“For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the author of their very good, that they should seek nothing beyond him—they will never yield him willing service. Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him.” - John Calvin
Posted in Sticky on June 11, 2010 by Harry
The Convicting Spirit
Posted in Holy Spirit with tags Prayer on December 29, 2011 by Harry
Thou blessed Spirit, Author of all grace, and comfort,
Come, work repentance in my soul;
Represent sin to me in its odious colors that I may hate it; Melt my heart by the majesty and mercy of God; Show me my ruined self and the help there is in him; Teach me to behold my creator,
his ability to save,
his arms outstretched,
his heart big for me.
May I confide in his power and love,
commit my soul to him without reserve,
bear his linage, observe his laws, pursue his service, and be through time and eternitv,
a monument to the efficacy of his grace, a trophy of his victory.
Make me willing to be saved in his way,
perceiving nothing in myself, but all in Jesus:
Help me not only to receive him but
to walk in him,
depend upon him,
commune with him,
be conformed to him,
follow him,
imperfect, but still pressing forward,
not complaining of labor, but valuing rest,
not murmuring under trials, but thankful, for my state.
Give me that faith which is the means of salvation,
and the principle and medium of all godliness;
May I be saved by grace through faith,
live by faith,
feel the joy of faith,
do the work of faith.
Perceiving nothing in myself, may I find in Christ wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption.
- From “The Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions”
The Discipline of Learning by Donald S. Whitney
Posted in * Favorites, Discipleship with tags Discipline on December 4, 2011 by Harry
The Christian life begins with learning – learning the gospel. No one is made right with a God about whom he knows nothing. No one is made right with God unless he learns about Him and His message to the world, a message of good news called the gospel. To know God, people must learn that there is a God (Heb. 11:6), that they have broken His law, and that they need to be reconciled to Him. They must learn that God’s Son, Jesus, came to accomplish that reconciliation and that He did so by means of His sinless life and His death on the cross as a substitute for sinners. They must learn of His bodily resurrection and their need to repent of their sins and to believe in Jesus and what He has done. Apart from people learning these things, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” (Rom.10:14).
Intentional learning is implied in Jesus’ offer in Luke 9:23: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” So from the very start of discipleship, to follow Jesus implied learning from Him, for as did Peter, John, and the others, anyone would certainly learn from Jesus if they would follow Him. But Jesus is even more specific about learning from Him in Matthew 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” To accept the yoke of a disciple of Jesus means to commit to a lifetime of learning about Jesus and from Jesus.
To emphasize learning as essential to following Jesus is not advocacy for egghead Christianity. Like Jesus, we want both a heart for God and a head for God. Remember that the Great Commandment emphasizes loving God both with all the heart and with all the mind, as well as with all one’s soul and strength (Mark 12:29-30). As R.C. Sproul once wrote, “Burning hearts are not nourished by empty heads.” God’s truth — which must be learned — is the fuel for the spiritual fire that flames in the Christian heart.
LIFELONG LEARNING
The Christian life not only begins with learning, it proceeds through a process of lifelong learning. This includes deeper discoveries of intimacy with God, an ever-growing grasp of the Bible and its doctrines, a greater awareness of our sin, an increased knowledge of the person and work of Christ, further implications of what it means to follow Him, and more. A mature understanding of these things does not come quickly or without effort. Simply put, it is impossible to grow into a Christlikeness one knows nothing about. By the Spirit’s power, we must learn what Christlikeness means and how Jesus wants us to follow Him. We learn this through the Bible, of course, but it involves learning nonetheless.
Those whom the Bible considers wise and intelligent understand this. According to Scripture, “The wise lay up knowledge” and “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Prov. 10:14; 18:15). So the primary measurement of wisdom and intelligence is not your IQ or GPA but whether you pursue knowledge, that is, whether you discipline yourself to continue learning the things of God throughout your life.
INTENTIONAL LEARNING
A hunger to learn the Word of God, the ways of God, and the will of God expresses a hunger for God Himself. Those who love God long to be taught about Him and from Him. That doesn’t mean all Christians are to manifest an affinity for learning exactly the same things and in identical ways. But it is true that apathy toward learning the things of God is a mark of those who do not know God.
We are blessed to live in a time when the means of and opportunities for expressing a love for God through learning greatly exceed our ability to take advantage of them. But all these profit little if a person doesn’t pursue them. This is why learning must always be a discipline, for a person can be surrounded by wisdom and knowledge yet live without their riches if he or she does not possess the discipline to learn them.
Thus, learning is indeed a gospel-driven spiritual discipline; those who are not exerting themselves to learn the things of God will gain spiritual and biblical knowledge only by accident or mere convenience. By contrast, intentional learners will seek to learn the things of God and will do so individually as well as with the church, disciplining themselves to learn from those who are gifted by God and recognized by the church as teachers.
- Article is from November 2011 Tabletalk Magazine
- Dr. Donald S. Whitney is senior associate dean of the school of theology and professor of biblical spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- He is also founder and president of the Center for Biblical Spirituality
Seeing God Face to Face from Tabletalk Magazine
Posted in Matthew with tags Beatific vision, face to face, see God on November 28, 2011 by Harry
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” - Matthew 5:8
On Friday we saw that the connection of the mercy we receive with the mercy we show to others can be a scary prospect indeed apart from the mediation of Christ. If we were to consider the potential of Scripture to strike us with fear more fully, however, we would doubtless include the sixth beatitude as a frightening passage as well. Jesus promises that the “pure in heart” will “see God,” but who among us is pure in heart?
Again, our only confidence is in Christ, who has sanctified His people by His blood (1 Cor. 6:11). He has set us apart definitively as holy and pure, and we prove this status by striving after personal holiness until in glory we are perfected and freed from all sin. This purity is guaranteed by the effectual work of our Savior, and so we who are in Christ Jesus know that we will one day experience the Beatific Vision — we know that we will one day see God as He is.
In Exodus 33:20, the Lord tells us that no man can see His face and live, but this is not due to God making His image-bearers inherently unable to bear His presence. Before the fall, humanity experienced intimate, face-to-face communion with the Creator when He walked with us in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). But this fellowship was lost when we fell into sin. The barrier that keeps us from seeing the Lord now is our fallen character. Once this fallenness is removed, there is no reason why we would not be able to gaze on God’s incomparable beauty.
This, indeed, is the Lord’s greatest promise to us, that we will be able to gaze upon Him, the most beautiful, awe-inspiring, worthy, holy, loving being that ever was, is, and will be. We will, as 1 John 3:1–3 tells us, see Him as He is. The Apostle is making reference to Christ: not the human nature of Christ alone but also the divine nature that is perfectly united with humanity in the person of our Savior. And to see the divine nature of the Son of God also means that we will see the other persons of the Trinity as well, for the Son dwells in the Father and the Father in the Son, just as the Holy Spirit mutually indwells the Father and the Son (John 10:37–38). What seeing God face to face means precisely is not for us to know today, but we do know that seeing Him will fully satisfy our souls.
Coram Deo
The greatest glory of heaven is not that we will be free of pain, as wonderful as that will be. Instead, the ability to enjoy direct, face-to-face communion with God and see that for which our souls were created will be the highest joy we can imagine. We can scarcely contemplate the wonder of that day, but the beauty of Christ should make us long for it with the deepest longings of our souls and pursue the purity of heart that leads to this vision.
- Article is from November 2011 Tabletalk Magazine
That the Scriptures Might Be Fulfilled – John Piper
Posted in * Favorites, OT Messianic Prophecies on October 31, 2011 by Harry
The glory of Jesus Christ shines more clearly when we see Him in His proper relation to the Old Testament. He has a magnificent relation to all that was written. It is not surprising that this is the case, because He is called the Word of God incarnate (John 1:14). Would not the Word of God incarnate be the sum and consummation of the Word of God written? Consider these summary statements and the texts that support them.
1. ALL THE SCRIPTURES BEAR WITNESS TO CHRIST.
- Moses wrote about Christ (John 5:39, 46).
2. ALL THE SCRIPTURES ARE ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, EVEN WHERE THERE IS NO EXPLICIT PREDICTION.
- That is, there is a fullness of implication in all Scripture that points to Christ and is satisfied only when He has come and done His work. Graeme Goldsworthy explains: “The meaning of all the Scriptures is unlocked by the death and resurrection of Jesus” (see Luke 24:27).
3. JESUS CAME TO FULFILL ALL THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.
- All of it was pointing to Him even where it was not explicitly prophetic. He accomplished what the law required (Matt. 5:17-18).
4. ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ARE FULFILLED IN JESUS CHRIST.
- That is, when you have Christ, sooner or later you will have both Christ Himself and all that God promised through Christ (2 Cor. 1:20).
5. THE LAW WAS KEPT PERFECTLY BY CHRIST.
- And all its penalties against God’s sinful people were poured out on Christ. Therefore, the Law is manifestly not the path to righteousness, Christ is. The ultimate goal of the Law is that we would look to Christ, not law-keeping, for our righteousness (Rom. 10:4).
Therefore with the coming of Christ virtually everything has changed:
1. THE BLOOD SACRIFICES CEASED BECAUSE CHRIST FULFILLED ALL THAT THEY WERE POINTING TOWARD.
- He was the final, unrepeatable sacrifice for sins. Hebrews 9:12: “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
2. THE PRIESTHOOD THAT STOOD BETWEEN WORSHIPPER AND GOD HAS CEASED.
- Hebrews 7:23-24: “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.”
3. THE PHYSICAL TEMPLE HAS CEASED TO BE THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF WORSHIP.
- Now Christ Himself is the center of worship. He is the “place,” the “tent,” and the “temple” where we meet God. Therefore, Christianity has no geographic center, no Mecca, no Jerusalem. John 4:21-23: “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father…. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.”‘ John 2:19-21: “‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ … He was speaking about the temple of his body.” Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
4. THE FOOD LAWS THAT SET ISRAEL APART FROM THE NATIONS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED AND ENDED IN CHRIST.
- Mark 7:18-19: “[Jesus] said to them, ‘Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him… (Thus he declared all foods clean).”
5. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVIL LAW ON THE BASIS OF AN ETHNICALLY ROOTED PEOPLE, WHO ARE RULED DIRECTLY BY GOD, HAS CEASED.
- The people of God are no longer a unified political body, an ethnic group, or a nation-state, but are exiles and sojourners among all ethnic groups and all states. Therefore, God’s will for states is not taken directly from the Old Testament theocratic order, but should now be reestablished from place to place and from time to time by means that correspond to God’s sovereign rule over all peoples, and that correspond to the fact that genuine obedience, rooted as it is in faith in Christ, cannot be coerced by law.
- The state is therefore grounded in God, but not expressive of God’s immediate rule. Romans 13:1: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” John 18:36: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting.”
Let us worship the wonder of Christ, who unleashed these massive changes in the world. +
- Article is from Ocotber 2011 Tabletalk Magazine
- Dr. John Piper is pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist church in Minneapolis, and he is the author of more than thirty books, Including A Hunger for God: Desiring God through Fasting and Prayer
Oswald Chambers on Rivers of Living Water
Posted in John with tags Encouragement on September 6, 2011 by Harry
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” John 7:38
A river touches places of which its source knows nothing, and Jesus says if we have received of His fulness, however small the visible measure of our lives, out of us will flow the rivers that will bless to the uttermost parts of the earth. We have nothing to do with the outflow—“This is the work of God that ye believe.…” God rarely allows a soul to see how great a blessing he is.
A river is victoriously persistent, it overcomes all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, then it comes to an obstacle and for a while it is baulked, but it soon makes a pathway round the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, and presently emerge again broader and grander than ever. You can see God using some lives, but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you round the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficulty. The obstacle is a matter of indifference to the river which will flow steadily through you if you remember to keep right at the Source. Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.
Think of the healing and far-flung rivers nursing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up marvellous truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is an indication of the wider power of the river He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has nourished in you mighty torrents of blessing for others.
- Chambers, O. (1993). My utmost for his highest : Selections for the year. Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers.
Don Carson on Peter 1:20
Posted in * Favorites, Acts on July 13, 2011 by Harry- original post found on the The Gospel Coalition Blog
So does Peter have a bad hermeneutic? Is his reading of the Old Testament simply crazy? Answer: Some skeptical scholars argue precisely along those lines. They say the New Testament preachers and authors regularly ripped Old Testament texts out of their respective contexts in order to justify the Christian position. This skeptical stance, in my view, is justified only if we concede that the only way the Old Testament is allowed to point forward is in explicit verbal predictions. But that is clearly not so. I have spent much of my adult life working through the way the New Testament quotes the Old, and the longer I ponder these texts, the more I begin to see how they “work,” how rich and beautiful are the ways in which God ordained that his great plan of redemption would be prefigured in an extraordinarily rich, complex, and intertwined array of promises, types, trajectories, histories, institutions and persons, working together to point forward to Jesus and his gospel (see Luke 24:26-27, 45-48; John 5:46).
Collin Hansen on Social Media
Posted in Uncategorized on July 3, 2011 by HarryWe walk on a foundation of individualism and suck in the air of postmodernism, thick with the heavy dew of multiculturalism. Absent today are the ties that bind. Never before has a generation so desperately needed the local church, the communion of saints, to help them follow Jesus. God has been faithful to preserve this place of authentic community in our culture. The Word says we have a duty, responsibility, and obligation to our neighbors, especially those in the household of faith (Luke 10:29–37; 1 Tim. 5:8). We may yearn for the freedom to express ourselves with the aid of social media, but we’re not truly free unless we’re responsible to a community. That’s what the apostle Paul taught in Galatians 5:13. Freed from sin by Christ through His death and resurrection, we’re free to love one another. The church affords us the opportunity to love and serve in a way social media never will.
I respect church leaders who abstain from social media. Yet I see no reason we should neglect the remarkable possibilities for teaching and leadership offered by instant, unrestricted communication to willing audiences. Still, I expect over the long term that tweets, status updates, and blog posts will pale in influence compared to our everyday, tangible pursuit of holiness and love with the support of our local church.
“The favor of the people may be won by some brilliant action,” de Tocqueville wrote, “but the love and respect of your neighbors must be gained by a long series of small services, hidden deeds of goodness, a persistent habit of kindness, and an established reputation of selflessness.”
Posted in * Favorites, Holiness of God on June 28, 2011 by Harry
“Thus too, it happens in estimating our spiritual qualities. So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods.” - John Calvin
Al Mohler on Theology, Therapy, Twitter, and the Scandal of the Gospel
Posted in Gospel on June 14, 2011 by Harry- original post from Al Mohler’s blog
There is no shortage of perplexing realities in our world today, but counted among them must be the fact that many rather well informed people seem to be shocked that Christians believe the doctrines of Christianity.
Over the weekend, Rep. Anthony Weiner announced that he will request a leave of absence from the House of Representatives in order to seek professional treatment in the aftermath of his sexting scandal on Twitter. In the words of his spokeswoman, Risa Heller, the congressman left last Saturday “to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person.”
She continued: “In light of that, he will request a short leave of absence from the House of Representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well.”
That is a course now familiar to us all. As a matter of fact, it is now almost a reflex that people caught in moral trouble (especially related to sex) announce that they are seeking “treatment” for the problem.
On the one hand, this just points to the fact that the “Triumph of the Therapeutic” heralded by sociologist Philip Rieff in 1966 is now so ingrained in our culture that therapy appears to be the answer to every problem, including a moral crisis.
Sadly, many Christians have accepted this worldview as their own, believing that their own deepest problems are therapeutic rather than theological in nature. To our shame, many books written by and for evangelical Christians reflect the therapeutic impulse, rather than the appropriate biblical and spiritual concerns.
In response to Rep. Weiner’s statement, I posted the following message on Twitter:
“Dear Congressman Weiner: There is no effective ‘treatment’ for sin. Only atonement, found only in Jesus Christ.”
As far as I know, Rep. Weiner is not among my “followers” on Twitter. I did not assume that he was reading my posting. My message was mostly directed at my fellow Christians as a reminder of this very concern — that the American impulse is to seek treatment when our real need is for redemption.
This is a basic and central Christian belief. The Bible reveals that our need is not to find a way to make ourselves well — which we can never do — but to realize that we are sinners in need of a Savior. The Christian Gospel is the message of redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation that is found in him and in him alone.
The very essence of biblical Christianity is the knowledge that the real human problem is sin — not sickness — and that the only rescue is that which comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
In response to my tweet, Cathy Lynn Grossman of USA Today posted a series of tweets of her own, including this:
“Top @Baptist voice chides @Jewish @Weiner to choose Christ. Shades of Brit Hume telling @TigerWoods to quit @Buddhism.”
Later, in response to a complaint on Twitter that she had “slammed” me by twisting my words, she responded: “It’s Mohler slamming Jews here.”
In a separate article, she wrote this:
“This reads as an evangelism tactic, riding in on the Weiner headlines but aimed at people like Jews such as Weiner, Buddhists like Woods, and many others, such as Weiner’s Muslim wife, who hold different ideas about salvation, different approaches to atonement.”
Seriously? It is rather shocking to find the religion and spirituality writer for USA Today surprised that a Christian believes what orthodox Christianity has consistently taught — that every single human being is a sinner in need of the redemption that is found only in Christ.
I never mentioned Judaism. Rep. Weiner’s problem has to do with the fact that he is a sinner, like every other human being, regardless of religious faith or affiliation. Christians — at least those who hold to biblical and orthodox Christianity — believe that salvation is found through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him alone.
Later, Cathy Lynn Grossman posted this in response to criticism:
“What @Mohler said was atonement ‘only’ through Christ. Non-Christians disagree, also have routes to restoring righteousness.”
The exchange on Twitter is another sign of how politically incorrect biblical Christianity is becoming in our times. Christians do understand that non-Christians disagree with the Gospel. We also understand that other religions claim “routes to restoring righteousness.” But biblical Christians cannot accept that these “routes” lead to redemption, and the only righteousness that saves — the righteousness of Christ imputed to the believer, who is justified by faith in Christ alone.
That is the Gospel as declared in the historic Christian creeds and held, at least by historic claim, by almost all Christian churches and denominations. It is a non-negotiable of the Christian faith, deeply rooted in the teaching of Christ that he is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and that no one comes to the Father, “but my Me.” [John 14:6]
Non-Christians who have an understanding of Christianity may well find this claim offensive, but they should not find it shocking — even on Twitter.
Christ the Cornerstone from Tabletalk Magazine
Posted in * Favorites, Bible, Holy Spirit on June 14, 2011 by HarryEphesians 2:20 “Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”
No longer strangers and aliens on account of the perfect work of Christ, Gentiles who entrust themselves to Jesus are reckoned as fellow citizens with faithful Israelites. Therefore, they are full members of the household of God (Eph. 2:19). Like every edifice, this spiritual temple has a foundation that grounds and supports the building’s structure, and in today’s passage the apostle Paul describes the foundation that was once laid.
According to the apostle, Christ Jesus Himself is the cornerstone of this household (v. 20). Today, laying the cornerstone of a building is often a symbolic act, and this cornerstone may play only a small role in the overall structure. This was not true in the first century, however. The cornerstone was always the first stone laid during construction, and every other stone in the building was measured by the standard of the cornerstone to ensure a proper fit. In calling Jesus the cornerstone, Paul explains that those who want to form the stones in the household of God must be conformed to the image of Christ. In other words, we must be disciples who are daily becoming more like the Savior. Of course, perfect conformity to Christ’s image is impossible before we are glorified (1 John 1:8-9); nevertheless, all of those who are in Jesus will have a basic desire to turn from sin and follow Him in a life of obedient discipleship.
Our Savior is the cornerstone of the household of God, but His apostles and prophets make up the rest of the foundation. This is not to say that these individuals are, in themselves, worthy of the same honor as Christ. Instead, the apostles and prophets serve as the foundation insofar as they speak the very words of our Lord. The Holy Spirit inspired the apostles to write down the teachings of Jesus delivered before His incarnation (through the Old Testament prophets), during His earthly ministry, and after He ascended to the Father’s right hand, thereby giving the church a sure record (John 14:26; 16:12-15; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). The words of the biblical authors are the words of Christ Himself, even if He did not physically pick up the pen. Thus, we must always submit to Scripture as the final, infallible authority, and any failure to do so is really a refusal to bow the knee to Jesus. +
Without the Word of God, we do not have access to the teaching of the Savior, and so Christians must always be known as people of the Book: men and women who believe and proclaim the teachings of the old and New Testaments. Understanding this teaching is a lifelong process of reading Scripture, hearing it preached, encouraging other believers, and more. Are you doing all that you can to learn the Word of God?
- Article is from June 2011 Tabletalk Magazine
A Sinless Life by Nicholas Batzig
Posted in Uncategorized on June 13, 2011 by Harry“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:8)*
I have long wished that, in Heaven, I might get to see the entire history of Christ’s earthly life, from His birth to His ascension—viewing each and every act of obedience. The reason is simple. Jesus lived a representative life. Jesus lived a sinless life. Christ’s life was, therefore, a life of representative sinlessness. Our Lord’s obedience stands in the place of His people’s sin. His law keeping is counted as the law keeping of those who have faith in Him.
Christ’s sinless life is set against the background of the scriptural testimony to the sinfulness of man. Job declared that man is “abominable and filthy,” one who “drinks iniquity like water” (Job 15:16). Solomon acknowledged, “there is no one who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46). The Apostle John warned, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” and “make Him a liar” (1 John 1:8; 10). The Apostle Paul summed it all up when he said, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Yet, when the Son of God took to Himself a human nature, a sinless Man entered into time and space.
Good vs. the Best – The Test of Self-Interest by Oswald Chambers
Posted in God's Plan, Will - God's, Will - Our on May 25, 2011 by Harry
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and luxurious prospects will open up before you, and these things are yours by right; but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God choose for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the right and proper thing to consider if you were not living a life of faith; but if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and leave God to choose for you. This is the discipline by means of which the natural is transformed into the spiritual by obedience to the voice of God.
Whenever right is made the guidance in the life, it will blunt the spiritual insight. The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best. It would seem the wisest thing in the world for Abraham to choose, it was his right, and the people around would consider him a fool for not choosing. Many of us do not go on spiritually because we prefer to choose what is right instead of relying on God to choose for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which has its eye on God. “Walk before Me.”
- Chambers, O. (1993). My utmost for his highest : Selections for the year (NIV edition.). Westwood, NJ: Barbour and Co.
Romans 5:18-19
Posted in Romans on April 4, 2011 by Harry
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
New Bible Commentary:
- In vs 18–19 Paul finally states the full comparison between Adam and Christ.
- The verses are parallel, each of them comparing the way in which Adam’s trespass/disobedience has brought condemnation and sinfulness to the way in which Christ’s one act of righteousness/obedience has brought justification and righteousness.
- But does the parallel between them extend to the universal effects of these results?
- This might seem to be the case, since Paul asserts in v 18 that the effects of both Adam’s act and Christ’s extends to all men.
- Yet Paul elsewhere plainly repudiates the idea that all people will be saved (e.g. Rom. 2:12; 2 Thes. 1:8–9), and v 17 also makes clear that it is only those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness who will reign in life.
- Therefore, we must understand the universalism of v 18 in terms of the representative significance of each individual: the effects of Christ’s action extend to all who belong to him, just as the effects of Adam’s action extend to all who belong to him.
- All people, without exception, belong to Adam (12); but only those who come to faith, who ‘receive the gift’, belong to Christ (see also 1 Cor. 15:22–23).
- Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition (4th ed.) (Ro 5:12–21). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.
Christ is All
Posted in Uncategorized on March 11, 2011 by HarryO lover to the uttermost,
May I read the meltings of thy heart to me
in the manger of thy birth,
in the garden of thy agony,
in the cross of thy suffering,
in the tomb of thy resurrection,
in the heaven of thy intercession.
Bold in this thought I defy my adversary,
tread down his temptations,
resist his schemings,
renounce the world,
am valiant for truth.
Deepen in me a sense of my holy relationship to thee,
as spiritual bridegroom,
as Jehovah’s fellow,
as sinners’ friend.
I think of thy glory and my vileness,
thy majesty and my meanness,
thy beauty and my deformity,
thy purity and my filth,
thy righteousness and my iniquity.
Thou hast loved me everlastingly, unchangeably,
may I love thee as I am loved;
Thou hast given thyself for me,
may I give myself to thee;
Thou hast died for me,
may I live to thee,
in every moment of my time,
in every movement of my mind,
in every pulse of my heart.
May I never dally with the world and its allurements,
but walk by thy side,
listen to thy voice,
be clothed with thy graces,
and adorned with thy righteousness.
- From “The Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions”
The Word of God: Scripture as Revelation
Posted in Bible on February 9, 2011 by Harry
Christianity is the true worship and service of the true God, mankind’s Creator and Redeemer. It is a religion that rests on revelation: nobody would know the truth about God, nor be able to relate to Him in a personal way, had God not first acted to make Himself known. But God has so acted, and the sixty-six books of the Bible, thirty-nine written before Christ came and twenty-seven after, are together the record, interpretation, and expression of His self-disclosure. God and godliness are the Bible’s uniting themes.
From one standpoint, the Scriptures (“scripture” means “writing”) are the faithful testimony of the godly to the God whom they loved and served; from another standpoint, because they were composed through a unique exercise of divine superintendence, called “inspiration,” they are God’s own testimony and teaching in human language. The church calls these writings the Word of God because their authorship and contents are both of divine origin.
Decisive assurance that Scripture is from God and consists entirely of His wisdom and truth comes from Jesus Christ and His apostles, who taught in His name. Jesus, God incarnate, viewed His Bible (our Old Testament) as His heavenly Father’s written instruction, which He no less than others must obey (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; 5:17–20; 19:4–6; 26:31, 52–54; Luke 4:16–21; 16:17; 18:31–33; 22:37; 24:25–27, 45–47; John 10:35), and which He came to fulfill (Matt. 26:24; John 5:46). Paul described the Old Testament as entirely inspired or “God-breathed”—a product of God’s Spirit, as is the whole creation also (Ps. 33:6; Gen. 1:2)—and written for our instruction (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:15–17). Peter affirms the divine origin of biblical teaching in 2 Pet. 1:21 and 1 Pet. 1:10–12, and so also by his manner of quoting does the writer to the Hebrews (Heb. 1:5–13; 3:7; 4:3; 10:5–7, 15–17; cf. Acts 4:25; 28:25–27).
Since the apostles’ teaching about Christ is itself revealed truth in God-taught words (1 Cor. 2:12, 13), the church regards the New Testament, which records the apostolic witness, as completing the Scriptures. During the New Testament period itself Peter refers to Paul’s letters as Scripture (2 Pet. 3:15, 16), and Paul apparently calls Luke’s Gospel Scripture in 1 Tim. 5:18 (cf. Luke 10:7).
The idea of written directives from God Himself as a basis for godly living goes back to God’s inscribing the Ten Commandments on stone tablets and prompting Moses to write His laws and the history of His dealings with His people (Ex. 32:15, 16; 34:1, 27, 28; Num. 33:2; Deut. 31:9). Digesting and living by this material was always central to true devotion for both leaders and others in Israel (Josh. 1:7, 8; 2 Kin. 17:13; 22:8–13; 1 Chr. 22:12, 13; Neh. 8; Ps. 119), and the principle that all must be governed by the Scriptures has passed into Christianity.
What Scripture says, God says; for, in a manner comparable only to the deeper mystery of the Incarnation, the Bible is both fully human and fully divine. So all its manifold contents—histories, prophecies, poems, songs, wisdom writings, sermons, statistics, letters, and whatever else—should be received as from God, and all that biblical writers teach should be revered as God’s authoritative instruction. Christians should be grateful to God for the gift of His written Word, and conscientious in basing their faith and life entirely and exclusively upon it.
- Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). Reformation study Bible, the : Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture : New King James Version. Nashville: T. Nelson.
Reality is Redemption by Oswald Chambers
Posted in * Favorites, Romans, Sanctification on January 31, 2011 by HarrySeparated unto the Gospel. Romans 1:1 – “1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,”
Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the Gospel of God. The one thing that is all important is that the Gospel of God should be realized as the abiding Reality. Reality is not human goodness, nor holiness, nor heaven, nor hell, but Redemption; and the need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker to-day. As workers we have to get used to the revelation that Redemption is the only Reality. Personal holiness is an effect, not a cause, and if we place our faith in human goodness, in the effect of Redemption, we shall go under when the test comes.
Paul did not say he separated himself, but—“when it pleased God who separated me.…” Paul had not a hypersensitive interest in his own character. As long as our eyes are upon our own personal whiteness we shall never get near the reality of Redemption. Workers break down because their desire is for their own whiteness, and not for God. ‘Don’t ask me to come into contact with the rugged reality of Redemption on behalf of the filth of human life as it is; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes.’ To talk in that way is a sign that the reality of the Gospel of God has not begun to touch me; there is no reckless abandon to God. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul is unconscious of himself, he is recklessly abandoned, separated by God for one purpose—to proclaim the Gospel of God (cf. Rom. 9:3).
- Chambers, O. (1993). My utmost for his highest : Selections for the year (NIV edition.). Westwood, NJ: Barbour and Co.
God is Love by John Piper
Posted in * Favorites, Discipleship, Love on January 30, 2011 by Harry- “You don’t honor fully what you don’t enjoy. God is not glorified fully by being known rightly. He is glorified by by being known and so enjoyed that our lives are transformed into the kind of lives that display his infinite work.”
- From Together for the Gospel Conference 2006
A Smoking Fire Pot
Posted in Genesis on January 28, 2011 by Harry“When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces” (Gen. 15:17).
When covenants were made in the ancient Near East, certain rites would accompany the agreement in order to signify what would happen if one or both parties failed to live up to their end of the pact. One common ritual involved dismembering animals and then laying the pieces in two rows side-by-side with a path in between. The individuals making the covenant would then pass between the animals and invoke a curse upon themselves if they broke the agreement. In performing this rite both parties were in effect saying, “If I do not fulfill the terms of this covenant, may the destruction that befell these animals also be upon my head.”
As if His word of promise were not enough, the Lord finishes His encounter with Abram in Genesis 15 with this very same rite. In a theophany — a visible revelation of the divine — God appears as a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch (v. 17), a form similar to the pillar of fire He will use to guide the Israelites toward Canaan centuries later (Ex. 13:21–22). Fire symbolizes the Lord’s glory (Pss. 29:1–7; 50:1–3), further displaying the Almighty’s character.
Notice that it is God alone who passes between the animals; Abram is not invited to participate. He has already shown his trust and faithfulness. Here we have the Lord alone swearing by Himself that He will see to it that His promises will come to pass. This sworn oath is promissory and self-maledictory (invoking death to Himself if it is not fulfilled), giving His people confidence that He will accomplish all that He pledges (Heb. 6:13–18). It is an unparalleled manifestation of the Lord’s grace, for He promises to care for His loyal servant and his descendents forever.
This grace does not abolish Abram’s responsibility to continue his loyalty, as the patriarch is later given conditions to uphold (Gen. 17:1–14). What this display shows, however, is that though His people may at times be disloyal, God will still keep His end of the bargain; He will give His people the promised land. He finally fulfills this by sending the Messiah, who fully obeyed His Father, thus securing for them His blessings (Isa. 53; Matt. 3:13–17; 1 Peter 2:21–22).
Coram Deo:
Consider how amazing it is that God, who will not suffer any loss of His glory (Isa. 48:11), places His honor at stake in His plan to bring redemption to the world. What love is this? He condescends to us and assures us He will certainly do all that He promises! He pledges to do all that He swears to do, because if He does not, He would not be the one, true God of creation, nor would He be the faithful Lord of Israel. Rejoice in His covenant love for all of His people today.
- From Ligonier website
Humility
Posted in Uncategorized with tags Humility on January 15, 2011 by Harry
“Whoever is truly humbled — will not be easily angry, nor harsh or critical of others. He will be compassionate and tender to the infirmities of his fellow-sinners, knowing that if there is a difference — it is grace alone which has made it! He knows that he has the seeds of every evil in his own heart. And under all trials and afflictions — he will look to the hand of the Lord, and lay his mouth in the dust, acknowledging that he suffers much less than his iniquities have deserved.”
- John Newton (writer of Amazing Grace)
Have you ever been alone with God? by Oswald Chambers
Posted in Uncategorized with tags alone on January 14, 2011 by Harry
“When He was alone, the twelve … asked of Him … “Mark 4:10.
His Solitude with us. When God gets us alone by affliction, heartbreak, or temptation, by disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted affection, by a broken friendship, or by a new friendship—when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are dumbfounded and cannot ask one question, then He begins to expound. Watch Jesus Christ’s training of the twelve. It was the disciples, not the crowd outside, who were perplexed. They constantly asked Him questions, and He constantly expounded things to them; but they only understood after they had received the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26).If you are going on with God, the only thing that is clear to you, and the only thing God intends to be clear, is the way He deals with your own soul. Your brother’s sorrows and perplexities are an absolute confusion to you. We imagine we understand where the other person is, until God gives us a dose of the plague of our own hearts. There are whole tracts of stubbornness and ignorance to be revealed by the Holy Spirit in each one of us, and it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now, or are we taken up with little fussy notions, fussy comradeships in God’s service, fussy ideas about our bodies? Jesus can expound nothing until we get through all the noisy questions of the head and are alone with Him.
- Chambers, O. (1993). My utmost for his highest : Selections for the year (NIV edition.). Westwood, NJ: Barbour and Co.
