That's Christmas (Short Film) HD from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Better news the gospel brings
“To run and work the law commands,
Yet gives me neither feet nor hands;
But better news the gospel brings:
It bids me fly and gives me wings.”
- Attributed to John Bunyan, quoted by Jason C. Mayer in The End of The Law(Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing, 2009), 2.
(HT: Of First Importance)
Another version of the quote, attributed to John Berridge, is as follows:
Run, John., and work, the law commands,
Yet finds me neither feet nor hands;
But, sweeter news the gospel brings,
It bids me fly, and lends me wings.
(Source: The Salt-Cellars, Vol. 1, page 234, by C.H. Spurgeon)
Yet gives me neither feet nor hands;
But better news the gospel brings:
It bids me fly and gives me wings.”
- Attributed to John Bunyan, quoted by Jason C. Mayer in The End of The Law(Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing, 2009), 2.
(HT: Of First Importance)
Another version of the quote, attributed to John Berridge, is as follows:
Run, John., and work, the law commands,
Yet finds me neither feet nor hands;
But, sweeter news the gospel brings,
It bids me fly, and lends me wings.
(Source: The Salt-Cellars, Vol. 1, page 234, by C.H. Spurgeon)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving reading at Desiring God
Four past Thanksgiving meditations to read:
- Pray for More Thanksgiving
- A Tribute to Gratitude
- 3 Truths to Induce Thanksgiving
- Ganging Up on Gratitude
(HT: Desiring God blog)
Have you heard the New Gospel?
Kevin DeYoung writes about four parts of the "new gospel":
- It usually starts with an apology.
- Then there is an appeal to God as love.
- The third part of the New Gospel is an invitation to join God on his mission in the world.
- And finally, there is a studied ambivalence about eternity
He said the new gospel is popular for at least the following reasons:
1. It is partially true.
2. It deals with strawmen.
3. The New Gospel leads people to believe wrong things without explicitly stating those wrong things.
4. It is manageable.
5. The New Gospel is inspirational.
6. The New Gospel has no offense to it.
What's missing in the new gospel is the old gospel, DeYoung continued, "the one preached by the Apostles, the one defined in 1 Corinthians 15, the one summarized later in The Apostles’ Creed."
His final plea: "This is no small issue. And it is not just a matter of emphasis. The New Gospel will not sustain the church. It cannot change the heart. And it does not save. It is crucial, therefore, that our evangelical schools, camps, conferences, publishing houses, and churches can discern the new gospel from the old."
Read the entire post here.
What is the most important principle for productivity?
Matt Perman, Desiring God director of strategy, answers "What is the most important principle for productivity?" in a three-question interview as follows:
(HT: Desiring God blog)
I would actually say: realize that you don't have to be productive. By this I mean: your significance does not come from your productivity. It comes from Christ, who obeyed God perfectly on our behalf such that our significance and standing before God comes from him, not anything we do. Then, on that basis, we pursue good works (which is what productivity is) and do so eagerly, as it says in Titus 2:14.Read the entire interview here.
(HT: Desiring God blog)
How do atheists observe Thanksgiving?
"Thanksgiving is a deeply theological act, rightly understood. As a matter of fact, thankfulness is a theology in microcosm -- a key to understanding what we really believe about God, ourselves, and the world we experience," said Albert Mohler in his Nov. 25 posting at www.AlbertMohler.com. He follows with the question: "How do atheists observe Thanksgiving?"
Read the entire article.
Read the entire article.
Friday, November 20, 2009
The gospel in three words
“Were I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be adoption through propitiation, and I do not expect ever to meet a richer or more pregnant summary of the gospel than that.” —J.I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: 1993), 214
HT: Of First Importance
HT: Of First Importance
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Integrating the Psalms into congregational life
Christ Baptist Church read one Psalm per Sunday, starting with the first Sunday of the Church, and finished in less than three years on Aug. 2, 2009. Here are some thoughts from Pastor Justin Childers:
Check out resources on the Psalms of Ascent at Christ the King Presbyterian Church Web site.
HT: Justin Taylor
1. The Psalms are designed by God to cover a wide range of the realities of life. Reading through the Psalms forces the church to think about specific attributes of God, sorrow, death, loneliness, joy, worship, and dozens of other real-life issues.
2. Worship is a response to God's Word. God speaks. We respond. We try to make sure our worship service reflects this pattern. So, before we sing any songs or pray any prayers, we listen to God's Word. We position ourselves under God's authority. What better way to do this than to begin the service by reading a Psalm?
3. Most churches don't read enough Scripture in the public gatherings. We are commanded to devote ourselves to the public reading of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13). And, even churches that do read some Scripture don't read enough Old Testament.
4. Reading the Psalms out loud together cultivates unity.
5. Reading through a book of the Bible, like the Psalms, is a pattern for consistent, devoted, disciplined faithfulness over a long period of time. Just think, in less than 3 years, your church can read through the longest book in the Bible together if you devote yourself to reading a chapter per week.
6. Psalm 119 was the most fun. Yes, we read the entire Psalm on that Sunday. In fact, we designed the entire service around that Psalm.
Check out resources on the Psalms of Ascent at Christ the King Presbyterian Church Web site.
HT: Justin Taylor
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
United with Christ
Tony Reinke:
The following is one of the sweetest descriptions of the believers union with Christ I have read. The text originates from a fictional dialogue between a pastor, a legalist, an antinomian, and a young Christian, as written by Edward Fisher in his 1650 book The Marrow of Modern Divinity (Christian Focus, 2009). The Marrow Controversy is an important event that raised significant questions about how we should best explain the grace of God, the Christian life, and even the gospel! I think every Christian should be aware of the debate and I hope to write more about what this event in Church history can teach us.
But today I am simply pleased to announce a reissued and re-typeset version of Fisher’s classic by our friends at Christian Focus in Scotland. [Thank you!]
The following excerpt explains the reality of the Christian’s union with Christ and the far-reaching consequences of living consciously aware of this union. The language is beautiful.
The quote I’ve selected is taken from the fictional dialogue. You are about to read the words of a pastor as he speaks directly to a young Christian to help him grasp the significance of his union with Christ. I’ve divided the text to help in the process of reading and reflection. Hopefully you are not distracted. Sweet words!—
––––––––––––––––––
I tell you from Christ,
and under the hand of the Spirit,
that your person is accepted,
your sins are done away,
and you shall be saved;
and if an angel from heaven should tell you otherwise,
let him be accursed.
Therefore, you may (without doubt) conclude
that you are a happy man;
for by means of this your matching with Christ,
you are become one with him,
and one in him,
you ‘dwell in him, and he in you’ (1 John 4:13).
He is ‘your well beloved, and you are his’ (S. of S. 2:16).
So that the marriage union betwixt Christ and you
is more than a bare notion or apprehension of your mind;
for it is a
special,
spiritual, and
real union:
it is an union betwixt the nature of Christ,
God and man,
and you;
it is a knitting and closing,
not only of your apprehension with a Saviour,
but also of your soul with a Saviour.
Whence it must needs follow that you cannot be condemned,
except Christ be condemned with you;
neither can Christ be saved,
except you be saved with him.
And as by means of corporeal marriage all things become common betwixt man and wife;
even so, by means of this spiritual marriage,
all things become common betwixt Christ and you;
for when Christ hath married his spouse unto himself,
he passeth over all his estate unto her;
so that whatsoever Christ is or hath,
you may boldly challenge as your own.
‘He is made unto you, of God,
wisdom,
righteousness,
sanctification,
and redemption’ (1 Cor. 1:30).
And surely,
by virtue of this near union it is,
that as Christ is called ‘the Lord our righteousness’ (Jer. 23:6),
even so is the church called, ‘the Lord our righteousness’ (33:16).
I tell you,
you may,
by virtue of this union,
boldly take upon yourself,
as your own,
Christ’s watching,
abstinence,
travails,
prayers,
persecutions,
and slanders;
yea,
his tears,
his sweat,
his blood,
and all that ever he did
and suffered
in the space of three and thirty years,
with his
passion,
death,
burial,
resurrection,
and ascension;
for they are all yours.
And as Christ passes over all his estate unto his spouse,
so does he require that she should pass over all unto him.
Wherefore,
you being now married unto Christ,
you must give all that you have of your own unto him;
and truly you have nothing of your own
but sin,
and, therefore, you must give him that.
I beseech you, then,
say unto Christ with bold confidence,
I give unto thee, my dear husband,
my unbelief,
my mistrust,
my pride,
my arrogancy,
my ambition,
my wrath,
and anger,
my envy,
my covetousness,
my evil thoughts,
affections,
and desires;
I make one bundle of these and all my other offences,
and give them unto thee.
And thus was Christ made ‘sin for us, that knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’ (2 Cor. 5:21).
‘Now then,’
says Luther,
‘let us compare these things together,
and we shall find inestimable treasure.
Christ is full of
grace,
life,
and saving health;
and the soul is freight-full of all
sin,
death,
and damnation;
but let faith come betwixt these two,
and it shall come to pass,
that Christ shall be laden with
sin,
death,
and hell;
and unto the soul shall be imputed
grace,
life,
and salvation.
Who then is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly?
Who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of his grace,
where this rich and righteous husband,
Christ,
doth take unto wife this poor and wicked harlot,
redeeming her from all devils,
and garnishing her with all his own jewels?
So that you,
through the assuredness of your faith in Christ, your husband,
are delivered from all sins,
made safe from death,
guarded from hell,
and endowed with the
everlasting righteousness,
life,
and saving health
of this your husband Christ.’”
—Edward Fisher, The Marrow of Modern Divinity (Christian Focus, 2009), pp. 166–167.
The following is one of the sweetest descriptions of the believers union with Christ I have read. The text originates from a fictional dialogue between a pastor, a legalist, an antinomian, and a young Christian, as written by Edward Fisher in his 1650 book The Marrow of Modern Divinity (Christian Focus, 2009). The Marrow Controversy is an important event that raised significant questions about how we should best explain the grace of God, the Christian life, and even the gospel! I think every Christian should be aware of the debate and I hope to write more about what this event in Church history can teach us.
But today I am simply pleased to announce a reissued and re-typeset version of Fisher’s classic by our friends at Christian Focus in Scotland. [Thank you!]
The following excerpt explains the reality of the Christian’s union with Christ and the far-reaching consequences of living consciously aware of this union. The language is beautiful.
The quote I’ve selected is taken from the fictional dialogue. You are about to read the words of a pastor as he speaks directly to a young Christian to help him grasp the significance of his union with Christ. I’ve divided the text to help in the process of reading and reflection. Hopefully you are not distracted. Sweet words!—
––––––––––––––––––
I tell you from Christ,
and under the hand of the Spirit,
that your person is accepted,
your sins are done away,
and you shall be saved;
and if an angel from heaven should tell you otherwise,
let him be accursed.
Therefore, you may (without doubt) conclude
that you are a happy man;
for by means of this your matching with Christ,
you are become one with him,
and one in him,
you ‘dwell in him, and he in you’ (1 John 4:13).
He is ‘your well beloved, and you are his’ (S. of S. 2:16).
So that the marriage union betwixt Christ and you
is more than a bare notion or apprehension of your mind;
for it is a
special,
spiritual, and
real union:
it is an union betwixt the nature of Christ,
God and man,
and you;
it is a knitting and closing,
not only of your apprehension with a Saviour,
but also of your soul with a Saviour.
Whence it must needs follow that you cannot be condemned,
except Christ be condemned with you;
neither can Christ be saved,
except you be saved with him.
And as by means of corporeal marriage all things become common betwixt man and wife;
even so, by means of this spiritual marriage,
all things become common betwixt Christ and you;
for when Christ hath married his spouse unto himself,
he passeth over all his estate unto her;
so that whatsoever Christ is or hath,
you may boldly challenge as your own.
‘He is made unto you, of God,
wisdom,
righteousness,
sanctification,
and redemption’ (1 Cor. 1:30).
And surely,
by virtue of this near union it is,
that as Christ is called ‘the Lord our righteousness’ (Jer. 23:6),
even so is the church called, ‘the Lord our righteousness’ (33:16).
I tell you,
you may,
by virtue of this union,
boldly take upon yourself,
as your own,
Christ’s watching,
abstinence,
travails,
prayers,
persecutions,
and slanders;
yea,
his tears,
his sweat,
his blood,
and all that ever he did
and suffered
in the space of three and thirty years,
with his
passion,
death,
burial,
resurrection,
and ascension;
for they are all yours.
And as Christ passes over all his estate unto his spouse,
so does he require that she should pass over all unto him.
Wherefore,
you being now married unto Christ,
you must give all that you have of your own unto him;
and truly you have nothing of your own
but sin,
and, therefore, you must give him that.
I beseech you, then,
say unto Christ with bold confidence,
I give unto thee, my dear husband,
my unbelief,
my mistrust,
my pride,
my arrogancy,
my ambition,
my wrath,
and anger,
my envy,
my covetousness,
my evil thoughts,
affections,
and desires;
I make one bundle of these and all my other offences,
and give them unto thee.
And thus was Christ made ‘sin for us, that knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’ (2 Cor. 5:21).
‘Now then,’
says Luther,
‘let us compare these things together,
and we shall find inestimable treasure.
Christ is full of
grace,
life,
and saving health;
and the soul is freight-full of all
sin,
death,
and damnation;
but let faith come betwixt these two,
and it shall come to pass,
that Christ shall be laden with
sin,
death,
and hell;
and unto the soul shall be imputed
grace,
life,
and salvation.
Who then is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly?
Who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of his grace,
where this rich and righteous husband,
Christ,
doth take unto wife this poor and wicked harlot,
redeeming her from all devils,
and garnishing her with all his own jewels?
So that you,
through the assuredness of your faith in Christ, your husband,
are delivered from all sins,
made safe from death,
guarded from hell,
and endowed with the
everlasting righteousness,
life,
and saving health
of this your husband Christ.’”
—Edward Fisher, The Marrow of Modern Divinity (Christian Focus, 2009), pp. 166–167.
No God = No Happiness
“The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the centre—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. Some people think the fall of man had something to do with sex, but that is a mistake. (The story in the Book of Genesis rather suggests that some corruption in our sexual nature followed the fall and was its result, not its cause.) What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.
"The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
—C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (HarperOne, 1980), pp. 49–50.
HT: Miscellanies
"The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
—C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (HarperOne, 1980), pp. 49–50.
HT: Miscellanies
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Gospel in 60 seconds ... again
Erik Raymond:
God made everything out of nothing, including you and me. His main purpose in creation was to bring him pleasure.
The chief way in which we as humanity do this is through loving, obeying, and enjoying him perfectly.
Instead of this, we have sinned against our loving Creator and acted in high-handed rebellion.
God has vowed that he will righteously and lovingly judge sinners with eternal death.
But God, being merciful, loving, gracious, and just, sent his own son, Jesus Christ, in the likeness of man to live as a man; fulfilling his perfect requirements in the place of sinners; loving, obeying, and enjoying him perfectly.
And further, his son bore the eternal judgment of God upon the cross of Calvary, as he satisfied the eternal anger of God, standing in the place of sinners. God treated Jesus as a sinner, though he was perfectly sinless, that he might declare sinners as perfect.
This glorious transaction occurs as the sinner puts their faith (dependence, trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ as their substitute. God then charges Christ’s perfection to the sinner, and no longer views him as an enemy but instead an adopted son covered in the perfect righteousness of his son.
God furnished proof that this sacrifice was accepted by raising Jesus from the dead.
God will judge the world in righteousness and all of those who are not covered in the righteousness of Christ, depending on him for forgiveness, will be forced to stand on their own to bear the eternal anger of God.
Therefore, all must turn from sin and receive Christ Jesus as Lord.
God made everything out of nothing, including you and me. His main purpose in creation was to bring him pleasure.
The chief way in which we as humanity do this is through loving, obeying, and enjoying him perfectly.
Instead of this, we have sinned against our loving Creator and acted in high-handed rebellion.
God has vowed that he will righteously and lovingly judge sinners with eternal death.
But God, being merciful, loving, gracious, and just, sent his own son, Jesus Christ, in the likeness of man to live as a man; fulfilling his perfect requirements in the place of sinners; loving, obeying, and enjoying him perfectly.
And further, his son bore the eternal judgment of God upon the cross of Calvary, as he satisfied the eternal anger of God, standing in the place of sinners. God treated Jesus as a sinner, though he was perfectly sinless, that he might declare sinners as perfect.
This glorious transaction occurs as the sinner puts their faith (dependence, trust) in the Lord Jesus Christ as their substitute. God then charges Christ’s perfection to the sinner, and no longer views him as an enemy but instead an adopted son covered in the perfect righteousness of his son.
God furnished proof that this sacrifice was accepted by raising Jesus from the dead.
God will judge the world in righteousness and all of those who are not covered in the righteousness of Christ, depending on him for forgiveness, will be forced to stand on their own to bear the eternal anger of God.
Therefore, all must turn from sin and receive Christ Jesus as Lord.
The Gospel in 60 Seconds and "What is the Gospel?" video
Mark Dever:
There is one God,
He made us,
He made us in His image,
He made us good,
we've sinned against Him and we've fallen.
God would be just and good to judge us eternally,
but in His amazing love, the eternal Son of God has taken on flesh, been incarnate.
Jesus Christ, fully man, fully God, lived the life we should've lived,
lived perfectly,
died on the cross,
in the place of our sins,
in the place of everyone who will repent of their sins and trust in Him.
God raised Him from the dead,
He ascended into heaven,
He will return in the same manner
and He calls us to repent of our sins and trust on Him.
He will give us new life,
fill us with the Holy Spirit,
give us the new birth,
and adopt us as His reconciled children forever.
(Mark Dever, Commending Christ, Q & A, Desiring God 2009 Conference for Pastors)
There is one God,
He made us,
He made us in His image,
He made us good,
we've sinned against Him and we've fallen.
God would be just and good to judge us eternally,
but in His amazing love, the eternal Son of God has taken on flesh, been incarnate.
Jesus Christ, fully man, fully God, lived the life we should've lived,
lived perfectly,
died on the cross,
in the place of our sins,
in the place of everyone who will repent of their sins and trust in Him.
God raised Him from the dead,
He ascended into heaven,
He will return in the same manner
and He calls us to repent of our sins and trust on Him.
He will give us new life,
fill us with the Holy Spirit,
give us the new birth,
and adopt us as His reconciled children forever.
(Mark Dever, Commending Christ, Q & A, Desiring God 2009 Conference for Pastors)
Reliable friends are rare treasures
Ray Ortlund:
"Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?" Proverbs 20:6, NLT
A spirit of self-assurance is a gospel-denying, self-deceiving, friendship-destroying mentality. It is natural to say to ourselves, "I'm doing my part. They should be grateful." It is supernatural to say to ourselves, "I place myself under the judgment of the Word of God. I humble myself. Even if the other person is wrong, that gives me no right to assert myself. No matter what the other person does, no matter how much I am misunderstood and misjudged, I will remain in the fear of the Lord, I will entrust myself to God." True friendship thrives when, before God, each one is more aware of his debts than his rights.
If God has given you reliable friends, and surely he has, hold them close to your heart. Each one is a rare treasure.
"Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?" Proverbs 20:6, NLT
A spirit of self-assurance is a gospel-denying, self-deceiving, friendship-destroying mentality. It is natural to say to ourselves, "I'm doing my part. They should be grateful." It is supernatural to say to ourselves, "I place myself under the judgment of the Word of God. I humble myself. Even if the other person is wrong, that gives me no right to assert myself. No matter what the other person does, no matter how much I am misunderstood and misjudged, I will remain in the fear of the Lord, I will entrust myself to God." True friendship thrives when, before God, each one is more aware of his debts than his rights.
If God has given you reliable friends, and surely he has, hold them close to your heart. Each one is a rare treasure.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Falling in love with the Church -- again
Derek Thomas:
Something is terribly wrong when professing Christians do not identify with the church and love being a part of her. Something is wrong when professing Christians fail to be passionate about every aspect of the church and long to invest themselves in her, taking all that the church represents and does to heart. Listen, for example, to the way Paul instructs the Ephesians: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27).
Read his entire post.
Something is terribly wrong when professing Christians do not identify with the church and love being a part of her. Something is wrong when professing Christians fail to be passionate about every aspect of the church and long to invest themselves in her, taking all that the church represents and does to heart. Listen, for example, to the way Paul instructs the Ephesians: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27).
Read his entire post.
My church or the Kingdom?
Ray Ortlund:
"My passion isn't to build up my church. My passion is for God's Kingdom."
Ever heard someone say that? I have. It sounds large-hearted, but it's wrong. It can even be destructive.
Suppose I said, "My passion isn't to build up my marriage. My passion is for Marriage. I want the institution of Marriage to be revered again. I'll work for that. I'll pray for that. I'll sacrifice for that. But don't expect me to hunker down in the humble daily realities of building a great marriage with my wife Jani. I'm aiming at something grander."
If I said that, would you think, "Wow, Ray is so committed"? Or would you wonder if I had lost my mind?
If you care about the Kingdom, be the kind of person who can be counted on in your own church. Join your church, pray for your church, tithe to your church, participate in your church every Sunday with wholehearted passion.
We build great churches the same way we build great marriages -- real commitment that makes a positive difference every day.
"My passion isn't to build up my church. My passion is for God's Kingdom."
Ever heard someone say that? I have. It sounds large-hearted, but it's wrong. It can even be destructive.
Suppose I said, "My passion isn't to build up my marriage. My passion is for Marriage. I want the institution of Marriage to be revered again. I'll work for that. I'll pray for that. I'll sacrifice for that. But don't expect me to hunker down in the humble daily realities of building a great marriage with my wife Jani. I'm aiming at something grander."
If I said that, would you think, "Wow, Ray is so committed"? Or would you wonder if I had lost my mind?
If you care about the Kingdom, be the kind of person who can be counted on in your own church. Join your church, pray for your church, tithe to your church, participate in your church every Sunday with wholehearted passion.
We build great churches the same way we build great marriages -- real commitment that makes a positive difference every day.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
When relationships are built around the tuths of the Gospel
Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson, in Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ (pp. 86-87):
When relationships are built around the truths of the gospel—the truth that we are walking in light even though we are still sinners in need of cleansing by his blood—we can be free from feelings of inferiority and the demanding spirit that is born of pride. We can pursue relationships without fear of being discovered as the sinners we are. This kind of open relationship rests solely on the realities of the gospel. We are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe, and so is everyone we know. Because of this, we won’t be surprised by other’s sins. They won’t expect us to be sinless either, so we don’t have to give in to self-condemnation and fear when they see us as we really are. We don’t have to hide or pretend anymore.
The gospel also tells us that we are loved and welcomed without any merit on our part, so we can love and welcome others whose merits we can’t see. We can remember the circumstances under which we have been forgiven, and we can forgive in the same way. We don’t deserve relationship with the Trinity, but it has been given to us. We can seek our relationships with others because we know that we have been sought out by him and that he is carrying us all on his shoulders. (Yes, he is that strong!)
HT: Between Two Worlds
When relationships are built around the truths of the gospel—the truth that we are walking in light even though we are still sinners in need of cleansing by his blood—we can be free from feelings of inferiority and the demanding spirit that is born of pride. We can pursue relationships without fear of being discovered as the sinners we are. This kind of open relationship rests solely on the realities of the gospel. We are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe, and so is everyone we know. Because of this, we won’t be surprised by other’s sins. They won’t expect us to be sinless either, so we don’t have to give in to self-condemnation and fear when they see us as we really are. We don’t have to hide or pretend anymore.
The gospel also tells us that we are loved and welcomed without any merit on our part, so we can love and welcome others whose merits we can’t see. We can remember the circumstances under which we have been forgiven, and we can forgive in the same way. We don’t deserve relationship with the Trinity, but it has been given to us. We can seek our relationships with others because we know that we have been sought out by him and that he is carrying us all on his shoulders. (Yes, he is that strong!)
HT: Between Two Worlds
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Rethinking sanctification
From Michael Patton's post "Rethinking sanctification because I have to" at Parchment and Pen:
Sanctification n. The process of Christian development that has more to do with how dependent you have become on the Lord, not necessarily about being “good.” Sanctification has more to do with how often you are broken before him, not your stoic ability to deal with pain. Sanctification has more to do with a recognition of your weaknesses than of your strengths. Sanctification has more to do with repentance than with the things that don’t require repentance. In the end, sanctification amounts to the progressive movements you make toward the side of God because you have no where else to go.
Sanctification n. The process of Christian development that has more to do with how dependent you have become on the Lord, not necessarily about being “good.” Sanctification has more to do with how often you are broken before him, not your stoic ability to deal with pain. Sanctification has more to do with a recognition of your weaknesses than of your strengths. Sanctification has more to do with repentance than with the things that don’t require repentance. In the end, sanctification amounts to the progressive movements you make toward the side of God because you have no where else to go.
Two questions for sanctification
From Leadership 's interview with Matt Chandler:
Sanctification here at The Village begins by answering two questions. What stirs your affections for Jesus Christ? And what robs you of those affections? Many of the things that stifle growth are morally neutral. They're not bad things. Facebook is not bad. Television and movies are not bad. I enjoy TV, but it doesn't take long for me to begin to find humorous on TV what the Lord finds heartbreaking.
The same goes for following sports. It's not wrong, but if I start watching sports, I begin to care too much. I get stupid. If 19-year-old boys are ruining your day because of what they do with a ball, that's a problem. These things rob my affections for Christ. I want to fill my life with things that stir my affections for him. . . .
We want our people to think beyond simply what's right and wrong. We want them to fill their lives with things that stir their affections for Jesus Christ and, as best as they can, to walk away from things that rob those affections—even when they're not immoral.
HT: Between Two Worlds
Sanctification here at The Village begins by answering two questions. What stirs your affections for Jesus Christ? And what robs you of those affections? Many of the things that stifle growth are morally neutral. They're not bad things. Facebook is not bad. Television and movies are not bad. I enjoy TV, but it doesn't take long for me to begin to find humorous on TV what the Lord finds heartbreaking.
The same goes for following sports. It's not wrong, but if I start watching sports, I begin to care too much. I get stupid. If 19-year-old boys are ruining your day because of what they do with a ball, that's a problem. These things rob my affections for Christ. I want to fill my life with things that stir my affections for him. . . .
We want our people to think beyond simply what's right and wrong. We want them to fill their lives with things that stir their affections for Jesus Christ and, as best as they can, to walk away from things that rob those affections—even when they're not immoral.
HT: Between Two Worlds
Monday, September 7, 2009
You have no right to go to hell
"The gospel does not say, 'There is a Savior, if you wish to be saved'; but, 'Sir, you have no right to go to hell -- you cannot go there without trampling on the Son of God.'" - John Duncan, quoted in Iain H. Murray, Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism, page 97.
Ray Ortlund: Hell was made not for people but for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41).Jesus died with such all-sufficiency that heaven is open to all who repent and believe.To end up in hell, that foreign land, one must disregard the cross of Jesus, which no one has the right to do.
HT: Christ is deeper still
Ray Ortlund: Hell was made not for people but for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41).Jesus died with such all-sufficiency that heaven is open to all who repent and believe.To end up in hell, that foreign land, one must disregard the cross of Jesus, which no one has the right to do.
HT: Christ is deeper still
The purpose of creation, redemption & consummation
“The purpose of creation, redemption, and consummation are seen holistically as God’s purpose to glorify Christ by fulfilling the Adamic creation mandate, the universal Noahic promise, the patriarchal covenants, and the Israelite monarchy in Him, thus exalting Jesus as preeminent over the entire cosmos as the agent of creation, the true imago Dei, the Davidic subjugator of all rival powers, the firstborn of the eschatological resurrection from the dead, and the atonement through whom final cosmic peace is found at last (Col. 1:15-23).” - Russell D. Moore, The Kingdom of Christ (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2004), 108.
HT: Of First Importance
HT: Of First Importance
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The Gospel in Romans: God-Man-Christ-Response
Greg Gilbert shares at Church Matters the God-Man-Christ-Response summary of the Gospel found in Paul's epistle to the Romans:
Have you ever wondered where from the Bible we get the little God-Man-Christ-Response summary of the Gospel? Sometimes that summary gets poo-pooed a bit as a simplistic, manufactured reduction of the Gospel that really doesn't do justice to what the Bible actually says. (Yes, I said "poo-pooed.")
But have you ever noticed that Paul, when he wants to give a simple, straightforward, step-by-step presentation of his Gospel, goes exactly through those four points, one after the other? He does it in the first four chapters of Romans. That's where we get it.
GOD
First, Paul tells his readers that it is God to whom they are accountable. He begins his presentation of the gospel by declaring that “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven” (Rom. 1:18). So with his very first words, Paul insists that humanity is not autonomous. We did not create ourselves, and we are neither self-reliant nor self-accountable. No, it is God who created the world and everything in it, including us. Because he created us, God has the right to demand that we worship him. Look what Paul says in verses 20-21:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Humanity's sin was failing to honor and thank God. It is our obligation, as people created and owned by God, to give him the honor and glory that is due to him, to live and speak and act and think in a way that recognizes and acknowledges his authority over us. We are made by him, owned by him, dependent on him, and therefore accountable to him. That’s the first point Paul labors to make as he explains the gospel.
MAN
Second, Paul tells his readers that their problem is that they rebelled against God. They—along with everyone else—did not honor God and give thanks to him as they should have. Their foolish hearts were darkened and they “exchanged God’s glory for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”
For most of the next three chapters Paul presses this point, indicting all humanity as sinners against God. First he focuses on the Gentiles in chapter 1, and then he turns just as strongly toward the Jews in chapter 2. It’s as if Paul knows that the most self-righteous of the Jews would have been applauding his lashing of the Gentiles, so he pivots on a dime in 2:1 and points his accusing finger at them: “You, therefore, have no excuse!” Just like Gentiles, he says, Jews have broken God’s law and are under his judgment.
By the middle of chapter three, Paul has indicted every single person in the world with rebellion against God. “We have made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin” (3:9). And his conclusion is that when we stand before God the Judge, every mouth will be silenced. No one will mount a defense. Not one excuse will be offered. The whole world—Jew, Gentile, every last one of us—will be held fully accountable to God (3:19).
CHRIST
Third, Paul says that God’s solution to humanity’s sin is the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “But now,” he writes, in spite of our sin, “now a righteousness from God, apart from Law, has been made known” (3:21). In other words, there is a way for human beings to be counted righteous before God instead of unrighteous, to be declared innocent instead of guilty, to be justified instead of condemned. And it has nothing do with acting better, or living a more righteous life. It comes “apart from the law.”
And how does it happen? Paul puts it plainly in Romans 3:24. Despite our rebellion against God, we can be “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Through Christ’s sacrificial death (“propitiation,” Paul says) and resurrection, sinners may be saved from the condemnation our sins deserve.
RESPONSE
Finally, Paul tells his readers how they themselves can be included in this salvation. That’s what he writes about through the end of chapter three and on through chapter four. The salvation God has provided “comes through faith in Jesus Christ.” It comes “to all who believe” (3:22). So how does this salvation become good news for me and not just for someone else? How do I come to be included in it? By believing in Jesus Christ. By trusting him and no other to save me. “To the man who does not work but trusts God to save the wicked,” Paul explains, “his faith is credited as righteousness,” (4:5).
____________
So there you go. God-Man-Christ-Response, as plain as day, right there in the first four chapters of Romans. Of course Paul goes on to talk about other things: the Christ-Adam parallel in 5, the grace-leads-to-sin/no-it-doesn’t-it-leads-to-freedom-and-holiness exchange in 6, the reason salvation cannot be by law in 7, the great explosion of gospel promise in 8, the excruciating question of Israel’s non-belief in 9-11, and the application of all this in 12-16. But it all starts with the Gospel in 1-4 -- God-Man-Christ-Response.
Have you ever wondered where from the Bible we get the little God-Man-Christ-Response summary of the Gospel? Sometimes that summary gets poo-pooed a bit as a simplistic, manufactured reduction of the Gospel that really doesn't do justice to what the Bible actually says. (Yes, I said "poo-pooed.")
But have you ever noticed that Paul, when he wants to give a simple, straightforward, step-by-step presentation of his Gospel, goes exactly through those four points, one after the other? He does it in the first four chapters of Romans. That's where we get it.
GOD
First, Paul tells his readers that it is God to whom they are accountable. He begins his presentation of the gospel by declaring that “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven” (Rom. 1:18). So with his very first words, Paul insists that humanity is not autonomous. We did not create ourselves, and we are neither self-reliant nor self-accountable. No, it is God who created the world and everything in it, including us. Because he created us, God has the right to demand that we worship him. Look what Paul says in verses 20-21:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Humanity's sin was failing to honor and thank God. It is our obligation, as people created and owned by God, to give him the honor and glory that is due to him, to live and speak and act and think in a way that recognizes and acknowledges his authority over us. We are made by him, owned by him, dependent on him, and therefore accountable to him. That’s the first point Paul labors to make as he explains the gospel.
MAN
Second, Paul tells his readers that their problem is that they rebelled against God. They—along with everyone else—did not honor God and give thanks to him as they should have. Their foolish hearts were darkened and they “exchanged God’s glory for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”
For most of the next three chapters Paul presses this point, indicting all humanity as sinners against God. First he focuses on the Gentiles in chapter 1, and then he turns just as strongly toward the Jews in chapter 2. It’s as if Paul knows that the most self-righteous of the Jews would have been applauding his lashing of the Gentiles, so he pivots on a dime in 2:1 and points his accusing finger at them: “You, therefore, have no excuse!” Just like Gentiles, he says, Jews have broken God’s law and are under his judgment.
By the middle of chapter three, Paul has indicted every single person in the world with rebellion against God. “We have made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin” (3:9). And his conclusion is that when we stand before God the Judge, every mouth will be silenced. No one will mount a defense. Not one excuse will be offered. The whole world—Jew, Gentile, every last one of us—will be held fully accountable to God (3:19).
CHRIST
Third, Paul says that God’s solution to humanity’s sin is the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “But now,” he writes, in spite of our sin, “now a righteousness from God, apart from Law, has been made known” (3:21). In other words, there is a way for human beings to be counted righteous before God instead of unrighteous, to be declared innocent instead of guilty, to be justified instead of condemned. And it has nothing do with acting better, or living a more righteous life. It comes “apart from the law.”
And how does it happen? Paul puts it plainly in Romans 3:24. Despite our rebellion against God, we can be “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Through Christ’s sacrificial death (“propitiation,” Paul says) and resurrection, sinners may be saved from the condemnation our sins deserve.
RESPONSE
Finally, Paul tells his readers how they themselves can be included in this salvation. That’s what he writes about through the end of chapter three and on through chapter four. The salvation God has provided “comes through faith in Jesus Christ.” It comes “to all who believe” (3:22). So how does this salvation become good news for me and not just for someone else? How do I come to be included in it? By believing in Jesus Christ. By trusting him and no other to save me. “To the man who does not work but trusts God to save the wicked,” Paul explains, “his faith is credited as righteousness,” (4:5).
____________
So there you go. God-Man-Christ-Response, as plain as day, right there in the first four chapters of Romans. Of course Paul goes on to talk about other things: the Christ-Adam parallel in 5, the grace-leads-to-sin/no-it-doesn’t-it-leads-to-freedom-and-holiness exchange in 6, the reason salvation cannot be by law in 7, the great explosion of gospel promise in 8, the excruciating question of Israel’s non-belief in 9-11, and the application of all this in 12-16. But it all starts with the Gospel in 1-4 -- God-Man-Christ-Response.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Gospel humility
“Humility agrees and is glad that everything we have is a free gift of God, and that this severs the root of boasting in our distinctives. Whatever talents, whatever intelligence, what ever skills, whatever gifts, whatever looks, whatever pedigree, whatever possessions, whatever wit, whatever influence you have, put away all pride because it is a gift, and put away all despair because it is a gift from God.” - John Piper, Greatness, Humility, Servanthood
HT: Of First Importance
HT: Of First Importance
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Lloyd-Jones: focusing on what really matters
Justin Taylor shares a an MLJ quote he learned about from David Sunday:
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, commenting on Phil 1:10 ("that you may approve what is excellent," or "that you may have a sense of what is vital"):
The difficulty in life is to know on what we ought to concentrate. The whole art of life, I sometimes think, is the art of knowing what to leave out, what to ignore, what to put on one side. How prone we are to dissipate our energies and to waste our time by forgetting what is vital and giving ourselves to second and third rate issues. Now, says Paul, here you are in the Christian life, you are concerned about difficulties, about oppositions and about the contradictions of life. What you need is just this: the power to concentrate on that which is vital, to leave out everything else, and to keep steadily to the one thing that matters.
The Life of Joy: Philippians, vol. 1, pp. 54-55.
HT: Between Two Worlds
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, commenting on Phil 1:10 ("that you may approve what is excellent," or "that you may have a sense of what is vital"):
The difficulty in life is to know on what we ought to concentrate. The whole art of life, I sometimes think, is the art of knowing what to leave out, what to ignore, what to put on one side. How prone we are to dissipate our energies and to waste our time by forgetting what is vital and giving ourselves to second and third rate issues. Now, says Paul, here you are in the Christian life, you are concerned about difficulties, about oppositions and about the contradictions of life. What you need is just this: the power to concentrate on that which is vital, to leave out everything else, and to keep steadily to the one thing that matters.
The Life of Joy: Philippians, vol. 1, pp. 54-55.
HT: Between Two Worlds
Monday, August 31, 2009
Gospel commandings are gracious enablings
John Berridge wrote:
Run, John., and work, the law commands,
Yet finds me neither feet nor hands;
But, sweeter news the gospel brings,
It bids me fly, and lends me wings.
(Source: The Salt-Cellars, Vol. 1, page 234, by C.H. Spurgeon)
Run, John., and work, the law commands,
Yet finds me neither feet nor hands;
But, sweeter news the gospel brings,
It bids me fly, and lends me wings.
(Source: The Salt-Cellars, Vol. 1, page 234, by C.H. Spurgeon)
Friday, August 28, 2009
A gospel-centered reader
Timmy Brister has a collection of gospel-centered resources at Provocations and Pantings. Below is his list. Let him know if you can think of more. Also, Michael Spencer at Internet Monk has a post titled "I’m a Little Confused About Being “Gospel-Centered” in which he asks nine questions with the aim to clarify what people mean by "gospel-centered."
1. Gospel Coalition Foundation Documents
2. The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration
3. Together for the Gospel Statement (PDF)
4. The Centrality of the Gospel by Tim Keller (PDF)
5. The Biblical Gospel by D.A. Carson (PDF)
6. Gospel-Driven Sanctification by Jerry Bridges (PDF)
7. The Transforming Power of the Gospel – Steve Childers (PDF)
8. The Gospel and the Poor by Tim Keller (PDF)
9. Fight Clubs: Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson (PDF)
10. The Gospel Centered Life by Bob Thune (study)
11. Gospel-Centered Ministry by Tim Keller (PDF)
12. How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself by David Fairchild (Sermon MSS)
13. The Gospel: Key to Change by Tim Keller (PDF)
14. God Strengthens Us by the Gospel by John Piper
15. Advancing the Gospel in the 21st Century Part 2 by Tim Keller
16. Gospel-Centered Preaching by Steve Childers (not online)
17. Gospel Christianity (1.0) (2.0) (3.0) by Tim Keller (studies)
18. The Gospel in Its Many Forms by Tim Keller
19. How Does the Gospel Save Believers? (Part 2) (Part 3) by John Piper
20. Gospel-Centered by Joe Thorn
21. Being the Church in Our Culture by Tim Keller (PDF)
22. Preach the Gospel to Yourself by Tim Challies
23. What Do I Mean by a Gospel-Driven Life? (Part 2 Part 3) by John Fonville
24. The Gospel-Driven Life by Harry Reeder III
1. Gospel Coalition Foundation Documents
2. The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration
3. Together for the Gospel Statement (PDF)
4. The Centrality of the Gospel by Tim Keller (PDF)
5. The Biblical Gospel by D.A. Carson (PDF)
6. Gospel-Driven Sanctification by Jerry Bridges (PDF)
7. The Transforming Power of the Gospel – Steve Childers (PDF)
8. The Gospel and the Poor by Tim Keller (PDF)
9. Fight Clubs: Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson (PDF)
10. The Gospel Centered Life by Bob Thune (study)
11. Gospel-Centered Ministry by Tim Keller (PDF)
12. How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself by David Fairchild (Sermon MSS)
13. The Gospel: Key to Change by Tim Keller (PDF)
14. God Strengthens Us by the Gospel by John Piper
15. Advancing the Gospel in the 21st Century Part 2 by Tim Keller
16. Gospel-Centered Preaching by Steve Childers (not online)
17. Gospel Christianity (1.0) (2.0) (3.0) by Tim Keller (studies)
18. The Gospel in Its Many Forms by Tim Keller
19. How Does the Gospel Save Believers? (Part 2) (Part 3) by John Piper
20. Gospel-Centered by Joe Thorn
21. Being the Church in Our Culture by Tim Keller (PDF)
22. Preach the Gospel to Yourself by Tim Challies
23. What Do I Mean by a Gospel-Driven Life? (Part 2 Part 3) by John Fonville
24. The Gospel-Driven Life by Harry Reeder III
Trinitarian heresy 101
Michael Patton gives basic principles of what the doctrine of the Trinity is (e.g., Christians believe in one God, i.e., one essence, who eternally exists in three separate persons, all of whom are equal.) and shoots down illustrations about what it is not at his post at Parchment and Pen titled “The Trinity is like 3-in-1 shampoo” ... and other stupid statements."
He made the “Trinitarianism Heresy Test Chart” below with the following notes:
He also provided the following chart -- called the “Shield of the Trinity” -- to help describe the Trinity, and said, "It is always best to remember that the Father is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and the Son is God, but they are not each other.
He made the “Trinitarianism Heresy Test Chart” below with the following notes:
- If equality is denied, on the opposite side it points to subordinationalism.
- If diversity is denied, the result is modalism.
- If unity is denied, the result is tritheism (or polytheism —many gods).
He also provided the following chart -- called the “Shield of the Trinity” -- to help describe the Trinity, and said, "It is always best to remember that the Father is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and the Son is God, but they are not each other.
Read the entire post.
Making Bible reading simple
Stephen Altrogge:
Have you ever gotten lost while reading your Bible? You’re wandering through Judges, and as you’re reading about bloody sacrifices, bloodier battles, and a long-haired strong man killing hundred of Philistines with a jaw bone, you suddenly realize, I have no idea what this means for me today. What do ram sacrifices, the sun going backwards, and a long line of oddly named judges, have to do with budgets, disciplining your children, and spending eight hours in a cubicle? I’ve been there, and frankly, it can be pretty discouraging.
Let me give you two simple questions to ask when you’re reading Scripture and feeling lost. These questions came directly from a sermon by a man named Mike Bullmore. The questions are:
What Does This Passage Tell Me About God?
At times we forget the obvious: the Bible is all about God. Every passage points to God, revealing something about his character, his desires, or his actions. The OT sacrifices tell me that God is holy and that he takes sin seriously. The Psalms tell me that God is sovereign, and yet he’s also an intensely personal. In every book of the Bible, the glory of God bursts through and the story of salvation is unfolded. So when you feel lost, step back a moment and ask, Where is God in this picture? What work is he doing in this scene? How does this passage point to God’s saving work in Christ? Where’s the glory, and where’s the story?
What Does This Passage Tell Me About Myself?
For each revelation of God there is an appropriate response from us. His majesty calls us to humbly worship him, His goodness compels us to thank him. His commands require obedience, which in turn leads us to ask him for the grace to obey. The Bible isn’t simply information to be digested, it requires a heartfelt response. So as you read, ask yourself, How should I respond to what I just read? Is there a command I must obey, a sin I must repent of, or a blessing for which I should be grateful?
I find these questions to be tremendously helpful, and they have a simplifying effect on my devotional life. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t dive deep into Scripture, or read commentaries, or do word studies. Those are all wonderful tools. But ultimately Scripture is the story of God revealing himself to and redeeming sinners. When we keep that in mind, things get much simpler.
Have you ever gotten lost while reading your Bible? You’re wandering through Judges, and as you’re reading about bloody sacrifices, bloodier battles, and a long-haired strong man killing hundred of Philistines with a jaw bone, you suddenly realize, I have no idea what this means for me today. What do ram sacrifices, the sun going backwards, and a long line of oddly named judges, have to do with budgets, disciplining your children, and spending eight hours in a cubicle? I’ve been there, and frankly, it can be pretty discouraging.
Let me give you two simple questions to ask when you’re reading Scripture and feeling lost. These questions came directly from a sermon by a man named Mike Bullmore. The questions are:
What Does This Passage Tell Me About God?
At times we forget the obvious: the Bible is all about God. Every passage points to God, revealing something about his character, his desires, or his actions. The OT sacrifices tell me that God is holy and that he takes sin seriously. The Psalms tell me that God is sovereign, and yet he’s also an intensely personal. In every book of the Bible, the glory of God bursts through and the story of salvation is unfolded. So when you feel lost, step back a moment and ask, Where is God in this picture? What work is he doing in this scene? How does this passage point to God’s saving work in Christ? Where’s the glory, and where’s the story?
What Does This Passage Tell Me About Myself?
For each revelation of God there is an appropriate response from us. His majesty calls us to humbly worship him, His goodness compels us to thank him. His commands require obedience, which in turn leads us to ask him for the grace to obey. The Bible isn’t simply information to be digested, it requires a heartfelt response. So as you read, ask yourself, How should I respond to what I just read? Is there a command I must obey, a sin I must repent of, or a blessing for which I should be grateful?
I find these questions to be tremendously helpful, and they have a simplifying effect on my devotional life. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t dive deep into Scripture, or read commentaries, or do word studies. Those are all wonderful tools. But ultimately Scripture is the story of God revealing himself to and redeeming sinners. When we keep that in mind, things get much simpler.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Theological studies toolbar
From Michael Patton at Parchment and Pen:
I have designed a theological toolbar to lead you to all the best and most trustworthy sites on the web.
Included:
I have designed a theological toolbar to lead you to all the best and most trustworthy sites on the web.
Included:
- Online Bibles Sites
- Bible Study Software
- Christian History
- Theological Sites
- Built in MP3 with the entire Theology Program fed into it.
- Easy to access RSS feed to the must read Theological Blogs (P&P included of course)
- Google search engine
- and more…
It is very clean. Check it out.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A life of thankful discontentment
“The Christian life should be a state of thankful discontentment or joyful dissatisfaction! We live every day thankful for the amazing grace that fundamentally changes our lives, but we should not be satisfied. Why not? Because, when we look at ourselves honestly, we have to admit that there is still need for personal growth and change. We are not yet all that we could be in Christ. We are thankful for the many things in our lives that would not be there without His grace, but we should not settle for partial inheritance. We should want nothing less than all that is ours in Christ! In this sense, God does not want us to be content with less than what He wants for us. He calls us to continue to wrestle, meditate, look, consider, resist, submit, follow, and pray until we have been completely transformed into His likeness.”
- Paul David Tripp & Timothy S. Lane, “How Christ Changes Us By His Grace” in The Journal of Biblical Counseling (Spring 2005), 20.
HT: Of First Importance
- Paul David Tripp & Timothy S. Lane, “How Christ Changes Us By His Grace” in The Journal of Biblical Counseling (Spring 2005), 20.
HT: Of First Importance
Building faith by preaching Christ
“Faith is not built by preaching introspectively (constantly challenging people to question whether they have faith); faith is not built by preaching moralistically (which has exactly the opposite effect of focusing attention on the self rather than on Christ, in whom our faith is placed); faith is not built by joining the culture wars and taking potshots at what is wrong with our culture. Faith is built by careful, thorough exposition of the person, character, and work of Christ….
We feed on Christ himself, and we do so not by some physical eating of his body, but through faith in the Christ proclaimed in Word and sacrament. These four alternatives [moralism, how-to, introspection, and social gospel] have left much of the evangelical and Reformed church malnourished. People know what they ought to do, but they are dispirited and lethargic, without the vision, drive, or impetus to live with and for Christ. And the reason for this dispirited condition is that the pulpit is largely silent about Christ. He is mentioned only as an afterthought or appendage to a sermon; in many churches, he is never proclaimed as the central point of a sermon, and surely not on a regular, weekly basis.”
—T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers (P&R 2009) pp. 75—76, 88—89.
HT: Miscellanies
We feed on Christ himself, and we do so not by some physical eating of his body, but through faith in the Christ proclaimed in Word and sacrament. These four alternatives [moralism, how-to, introspection, and social gospel] have left much of the evangelical and Reformed church malnourished. People know what they ought to do, but they are dispirited and lethargic, without the vision, drive, or impetus to live with and for Christ. And the reason for this dispirited condition is that the pulpit is largely silent about Christ. He is mentioned only as an afterthought or appendage to a sermon; in many churches, he is never proclaimed as the central point of a sermon, and surely not on a regular, weekly basis.”
—T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers (P&R 2009) pp. 75—76, 88—89.
HT: Miscellanies
Justification by resurrection
From Tony Reinke at Miscellanies:
Paul writes in Romans 4:25 that Jesus was “delivered up for [διά] our trespasses and raised for [διά] our justification.” A stunning statement that locates our justification in the resurrection of Christ.
On this passage Geerhardus Vos (1862—1949) wrote:
“… it remains worth observing, that the Apostle has incorporated this idea of the resurrection in his forensic sceme. It seems a pity that in the more prominent associations of our Easter observance so little place has been left to it [the forensic]. The Pauline remembrance of the supreme fact, so significant for redemption from sin, and the modern-Christian celebration of the feast have gradually become two quite different things. Who at the present time thinks of Easter as intended and adapted to fill the soul with a new jubilant assurance of the forgiveness of sin as the guarantee of the inheritance of eternal life?” [The Pauline Eschatology (P&R 1930/1994) p. 153]
Paul writes in Romans 4:25 that Jesus was “delivered up for [διά] our trespasses and raised for [διά] our justification.” A stunning statement that locates our justification in the resurrection of Christ.
On this passage Geerhardus Vos (1862—1949) wrote:
“… it remains worth observing, that the Apostle has incorporated this idea of the resurrection in his forensic sceme. It seems a pity that in the more prominent associations of our Easter observance so little place has been left to it [the forensic]. The Pauline remembrance of the supreme fact, so significant for redemption from sin, and the modern-Christian celebration of the feast have gradually become two quite different things. Who at the present time thinks of Easter as intended and adapted to fill the soul with a new jubilant assurance of the forgiveness of sin as the guarantee of the inheritance of eternal life?” [The Pauline Eschatology (P&R 1930/1994) p. 153]
Monday, August 24, 2009
Your prayer is a beggar
A quote by Paul Miller from A Praying Life:
Imagine that your prayer is a poorly dressed beggar reeking of alcohol and body odor, stumbling toward the palace of the great king. You have become your prayer. As you shuffle toward the barred gate, the guards stiffen. Your smell has preceded you. You stammer out a message for the great king: “I want to see the king.” Your words are barely intelligible, but you whisper one final word, “Jesus. I come in the name of Jesus.”
At the name of Jesus, as if by magic, the palace comes alive. The guards snap to attention, bowing low in front of you. Lights come on, and the door flies open. You are ushered into the palace and down a long hallway in to the throne room of the great king, who comes running to you and wraps you in his arms.
The name of Jesus gives my prayers royal access. They get through. Jesus isn’t just the Savior of my soul. He’s also the Savior of my prayers. My prayers come before the throne of God as the prayers of Jesus. “Asking in Jesus’ name” isn’t another thing I have to get right so my prayers are perfect. It is one more gift of God because my prayers are so imperfect.
HT: The Blazing Center
Imagine that your prayer is a poorly dressed beggar reeking of alcohol and body odor, stumbling toward the palace of the great king. You have become your prayer. As you shuffle toward the barred gate, the guards stiffen. Your smell has preceded you. You stammer out a message for the great king: “I want to see the king.” Your words are barely intelligible, but you whisper one final word, “Jesus. I come in the name of Jesus.”
At the name of Jesus, as if by magic, the palace comes alive. The guards snap to attention, bowing low in front of you. Lights come on, and the door flies open. You are ushered into the palace and down a long hallway in to the throne room of the great king, who comes running to you and wraps you in his arms.
The name of Jesus gives my prayers royal access. They get through. Jesus isn’t just the Savior of my soul. He’s also the Savior of my prayers. My prayers come before the throne of God as the prayers of Jesus. “Asking in Jesus’ name” isn’t another thing I have to get right so my prayers are perfect. It is one more gift of God because my prayers are so imperfect.
HT: The Blazing Center
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The more you see Jesus
“The more I see of Jesus, the more He opens to me His loving heart, the deeper is my sorrow for sin. I lie down in the dust of His feet closer than ever I did before. I can truly say I abhor myself in dust and ashes before Him. My heart seems ready to melt into contrition in view of the ten thousand thousand sins, willful and aggravating, that I have committed against Him, who loved me with an everlasting love, and with loving kindness drew me to Himself.” - Mary Winslow
HT: Of First Importance
HT: Of First Importance
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Pre-publications at Logos.com worth considering
For those who have Logos Bible Software, the as-of-right-now pre-publications are worth considering. And if you don't have one of the Logos software base products, I recommend you consider getting one (e.g., Scholar's Library - regular, silver or gold).
- Tyndale Commentaries CD-ROM (49 Vols.)
- Reformed Dogmatics, by Herman Bavinck (4 Vols.)
- An Exegetical Commentary: Revelation (2 Vols.)
- ESV Study Bible
- Christian Origins and the Question of God Series, by N. T. Wright (Vols. 1–3)
- The New International Commentary on the Old and New Testament (NICOT/NICNT 40 Vols.)
- Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon
- Calvin 500 Collection (108 Vols.)
- Themelios (99 Issues)
- The Church of Christ (2 Vols.) [DOWNLOAD]
- Louis Berkhof Collection (14 Vols.)
- Mark Driscoll Sermon Archive
- Welwyn Commentary Series (49 Vols.)
- Charles Spurgeon Collection (87 Vols.)
- William G. T. Shedd Collection (13 Vols.)
- Christian History & Biography Magazine (Issues 1–99)
- Philip Schaff Collection (21 Vols.)
- Douglas Wilson Collection (17 Vols.)
- The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (22 Vols.)
- Baker Theology Collection (11 Vols.)
- Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics (4 Vols.)
- Focus on the Bible Commentaries (32 Vols.)
- A. A. Hodge Collection (10 Vols.)
- Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas, English and Latin Bundle (30 Vols.)
- The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter (23 Vols.)
- The Works of Richard Sibbes (7 Vols.)
- The Works of Thomas Goodwin (12 Vols.)
- Systematic Theology: Biblical and Historical by Robert Culver
Questions to ask when preparing for marriage
What are some good questions to ask when preparing for marriage? Check out John Piper's list at the Desiring God Blog: Questions to Ask When Preparing for Marriage. The questions are listed under the following 10 sections:
1. Theology
2. Worship and Devotion
3. Husband and Wife
4. Children
5. Lifestyle
6. Entertainment
7. Conflict
8. Work
9. Friends
10. Health and Sickness
1. Theology
2. Worship and Devotion
3. Husband and Wife
4. Children
5. Lifestyle
6. Entertainment
7. Conflict
8. Work
9. Friends
10. Health and Sickness
Praise and Thanksgiving
Here's a prayer titled "Praise and Thanksgiving" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 26-27):
O MY GOD,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.
I love thee above the powers of language
to express,
for what thou art to thy creatures.
Increase my love, O my God, through time
and eternity.
O MY GOD,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.
I love thee above the powers of language
to express,
for what thou art to thy creatures.
Increase my love, O my God, through time
and eternity.
Friday, August 7, 2009
What is the "missional" church?
Steve Camp gives "a brief look at how the NT church in our day might function" (Acts 2:42-47) by providing a short list as a "starting point for discussion and thought" with the aim to encourage Christians to pursue biblical ministry within the local church:
1. The Missional Church is not about developing programs, events, classes, etc. for the purpose of attracting nonbelievers to come to church. It is about the "equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry" so that they will go in the confidence of the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ to the people in their community that the Lord has sovereignly placed them in.
2. The Missional Church is not about corporate strategery, but remaining organic within culture operating from a distinctive biblical worldview as salt and light.
3. The Missional Church is about respecting and understanding nonbelievers "in their unbelief"; and how they function within their homes, work places, and communities. It is also really listening to their views on the hypocrisy of the church, suffering, the problem with evil in the world, and faith experiences from their past.
4. The Missional Church is committed to biblical fidelity and cultural viability. It's the philosophical conviction that for genuine ministry to flourish, one must lead with theology/doctrine and not with pragmatics.
5. The Missional Church desires to fulfill the Great Commission AND the Two Great Commandments as an act of daily worship in culture, in church, in family.
6. The Missional Church is about remaining true to what the Scripture calls us to do as a church as a sign of our faithfulness to Jesus Christ: proclaiming the gospel; preaching the Word; presenting every man mature in Christ; making disciples; calling people to repentance in Christ; worshipping God; caring for the needs of others; loving our neighbor; etc. And then developing passageways for them to be engaged in service to God and others by using their gifts for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.
7. The Missional Church is dedicated to preach repentance and not a feel-good tolerance of values.
8. The Missional Church is counter-cultural, but not culturally absent. In the world; not of the world.
9. The Missional Church is the city of God within the city of Man.
10. The Missional Church is wholly monergistic, not synergistic; complimentarian, not egalitarian.
11. The Missional Church is dedicated to the propagation of the gospel of Jesus lived vs. the gospel of capitalism. the gospel of self-esteem, the gospel of seeker-sensitivity, or the gospel of political-works-righteousness lauded.
12. The Missional Church is modeling the Pauline mandate to "become all things to all men" without compromising life, witness, doctrine, or gospel.
13. The Missional Church teaches that all saints are to use their Spirit given giftedness as stewards of the manifold grace of God, for the advancement of His Kingdom, in the power of the Holy Spirit, by His Word, for the service of others, culminating in the praise and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
14. The Missional Church embraces the dignity of all men as created in the image of God by caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and all hurting, sick and disadvantaged under this banner: His holiness not compromised; yet His mercy not restrained.
15. and The Missional Church is resolved to living daily in presence of the glory of God in all things.
1. The Missional Church is not about developing programs, events, classes, etc. for the purpose of attracting nonbelievers to come to church. It is about the "equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry" so that they will go in the confidence of the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ to the people in their community that the Lord has sovereignly placed them in.
2. The Missional Church is not about corporate strategery, but remaining organic within culture operating from a distinctive biblical worldview as salt and light.
3. The Missional Church is about respecting and understanding nonbelievers "in their unbelief"; and how they function within their homes, work places, and communities. It is also really listening to their views on the hypocrisy of the church, suffering, the problem with evil in the world, and faith experiences from their past.
4. The Missional Church is committed to biblical fidelity and cultural viability. It's the philosophical conviction that for genuine ministry to flourish, one must lead with theology/doctrine and not with pragmatics.
5. The Missional Church desires to fulfill the Great Commission AND the Two Great Commandments as an act of daily worship in culture, in church, in family.
6. The Missional Church is about remaining true to what the Scripture calls us to do as a church as a sign of our faithfulness to Jesus Christ: proclaiming the gospel; preaching the Word; presenting every man mature in Christ; making disciples; calling people to repentance in Christ; worshipping God; caring for the needs of others; loving our neighbor; etc. And then developing passageways for them to be engaged in service to God and others by using their gifts for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.
7. The Missional Church is dedicated to preach repentance and not a feel-good tolerance of values.
8. The Missional Church is counter-cultural, but not culturally absent. In the world; not of the world.
9. The Missional Church is the city of God within the city of Man.
10. The Missional Church is wholly monergistic, not synergistic; complimentarian, not egalitarian.
11. The Missional Church is dedicated to the propagation of the gospel of Jesus lived vs. the gospel of capitalism. the gospel of self-esteem, the gospel of seeker-sensitivity, or the gospel of political-works-righteousness lauded.
12. The Missional Church is modeling the Pauline mandate to "become all things to all men" without compromising life, witness, doctrine, or gospel.
13. The Missional Church teaches that all saints are to use their Spirit given giftedness as stewards of the manifold grace of God, for the advancement of His Kingdom, in the power of the Holy Spirit, by His Word, for the service of others, culminating in the praise and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
14. The Missional Church embraces the dignity of all men as created in the image of God by caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and all hurting, sick and disadvantaged under this banner: His holiness not compromised; yet His mercy not restrained.
15. and The Missional Church is resolved to living daily in presence of the glory of God in all things.
Have you taken your three glances at Jesus today?
Hebrews 12:1-2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Sovereign Grace Fellowship Pastor Rick Gamache, in a June 29, 2008 sermon on Hebrews 12:1-2, encourages us to take three glances at Jesus:
The entire sermon may be listened to or downloaded at the following link: http://www.sovgracemn.org/sermons/sermon/2008-06-29/let-us-run.
Sovereign Grace Fellowship Pastor Rick Gamache, in a June 29, 2008 sermon on Hebrews 12:1-2, encourages us to take three glances at Jesus:
Every single day we must look back to Jesus on the cross. Every single day we must take a backwards glance to Jesus on the cross. Verse two says that he endured the cross despising the shame, so every day we must let faith's eye look on Jesus crucified, because when we do we will see the eternal Son of God suffering and bleeding and dying in order to pay for our sins and so satisfy the wrath of God against our sin. When we look on Christ crucified, we will see the most wonderful transaction that's ever taken place. We will see our substitute dying in our place, the just for the unjust, the sinless for the sinful. We will see him burying our sins, carrying our transgressions, becoming a curse for us in order to set us free from all guilt and declare us innocent before God. And when we know that we're forgiven, when we know that we're justified, when we know that we are reconciled and accepted by God, the weight of guilt and condemnation is cast off and we run the race with endurance knowing we have peace with God. So we must daily take a backwards glance at Jesus Christ.
Second glance at Jesus that we must take every single day. ... Look up to Him enthroned in heaven. Look back to Him on the cross; look up to him enthroned in heaven. Verse two also says he is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. When we look up to Jesus on the throne, we will see the same savior who died now risen and exalted to the highest place of honor. We will see him serving as our high priest, our intercessor, our advocate before the Father. We will see him presenting our name before the Father and pleading our case. We will see him obtain for us a never-ending supply of grace. We will see him watch over us with eyes that never sleep. He will hear our confession, strengthen us for service, comfort us in trial, make way of escape in temptation, and keep us safe no matter where our marathon takes us. And so when we look up to King Jesus on the throne, we will derive great strength for the race. And so every single day we must take an upward glance at Jesus on the throne.
Finally, in order to run our race with endurance, lay aside every weight and sin, we must look back to Jesus on the cross, look up to Jesus on the throne, and look forward in faith to Jesus coming again. We must do what Jesus did when he set an example for us according to verse two and endured what he endured for the joy to come. When we look ahead to Jesus coming again, we see the eternal Son of God return to Earth with power and glory and every angel of heaven. We see him raise dead saints and transform the living saints in the blink of an eye. We see him punish the wicked and reward the righteous. We see him bind Satan and his demons and cast them in the Lake of Fire forever. We see all evil and sin cast away forever. We see all disease and death and sorrow and racism and wars and poverty and injustice cast out. We see paradise once lost now regained. And so we lay aside the weight of anxiety and we run our race with hope.
So that's how we run together with endurance the race that God sets before us. We daily, daily, daily look back to Jesus on the cross, look up to Jesus on the throne, and look forward to Christ coming on the clouds.
The entire sermon may be listened to or downloaded at the following link: http://www.sovgracemn.org/sermons/sermon/2008-06-29/let-us-run.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
How George Whitefield studied the Bible
"There he is at five in the morning . . . . on his knees with his English Bible, his Greek New Testament and Henry's Commentary spread out before him. He reads a portion in the English, gains a fuller insight into it as he studies words and tenses in the Greek and then considers Matthew Henry's explanation of it all. Finally, there comes the unique practice that he has developed: that of 'praying over every line and word' of both the English and the Greek till the passage, in its essential message, has veritably become part of his own soul." (Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield, I:82-83.)
HT: Christ is deeper still
HT: Christ is deeper still
Friday, July 31, 2009
No love but the love of Jesus
“There existed no love but the love of Jesus equal to the work of salvation.
Love less divine, less strong, less gentle, could never have won your heart, uprooted your enmity, tore you from your idols; enthroning Christ, all of Christ, Christ only, Christ supremely, Christ forever!
"Beloved, nothing shall take the love of Christ from you, or separate you from it. It does not ebb with the ebbing of your feelings; it does not chill with the chill of your affections; it does not change with the changing scenes and circumstances of your life.”
—Octavius Winslow, The Sympathy of Christ
HT: Of First Importance
Love less divine, less strong, less gentle, could never have won your heart, uprooted your enmity, tore you from your idols; enthroning Christ, all of Christ, Christ only, Christ supremely, Christ forever!
"Beloved, nothing shall take the love of Christ from you, or separate you from it. It does not ebb with the ebbing of your feelings; it does not chill with the chill of your affections; it does not change with the changing scenes and circumstances of your life.”
—Octavius Winslow, The Sympathy of Christ
HT: Of First Importance
Monday, July 27, 2009
Preaching the Gospel to yourself
Tim Challies:
In his book Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges writes about the important discipline of preaching the gospel to yourself every day. Realizing that many people have heard of this discipline but do not know how to practice it, he provides an overview of how he does so. I found it helpful and trust you will too. What could be more important than beginning each day with a fresh understanding of the great work of the gospel and its application to your life?
*****
Since the gospel is only for sinners, I begin each day with the realization that despite my being a saint, I still sin every day in thought, word, deed, and motive. If I am aware of any subtle, or not so subtle, sins in my life, I acknowledge those to God. Even if my conscience is not indicting me for conscious sins, I still acknowledge to God that I have not even come close to loving Him with all my being or loving my neighbor as myself. I repent of those sins, and then I apply specific Scriptures that assure me of God’s forgiveness to those sins I have just confessed.
I then generalize the Scripture’s promises of God’s forgiveness to all my life and say to God words to the effect that my only hope of a right standing with Him that day is Jesus’ blood shed for my sins, and His righteous life lived on my behalf. This reliance on the twofold work of Christ for me is beautifully captured by Edward Mote in his hymn “The Solid Rock” with his words, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Almost every day, I find myself going to those words in addition to reflecting on the promises of forgiveness in the Bible.
What Scriptures do I use to preach the gospel to myself? Here are just a few I choose from each day:
As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Romans 4:7-8)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
There are many others, including Psalm 130:3-4; Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13-14; Hebrews 8:12; and 10:17-18.
Whatever Scriptures we use to assure us of God’s forgiveness, we must realize that whether the passage explicitly states it or not, the only basis for God’s forgiveness is the blood of Christ shed on the cross for us. As the writer of Hebrews said, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (9:22), and the context makes it clear that it is Christ’s blood that provides the objective basis on which God forgives our sins.
In his book Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges writes about the important discipline of preaching the gospel to yourself every day. Realizing that many people have heard of this discipline but do not know how to practice it, he provides an overview of how he does so. I found it helpful and trust you will too. What could be more important than beginning each day with a fresh understanding of the great work of the gospel and its application to your life?
*****
Since the gospel is only for sinners, I begin each day with the realization that despite my being a saint, I still sin every day in thought, word, deed, and motive. If I am aware of any subtle, or not so subtle, sins in my life, I acknowledge those to God. Even if my conscience is not indicting me for conscious sins, I still acknowledge to God that I have not even come close to loving Him with all my being or loving my neighbor as myself. I repent of those sins, and then I apply specific Scriptures that assure me of God’s forgiveness to those sins I have just confessed.
I then generalize the Scripture’s promises of God’s forgiveness to all my life and say to God words to the effect that my only hope of a right standing with Him that day is Jesus’ blood shed for my sins, and His righteous life lived on my behalf. This reliance on the twofold work of Christ for me is beautifully captured by Edward Mote in his hymn “The Solid Rock” with his words, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Almost every day, I find myself going to those words in addition to reflecting on the promises of forgiveness in the Bible.
What Scriptures do I use to preach the gospel to myself? Here are just a few I choose from each day:
As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Romans 4:7-8)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
There are many others, including Psalm 130:3-4; Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13-14; Hebrews 8:12; and 10:17-18.
Whatever Scriptures we use to assure us of God’s forgiveness, we must realize that whether the passage explicitly states it or not, the only basis for God’s forgiveness is the blood of Christ shed on the cross for us. As the writer of Hebrews said, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (9:22), and the context makes it clear that it is Christ’s blood that provides the objective basis on which God forgives our sins.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
God Honoured
Here's a prayer titled "God Honoured" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 24-25):
O GOD,
Praise waiteth for thee,
and to render it is my noblest exercise;
This is thy due from all thy creatures,
for all thy works display thy attributes
and fulfil thy designs;
The sea, dry land, winter cold, summer heat,
morning light, evening shade are full of thee,
and thou givest me them richly to enjoy.
Thou art King of kings and Lord of lords;
At thy pleasure empires rise and fall;
All thy works praise thee and thy saints bless thee;
Let me be numbered with thy holy ones,
resemble them in character and condition,
sit with them at Jesus' feet.
May my religion be always firmly rooted in thy
Word,
my understanding divinely informed,
my affections holy and heavenly,
my motives simple and pure,
and my heart never wrong with thee.
Deliver me from the natural darkness of
my own mind,
from the corruptions of my heart,
from the temptations to which I am exposed,
from the daily snares that attend me.
I am in constant danger while I am in this life;
Let thy watchful eye ever be upon me
for my defence,
Save me from the power of my worldly and
spiritual enemies
and from all painful evils to which I have
exposed myself.
Until the day of life dawns above
let there be unrestrained fellowship with Jesus;
Until fruition comes, may I enjoy the earnest
of my inheritance
and the firstfruits of the Spirit;
Until I finish my course with joy may I pursue
it with diligence,
in every part display the resources of the Christian,
and adorn the doctrines of thee my God
in all things.
O GOD,
Praise waiteth for thee,
and to render it is my noblest exercise;
This is thy due from all thy creatures,
for all thy works display thy attributes
and fulfil thy designs;
The sea, dry land, winter cold, summer heat,
morning light, evening shade are full of thee,
and thou givest me them richly to enjoy.
Thou art King of kings and Lord of lords;
At thy pleasure empires rise and fall;
All thy works praise thee and thy saints bless thee;
Let me be numbered with thy holy ones,
resemble them in character and condition,
sit with them at Jesus' feet.
May my religion be always firmly rooted in thy
Word,
my understanding divinely informed,
my affections holy and heavenly,
my motives simple and pure,
and my heart never wrong with thee.
Deliver me from the natural darkness of
my own mind,
from the corruptions of my heart,
from the temptations to which I am exposed,
from the daily snares that attend me.
I am in constant danger while I am in this life;
Let thy watchful eye ever be upon me
for my defence,
Save me from the power of my worldly and
spiritual enemies
and from all painful evils to which I have
exposed myself.
Until the day of life dawns above
let there be unrestrained fellowship with Jesus;
Until fruition comes, may I enjoy the earnest
of my inheritance
and the firstfruits of the Spirit;
Until I finish my course with joy may I pursue
it with diligence,
in every part display the resources of the Christian,
and adorn the doctrines of thee my God
in all things.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Man's Great End
Here's a prayer titled "Man's Great End" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 22-23):
LORD OF ALL BEING,
There is one thing that deserves my greatest care,
that calls forth my ardent desires,
That is, that I may answer the great end for which
I am made -
to glorify thee who hast given me being,
and to do all the good I can for my felllow men,
Verily, life is not worth having
if it be not improved for this noble purpose.
Yet, Lord, how little is this the thought of mankind!
Most men seem to live for themselves,
without much or any regard for thy glory,
or for the good of others;
They earnestly desire and eargerly pursue
the riches, honours, pleasures of this life,
as if they supposed that wealth, greatness,
merriment,
could make their immortal souls happy;
But, alas, what false delusive dreams are these!
And how miserable ere long will those be that
sleep in them,
for all our happiness consists in loving thee,
and being holy as thou are holy.
O may I never fall into the tempers and vanities,
the sensuality and folly of the present world!
It is a place of inexpressible sorrow, a vast empty
nothingness;
Time is a moment, a vapour,
and all its enjoyments are empty bubbles,
fleeting blasts of wind,
from which nothing satisfactory can be derived;
Give me grace always to keep in covenant with thee,
and to reject as delusion a great name here
or hereafter,
together with all sinful pleasures or profits.
Help me to know continually
that there can be no true happiness,
no fulfilling of thy purpose for me,
apart from a life lived in and for
the Son of thy love.
LORD OF ALL BEING,
There is one thing that deserves my greatest care,
that calls forth my ardent desires,
That is, that I may answer the great end for which
I am made -
to glorify thee who hast given me being,
and to do all the good I can for my felllow men,
Verily, life is not worth having
if it be not improved for this noble purpose.
Yet, Lord, how little is this the thought of mankind!
Most men seem to live for themselves,
without much or any regard for thy glory,
or for the good of others;
They earnestly desire and eargerly pursue
the riches, honours, pleasures of this life,
as if they supposed that wealth, greatness,
merriment,
could make their immortal souls happy;
But, alas, what false delusive dreams are these!
And how miserable ere long will those be that
sleep in them,
for all our happiness consists in loving thee,
and being holy as thou are holy.
O may I never fall into the tempers and vanities,
the sensuality and folly of the present world!
It is a place of inexpressible sorrow, a vast empty
nothingness;
Time is a moment, a vapour,
and all its enjoyments are empty bubbles,
fleeting blasts of wind,
from which nothing satisfactory can be derived;
Give me grace always to keep in covenant with thee,
and to reject as delusion a great name here
or hereafter,
together with all sinful pleasures or profits.
Help me to know continually
that there can be no true happiness,
no fulfilling of thy purpose for me,
apart from a life lived in and for
the Son of thy love.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Believing lies, rejecting truth
Horatius Bonar:
In all unbelief there are these two things—a good opinion of one’s self and a bad opinion of God. Man’s good opinion of himself makes him think it quite possible to win God’s favor by his own religious performances; and his bad opinion of God makes him unwilling and afraid to put his case wholly into His hands. The object of the Holy Spirit’s work (in convincing of sin) is to alter the sinner’s opinion of himself, and so to reduce his estimate of his own character that he shall think of himself as God does, and so cease to suppose it possible that he can be justified by an excellency of his own. The Spirit then alters his evil opinion of God, so as to make him see that the God with whom he has to do is really the God of all grace.
But the inquirer denies that he has a good opinion of himself and owns himself a sinner. Now a man may SAY this, but really to KNOW it is something more than SAYING. Besides, he may be willing to take the name of sinner to himself, in common with his fellow-men, and yet not at all own himself such a sinner as God says he is—such a sinner as needs the cross, and blood, and righteousness of the Son of God. It takes a great deal to destroy a man’s good opinion of himself; how difficult it is to make a man think of himself as God does! What but the almightiness of the Divine Spirit can accomplish this?
Unbelief, then, is the belief of a lie and the rejection of the truth. Accept, then, the character of God as given in the gospel; the Holy Spirit will not give you peace irrespective of your views of God’s character. It is in connection with THE TRUTH concerning the true God, “the God of all grace,” that the Spirit gives peace. That which He shows us of ourselves is only evil; that which He shows us of God is only good!
(HT: Tim Challies)
In all unbelief there are these two things—a good opinion of one’s self and a bad opinion of God. Man’s good opinion of himself makes him think it quite possible to win God’s favor by his own religious performances; and his bad opinion of God makes him unwilling and afraid to put his case wholly into His hands. The object of the Holy Spirit’s work (in convincing of sin) is to alter the sinner’s opinion of himself, and so to reduce his estimate of his own character that he shall think of himself as God does, and so cease to suppose it possible that he can be justified by an excellency of his own. The Spirit then alters his evil opinion of God, so as to make him see that the God with whom he has to do is really the God of all grace.
But the inquirer denies that he has a good opinion of himself and owns himself a sinner. Now a man may SAY this, but really to KNOW it is something more than SAYING. Besides, he may be willing to take the name of sinner to himself, in common with his fellow-men, and yet not at all own himself such a sinner as God says he is—such a sinner as needs the cross, and blood, and righteousness of the Son of God. It takes a great deal to destroy a man’s good opinion of himself; how difficult it is to make a man think of himself as God does! What but the almightiness of the Divine Spirit can accomplish this?
Unbelief, then, is the belief of a lie and the rejection of the truth. Accept, then, the character of God as given in the gospel; the Holy Spirit will not give you peace irrespective of your views of God’s character. It is in connection with THE TRUTH concerning the true God, “the God of all grace,” that the Spirit gives peace. That which He shows us of ourselves is only evil; that which He shows us of God is only good!
(HT: Tim Challies)
He is working on our behalf
“We are always looking inwards and pitying ourselves and being sorry for ourselves, and looking for something to help us. Get rid of that outlook, forget yourself for a moment; the battle is the Lord’s! Salvation is His. It is for the honor of His great and holy Name. But go further and realize that because it is God’s battle this almighty power is being exercised on our behalf even when we do not realize it. Things are being done in this great campaign of which we are not aware. We may perhaps be half-asleep at our post, and we do not realize that the great Captain is planning something with repsect to us. We are unconscious of it. We would all be lost were it not for that. He, I say, is exercising this power on our behalf.” - Martin Lloyd-Jones, The Christian Solider (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1977), 30.
(HT: Of First Importance)
(HT: Of First Importance)
Saturday, June 6, 2009
A Present Salvation
Here's a prayer titled "A Present Salvation" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 20-21):
CREATOR AND REDEEMER GOD,
Author of all existence, source of all
blessedness,
I adore thee for making me capable of knowing thee,
for giving me reason and conscience,
for leading me to desire thee;
I praise thee for the revelation of thyself in
the gospel,
for thy heart as a dwelling place of pity,
for thy thoughts of peace towards me,
for thy patience and thy graciousness,
for the vastness of thy mercy.
Thou hast moved my conscience to know how
the guilty can be pardoned,
the unholy sanctified,
the poor enriched.
May I be always amongst those who not only
hear but know thee,
who walk with and rejoice in thee,
who take thee at thy word and find life there.
Keep me always longing
for a present salvation in Holy Spirit comforts
and rejoicings,
for spiritual graces and blessings,
for help to value my duties as well as my privileges.
May I cherish simplicity and godly sincerity
of character.
Help me to be in reality before thee
as in appearance I am before men,
to be religious before I profess religion,
to leave the world before I enter the church,
to set my affections on things above,
to shun forbidden follies and vanities,
to be a dispenser as well as a partaker of grace,
to be prepared to bear evil as well as to do good.
O God, make me worthy of this calling,
that the name of Jesus may be glorified in me
and I in him.
CREATOR AND REDEEMER GOD,
Author of all existence, source of all
blessedness,
I adore thee for making me capable of knowing thee,
for giving me reason and conscience,
for leading me to desire thee;
I praise thee for the revelation of thyself in
the gospel,
for thy heart as a dwelling place of pity,
for thy thoughts of peace towards me,
for thy patience and thy graciousness,
for the vastness of thy mercy.
Thou hast moved my conscience to know how
the guilty can be pardoned,
the unholy sanctified,
the poor enriched.
May I be always amongst those who not only
hear but know thee,
who walk with and rejoice in thee,
who take thee at thy word and find life there.
Keep me always longing
for a present salvation in Holy Spirit comforts
and rejoicings,
for spiritual graces and blessings,
for help to value my duties as well as my privileges.
May I cherish simplicity and godly sincerity
of character.
Help me to be in reality before thee
as in appearance I am before men,
to be religious before I profess religion,
to leave the world before I enter the church,
to set my affections on things above,
to shun forbidden follies and vanities,
to be a dispenser as well as a partaker of grace,
to be prepared to bear evil as well as to do good.
O God, make me worthy of this calling,
that the name of Jesus may be glorified in me
and I in him.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The one true worshiper
“Since our salvation is received in union with Christ, what is his by nature is ours by grace. Thus, in his self-offering to the Father, he offers us his people in him. We are thereby enabled to share in the relation he has with the Father . . .. Thus, Christ is, in reality, the one true worshiper, and our worship is a participation in his.” - Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2004), 416-417.
(HT: Of First Importance)
(HT: Of First Importance)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The only fruit that will last is the fruit that grows on the cross
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. (John 15:16)
On the day after the night in which Jesus spoke these words to the eleven and to you, Glen, he laid himself down on the cross and bought you with his blood. You are now his fruit and his fruit-bearer. The only fruit that will ever endure to eternal life is fruit which grows out of the cross. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:23, 24). We are Christ’s fruit because he died for us. We are his fruit-bearers if we are willing to take up our cross and die with him. Never forget the setting of your text, Glen. It is no accident that when Jesus had commanded you to go and bear fruit, he went and died. Your call and your ministry must always stand in the shadow of the cross of Christ. The only fruit that will last is the fruit that grows on the cross.
(The quote above is from an Oct. 11, 1981, sermon titled "I Chose You to Bear Fruit: Ordination of Glen Bloomstrom" by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org)
On the day after the night in which Jesus spoke these words to the eleven and to you, Glen, he laid himself down on the cross and bought you with his blood. You are now his fruit and his fruit-bearer. The only fruit that will ever endure to eternal life is fruit which grows out of the cross. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:23, 24). We are Christ’s fruit because he died for us. We are his fruit-bearers if we are willing to take up our cross and die with him. Never forget the setting of your text, Glen. It is no accident that when Jesus had commanded you to go and bear fruit, he went and died. Your call and your ministry must always stand in the shadow of the cross of Christ. The only fruit that will last is the fruit that grows on the cross.
(The quote above is from an Oct. 11, 1981, sermon titled "I Chose You to Bear Fruit: Ordination of Glen Bloomstrom" by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org)
Monday, June 1, 2009
The work of the Holy Spirit
“It is always the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us pay attention to ourselves instead of to Christ. He insinuates, ‘Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you do not have the joy of His children; you have such a weak hold of Jesus.’ All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self. He tells us that we are nothing, but that Christ is all in all.’” - Charles Spurgeon, Morning by Morning (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2001), 188.
(HT: Of First Importance)
(HT: Of First Importance)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The power that frees us from holding grudges
Satan aims to make the cross of Christ look weak and foolish. Notice Ephesians 4:32–5:2. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” The power that frees us from holding grudges is that in the cross of Christ God satisfied his grudge against us and dropped it. So Paul says, forgive as God in Christ forgave you. When we hold a grudge, we cancel out the cross. We act as though God did a foolish thing on the cross, since he dropped his infinite grudge against us, but we are going to hold on to our little grudge against so and so. And thus Satan brings the cross of Christ into contempt.
(The quote above is from a Dec. 16, 1984, sermon titled "Satan Seeks a Gap Called Grudge" by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org)
(The quote above is from a Dec. 16, 1984, sermon titled "Satan Seeks a Gap Called Grudge" by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org)
God Enjoyed
Here's a prayer titled "God Enjoyed" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 18-19):
THOU INCOMPREHENSIBLE
BUT PRAYER-HEARING GOD,
Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to thee,
for thou hast never said, 'Seek ye me in vain'.
To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities,
distresses;
possess me with thyself,
with a spirit of grace and supplication,
with a prayerful attitude of mind,
with access into warmth of fellowship,
so that in the ordinary concerns of life
my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,
and in habitual devotion I may find a resource
that will soothe my sorrows,
sanctify my successes,
and qualify me in all ways for dealings
with my fellow men.
I bless thee that thou has made me capable
of knowing thee, the author of all being,
of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,
of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.
O God, attend me in every part of my arduous
and trying pilgrimage;
I need the same counsel, defence, comfort
I found at my beginning.
Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven,
may I reflect him on earth,
While he pleads my cause, may I show forth
his praise.
Continue the gentleness of thy goodness
towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence
go with me,
thy blessing attend me.
Thou hast led me on and I have found thy
promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,
fearful, but thou hast delivered me,
despairing, but thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise thee, O God.
THOU INCOMPREHENSIBLE
BUT PRAYER-HEARING GOD,
Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to thee,
for thou hast never said, 'Seek ye me in vain'.
To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities,
distresses;
possess me with thyself,
with a spirit of grace and supplication,
with a prayerful attitude of mind,
with access into warmth of fellowship,
so that in the ordinary concerns of life
my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,
and in habitual devotion I may find a resource
that will soothe my sorrows,
sanctify my successes,
and qualify me in all ways for dealings
with my fellow men.
I bless thee that thou has made me capable
of knowing thee, the author of all being,
of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,
of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.
O God, attend me in every part of my arduous
and trying pilgrimage;
I need the same counsel, defence, comfort
I found at my beginning.
Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven,
may I reflect him on earth,
While he pleads my cause, may I show forth
his praise.
Continue the gentleness of thy goodness
towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence
go with me,
thy blessing attend me.
Thou hast led me on and I have found thy
promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,
fearful, but thou hast delivered me,
despairing, but thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise thee, O God.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
3 aspects of true faith: notitia, assensus, and fiducia
Michael Patton discusses "three separate yet vitally connected aspects" of saving faith (notitia, assensus, and fiducia) in a recent post at the Parchment and Pen Blog.
Patton has and continues to do all the world, and especially the Church, a great service through Reclaiming the Mind Ministries. If you haven't checked out The Theology Program, I highly encourage you to do so.
Patton has and continues to do all the world, and especially the Church, a great service through Reclaiming the Mind Ministries. If you haven't checked out The Theology Program, I highly encourage you to do so.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Seeking the glory of God and seeking the salvation of the lost are not two distinct goals
I don’t want us to make the mistake ... of separating the desire for people’s salvation and the desire that God be glorified. Think for a moment: What happens when a person who is lost becomes saved? Objectively, they pass from death to eternal life, from condemnation to justification, from alienation to reconciliation with God. Subjectively, they cease to rely on themselves or good works or idols and rely on God’s mercy. They cease to glory in themselves and begin to glory in the cross of Christ and the grace of God. When salvation comes to the lost a new heart is given which glorifies God by trusting in him and enjoying him and obeying him. Do you see what this means? Seeking the glory of God and seeking the salvation of the lost are not two distinct goals. The salvation of the lost is the new creation of persons who glorify God for his mercy. If you love people, you will want for them more than anything else the maximum eternal joy of knowing God as Savior in Jesus Christ. And if you love God, you will want nothing more than that his glory be known and enjoyed and magnified by the salvation of as many people as possible. It is the genius and beauty and wonder of God’s redemption that the pursuit of the lost and the pursuit of God’s glory are one pursuit.
(The quote above is from a Jan. 22, 1984, sermon titled "Tell How Much the Lord Has Done for You!" by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org)
(The quote above is from a Jan. 22, 1984, sermon titled "Tell How Much the Lord Has Done for You!" by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org)
Summarizing a sermon in one sentence
“I have a conviction that no sermon is ready for preaching, not ready for writing out, until we can express its theme in a short, pregnant sentence as clear as a crystal. I find the getting of that sentence is the hardest, the most exacting, and the most fruitful labour in my study. To compel oneself to fashion that sentence, to dismiss every word that is vague, ragged, ambiguous, to think oneself through to a form of words which defines the theme with scrupulous exactness—this is surely one of the most vital and essential factors in the making of a sermon: and I do not think any sermon ought to be preached or even written, until that sentence has emerged, clear and lucid as a cloudless moon.” — J. H. Jowett, The Preacher: His Life and Work (Harper & Bros, 1912), p. 133.
(HT: Miscellanies)
(HT: Miscellanies)
Tribute to Ralph Winter
Ralph D. Winter died on May 20, 2009. Here is a 16-minute video from the U.S. Center for World Mission telling the story of his life and ministry.
Also see "John Piper’s Personal Tribute to the Late Ralph Winter."
(HT: Desiring God Blog)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
A Monergism Books Reader's Guide for the Christian Life
"A Monergism Books Reader's Guide for the Christian Life" is now available in HTML, making it simple to review and purchase each book at the Monergism Books Web site.
Do you have any of the books listed on the Reader's Guide?
My three daughters (ages 17, 15 and 12) chose to read the following books this summer, a few of which aren't on the Reader's Guide:
Do you have any of the books listed on the Reader's Guide?
My three daughters (ages 17, 15 and 12) chose to read the following books this summer, a few of which aren't on the Reader's Guide:
- Basic Christianity by John Stott
- Bible Overview by Steve Levy
- Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem
- God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts
- Truth for All Time by John Calvin
- Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
- Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris (not on the Reader's Guide)
- Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper (not on the Reader's Guide)
- Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow by R.C. Sproul (not on the Reader's Guide)
What books do I plan to read this summer?
- A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent (not on the Reader's Guide)
- Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D. A. Carson
- Finally Alive by John Piper
- From Age to Age: The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology by Keith Mathison (not on the Reader's Guide)
- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (not on the Reader's Guide)
- Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones (with my first son)
- Reason for God by Tim Keller
- This Momentary Marriage by John Piper (with my wife) (not on the Reader's Guide)
Note: We should never fall in love with our plans -- even reading plans -- but hopefully trust God as he unfolds his plan.
Monday, May 25, 2009
The danger of false assurances
Galatians is God’s reminder ... that we are in constant danger of false assurances. Satan is continuously at work tempting us to think and feel that because we use God-talk, and come to church, and pray at meal times, and avoid gross sins, we are, therefore, under God’s blessing. But the book of Galatians concerns a group of people (called Judaizers) who do all those things and are under God’s curse. None of us should sit easily under the scrutiny of this book. Divine blessing and divine curse are the issue. And the continental divide between the two is not between church people and non-church people, nor is it between those who call Jesus “Lord” and those who don’t. It is between those, on the one hand, who have been crucified with Christ and now in poverty live in continuing reliance on the living Christ, and those, on the other hand, who have never really died to self-reliance and whose religious activity, though “moral” and intense, is all an exercise in self-reformation. The one group glories only in the cross of Christ by which they died to all but God. But the other group extols the powers and potentials of the self and diminishes the grace of God (2:21) and the cross of Christ (5:11). The one group of church members enjoys the blessing of God promised to Abraham and his descendants; the other group of church members is under a divine curse.
(The quote above is from a April 10, 1983, sermon titled "Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse of the Law" by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org)
(The quote above is from a April 10, 1983, sermon titled "Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse of the Law" by John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org)
Basic Christian Doctrine
Faith Bible Church in Springfield, Illinois, has several resources available at its Web site worth reviewing. Of special note is the page titled "Basic Christian Doctrine." Curt Daniel is the pastor at FBC.
(HT: Between Two Worlds)
(HT: Between Two Worlds)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Attitude
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
"Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church … a home.
"The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past … we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
"And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”
-Chuck Swindoll
(HT: Parchment and Pen)
"Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church … a home.
"The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past … we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
"And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”
-Chuck Swindoll
(HT: Parchment and Pen)
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