless God and curse man with the tongue (3:9-10). We see this throughout Scripture. Peter serves as an example. (1) He praises Christ: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Then, he rebukes Christ: “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you” (Matt. 16:22). (2) He pledges loyalty to Christ: “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never all away” (Matt. 26:33). He denies Christ: “I do not know the man” (Matt. 26:72-74).

This shouldn’t be so. A fountain doesn’t produce fresh and bitter water (3:11). A fig tree doesn’t produce olives. A vine doesn’t produce figs (3:12). That which is impossible in nature is absurd in terms of human conduct. In other words, the sins of the tongue are inconsistent with true religion.

Application

We must guard our speech: “I will guard my mouth with a muzzle” (Ps. 39:1). Muzzles would go a long way to alleviating many of the problems among Christians. “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding” (Prov. 17:27).

We must use our tongue to glorify God: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29).

We must actively seek to talk less: “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Prov. 10:19).

We must pray: “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Ps. 141:3).

Quotable: “Even if we can’t tame the tongue, we can be everlastingly grateful that God can. By the power of the Spirit, He can make the sharp tongue gracious and the gossiping tongue edifying” (William MacDonald).

Worthless Religion

2010-09-10T09:36:00.002-04:00

Our religion, says James, must be pure and undefiled (1:27). By religion, he means piety or spirituality – what we do with what we believe. By pure, he means true, sincere, or genuine. By undefiled, he means without moral hypocrisy. Our religion is pure and undefiled, when we practice it before God. According to James, this involves two things.

First, it involves visiting orphans and widows in their distress. (1) To visit: this includes all acts of charity. (2) Orphans and widows: this includes those who are destitute of family support and assistance. Why does James specifically mention orphans and widows? Perhaps the answer is found in Ps. 68:5, “A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in his holy habitation.” “They who are truly religious have such a deep sense of God’s mercy to them that they are changed into the divine nature, that they cannot but pity the miserable and afflicted” (Thomas Manton).

Second, it involves keeping ourselves unstained by the world. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4).

Prior to his exhortation concerning pure and undefiled religion, James warns, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (1:26). Why does he emphasize the tongue? “The mouth speaks out of what fills the heart” (Matt. 12:34). I recently read a magazine article, in which the author attempted to explain the recent wave of verbal outbursts among celebrities. One comedian was taped, verbally abusing ethnic minorities. One producer was taped, verbally abusing Jews. One actor was taped, verbally abusing his daughter. When caught, their explanation was the same: “I’m not really like that.” Yes, they are! “The mouth speaks out of what fills the heart.” That’s why James gives a considerable amount of attention to “speech” in his epistle.

Our speech mustn’t be hasty (1:19-20). We often speak without thinking. We’re frustrated, offended, or annoyed. And so, we lash out with our words. Some people become cynical. Others become sarcastic or vindictive or abusive. To make matters worse, we attempt to justify ourselves. We blame our circumstances; or, we blame other people. But a Christian bridles his tongue. He thinks before he speaks. He considers how his words will impact others. He weighs the consequences of his words.

Our speech mustn’t be biased (2:12-13). Here, James is talking about showing partiality – showing deference to the rich over the poor. He’s saying that we should treat all people equally. That’s particularly true of the way we talk to people. The test of a man isn’t how he talks to equals or superiors in public, but how he talks to his wife and children in private. A Christian bridles his tongue. He isn’t sweet in public and bitter in private. He isn’t respectful to superiors and condescending to inferiors. He speaks without partiality.

Our speech mustn’t be uncontrolled (3:8-10). We’ve lost control of our tongue when we use it to spread lies, innuendos, and rumors. We’ve lost control of our tongue when it’s characterized by anger, malice, sarcasm, and bitterness. A Christian controls his tongue. “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Col. 4:6).

Our speech mustn’t be judgmental (4:11). (1) We’re judgmental when we’re uninformed. We think we’re in the know, but we aren’t. Based on what we think, we pass judgment. (2) We’re judgmental when we’re hypocritical. We turn a blind eye to our own sins and failures, while focusing upon those of others. A Christian reserves his opinion until he’s informed and until he’s beyond reproach.

Our speech mustn’t be bitter (5:9). We become annoyed when something happens that we don’t like. If we don’t deal with that emotion, we succumb to bitterness. Bitterness always strives for vent. More often than not, we vent our bitterness by complaining. A complaining spirit is easy to identify, because it’s irrational. But a Christian weighs the motive behind his words. He avoids pettiness. He avoids murmuring and grumbling.

Our speech mustn’t be deceitful (5:12). There are many ways of lying. We can say something that isn’t true. We can misconstrue or misrepresent something. We can neglect to say what we do know is true. But a Christian tells the truth.

Quotable: “We know metals by their tinkling, and men by their talking” (Thomas Brooks).

Hearing and Obeying God's Word

2010-09-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

(1) If we appreciate God’s Word, we’ll be quick hearers

In 1:19-20, James says that our approach to God’s Word should bear three marks. (1) We should be quick to hear. We should readily submit to God’s Word. (2) We should be slow to speak. We shouldn’t censure what we hear from God’s Word. By nature, we’re opinionated. That isn’t a problem per se. The problem is that we give our opinion whether we’re in the know or not. (3) We should be slow to anger. We shouldn’t resent what we hear from God’s Word. By nature, we’re self-righteous. We deeply resent being told that our way of thinking or behaving is wrong. For that reason, James adds, “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires” (1:20). In other words, hostility to God’s Word is counter-productive.

In 1:21, James makes his point in a slightly different way. Here, he says we’re to receive God’s Word. How?

First, we must receive it by laying aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness. Similarly, Peter says, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation” (1 Pet. 2:1-2). In other words, we must lay aside whatever disrupts our capacity to hear God’s Word. Far too many people are incapable of receiving God’s Word, because they’ve been rendered spirituality obtuse by their familiarity with the world.

Second, we must receive it in humility. To do so requires two things. (1) We must rid ourselves of a stubborn spirit. Are we prepared to submit ourselves to something we don’t like? Are we prepared to be rebuked, corrected, admonished, and reproved? Are we prepared to confess our sin? Are we prepared to change our ways? (2) We must rid ourselves of a contentious spirit. Are we prepared to submit ourselves to something we don’t understand? Are we prepared to be instructed and indoctrinated? Are we prepared to confess our ignorance? Are we prepared to change our opinion?

Third, we must receive it into our hearts: “implanted.” We’ve only received God’s Word when it has become a part of us. “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jer. 15:16).

That’s how we’re to receive God’s Word. Why are we to receive it? James affirms that God’s Word “is able to save your souls” (1:21). What does he mean? For starters, we need to remember that there’s salvation from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and the presence of sin. James is clearly writing to Christians (1:2, 16; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1; 5:7, 12, 19). Therefore, he can’t be referring to salvation from the penalty of sin. Given the audience and the context, he must be referring to salvation from the power of sin: sanctification. In other words, we’re saved from the power of sin by receiving the word implanted. As the Psalmist declares, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11).

(2) If we appreciate God’s Word, we’ll be effectual doers

Many people think they’re hearing God’s Word when in actual fact they aren’t. Why? Their motivation is wrong. Some people listen, so that they can argue about what they hear. Some people listen, so that they can boast about what they hear. Some people listen, hoping to be entertained. Some people listen, hoping to satisfy their curiosity. Some people listen, hoping to appease their conscience. The only acceptable motive for listening to God’s Word is a desire to obey.

James stresses the importance of listening by contrasting two men.

First, there’s the forgetful hearer. He looks casually at God’s Word (1:23-24). He’s like a man, who sees himself in a mirror, but forgets what he looks like the moment he turns away. Saul was like that. He chased David in the wilderness. David confronted him with his sin. Saul declared, “You are more righteous than I” (1 Sam. 24:17). Again, Saul chased David in the wilderness. David confronted him with his sin. Saul declared, “I have sinned” (1 Sam. 26:21). He saw himself in the mirror, but forgot what he saw the moment he turned away.

Second, there’s the effectual doer. He looks intently at God’s Word (1:25). He abides by it. James says that this man is blessed. That’s reminiscent of God’s words to Joshua: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Josh. 1:8).

Quotable: “Some desire to know merely for the sake of knowing, and that is shameful curiosity. Some desire to know that they may sell their knowledge, and that too is shameful. Some desire to know for reputation’s sake, and that is shameful vanity. But there are some who desire to know that they may edify others, and that is praiseworthy; and there are some who desire to know that they themselves may be edified, and that is wise” (Bernard).

The Word of Truth

2010-08-24T16:39:00.002-04:00

“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (Jas. 1:18). Here, we have a description of the new birth.

(1) The Cause: “of His own will”

This means that the new birth excludes compulsion on God’s part and merit on man’s part. God “brought us forth” for one reason: it pleased Him to do so. We see the truth of that in Paul’s conversion experience. As he traveled to Damascus, God singled him out. Paul says, “Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me” (Acts 22:9). That’s God’s sovereign grace: the efficient cause of regeneration.

(2) The Means: “by the word of truth”

Through the Bible, the Holy Spirit illuminates our minds, thereby softening our hearts, thereby liberating our wills, so that we receive Christ by faith. Peter says, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23).

(3) The Purpose: “that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures” (1:18)

In the OT, the first fruits of the harvest were set apart to God. Similarly, God regenerated us to set us apart to Himself. In a word, we have become a “people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Ti. 2:14). The new birth is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby He renews the sinner in God’s image by God’s Word for God’s glory. That’s why God created us in the first place. All creation declares God’s glory. In the new creation, this original purpose is restored. We glorify God by admiring Him: “But you, O LORD, are on high forever” (Ps. 92:8). We glorify God by praising Him: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name” (Ps. 29:2). We glorify God by enjoying Him: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” (Ps. 73:25).

Quotable: “Men and angels may call long enough to the blind to see, and the dead to live, and all in vain. But if God says to a sinner that lies rotting in the grave, almost eaten up of the vermin of lusts, unsavoury, and stinking in the eyes of all men, sinner, come forth from your cursed carnal condition; the man that was bound hand and foot, fettered by the devil, his jailer, comes forth, is loosed of his bonds, and lives forever” (George Swinnock).

Discerning Satan's Strategy

2010-08-16T18:03:00.003-04:00

What’s the difference between a good chess player and a bad chess player? Without question, the ability to think ahead is important. But the ability to discern your opponent’s strategy is even more important. If you can figure out what your opponent is doing, then you can anticipate his every move. The same holds true in war. The greatest military geniuses throughout the centuries have been those who’ve been able to figure out their enemy’s strategy. As a result, they’ve been able to anticipate their enemy’s every move. Why do I mention that? Well, the same holds true in spiritual warfare. If we want victory over sin, then we must seek to discern our enemy’s strategy. That isn’t easy. Why? Satan is subtle. His strategy is oftentimes difficult to discern. In this post, I want to take some time to consider some of his more subtle strategies.

“We are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11).

He tempts us where we’re weakest. He’s like the Amalekites, who attacked the Israelites. “He attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you” (Deut. 25:18). He knows our weaknesses. He tempts the ambitious man with power, the passionate man with beauty, the covetous man with wealth, the proud man with praise.

He tempts us when we’re weakest. David was a passionate man. As long as he was engaged in God’s work, his passions were controlled. The moment he succumbed to idleness, he was an easy target. He became unsettled and frustrated. His passions flared. And we know the rest of the story. What makes you a sitting duck? It may be idleness, carelessness, or weariness.

He tempts us by degrees. Satan will never appear to you in all his vileness. Why? He doesn’t want to shock you. He wants you to think you’re safe. And so, he tempts by degrees. He didn’t immediately tempt David to commit adultery. If he had, David would have been alarmed. Instead, he came at David by degrees. He tempted him to idleness: he shouldn’t have been at home, while his army was at war. Then, he tempted him to carelessness: he shouldn’t have been wandering around the rooftop. Then, he tempted him to lust: he shouldn’t have stared at Bathsheba. Then, he tempted him to adultery. By that time, David was spiraling out of control. Satan tempts by degrees, so that it’s almost imperceptible on our part.

He tempts us with what we least suspect. Job loses all that he has. He loses his children. He loses his livestock. He loses his health. These were temptations. Yet Job experienced his greatest temptation when his wife said to him: “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). At times, the very things we least suspect become the greatest means of temptation.

He tempts us to doubt and despair. How? He tempts us to take our eyes off of Christ. Joshua stands before God. Satan stands at Joshua’s right hand, accusing him. God rebukes Satan: “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Then, He declares, “Remove the filthy garments from him… Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments” (Zech. 3:4). God doesn’t accept Joshua on the basis of an inherent righteousness, but on the basis of an imputed righteousness. That’s true of us.

He tempts us when we’re melancholy. I’m not talking about clinical depression. I’m talking about seasons of melancholy. There are many factors that produce these. It may be diet, weather, or any number of factors. My point is this: melancholy gives Satan an advantage. Thomas Watson explains why. (1) It renders us unfit for spiritual duties. We fail to derive any benefit from them. (2) It makes us side with Satan in concluding that God doesn’t love us. (3) It breeds discontentment. This leads to impatience, ingratitude, or bitterness. If you struggle with melancholy, it renders you vulnerable to temptation. You must live in the world of the objective, not the subjective.

He tempts us to ignore our sin in the name of zeal. God commissioned Jehu to “strike down the house of Ahab… to avenge the blood of My servants the prophets” (2 Kgs. 9:7). Jehu did. He killed Ahab’s son, Joram, who had become king in his place. He killed Ahab’s wife, Jezebel. He killed Ahab’s 70 remaining sons. He killed all the prophets and worshippers of Baal. However, he also killed Ahaziah, king of Judah. And he killed 42 of his relatives. He declared to one of his colleagues, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD” (10:16). Yet, we read this concerning Jehu: “He was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin” (10:31). Jehu deceived himself with his “zeal for the LORD.” Satan will tempt us to do the same. How’s it possible for a biblical scholar to have an affair with his typist while concluding his NT commentary? How’s it possible for a leader of a major evangelical organization to be involved in homosexual activity while championing the evangelical cause? How’s it possible for a missionary to serve in a difficult foreign field while abusing young boys? How’s it possible for a man to be a great evangelist while neglecting his family? It’s possible because Satan tempts us to ignore sin in the name of zeal. Our “business in the Lord’s work” becomes a pretense for refusing to deal with sin. We see it all the time today because we’re concerned with success over character, image over substance, and appearance over truth.

He tempts us with things that are good in themselves. They become snares because we abuse them. We see it in the case of Solomon. God bestowed prosperity upon him. It rendered him careless. Before long, he was marrying every woman in sight. Before long, he was building a shrine for every god in sight. Luxury ruined him. The closer we are to the things of this world, the more difficult it is to let them go. “[Satan’s] policy is to tickle [us] to death” (T. Watson).

He tempts us by maligning holiness. He tells us that the zealous are arrogant, the humble are cowardly, the heavenly are foolish, the orthodox are unbalanced, and the godly are weird. We don’t want to be viewed as different.

He tempts us by pleading necessity. He tells Christ to turn stones into bread (Matt. 4:3). What could possibly be wrong with Christ satisfying His hunger by commanding the stones to become bread? The devil takes the same approach with us. He tells us we have needs. He tells us that the most important thing is meeting these needs. He tells us that the end justifies the means.

He tempts us to presumption. Samson sinned and repented so many times that he began to presume upon God’s grace. After Delilah cuts his hair while he lies in a drunken state, she awakens him: “The Philistines are upon you, Samson.” He rises and says, “‘I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the LORD had left him” (Jgs. 16:20).

Quotable: “Knowledge increased without answerable practice is a contaminant” (John Owen).

Mortifying Desires

2010-08-11T13:12:00.002-04:00

James declares, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (1:14). We make choices according to what we desire. Our desires are determined by two appetites. (1) Sensitive: what the senses determine to be good. (2) Rational: what the mind determines to be good.

In innocence, the soul is directed by a true self-love. It loves happiness. With its rational appetite, it views God as the greatest good. It loves God and, therefore, its affections are well-directed. In this state, the soul’s sensitive appetite follows the lead of its rational appetite, meaning its love for the creature is moderated by its love for God.

In apostasy, the soul is directed by a false self-love. It still loves happiness. However, its rational appetite no longer views God as the greatest good. It no longer loves God and, therefore, its affections are ill-directed. In this state, the soul’s sensitive appetite no longer follows the lead of its rational appetite, meaning its love for the creature is no longer moderated by its love for God. Thus, we live “in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind” (Eph. 2:3).

- An individual struggles with anger. It’s destructive, abusive, offensive, and repulsive. It renders the person out of control. It has detrimental consequences in the lives of others, culminating in verbal, psychological, and physical abuse. He knows it, but the flesh deems its gratification to be the greatest good.

- An individual struggles with pornography. It’s degrading to people, dishonouring to God, destructive to sexuality, detrimental to marriage, and so on. He knows it, but the flesh deems its gratification to be the greatest good.

- An individual struggles with the abuse of food or alcohol. It’s destructive. Its consequences are physical and psychological. It impacts family and friends. It brings shame. He knows it, but the flesh deems its gratification to the greatest good.

In renewal, true self-love is restored – at least, in part. This means the affections are caught between the sensitive and rational appetites. According to James, this desire is the source of temptation. It does one of two things. (1) It “lures.” It does this by force. It vexes the soul until the desire is satisfied. We become like an addict, looking for a fix. (2) It “entices.” It does so by flattery. It promises pleasure. It promises joy.

How do we deal with the desire that gives birth to sin?

(1) Study diligently

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word… I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:9-11). The Holy Spirit works through the Word, impressing it upon our minds and hearts.

(2) Pray continually

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13). It has been said that “no-one can expect to live in holiness without wearing out his knees in prayer.” (1) When we pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” we’re asking God to keep us from solicitation to sin. I’m vulnerable to alcohol like Noah, so keep me from strong drink (Gen. 9). I’m vulnerable to lust like David, so keep me from Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11). I’m vulnerable to pride like Ananias and Sapphira, so keep me from man’s applause (Acts 5). I’m vulnerable to greed like Demas, so keep me from riches (2 Tim. 4:10). I’m vulnerable to corruption like Diotrephes, so keep me from power (3 Jn. 1:9). (2) When we do fall into temptation, we pray, “Deliver us from evil.” We pray for deliverance from the evil of the flesh, world, and devil. We pray that God will give us the grace to resist temptation.

(3) Fellowship frequently

“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24-25). We need accountability. We need encouragement. We need exhortation.

(4) Work unceasingly

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Rom. 12:11). Do you remember David’s sin with Bathsheba? He should have been on the frontline with the army. He was at home. Given David’s passionate nature, he needed to be expending energy. He wasn’t. And so, he was a lame, sitting duck. Inactivity is a breeding ground for lust.

(5) Think responsibly

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Pr. 4:23). “You are not what you think you are. But what you think – you are!” (A. P. Gibbs). “The control of the thought life is one of the most important disciplines that a Christian faces. The ways in which he uses his mind will inevitably determine the direction of his life and the bent of his character” (William MacDonald).

(6) Live mortally

“You also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). The term dead means lifelessness. We must consider ourselves lifeless, when it comes to sin. We aren’t lifeless. We’re still very much alive to sin. However, the Holy Spirit unites us to Christ. Therefore, there’s a new governing principle, which has broken the dominion of sin. “One day Augustine was accosted by a woman who had been his mistress before his conversion. When he turned and walked away quickly, she called after him: ‘Augustine, it’s me, it’s me!’ Quickening his pace, he called back over his shoulder: ‘Yes, I know, but it’s no longer me’” (Unknown).

(7) Confess meaningfully

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). “Confession is an act of mortification; it is as it were the vomit of the soul” (Thomas Manton). It must be specific and sincere.

Quotable: “They who are truly converted are new men, new creatures; new, not only within, but without; they are sanctified throughout, in spirit, soul and body; old things are passed away, all things are become new; they have new hearts, new eyes, new ears, new tongues, new hands, new feet; i.e., a new conversation and practice; they walk in newness of life, and continue to do so to the end of life” (Jonathan Edwards).

True Wisdom

2010-08-05T12:10:00.001-04:00

Christ declares that the wise man “is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock” (Lk. 6:38, KJV). William Perkins sees “three parts” of true wisdom in this declaration.

First, true wisdom consists of digging deep. “He that would make sure his own salvation,” writes Perkins, “must come to a deep search and examination of his own corrupt heart, that he may know the iniquity thereof.” We must see the sinfulness of our sin. Why? Without a “ransacking of the heart,” it’s impossible to lay a good foundation. In other words, it’s impossible to trust in Christ alone for salvation until we’re convinced of our need for Christ alone.

Second, true wisdom consists of choosing a rock. Expectedly, this rock is Christ (Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20-21; and 1 Pet. 2:5). Perkins makes it clear that our works of righteousness can’t provide any protection against God’s wrath. In short, they have “no part of this foundation.” The wise man, therefore, looks away from himself to Christ – the Rock.

Third, true wisdom consists of laying a foundation. Perkins explains, “Our souls and our salvation must be builded on Christ. This is done by our faith in Christ: for as mutual love joins one man unto another, so true faith makes us one with Christ (Eph. 3:17).” This union is the direct result of Christ’s taking hold of us by His Spirit, and our taking hold of Christ by our faith.

Concerning this wise man, Christ declares, “And the rain descended, and floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matt. 7:25, KJV). In other words, the wise man’s profession of faith withstands God’s scrutiny, because it’s founded upon a saving knowledge of Christ. Perkins comments, “He which once hath true faith in Christ rooted in the heart, shall never lose the same either wholly or finally, but shall continue therein unto the end, and shall enjoy the fruit thereof forever.”

Quotable: “We may do well to remember what became of the house that was built on the sand, when its trial came: it fell, and its fall was great and irreparable. Such will be the end of the profession of men that doth not spring and arise from union with Christ” (John Owen).

Rejoicing in Trials

2010-07-22T13:57:00.003-04:00

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2).

- Count it all joy. This refers to a process of reasoning by which we arrive at a conclusion.

- When you meet. This refers to something that takes us by surprise. We’re helpless to avoid or prevent it.

- Trials of various kinds. Trials come in many different shapes and sizes.

Can I say with the Psalmist, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes” (Ps. 119:71)? We sin when trials tarnish (instead of produce) the image of Christ in us. In the midst of trials, “there are no sins God’s people are more subject to than unbelief and impatience” (Thomas Watson).

- It’s an ungrateful sin. When we manifest unbelief and impatience under trial, we’ve lost sight of what God has done in our lives. It’s an expression of ingratitude.

- It’s an irrational sin. When we manifest unbelief and impatience under trial, we’ve lost sight of how God works. And we’ve lost sight of what God promises.

- It’s an aggravating sin. When we manifest unbelief and impatience under trial, we’ve made ourselves vulnerable to all sorts of sins. Impatience always fosters bitterness, anger, discouragement, rashness, harshness, etc.

“See you a Christian quiet and calm under provocations? It is very likely his soul feeds upon such sweetness in God as he is unwilling to leave. And on the other side, see you a Christian turbulent and clamorous; doubtless, all is not well within; his spirit is like a bone out of joint, which cannot move without pain and trouble” (John Flavel).

How can we count it all joy when we fall into trials? James gives three solid answers.

(1) God’s Purpose (1:3-4)

Our ability to count it all joy when we meet trials depends upon our knowledge of God’s purpose. These “trials of various kinds” are designed to test our faith (1:3). This testing produces “steadfastness” (1:3). This “steadfastness” makes us “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” In short, God has a specific design in trials. (1) “God’s aim in your affliction is not destruction, but trial; as gold is put into the furnace to be refined, not consumed.” (2) “You are not in the furnace by chance, or at the will of your enemies; the time is appointed, set by God.” (3) “God sits by the furnace… looking after his metal.” (4) “This trial is not only to approve, but to improve; we are tried as gold, refined when tried” (Thomas Manton).

(2) God’s Provision (1:5-10)

We’re incapable of counting it all joy when we experience trials. We can be stoic or stubborn. But that isn’t what James is talking about. He says we’re to rejoice in trials. We need help to do that. And so, he adds, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him” (1:5). James uses two expressions to describe God’s response to our request for wisdom.

- God gives generously (1:5). James wants us to understand that this is easy for God. He will answer in abundance. God is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).

- God gives without reproach (1:5). Our giving and receiving has limits. But that isn’t the way God functions. His generosity is inexhaustible. We can’t weary Him by our asking. As a matter of fact, we don’t ask for nearly enough.

James makes one qualification to our asking: “Let him ask in faith, with no doubting” (1:6). God won’t give wisdom to a “double-minded man” (1:8). This is a man, who’s always fluctuating between two opinions – literally, a man of two souls. One day, he thinks God is able. The next day, he isn’t so certain. “That person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (1:7). There must be steady confidence in God.

James gives two illustrations of such wisdom. (1) There’s a “lowly brother” (1:9). He suffers adversity, yet he “boasts in his exaltation.” That’s wisdom. (2) There’s a “rich man” (1:10). He enjoys prosperity, yet he boasts “in his humiliation.” That’s wisdom. Neither man defines his joy according to his circumstances – prosperity or adversity – but according to God’s purpose.

(3) God’s Promise (1:12)

Those who persevere under trial are blessed. Why? They receive the crown of life. See Rom. 5:3; Col. 3:4.

- We’ll be from the evil of sin. At present, God is sanctifying us by His Spirit. This will be complete when we see Him. All our thoughts, emotions, and actions will be governed by His perfect will.

- We’ll be free from the evil of suffering. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore” (Rev. 21:4).

- We’ll enjoy perfect communion with God. Christ says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). God will impart Himself to us according to the fullest capacity of our souls. In so doing, He will become to us “fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11).

James adds an interesting phrase to this promise, stating that God has promised this crown to “those who love Him.” That’s important for two reasons. (1) It reminds us that remaining “steadfast under trial” is worth the reward. (2) It reminds us that remaining “steadfast under trial” is only acceptable when it’s motivated by love. “If I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3).

Quotable: “If ever I am to suffer rightly, I must learn… to live upon God who is invisible” (John Bunyan).

In My Place Condemned He Stood

2010-06-30T10:13:00.002-04:00

In My Place Condemned He Stood is an important work, given the rise of what Packer and Dever call “anti-redemptionism” – “its essence is sidelining, and in some cases actually denying, the work of Jesus Christ as our redeemer, who did all that had to be done to save us from hell, in favor of the idea of Jesus as teacher, model, and pioneer of godliness” (p. 18).

Believing that “the best defense of any doctrine is the creative exposition of it” (p. 19), Packer and Dever offer four essays on Christ’s penal-substitutionary sacrifice: “The Heart of the Gospel” (Packer), “The Logic of Penal Substitution” (Packer), “Nothing but the Blood” (Dever), and “Saved by His Precious Blood” (Packer).

These are a worthwhile read for anyone interested in understanding the unorthodox notions of Christ’s atonement and, more importantly, for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of what Christ accomplished at the cross.

Paul clearly affirms that we are “justified by [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom. 3:24-25). The term “propitiation” is hilasterion. In Heb. 9:5, hilasterion is translated “mercy seat” – kipporeth in the OT. The mercy seat formed the lid of the ark of the covenant, which contained the tables of the law, the rod of Aaron, and the pot of manna. At either end of the mercy seat, there was a cherub with its wings out-stretched. It was to this mercy seat that the high priest came once a year on the Day of Atonement – one of Israel’s seven annual feasts.

On that special day, the high priest bathed himself in water, and put on the holy linen garments. He took a fire-pan of coals, from the brass altar, and two handfuls of sweet incense into the most holy place. He put the incense on the fire-pan, so that the cloud covered the ark. He also brought a bull as a sin offering for himself and his household. Having killed the bull, he took some of its blood, and entered the most holy place, where he sprinkled the blood on top of the mercy seat and in front of the ark – seven times. The reason for the high priest’s sin offering was to make atonement for himself and his household. He was a sinner. Consequently, he had to be cleansed from his sin, before he could act as a mediator between God and the nation of Israel. He then brought two male goats as a sin offering for the nation. He presented them before God at the door of the tabernacle. He cast lots for the two goats. The goat upon which God’s lot fell was killed. The other goat was set aside as the scapegoat. The high priest took the blood, from the dead goat, into the most holy place, where he sprinkled it on top of the mercy seat and in front of the ark – seven times. Having done so, he laid his hands on the scapegoat and confessed the sins of the nation. Then, he sent it away into the wilderness (i.e., outside the camp).

All of that elaborate ritual points to Christ. When He shed His blood, He paid the penalty for the believer’s sin. As a result, God’s righteousness was fully satisfied by Christ’s sacrifice under divine judgment righteously due to sinners. This is what it means to atone: to satisfy God’s justice, thereby appeasing His wrath and securing His mercy.

According to John Owen, atonement consists of four essential components. (1) There’s an offence that must be taken away: sin. (2) There’s an offended person, who needs to be pacified: God. (3) There’s an offending person, who is guilty of the offence: man. (4) There’s a sacrifice by which atonement must be made for the offence: Christ.

Through Christ’s atoning work, God redeems His people. On the basis of Christ’s redeeming work, God justifies His people. These three are inseparable - the very foundation of the gospel.

Quotable: “Atonement means making amends, blotting out the offense, and giving satisfaction for wrong done; thus reconciling to oneself the alienated other and restoring the disrupted relationship” (J. I. Packer).

Counterfeit Gods

2010-06-21T14:31:00.005-04:00

Timothy Keller asks, “What is an idol?” It’s a crucial question, especially given the fact that the essence of the Christian faith is to turn from idols to serve the true and living God. Keller answers, “It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give” (p. xvii).

In Counterfeit Gods, Keller proceeds to describes five common idols: happiness, love, money, success, and power (chapters 1-5). He demonstrates each by turning to a character from Scripture: Abraham, Jacob, Zaccheus, Naaman, and Nebuchadnezzar. He also explains how Christ alone is the answer to each of these idols.

Turning from personal idols, Keller gives some attention to cultural and religious idols (chapter 6). By the first, he means self-love. By the second, he means right doctrine, spiritual gifts, and moral living – things that are all good in themselves, yet things that can easily turn into idols.

Having unmasked these idols, Keller explains how we must deal with them (chapter 7). He writes, “Idols cannot simply be removed. They must be replaced. If you only try to uproot them, they grow back; but they can be supplanted” (p. 155). How? He answers, “What we need is a living encounter with God” (p. 155). In other words, we need to love God more. As we do, we grow in our appreciation of His all-sufficiency. Our hearts become increasingly enraptured with Him.

In my opinion, the best part of the book is the Epilogue. It’s penetrating and challenging. Here, Keller calls on his readers to “discern the counterfeit gods that influence them” (p. 165). How? He provides four tests. (1) We must look at our thoughts: “What do you enjoy daydreaming about? What occupies your mind when you have nothing else to think about?” (p. 168). These thoughts show us what we truly value. (2) We must look at our expenses: “Your money flows most effortlessly toward your heart’s greatest love” (p. 168). Simply put, we spend our money on what we want. That means our cheque-books and credit-card statements provide incontestable evidence of what’s most important to us. (3) We must look at our reactions: “What are you really living for, what is your real – not your professed – god? A good way to discern this is how you respond to unanswered prayers and frustrated hopes” (p. 169). When things don’t go our way, how do we respond? Anger? Impatience? Despair? Bitterness? These “reactions” declare that something is seriously wrong with our estimation of things. (4) We must look at our emotions: “Look for your idols at the bottom of your most painful emotions, especially those that never seem to life and that drive you to do things you know are wrong” (p. 169). Misplaced fear, guilt, etc. indicate that we’re being controlled by something other than God.

Again, once we’ve identified our idols, we must replace them with something (someone) greater. Keller warns, “If you uproot the idol and fail to ‘plant’ the love of Christ in its place, the idol will grow back” (p. 172).

All in all, an excellent read – highly recommended!

Quotable: “If I may speak my own experience, I find that to keep my eye simply on Christ, as my peace and my life, is by far the hardest part of my calling” (John Newton).

Natural Law

2010-06-14T20:18:00.001-04:00

The following is a CNN news headline, from last week: Seven Convicted Over 1995 Srebrenica Massacre. The article reads: “More than 7,000 Muslim men and boys were killed in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1995 when ethnic Serb troops overran a U.N. safe area. The five-day slaughter was the worst European massacre since W.W.II., and was described by the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal as ‘the triumph of evil.’”

The last phrase really caught my attention. On what basis does the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal call this atrocity “the triumph of evil?”

In the West, there are two kinds of law. (1) Moral (or natural) law; it’s established by God. (2) Civil (or positive) law; it’s established by human government. Historically speaking, the first has determined the second. In other words, civil law has found its authority in moral law.

Today, we’re witnessing a climactic shift in our understanding of these two kinds of law. Because of the advent of Darwinism, belief in God has been relegated to the sidelines of the public arena. As a result, belief in absolute truth has dwindled. As a result, belief in moral (or natural) law has declined. For many people, the only law that exists is civil law. The government (not God) decides what’s legal and illegal. And so, in many colleges, for example, students learn that laws, values, and ethics are merely the product of individuals and societies.

That view has four obvious consequences. (1) It necessarily means that law is arbitrary. If there’s no moral law, then human governments are left to themselves to determine civil law. Moreover, there’s no standard by which to judge human governments. (2) It necessarily means that law is variable. In other words, it can vary from country to country. What’s illegal in one country may not necessarily be illegal in another country. It all depends on what a particular government decides. (3) It necessarily means that an act is only illegal if it violates civil law. If there’s no such thing as moral law, then an act can only be described as illegal, immoral, or evil, when it violates civil law. (4) It necessarily means that the citizens of one country cannot denounce the actions of the citizens of another country as long as they’re obeying their country’s civil law.

Now, return with me to the CNN article. If there’s no such thing as moral (or natural) law, then how does the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal describe the Serbs’ actions as “the triumph of evil?” After all, these soldiers were simply following their government’s civil (or positive) law. The only way to condemn their actions as evil is to affirm that they violated a moral law that transcends civil law. Therefore, to refer to these events as “the triumph of evil” is to declare (perhaps unwittingly) that moral law does indeed exist.

We can make the same argument when it comes to Nazism. According to Hitler’s Mein Kampf, “The stronger must dominate and not mate with the weaker.” This thinking was the logical product of Darwinism: the survival of the fittest. The Nazis rejected the existence of moral (or natural) law. They only believed in civil law. In committing genocide, they acted in a manner consistent with their country’s civil law. Incidentally, that was their defense at the Nuremberg trials. On what basis do we call their actions evil? If there’s no such thing as moral law, how do we sit in judgment?

When people describe something as evil, they confirm that there is such a thing as moral (or natural) law. “They show [whether they acknowledge it or not] the work of the Law written in their hearts” (Rom. 2:15).

Quotable: “If the solar system was brought about by an accidental collision, then the appearance of organic life on this planet was also an accident, and the whole evolution of man was an accident too. If so, then all our present thoughts are mere accidents – the accidental by-product of the movement of atoms. And this holds for the thoughts of the materialists and astronomers as well as for anyone else’s. But if their thoughts (i.e., of materialism and astronomy) are merely accidental by-products, why should we believe them to be true? I see no reason for believing that one accident should be able to give me a correct account of all the other accidents. It’s like expecting that the accidental shape taken by the splash when you upset a milk jug should give you a correct account of how the jug was made and why it was upset” (C. S. Lewis).

Feeding on Christ

2010-06-10T09:35:00.000-04:00

In their struggle against the Roman Church, the Reformers opposed (among other things) the doctrine of the Mass. They did so, on two accounts. First, they rejected the notion that Christ transubstantiated the bread and wine, at the Last Supper. The bread and wine, therefore, do not become Christ’s body and blood at the Mass. Second, they rejected the notion that Christ offered Himself to the Father, at the Last Supper. The Mass, therefore, is not a repetition of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary’s cross.

While the Reformers agreed in tearing down the doctrine of the Mass, they strongly disagreed in terms of what should be constructed in its place. They were far from unified in their understanding of the precise relationship between Christ and the elements.

(1) Martin Luther

In Germany, Martin Luther maintained that Christ is physically present in the bread and wine, declaring, “I have at last found rest for my conscience… it is real bread and real wine, in which Christ’s real flesh and real blood are present in no other way and to no less a degree than the others assert them to be under their accidents.” In short, Luther believed that Christ’s body and blood are present simultaneously – everywhere that people partake of the Lord’s Supper.

As for explaining how Christ is physically present in the bread and wine, Luther is silent. He refused to engage in any discussion concerning the mechanics of his view, writing, “For my part, if I cannot fathom how the bread is the body of Christ, yet I will take my reason captive to the obedience of Christ, and clinging simply to his words, firmly believe not only that the body of Christ is in the bread, but that the bread is the body of Christ.” By Christ’s “words,” Luther means: “this is my body… this is my blood.” As far as he is concerned, Christ is here speaking literally. He refuses to accept that the term “is” could be translated “signifies.” His unwillingness to do so stems from his fear of setting a precedent that others might abuse to distort the teaching of Scripture. He warns, “[The words] are to be retained in their simplest meaning as far as possible. Unless the context manifestly compels it, they are not to be understood apart from their grammatical and proper sense, lest we give our adversaries occasion to make a mockery of all the Scriptures.”

As for the relationship between his understanding of Christ’s physical presence in the elements and the benefit of the Lord’s Supper for believers, Luther affirmed that it bestows life and salvation: “Our body is fed with the body of Christ, in order that our faith and hope may abide and that our body also may live eternally from the same eternal food of the body of Christ which it eats physically.”

(2) Ulrich Zwingli

In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli openly disagreed with Luther, rejecting any suggestion that Christ is physically present in the bread and wine. For him, Christ is only present in our hearts. Like Luther, he rested his argument on Christ words: “this is my body… this is my blood.” But rather than interpreting these words literally (like Luther), he interpreted them figuratively.

Zwingli argued that the Bible is full of metaphors, similes, parables, and other figures of speech. By way of proof, he turns to Genesis 41:26, where Joseph declares, “The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years.” Clearly, Joseph does not mean that the “cows” and “ears of corn” are literally “years.” He is using a figure of speech. For Zwingli, it should come as no surprise, therefore, that Christ uses similar devices in His teaching. He quotes Matthew 13:38, where Christ says, “The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.” Christ does not mean that the “field” is literally the “world” or that the “seed” is literally the “children of the kingdom” or that the “weeds” are literally “the sons of the evil one.” He is speaking figuratively. To these examples, Zwingli adds Christ’s claim to be the corner stone (Matt. 21:42), the door (Jn. 10:9), and the way (Jn. 14:6). These are all examples of symbolic and figurative language. On this basis, Zwingli concludes, “We must, then, now first of all see how everything squares if we use ‘is’ for ‘signifies’ in this fashion. And as everything will square beautifully, it will be proved at the same time that ‘is’ in this passage as well as in others must be taken for ‘signifies.’”

Because of their very different views of Christ’s presence in the Lord’s Supper, open separation arose between Luther and Zwingli. There was an effort to resolve the dispute at the Colloquy of Marburg in 1529, but it failed miserably.

(3) John Calvin

John Calvin stepped into the divide, attempting to find a middle ground between the German and Swiss Reformers. On the one hand, he disagreed with Luther, in that he denied Christ’s corporeal presence (in whatever sense) in the bread and wine. On the other hand, he disagreed with Zwingli, in that he rejected any concept of the Lord’s Supper as merely an external symbol.

According to Calvin, the spiritual reality of Christ’s body and blood is not identified physically with the bread and wine, nor is it included in them in any way. Christ, therefore, is not physically present in the elements; on the contrary, His glorified body is in heaven. However, Christ does come down to us at the Lord’s Supper through the Holy Spirit. For Calvin, therefore, Christ’s body and blood are truly (not really) present in the bread and wine. Therefore, we partake of Christ’s body and blood by faith, meaning the Holy Spirit pours Christ’s life into us by virtue of our union with Him.

Calvin made it clear that the bread and wine do not have any intrinsic value, affirming, “We must beware lest we… think that a hidden power is joined and fastened to the sacraments by which they of themselves confer the graces of the Holy Spirit upon us… they are of no further benefit unless the Holy Spirit accompanies them. For it is he who opens our minds and hearts and makes us receptive to this testimony.” This last statement is crucial to Calvin’s view of Christ’s presence in the bread and wine. In his opinion, the Holy Spirit “nourishes faith spiritually through the sacraments.” This means that Christ gives spiritual nourishment from His glorified body through the Holy Spirit to those who partake of the bread and wine.

Quotable: “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (Jn. 6:56).

Adopted for Life

2010-05-31T14:29:00.002-04:00

In Adopted for Life, Russell Moore draws from two very important wells (biblical knowledge and life experience) as he deals with the subject of adoption. This is a great book – great for those who have adopted or are planning to adopt, and equally great for those who want a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a child of God. Appropriately so, Moore begins by setting adoption in the larger context of the gospel: “The gospel of Jesus Christ means our families and churches ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans close to home and around the world… Adoption is about an entire culture within our churches, a culture that sees adoption as part of our Great Commission mandate and as a sign of the gospel itself” (p. 18-19). From here, he proceeds to discuss a number of themes related to adoption.

The book spoke volumes to me, as my wife and I have been in the adoption process since Nov. 2005. It has been a long, tiring, testing, and exasperating wait. D.V., it will happen next year.

But the book resonated with me for another reason: it reminded me of what I am in Christ. Paul declares, “In love [God] predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:5-6). Please notice six tremendous truths in these verses.

(1) Adoption is an act of love

“In love…”

The Bible declares that God loves His creatures. It also declares that God loves His children. We must never confuse God’s common love for His creatures with God’s special love for His children. Let me illustrate. I love children, but I also love my daughter. How does my love for her compare with my love for other children? I can’t compare the two. The same is true, when it comes to God’s love: “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God” (1 Jn. 3:1).

Jesus, the very thought of Thee, with sweetness fills my breast.
But sweeter far Thy face to see, and in Thy presence rest;
But what to those who find? Ah, this, no tongue or pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is, none but His loved ones know.

(2) Adoption is predetermined

“In love He predestined us…”

God determined before creation that He would adopt us. That’s important, because it means adoption is God’s first choice. It isn’t an afterthought. Some people view adoption as an afterthought: “Oh, you couldn’t have your own children, so you decided to settle for adoption.” Those who have adopted would never describe it as settling. In terms of God adopting us, it most certainly wasn’t an afterthought. God didn’t create the world in hope that He would have natural children – only to discover He had a bunch of little rebels on His hands. No! He predestined us to adoption as sons. He did so before the foundation of the world. Adoption isn’t plan B; it’s plan A!

(3) Adoption is through Jesus Christ

“In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ…”

Let me explain the significance of that statement by reminding you that Christ accomplished two things for us when He died (1) He paid our debt. That’s called redemption. We were enslaved to sin. By dying, Christ paid our debt. (2) He purchased our inheritance. That’s called adoption. We were estranged from God. By dying, Christ purchased our inheritance. Paul captures both of those truths in Gal. 4:4-5, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

(4) Adoption is to God

“In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself…”

The term adoption comes from two words: huios (son) and tithemi (to place). God literally places us as sons in His family. He says, “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me” (2 Cor. 6:18; Is. 43:6). This relationship implies the following. (1) God cares for us: “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:29). (2) God listens to us: “If you then, being evil, known how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11). (3) God plans for us: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through suffering” (Heb. 2:10). (4) God disciplines us: “For those whom the LORD loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (Heb. 12:6).

(5) Adoption is according to the kind intention of His will

“In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will…”

God’s adoption of us is different from our adoption of children in at least two ways. (1) God doesn’t adopt us because of anything lacking in Him. We adopt for that reason. We have a natural inclination whereby we desire children. We feel incomplete without children. That’s normal. God made us that way. But God isn’t like that. (2) God doesn’t adopt us because of anything compelling in us. We adopt for that reason. We love children. We find them cute and cuddly. Despite the challenges, there’s something very loveable about them. But God isn’t like that.

God adopts us “according to the kind intention of His will.” He doesn’t need us, because we’re special. He doesn’t love us, because we’re cute. He doesn’t adopt us, because we’re precious. We aren’t any of those things. But that shouldn’t offend us. On the contrary, it should encourage us. If it did depend on something in us, then God wouldn’t have adopted any of us.

(6) Adoption is to the praise of His glorious grace

“In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His, to the praise of the glory His grace…”

Why would God predestine us to adoption as sons before the creation of the world? Here’s the answer: “to the praise of the glory of His grace.” Before creation, God selected out of the human race, foreseen as fallen, those whom He would adopt. “This divine choice,” writes J. I. Packer, “is an expression of free grace, for it is unconstrained and unconditional, not merited by anything in those who are its subjects.” He redeemed us, justified us, and adopted us – all to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Behold, what love, what boundless love,
The Father has bestowed
On sinners lost, that we should be
Now called the sons of God!

Quotable: “God had a design of glorifying Himself from eternity; yea, to glorify each person in the Godhead. The end must be considered as first in order of nature, and then the means; and therefore we must conceive, that God having professed this end, had then as it were the means to choose; and the principal means that He selected was this great work of redemption” (Jonathan Edwards).

The Problem of Evil

2010-05-26T13:03:00.000-04:00

In recent weeks, I’ve turned my attention to the Book of Habakkuk. In the first chapter, the prophet wrestles with the prevalence of evil and God’s apparent indifference (more on that in a later post).

It’s important to note that Habakkuk’s cry isn’t that of the skeptic. As far as the skeptic is concerned, the presence of evil and the existence of God are incompatible. We’ve all heard the argument: “If a good and powerful God exists, then there wouldn’t be any evil.” But how sound is the skeptic’s reasoning? Doesn’t his conclusion betray a blatant contradiction? How can he speak of evil apart from God’s existence?

When it comes to ethics, the skeptic can speak in terms of pragmatism and utilitarianism, but he can’t speak in terms of morality. Why not? Simply put, without God, he’s left with evolutionary theory as his only explanation for the origin of all things. As we all know, evolution involves natural selection. It depends upon death, destruction, and violence. It depends upon the survival of the fittest. As such, it can’t give any reason why we shouldn’t live like the animals from which we supposedly evolved. It can’t speak of right and wrong, just and unjust, good and evil, because it has no objective standard by which to define these things. Where does our sense of justice come from? Where does our concept of right come from? The skeptic’s worldview cannot account for these things. Therefore, his conclusion – “The existence of God and evil are incompatible” – is a contradiction.

In short, the prevalence of evil isn’t an argument against God’s existence, but an argument for God’s existence.

Quotable: “How did I get this idea of just or unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line” (C. S. Lewis).

Falling into Hell from the Gates of Heaven

2010-05-20T14:48:00.000-04:00

In The Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian meets Ignorance, from the country of Conceit. They both travel to the Celestial City. When Christian arrives, he produces the certificate, given to him at the wicket gate. And the King gladly receives him. When Ignorance arrives, what happens? John Bunyan explains:

“Then they asked him for his Certificate, that they might go in and show it to the King; so he fumbled in his bosom for one, and found none. Then, said they, ‘Have you none?’ But the man answered never a word. So they told the King, but he would not come down to see him, but commanded the two shining Ones that conducted Christian and Hopeful to the City, to go out and take Ignorance and bind him hand and foot, and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the air to the door that I saw in the side of the Hill, and put him in there. Then I saw that there was a Way to Hell, even from the Gates of Heaven.”

How’s it possible to fall into hell from the very gates of heaven? Christ provides the answer: “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see” (Rev. 3:16-18). Here, Christ describes a disease.

(1) The Nature of this Disease (3:16)

Christ says, “You are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold.” There are three groups of people: the cold (alienated from Christ); the hot (united with Christ); and the lukewarm (alienated from Christ while claiming to be united with Christ). As John Flavel explains, “Cold is the complexion and natural temper of those that are wholly alienated and estranged from Christ and religion. Hot is the gracious temper of those that know and love Jesus Christ in an excelling degree! Lukewarm, or tepid, is the temper of those who have too much religion to be esteemed carnal, and too little religion to be truly spiritual.”

(2) The Symptoms of this Disease (3:17)

Christ says, “You say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.’ You do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Here, Christ identifies several symptoms of this disease: they’re wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. In short, they’re without grace. On top of it all, they’re unaware of their own condition. This is vividly portrayed in Matt. 7:21-22, where Christ says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles.’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” That’s Ignorance in The Pilgrim’s Progress. He arrives at the Celestial City, claiming to know Christ. What’s Christ’s response? “I don’t know you.”

(3) The Cure for this Disease (3:18)

Christ says, “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.” Here, Christ says that we are to “buy” something from Him. That doesn’t mean we must earn it. “Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost” (Is. 55:1). We must buy something from Christ without money. In other words, it’s something we receive by grace.

We must buy “gold refined by fire so that we may become rich.” This corresponds to our spiritual poverty. It’s God’s grace. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).

We must buy “white garments so that we may clothe yourself, and that the shame of our nakedness will not be revealed.” This corresponds to our spiritual nakedness. It’s God’s righteousness. When we believe, God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us.

We must buy “eye salve to anoint our eyes so that we may see.” This corresponds to our spiritual blindness. It’s God’s wisdom. Christ opens our eyes so that we see our sin, and see Him as our only hope of salvation.

Quotable: “That is your faith, but not mine; yet mine, I doubt not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many Whimsies as you” (Ignorance to Christian).

Prayer in Holy Scripture and Church Tradition

2010-05-11T13:12:00.002-04:00

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and you are interested in the Puritans and prayer, you might want to consider a course I'll be teaching at Redeemer Seminary this June (Thursday evenings). It focuses on what the Bible teaches concerning the nature and practice of prayer, while gleaning insights from church history, mainly the English Puritans – a movement primarily concerned with experimental subjects such as prayer. Its main objective is to deepen the student’s commitment to a life of prayer, both personal and corporate. For more information, see www.redeemerseminary.org

Quotable: “I believe that prayer is the measure of the man, spiritually, in a way that nothing else is, so that how we pray is as important a question as we can ever face” (J. I. Packer).

The Sound-Hearted Christian (cont'd)

2010-05-10T07:52:00.002-04:00

More from the pen of William Greenhill...

With what desires are we to desire the Word of God?

First, we must desire the Word of God with strong and ardent desires; with strength of heart and soul; this should be in our desires. Psalm 42:1–2: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” David was banished from the house of God, from the ordinances of God, and from the Word of God. Now he says, “When shall I come and appear before God? I have ardent desires, strong desires to be where God is, and where His Word and ordinances are.” And in Psalm 119:20, a remarkable place, he says, “My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.” What ardent, what strong desires were in the heart of David now after the Word of God? So then, they must be strong and ardent desires in our souls after the Word of God, which is better than gold or silver.

Second, these desires must be sincere desires. Perhaps men have desires for the Word, but they are not sincere. They should desire the Word for itself, because it is the Word of God, because it is pure. Psalm 119:140: “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.” It is a good argument of truth, of grace, and of a servant of God to love the Word for the purity of it. Many cannot endure it because it is pure; but if we love it and desire it for its purity, it is an argument we are right. Such should our desires be, sincere desires, to love the Word for itself. It is sincere milk, and it calls for sincere desires and sincere affections. There should be no bias in our affections, no crookedness, no selfishness, but sincere desires unto the Word of God.

Third, our desires must be permanent and abiding; not fleeting and flashy desires, but permanent and abiding ones. Our desires should be always for the Word of God; our hearts should stand bent to the Word of God continually. Psalm 119:20: “My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.” Mark, “at all times my soul is carried out with vehement desires unto Thy judgments. At all times I continue and maintain my desires toward Thy Word.” Psalm 1:2: “In his law doth he meditate day and night.” When a man’s desires are for the Word of God night and day, he has permanent, constant, and abiding desires. But you will say, “It is impossible for a man to hold his desires at such a height, and to continue them.” True, to flesh and blood it is; but we must renew our desires when they begin to flag and fall.

Fourth, our desires must be operative and working desires; many have lazy and sluggish desires; they have wishes. “Oh, that I understood such and such things! Oh, that I were acquainted with the Word of God.” They have wishes, but they must be real desires, which will put men to searching the Scriptures, comparing place with place, reading and meditating and applying truths. Men’s desires after gold are such. 1 Timothy 6:9 speaks of “they that will be rich.” How they will work and labor, rise early and lie down late, study, and cast this way and that way to get the world, to get gold and silver. Such should be our desires for the Word. John 6: “Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life.” So you see what kind of desires our souls should have after the Word of God.

Quotable: “This, therefore, teaches us how to judge who fears the Lord. They are those who learn, and who stand in awe of the Word” (John Bunyan).

Covenant Radio

2010-05-06T15:11:00.003-04:00

For an interview on Trading and Thriving in Godliness, see http://main.covenantradio.com/?p=412

Quotable: "He that is ever trading and thriving in godliness, need not fear that he shall prove a bankrupt" (George Swinnock).

The Sound-Hearted Christian

2010-05-05T17:37:00.005-04:00

A few thoughts from William Greenhill - a contributor to both the Westminster Confession and Savoy Declaration.

What should we do to get more of the mind of Christ into us?

First, if you would have more of the mind of Christ, then be less conformed to the world, and more and more transformed by the renewing of your minds (Romans 12:2). You will come to know this good, perfect, and acceptable will of God more and more, that is, the mind of Christ. The world keeps us from knowledge; the world blinds us and indisposes us from receiving the divine truths and mysteries of the gospel. That man who is most alienated from the world, and most contemplative of the gospel, will have most of the mind of God and Christ in him.

Second, if you would have more and more of the mind of Christ, see that you love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more daily. The more you love Him, the more Christ will let out His mind unto you. John 15:14–15: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” Christ makes known all things unto them whom He has received from His Father. Christ will make all things known to your souls that He has received of the Father that are needful and good for you, if you love Him. John 14:21: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” Would you have manifestations of the Lord Jesus Christ, secrets revealed unto you, and hidden things that the world does not know of? Love the Lord Jesus Christ more and more. The more a wife loves her husband, the more her husband will communicate his secrets unto her; and the more you love Christ, the more of His mind shall you have communicated unto you.

Third, if you would have more of the mind of Christ, then pray more and more for the Spirit of Christ; for the Spirit of Christ reveals the things of God, and searches them, and gives them out unto those where it is. Pray unto Christ to fill you with His Spirit, and that Spirit will fill you with the knowledge of Christ’s mind. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of wisdom and revelation. John 16:14: The Spirit “shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.” There’s a treasury in Christ; for in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And the Spirit will take what is Christ’s and show it to you. 2 Corinthians 3:18: “We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” What’s this glass? The gospel is the glass, and in the glass there’s Christ; and when we come to look in there, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory. We will have more and more of the mind of Christ, of the holiness of Christ, and of the righteousness of Christ, as by the Spirit of the Lord. So then pray for the Spirit, and the Spirit will interpret and open the mind of Christ in all the mysteries of the gospel which are hidden from most men in the world.

Quotable: “The person who is in a worldly condition is not able to judge spiritual realities properly” (Jonathan Edwards).