The Almost Christian Discovered

“The Almost Christian Discovered; or the False Professor Tried and Cast,” (purchase or free) written by Matthew Mead (1629-1699) and first published in 1661, is a book that demonstrates how far professors of Christ may go without possessing Christ.

The thesis of the book is that “there are very many in the world that are almost, and yet but almost Christians; many that are near heaven, and yet are never the nearer; many that are within a little of salvation, and yet shall never enjoy the least salvation; they are within sight of heaven, and yet shall never have a sight of God.” Mead uses a series of questions and answers to make his case, anticipates and answers objections to his points, and follows up with application and uses of examination, caution and exhortation.

While the language of the book may seem antiquated in style, its message is convincingly loud and truthfully clear. It is a book that English reading Christians – almost or altogether – should read and heed. Readers sensitive of their sin and the glory God in Christ are sure to say, “Lord, make me a Christian!”

Except for the “Dedication,” “To the Reader,” “Introduction,” “Caution,” and “Exhortation,” the following is an outline or sample of the book’s contents.

Question I. How far may a man go in the way to heaven, and yet be but almost a Christian?
1. A man may have much knowledge, much light; he may know much of God and his will, much of Christ and his ways, and yet be but almost a Christian.
2. A man may have great and eminent gifts, yea, spiritual gifts, and yet be but almost a Christian.
3. A man may have a high profession of religion, be much in external duties of godliness, and yet be but almost a Christian.
4. A man may go far in opposing his sin, and yet be but almost a Christian.
5. A man may hate sin, and yet be but almost a Christian.
6. A man may make great vows and promises – he may have strong purposes and resolutions against sin, and yet be but almost a Christian.
7. A man may maintain a strife and combat against sin in himself, and yet be but almost a Christian.
8. A man may be a member of the church of Christ, he may join himself to the people of God, partake with them in all ordinances, and share of all church privileges, and yet be but almost a Christian.
9. A man may have great hopes of heaven, great hopes of being saved, and yet be but almost a Christian.
10. A man may be under great and visible changes, and these wrought by the ministry of the word, and yet be but almost a Christian.
11. A man may be very zealous in the matters of religion, and yet be but almost a Christian.
12. A man may be much in prayer – he may pray often, and pray much; and yet be but almost a Christian.
13. A man may suffer for Christ in his goods, in his name, in his person; and yet be but almost a Christian.
14. A man may be called of God, and embrace this call, and be but almost a Christian.
15. A man may have the Spirit of God, and yet be but almost a Christian.
16. A man may have faith, and yet be but almost a Christian.
17. A man may go further yet: he may possibly have a love to the people of God, and yet be but almost a Christian.
18. A man may obey the commands of God, yea, many of the commands of God, and yet be but almost a Christian.
19. A man may be sanctified, and yet be but almost a Christian.
20. A man may do all, as to external duties and worship, that a true Christian can; and when he hath done all, be but almost a Christian.

Question II. Whence it is that many go far, and yet no further?
Answer. It may be to answer the call of conscience.

Question III. What difference between a natural conscience, and a renewed conscience?
1. If a natural man’s conscience putteth him upon duty, he doth usually bound himself in the work of God. His duties are limited; his obedience is a limited obedience.
2. If a natural man’s conscience check or accuse for sin, then he seeketh to stop the mouth of it, but not to satisfy it.
3. There is no natural man, let him go never so far, let him do never so much in the matters of religion, but still he has his Delilah, his bosom-lust.
4. A natural man prides himself in his duties. If he be much in duty, then he is much lifted up under duty.
5. Look what that is to which the hear doth secretly render the glory of a duty, and that is the principle of the duty.
6. Though a natural conscience may put a man much upon service, yet it never presses to the attainment of holiness.
7. And lastly, if a natural conscience be the spring of duty, why then this spring runs fastest at first, and so abateth, and at last drieth up.

Question IV. Whence is it, that many are but almost Christians, when they have gone thus far?
1. It is for want of right and sound conviction.
2. It is for want of a thorough work of grace first wrought in the heart.

Question V. What is the reason that many go no further in the profession of religion, than to be almost Christians?
1. It is because they deceive themselves in the truth of their own condition; they mistake their state, and think it good and safe, when it is bad and dangerous.
2. It is from Satan’s cunning, who if he cannot keep sinners in their open profaneness, then he labours to persuade then to take up with a form of godliness.
3. There are some lusts espoused in the heart, that hinder a hearty close with Christ.

Application
Inference 1. That salvation is not so easy a think as it is imagined to be.
Inference 2. If many go thus far in the way to heaven, and yet miscarry, O then, what shall be the end of them who fall short of these!

Use of Examination
1. What am I? Am I a child of God, or not? Am I sincere in religion, or am I only a hypocrite under a profession?
2. Where am I? Am I yet in a natural state, or a state of grace?

The Gospel Way

Here's a prayer titled "The Gospel Way" from "Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett (pages 62-63):

Blessed Lord Jesus,

No human mind could conceive or invent the gospel.

Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message, lived out on earth through infinite compassion, applying thy life to insult, injury, death, that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.

Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way, Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way, Praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit, for applying this way to my heart.

Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul, until its virtue diffuses every faculty; Let it be heard, acknowledge, professed, felt.

Teach me to secure this mighty blessing; Help me to give up every darling lust, to submit heart and life to its command, to have it in my will, controlling my affections, moulding my understanding; to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion, not departing from them in any instance, nor for any advantage in order to escape evil, inconvenience or danger.

Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy; Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness by my own doings.

O gracious Redeemer, I have neglected thee too long, often crucified thee, crucified thee afresh by my impenitence, put thee to open shame.

I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me so long, and for the grace that now makes me willing to be thine.

O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds, that nothing may ever draw me back from thee, my Lord, my Saviour.

5 things every Christian needs to grow

"We need to maintain a diet of nutritious foods if our bodies are to grow and thrive," states the Ligonier Ministries introduction to "5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow" by noted theologian and pastor R.C. Sproul. "But what do the people of God need in order to grow and thrive in the Christian faith? In this book ... Sproul identifies five of the crucial nutrients that promote spiritual growth: Bible study, prayer, worship, service, and stewardship. With biblical insight and practical wisdom, Dr. Sproul teaches Christians how to maintain a balanced diet that will lead to growth and mature Christian living. This book is an important resource for new believers to learn these spiritual disciplines and become grounded in the Christian faith in a way that anyone can understand."

You can read a review of the book by Tim Challies or the first chapter of the book.

Here are some excerpts from the book:

Though sin often brings immediate pleasure, it gives no lasting joy. If we understand the difference, we can avoid the pitfalls that entice the believer. (page 12)

If I don't like something I read in Scripture, perhaps I simply don't understand it. If so, studying it again may help. If, in fact, I do understand the passage and still don't like it, this is not an indication there is something wrong with the Bible. It's an indication that something is wrong with me, something that needs to change. Often, before we can get something right, we need to first discover what we're doing wrong. (page 21-22 )

When we experience the "changing of the mind" that is repentance, we are not suddenly cleansed of all wrong thinking. The renewing of our minds is a lifelong process. We can accelerate this process by focusing on those passages of Scripture that we don't like. This is part of the "instruction in righteousness" of which Paul speaks. (page 22 )

I think one of the reasons many Christians never get to the meat of the Word but remain at the milk level is because they never really learned how to drink the milk. There is a reason why scales are important to the piano player and the grip to the golfer. We must master these basics if we are to reach higher levels of proficiency. (page 24 )

Just as God uses the preaching of the gospel as the power unto salvation, so He uses the power of prayer to bring about redemption. Our prayers cannot force God to do anything, but He uses them as His own instruments to bring about His will. (page 48)

Nobody wants to come near to God with an uneasy conscience. Sin is one of the reasons why we like to keep a safe distance from Him. (page 76-77 )

If we don't feel like going to church, we are to do it anyway. It's a privilege to come near to God and to worship with other believers, but it's also a sacred duty. (page 78)

The primary reason to be in church is to worship the living God, and for this we must bring a sense of reverence and adoration for His transcendent majesty. There's nothing common about this. We walk through the door. We step across the threshold. We enter into His presence. We know that God is not restricted to the building, but we are aware that this is a sacred hour that God has set apart and declared to be a holy time of visitation between Himself and His people. So we leave worldly cares and concerns for a while and focus on God. We come to hear a word from God, and it is the pastor's responsibility to make sure what we hear from the pulpit is the Word of God, not pop psychology. The power is in the Word, for it is the truth. That's what we all desperately need to hear, and more than once a week. And so we come to hear and respond in a way that will honor God, in a way that will honor His majesty. (page 80)

This is a glorious story of redemption, but there is great irony here. We see what God redeemed His people from, but we must not miss what God redeemed them to. He called His people out of Egypt, out of slavery, not to become autonomous or to do whatever they please. He called them to serve Him. The Israelites were called out of service to Pharaoh and into service to God. (page 87)

Service ... is not high on the list of things we enjoy. In our culture, we struggle with the image and role of the servant. We think it's beneath our dignity to fulfill that role. (page 90)

I have no "profit" of my own because I earn nothing by doing what I am required to do. That's why our redemption is by grace and grace alone. There is only one thing that I can place before God that is, properly speaking, my own -- my sin. The only thing that can redeem me is not my work, but the work that Christ has performed on my behalf. He freely came to do the Father's will and to submit Himself to the law for our sake. He, and He alone, is a profitable servant. (page 98)

Our servanthood should require no supervision. We should not need to have someone constantly watching us to ensure that we are working. Our goal should be to please Christ, not perform merely for the applause of people. People-pleasers cannot be true servants of Christ. We must keep our eyes on Christ and not on the judges of this world. (page 105-106)

There is widespread cynicism today about giving to the church. Some unscrupulous televangelists and pastors have made it seem unwise, thanks to their lavish lifestyles. Yet the Bible clearly commands Christians to give and to practice good stewardship. We take an offering every Sunday in our church. Right before the offering, I usually say, "Let us now worship God with our tithes and offerings." The point I'm stressing to our congregation is that giving should be an act of worship. (page 108)

Failure to tithe also limits the ministry of the church. One of the greatest barriers to expanding the kingdom of Christ in this world is financial. (page 122)

I often hear people say, "I'd like to tithe, but I can't afford to." I honestly believe that if you invest in the kingdom of God, you won't lose anything in the final analysis. (page 124 )

The condition of God's love is the cross

John Piper answers the question "Is God's Love Unconditional?" on the Desiring God blog. Justin Taylor said on his blog the best thing he's read about the subject is David Powlison's "God's Love: Better Than Unconditional." Taylor recommends reading both Piper's post and Powlison's booklet. I recommend reading anything by Piper and Powlison; both authors get to the heart of the matter.

The condition of God's love is the cross. All who lovingly, lastingly "look" to Jesus lifted up have been lavished with God's love. (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 1 John 3:1-3)

A person’s a person no matter how small

Chelsea Schilling, a staff writer for WorldNetDaily, wrote an article about 12-year-old Lia's moral courage and conviction to convey an important message: 12-year-old steals day with pro-life speech -- Teachers threaten disqualification, but girl chooses to speak against abortion.

Here is a transcript of Lia's speech:

What if I told you that right now someone was choosing if you were going to live or die? What if I told you that this choice wasn’t based on what you could or couldn’t do, what you’ve done in the past, or what you would do in the future? And what if I told you you could do nothing about it?

Fellow students and teachers, thousands of children are right now in that very situation. Someone is choosing - without even knowing them - whether they are going to live or die. That someone is their mother, and that choice is abortion.

Every day 115,000 are dying through abortion. 115,000. That means that 5,000 children would die every hour. All those lives gone, all that potential gone, and all that hope and future gone.

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: “Oh, it’s not really killing. After all, a fetus isn’t a child, right?” Why do we think that just because a fetus can’t talk or do what we do it isn’t a human being yet? The word “fetus” comes from the Latin word meaning “young one” or “young child.” Some babies are born after only five months. Is this baby not human? We would never say that, yet abortions are performed on five-month-old fetuses all the time. Or do we only call them humans if they’re wanted? No, fetuses are definitely humans, knit together in their mothers’ womb by their wonderful Creator, who knows them all by name.

Some people might say that since abortion’s legal now it doesn’t matter, it’s not our business. But if an action is unjust, it needs to be illegal, and it has to be our business. And this particular law has a huge impact on our society. In 1997 over 1,000,000 abortions took place just in the U.S. And just last year, over 42,000,000 abortions happened worldwide. I’d say that’s a huge impact.

I know some people say that the mother has a right to abort. After all, her life is dramatically impacted by having a baby. But I’m asking you to think about the child’s rights that were never given to it. No matter what rights the mother has, it doesn’t mean you can deny the rights of the fetus.

Talking about the mother’s choice, the mother may have had a choice not to have unprotected sex in the first place. We must remember that with our rights and our choices come responsibilities, and we can’t take someone else’s rights away to avoid our responsibilities.

At this point, I imagine the age old question arises: “What if the mother didn’t choose to have sex? What if she was raped? But let’s look at the facts for the U.S. as an example. Only one percent of all American abortions are hard-case categories. This includes rape, incest, and the life of the mother being in danger. One percent. That hardly justifies the disturbing volume of abortions that happens these days.

And who’s to say abortion’s the easy way out? I don’t think people understand the effects of abortion on the woman. I don’t have time to list all the negative after effects. But here are a few examples of the physical effects. Seventeen percent of the women who’ve had abortions face complications in their subsequent pregnancies. Some may not even be able to give birth at all. They are also at a greater risk of developing breast cancer if they have an abortion. But perhaps the worst effects are the emotional ones. Women who had an abortion tend to have more mood disorders substantial enough to provoke them to harm themselves. In addition, women who’ve had an abortion are five times more likely to have problems with drug and alcohol abuse. Abortion leaves a woman feeling lost and uncertain about their future. Almost one-third of all women who’ve had an abortion are dissatisfied with their decision. It certainly is not the cure-all people think it is. I read a story on the Focus on the Family Web site; it was about a girl who had an abortion. She writes:

“I had an abortion at the age of 17, and it was the worst thing I ever did. I would never recommend it to anyone because it comes back to haunt you. When I tried having children, I lost three. Something happened to my cervix during the abortion(Sharon Osborne).

Hers is just one of the many heart-wrenching stories that nobody tells these days, and those same ones are the ones that we need to hear about.

Thank you for taking time to think about the issue of abortion, to think about the unborn, and to think about the effects of abortion on a mother. If you walk away with anything after this speech, walk away with the words of Horton. You know him, that elephant that risks his life to save that little speck. Remember him and his famous quote: “Even though you can’t see them or hear them at all, a person’s a person no matter how small.”

Thank you.

The essence of our evil is that we prefer anything to God

John Piper writes about the importance of knowing the nature of evil in our hearts: Do you think the essence of your evil is disobeying commandments? That’s a good start. But it’s not the essence of our evil. Commands simply name the evil and its fruits, and tell us not to do them. The essence of our evil is that we prefer anything to God (Romans 1:23; 2:23). Commands do not create the possibility of evil. Commands name it.

He concludes: But if we know that the essence of our evil is not commandment-breaking, but preferring anything to God, then our focus for change will be a change of heart. That is hopeful, because God promised, “I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19). This is the new covenant that Jesus purchased with his blood (Luke 22:20). We receive it by faith.

Read the entire post: Knowing the Nature of Your Evil.

"Finally Alive" finally arrived

Desiring God's introduction to John Piper's book "Finally Alive" states the following: What does the Bible teach about the miracle of rebirth? In this new book, John Piper explores Jesus' peculiar command, "You must be born again." Spiritual rebirth is precious and crucial. When Jesus said, "You must be born again," he wasn't simply sharing interesting information; he was directing us toward eternal life. It is essential to know what God intends when he uses this language of being born again, so that we may experience new birth and help others do the same.

Piper answers the following questions in the book:

1. What is the new birth?
2. Why must we be born again?

3. How does the new birth Come about?

4. What are the effects of the new birth?

5. How can we help others be born again?

While the degree to which he adequately answers the questions will have to be judged by each reader, I trust the book is filled with the fruit of Piper's careful, serious study of scripture indicative of his other books and sermons. I received "Finally Alive" in the mail yesterday and look forward to reading it after I finish Matthew Mead's "The Almost Christian Discovered."

Read a review of the book by Tim Challies at his blog site: Book Review - Finally Alive by John Piper.

Cross-centered books

The reason the Apostle John gives for writing his account of the good news of Jesus Christ is "so so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). Therefore, we should read "John," as well as the rest of the Bible, to learn what to believe about who Jesus is and what he has done for us in the cross.

Since Jesus did many things John did not record, there remains the possibility and honor to humbly supplement John's effort to reveal Jesus Christ. And while the world could not contain all the books that could be written in an effort to exhaustively mine (John 21:25) the "treasures of wisdom and knowledge" in Christ (Colossians 2:3), many books have been written since John that have pushed their readers farther up and further toward the Kingdom of God, and there remains the opportunity to fill the world with such writings.

In his effort to continue great conversation of the Kingdom of God, C.J. Mahaney, president of Sovereign Grace Ministries whose mission is to establish and support local churches, has submitted "Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing" for God to sovereignly use for his glory and our good. Mahaney also answers the question “What books on the cross of Christ have affected you the most?” by providing an annotated list of four cross-centered books:

1. The Cross of Christ by John R.W. Stott
2. The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson
3. Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach
4. In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever

Along with Mahaney's recommendations above, here are several other recently published Christ-centered books worth reading:

• The Cross He Bore: Meditations on the Sufferings of the Redeemer by Frederick S. Leahy
• Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing by C.J. Mahaney
• 50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper
• The Truth of the Crossby R.C. Sproul

May we labor in the Bible and lesser books to learn and love Christ more than anything else on earth – including our paper and electronic books – and may our beliefs bear fruit according to the truth as it is in Jesus.

I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my all in all

There was once a poor man, a huckster, who used to go round the country villages selling little goods. This poor creature, in going round on his jouneys heard some old woman singing the little ditty:

"I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all,
But Jesus Christ is my all in all."

Jack recalled that. “Ah!” said he, “that just suits me.” So he began to hum it himself as he went round on his huckstering expeditions and, by God's good grace, that little ditty burnt its way into poor Jack's heart.

After some time he became a converted man, gave up his swearing and drinking, and began regularly to attend the church services. At last he determined that he would join the church; so he went to the minister.

The minister said. “Well, friend, what can you say for yourself?”

“Not much,” he said, “Only this:

I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all,
But Jesus Christ is my all in all.”

“Well,” said the minister, “you must tell me more than that.”

“No,” said Jack, “I can't, for that is my confession of faith, and that is all I know.”

“Well, friend,” said the minister, “I can't refuse you church fellowship, but you will have to come before the church meeting, and the members will have to see you and judge you.”

Jack accordingly went to the church meeting, and there sat some good old-fashioned deacons —some of whom began to see whether they could find fault with him. He stood up, and on being requested to state his experience, simply said:

“I'm a poor sinner, and nothing at all,
But Jesus Christ is my all in all.”

Some one old deacon said, “Is that all you have to say?”

“Yes,” says Jack, “that's all.”

The minister said, “You may ask my friend here some questions if you like.”

So one says, “Brother Jack, have you not many doubts and fears?”

“No,” said Jack, “I never can doubt but that `I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all,' for I know I am; and I cannot doubt that 'Jesus Christ is my all in all' for He says He is, and how can I doubt that?”

“Well,” said another, “but sometimes I lose my evidences and my graces, and then I get very sad.”

“Oh,” said Jack, “I never lose anything, for in the first place 'I'm a poor sinner, and nothing at all' — no one can rob me if I am nothing at all — and in the second place, 'Jesus Christ is my all in all,' — and who can rob Him? He is in Heaven; I never get richer or poorer, for I am always nothing, but I always have everything.”

Then another began to question him thus: “But my dear friend Jack, don't you sometimes doubt whether you are a child of God?”

“Well,” said he, “I don't quite understand you; but I can tell you I never doubt but that 'I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all,' and that 'Jesus Christ is my all in all.'"

Always after that in the villages they used to call him “Happy Jack,” for he was always happy; and the reason was that you could not drive him from that simple standing point, “There is nothing in me: I believe in Christ; I deserve punishment; I am lost in myself, but I trust in Him who came into the world to save sinners, and I know He will not let me perish.”

“My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.”

—E. Mote
(Source: http://www.chapellibrary.org/files/1113/7643/3313/phuc.pdf)

Note: 19th century English preacher C.H. Spurgeon tells similar versions of "Poor Huckster" in two of his sermons - Nos. 47 (Christ's Prayer for His People) and 1700 (A Monument for the Dead, and a Voice to the Living).