What Should I Call It?

Reality

2011-08-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

I never hear Christians speak of doing things to escape reality—to find temporary distractions that help them forget the hardships of life. I hear non-Christians speak of computer games, video games, movies, etc. as pastimes that help them, essentially, forget the real world. Why would Christians want to escape reality? For a regenerate person reality is the truth that they are a sinner saved by God’s grace and now no longer need to face the punishment they justly deserve. They now have an eternity of Christ to look forward to. The only time I want to escape reality is when eternity boggles my mind. Even then, however, my outlet never is what it ought to be. I should be casting myself on the grace and mercy of Christ in times of distress and anxiety, not following some meaningless avenue that provides temporary distraction.

For a Christian, reality should be a constant focus. Reality is what they have to look forward to. I cannot think of a better way to deal with the menial, tedious, and often depressing nature of this life than by focusing and meditating on the reality that affects not only now, but all eternity. Why would I want a video game distracting me from reality?

Calvin Quote

2010-12-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

But nothing is more difficult, than having bidden farewell to the reason of the flesh and having bridled our desires-nay, and having put them away-to devote ourselves to God and our brethren, and to meditate, amid earth's filth, upon the life of the angels. Consequently, Paul, in order to extricate our minds form all snares, recalls us to the blessed hope of immortality, reminding us that we strive not in vain. -John Calvin

Just a good quote I continually return to in my walk with Christ when I feel depressed or like sin is ganging up on me. Calvin has a wonderful way of sympathizing with a believer and pointing him back to Christ.

Hope this quote provides some edification for you in your walk with Christ.

Atheistic Philosophy

2010-09-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

...fear is not our incentive. It is not death that we wish to avoid, but life that we wish to live.

In her defining work, Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand puts these words in the mouth of her protagonist, John Galt. Phrases such as these lead me to realize just how much atheistic philosophy can be so applicable to the Christian life. Rather ironic wouldn't you say.

A Benefit of Reading

2010-09-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a pretty good section of Neil Postman's book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, on the benefits of reading:

From Erasmus in the sixteenth century to Elizabeth Eisenstein in the twentieth, almost every scholar who has grappled with the question of what reading does to one’s habits of mind has concluded that the process encourages rationality; that the sequential, propositional character of the written word fosters what Walter Ong calls the “analytic management of knowledge.” To engage the written word means to follow a line of thought, which requires considerable powers of classifying, inference-making and reasoning. It means to uncover lies, confusions, and overgeneralizations, to detect abuses of logic and commonsense. It also means to weigh ideas, to compare and contrast assertions, to connect one generalization to another. To words themselves, which is, in fact, encouraged by the isolated and impersonal text. That is why a good reader does not cheer an apt sentence or pause to applaud even an inspired paragraph. Analytic thought is too busy for that, and too detached.

John Calvin on Death

2010-08-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

John Calvin continually provides edification for my soul. Every time I read him he demonstrates a clear grasp on life. In this section he writes about the tendency of humans to live a life of earth centeredness:

That human life is like smoke [Psalm 102:3] or shadow [Psalm 102:11] is not only obvious to the learned, but even ordinary folk have no proverb ore commonplace than this. And since they counted this something very profitable to know, they have couched it in many striking sayings. But there is almost nothing that we regard more negligently or remember less. For we undertake all things as if we were establishing immortality for ourselves on earth. If some corpse is being buried, or we walk among graves, because the likeness of death then meets our eyes, we, I confess, philosophize brilliantly concerning the vanity of this life. Yet even this we do not do consistently, for often all these things affect us not one bit. But when it happens, our philosophy is for the moment; it vanishes as soon as we turn our backs, and leaves not a trace of remembrance behind it. In the end, like applause in the theater for some pleasing spectacle, it evaporates. Forgetful not only of death but also of mortality itself, as if no inkling of it had ever reaches us. We return to our thoughtless assurance of earthly immortality. If anyone in the meantime croaks the proverb: “Man is the creature of a day,” we indeed admit it; but with no attention, so that the thought of perpetuity nonetheless remains fixed in our minds. Who, the, can deny that it is very much worth-while for all of us, I do not say to be admonished with words, but by all the experiences that can happen, to be convinced of the miserable condition of earthly life; inasmuch as, even when convinced, we scarcely cease to be stunned with a base and foolish admiration of it, as if it contained in itself the ultimate goals of food things. But if God has to instruct us, it is our duty, in turn, to listen to him calling u, shaking us out of our sluggishness, that, holding the world in contempt, we may strive with all our heart to meditate upon the life to come.

It amazes me how relevant this remains today. He wrote this almost 500 years ago, and human nature has not changed a bit. When we go to funerals, we think deeply about the brevity of life; however, as soon as it's over, we move on to pursue some worldly passion, trying desperately to forget the reality of death. Living in denial is the one thing that Christians, of all people, must not do. We don’t have to. Christians are the people who can face death head on.

We know why humans naturally recoil from death; however, we also know that as Christians, we need not fear death as the unconverted naturally do. Death is the last enemy, and our redeemer has conquered it for all who believe in him. Hence the Apostle writes, “O death where is your victory, O death where is your sting?”

It was contemplating Calvin’s words that helped me to write this little quatrain that I’m sure could use some additional lines:

The pleasures in life are fleeting and vain.
They offer their joys and passing desires,
That render a mark, for young fools to strain—
But never achieve—for what lusting admires.

The Deceitfulness Of Sin

2010-07-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 3:12-13:
Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one anther day after day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

So much can be gleaned and used for further meditation from these two verses. The phrase that stands out to me is, “so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” The implications of that phrase are astounding. Sin is deceptive. Sin hardens hearts. If one does not continually let the Holy Spirit work in their heart, they will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

It’s amazing how desensitizing sin becomes over time. If we open ourselves up to sin, it will dull our spiritual sensitivity and cause us to fall deeper into the slough. Eventually a wake up call shocks us at how far we’ve sunk. This happened to me with movies; and I’m sure every Christian has a similar story.

This is why it’s important to form relationships that promote the encouragement needed for living the Christian life. If you have three believers together, you probably have two souls that are desensitized to different sins. Believer A might be shocked at how believer B can be so rude, and seemingly unloving, while believer B might be shocked at how desensitized believer A is to looking at pornography. Both believers know what they do is sin, but the gravity of the sin has lost its weight due to a continual practice of it. If we don’t have each other continually encouraging us we will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

It’s obvious that the author of Hebrews understood the laborious nature of living the Christian life. The phrase, “encourage one another, day after day,” reveals his grasp on the onerous burdens each day presents. We can’t live the Christian life on our own. We need the constant help of fellow believers.

Discipline and Punishment

2010-07-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

John Calvin writes:
There are two kinds of divine judgment…[T]he one is the act of a judge; the other of a father. For when a judge punishes an evildoer, he weighs his transgression and applies the penalty to the crime itself. But when a father quite severely corrects his son, he does not do this to take vengeance on him or to maltreat him, but rather to teach him and to render him more cautious therefore.

Calvin’s insights generally deserve further contemplation. These scripturally informed perceptions are no exemption. They provide an exceeding amount of comfort, worship, and perseverance (a triad necessary to Christian living).

They provide comfort because the reality of our salvation from God’s wrathful punishment. God disciplines those whom he loves. It is a wonderful comfort to know that we are saved from God’s wrathful vengeance, and recipients of His loving correction. It’s a comfort to know His correction conforms us to His image. Sanctification involves discipline, mainly because it often takes the deleterious effects of sin to impress us with a sense of our need for God. The comfort found in Christ’s discipline comes in realizing that he exercises his loving correction for his own glory, and for our own good.

This reality leads to worship when we contemplate the work that God began will be completed. Those whom he justifies, he also glorifies (Romans 8:33). The subsequent act of glorification follows the continual work of sanctification. Observing the work that God begins in our lives, as well as countless others, and realizing that he intricately and distinctly completes that work, invokes worship in my soul. I praise God for his wonderful work of atonement, and his wonderful loving discipline. The two kinds of divine judgment remind us that God is a loving father, and also a Holy Judge. We should praise Him for his loving paternal discipline, and praise Him for his divine wrath outpoured on all who reject his name. We have a God who will not tolerate sin. He is a Holy Judge who righteously dispenses justice. When this reality takes root, the only response is worship.

A third (and I’m sure by no means final) application from Calvin’s insights is perseverance. “…but rather to teach him and to render him more cautious therefore.” This is the very point of discipline: to realize the consequences of our actions; learn from our mistakes; and subsequently conduct ourselves in a wiser manner. We should be spurred on to vigilant perseverance.

The wonderful aspect to God’s discipline is its perfection. Humans are fallen, and therefore often impose discipline in a fallen manner. The direction implemented warrants discernment. With God, however, we can whole-heartedly fight in the direction he leads us. We have no reason to doubt that his guidance is flawed in any form.

With this assurance, we should lack no hesitation in fighting to the end, knowing that the one true and living God, whom we serve, will never lead us astray.

Remember, Lest We Forget

2010-07-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

II Thessalonians 2:13: But we should always give thanks to God for you brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation, through sanctification by the spirit and faith in truth.

This wonderful reminder demonstrates why our lives should exemplify gratitude. It’s clear when someone gives a gift, or performs some kind action towards us, that the appropriate response is gratitude. However, how much greater should our gratitude be toward God for a gift of even greater importance.

The gifts from a friend, however kind they may be, are no comparison to the immense love found in God. We are so careful to let our gratitude be made known to fellow humans for their acts of kindness. We’ll write thank you notes. We might even treat them with bias favor. How much more should we demonstrate gratitude toward God for sending a far greater gift?

God sees clearly our wicked thoughts, actions, and desires. Nothing is hidden from Him. The most vile thought, that would cause immeasurable embarrassment if made manifest to fellow humans, God sees, as clearly as if broadcasted on national television. And he still loves us. He still chose us, sent his son to die for us, and sanctifies us. Our lives should be continual manifestations of worship, thanksgiving, and gratitude toward Him.

Why do we not continually thank God for his loving-kindness? Mainly because we forget. We always know in the back of our mind that God saved us; however, we forget what it truly means. We forget the radical transformation he performed in us. We forget the immense cost that Jesus paid with his blood. We forget how holy and loving God truly is. If we don’t continually commune with God, on a daily basis, we will forget the price he paid. We will forget the immense love that brought Christ to the cross. We will forget how God chose us from the beginning for salvation.

Let us continually remind ourselves of the glorious gift of salvation, lest we fail to continually pour out our thankful praise for that glorious gift.

The Blood of Christ Alone

2010-07-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

It’s been said by someone (I think John Piper) that sentences have changed his life. The context for this statement surrounds a discussion of how at pastor’s conferences there seems to be a competitive spirit over who had read the most books the previous year. The obvious and applicable point to his statement is that we can get so caught up in the competitive nature of book reading that we miss the point and purpose of reading in the first place. Often it would prove more edifying if we spent less time reading, and greater time thinking about what we are reading.

This concept proved true to me recently while reading in the Institutes of Christian Religion where Calvin discusses the Roman Catholic perversion of the right use of confession in the daily life of a believer:

The doctrine we teach is free and clear of all these absurdities. For absolution is conditional upon the sinner’s trust that God is merciful to him, provided he sincerely seek expiation in Christ’s sacrifice and be satisfied with the grace offered him.

The phrase that jumped out to me was “…and be satisfied with the grace offered him.” It is important we understand that the blood Christ shed on the cross is enough to cover all the sins we can possibly commit. It seems antithetical to our natural way of thinking to believe we can have someone else’s perfect account credited to us simply by believing; however, to believe anything less is to undermine and pervert the gospel.

It’s easy to believe that just because you don’t go to a confessional, practice penance, or follow some unbiblical Catholic tradition relating to justification, you don’t practice justification by works. However justification by works isn’t only found in Roman Catholic traditions; it can be just as prevalent in the life a “Reformed” believer in Christ. It’s deceptively easy to get caught in the trap of focusing on our works and not on Christ. You may think that just because you intellectually assent to sola fide, your life is somehow conformed to that conviction; however, it takes continual discipline to live each day by faith. Martin Luther famously asserted that we need to re-learn the gospel every day. That’s an important reminder of the fierce temptation that continually attempts to make us forget the glorious truth that Christ’s blood alone purchased us. Nothing in us deserves that blood; it’s solely a work of Christ.

The question we need to continually ask ourselves is, “are we living justification by faith alone?” In order to answer yes, we need to continually learn the glorious truth of the gospel, and be satisfied with the abundant grace offered in Him.

God's Promises

2010-06-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

“By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11

It’s interesting and comforting to see Sarah mentioned as a woman of faith. When God promised the birth of Isaac to Abraham, Sarah is on record as laughing with incredulity; however, now she is remembered as a woman who “considered Him faithful.” It should be an encouragement to know that a woman who at one point laughed at God’s promise would later demonstrate faith worthy of being mentioned in Hebrews 11. At some point in time, her incredulity was turned into faith.

Christian believers probably don’t often find themselves laughing at God’s promises; however, we often display actions that reveal a gross amount of disbelief. How often do we get depressed, and feel that God has forsaken us; yet Hebrews 13:5 clearly states, “I will never desert you, nor forsake you.” Since God does not take his word lightly, neither should we. If He has made a promise to us we should fill our minds with it, and make it foundational to our lives. So often we insult God’s character, and let our feelings dictate our thoughts; however, God will never be found untrue, and we should constantly remember His faithfulness to the promises revealed in Scripture.

Sin

2010-06-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Sin, in short, is that vast moral disease which affects the whole human race, of every rank, and class, and name, and nation, and people, and tongue; a disease from which there never was but one born of woman that was free. Need I say that One was Christ Jesus the Lord?

I say, furthermore, that “a sin,” to speak more particularly, consists in doing, saying, thinking, or imagining anything that is not in perfect conformity with the mind and law of God. “Sin,” in short, as the Scripture saith, is “the transgression of the law” (I john 3:4). The slightest outward or inward departure from absolute mathematical parallelism with God’s revealed will and character constitutes a sin, and at once makes us guilty in God’s sight.

Of course Indeed not tell any one who reads his Bible with attention that a man may break God’s law in heart and thought, when there is no overt and visible act of wickedness. Our Lord has settled that point beyond dispute in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:21-28). Even a poet of our own has truly said, “ A man may smile and smile, and be a villain.”

Again, I need not tell a careful student of the New Testament that there are sins of omission as well as commission, and that we sin, as our Prayer Book justly reminds us, by “leaving undone that things we ought to do.” As really as by “doing the things we ought not to do.” The solemn words of our Master in the Gospels of St. Matthew place this point also beyond dispute. It is there written, “Depart from Me, Ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink” (Matt. 25:41,42). It was a deep and thoughtful saying of holy Archbishop Usher, just before he died-“Lord forgive me all my sins, and specially my sins of omission.”

But I do think it necessary in these times to remind my readers that a man may commit sin and yet be ignorant of it, and fancy himself innocent when he is guilty. I fail to see any scriptural warrant for the modern assertion that “sin is not sin to us until we discern it and are conscious of it.” On the contrary, in the fourth and fifth chapters of that unduly neglected book, Leviticus, and in the fifteenth of Numbers, I find Israel distinctly taught that there were sins of ignorance which rendered people unclean, and needed atonement (Lev. 4:1-35; 5:14-19; Num. 15:25-29). And I find our Lord expressly teaching that “the servant who knew not his master’s will and did it not” was not excused on account of his ignorance, but was “beaten” or punished (Luke 12”48((. We shall do well to remember that when we make our own miserably imperfect knowledge and consciousness the measure of our sinfulness, we are on very dangerous grounds. A deeper study of Leviticus might do us much good.

J.C. Ryle

Keeping them Captive to God's Word

2010-06-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how stupid we become when sin traps us in its clutches. I feel, at some moments of extreme temptation, that sin is the right choice to make. The "it can't be wrong if it feels so right" mentality is shockingly deceptive. After the deed is done, it usually becomes clear how stupid we were to perform it. When viewing them in retrospect, the foolishness of our actions become manifest.

It's a reminder that feelings can be incredibly deceptive. It's so easy to fall prey to believing that sin is justifiable because it feels okay. God gave us his word to act as a steady, unchanging, and perfect standard of right and wrong. The truth of Scripture isn't captive to unstable emotions; but the stable and immutable character of God. We are the ones that change; the Bible is a perfectly straight line that our lives must be subject to. Feelings are subject to sin. They run wild and can quickly spin out of control if not harnessed into compliance to God's word.

A Direct Offense Against God

2010-05-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions -Romans 6:12.

This is probably another one of those widely recognized, but rarely thought about verses. I can't help but feel conviction when meditating on Paul's words. It's so easy to lose sight on the militant attitude needed to exterminate sin. Before long it spreads its viral infection, and we become subject to its passions. Why is that? How can something gain a small foothold, and eventually become so dominate that it completely governs someone's life. The answer I believe is that we fail to view sin as an offense against a Holy God.

Sin offends God. This truth cannot be denied; however, there is a tendency to fall prey to the belief that sin is wrong, because it makes our lives worse. Or it's wrong because God doesn't like it. Although both those insights are true, they fall short of correctly labeling sin as the heinous act of rebellion that it is. God doesn't just dislike it; he hates it! It offends him to an infinite degree.

There are so many aspects to sin's diluting effect, that volumes could be composed on the subject (in fact, there have been). One aspect in particular is that God sees and hears our thoughts as clearly as if we were screaming them at the top of our lungs. Every wicked thought that enters our head God sees; no matter how brief, no matter how small. We have a tendency to pride ourselves when we hold our tongues and don't say what we're thinking. I'm sure that everybody has heard the phrase, "I was so proud of myself that I didn't say..." I know I've both heard and spoken that phrase multiple times. In reality, however, we should be grieving over the fact we had those thoughts to begin with; not priding ourselves for not manifesting our sin publicly. Why do we take pride in a sinful thought that never made it to the audible stage? Well the answer probably has to do with our pride wanting to let others know how self restrained we were during a particular confrontation. However, doesn't it sort of defeat the purpose if we tell someone about it later? But I digress.

The point I originally started out for, was that God sees those thoughts even if we don't manifest them vocally; and it is Him who will judge. I believe it was the Puritan Thomas Watson who said,"A man may think himself to Hell." He understood the serious effects our thought life can have on our soul. The atheist Christopher Hitchens claims not believe in the God of the Bible, who can damn people for "thought crimes." At least Hitchens has a partially accurate understanding about the God he rejects. More then many Christians.

The purpose of all this is to say that all sin is a direct offense against God. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife, he responded with, "how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God." Then David's famous confession after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba: "Against thee and thee only have I sinned." Christian's don't think of sin as a direct offense against God. The sooner we understand that all sin, every thought and every word, directly offends a Holy God, the more serious we will be at eradicating any hint of its presence in our lives.

God's Holiness.

2010-05-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

Does it seem rather difficult to praise God for his Holiness? It's not too hard to give praise and thanks to God when contemplating Salvation; however, how often do we praise God for the sole reason that he is Holy.

The Gospel is a wonderful starting place to begin an understanding of God's holiness; but it is important to praise him for who He is. I am usually moved to worship when I contemplate what God has done for me. When I eat food, I thank God and give him praise, for providing ME food. When I thank God for his blessings, it's because they are a blessing to ME. I can't seem to get myself out of the picture.

Although I'm not at all discounting the glory of God's works for his children; I want to praise God for who He is; regardless of what he has done for me. Reading the Psalms reveals how overcome the Psalmist often was with God's holiness. When people encounter God in the Bible, they are undone in his presence; not because of what he has done, but because of who he is. He is holy, holy, holy.

I love that acronym ACTS as an outline for prayer; however, it's important to realize that Adoration is separate from Thanksgiving. Adoration is praising God for who He is. Thanksgiving is thanking God for what he has done. There's a big difference. The ability to praise God for who he is, comes through meditating on his character. Meditating on what it means that God is infinitely pure, lovely, beautiful, powerful, true, unchanging, etc, forms a good starting place for understanding His Holiness.

I didn't think of this until after looking at the picture of Mt. Rainier; but this also relates to objective beauty. A sunrise behind Mt. Rainier is not only beautiful because humans are there to enjoy it. It is beautiful because God created it, and it reflects his glory. God is Holy regardless of our ability to understand or perceive. He just is.

The Holiness of God

2010-05-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

I can’t help feeling that I do not have the slightest grasp on God’s holiness. It may be because I’ve heard the word so many times that it lost its meaning; but I’m more inclined to think that it’s because I’ve never grasped its meaning to begin with. The word “Holy” seems so abstract. I have trouble getting my mind around it. Now I know that everybody has trouble getting their mind around it; however, we still need to have some grasp on what it means.

It’s easy to read the accounts of people who met with God in the Bible and observe their reactions. The angels never stop saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come”(Revelation 4:8). Isaiah fell on his face, and cried out “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts”(Isaiah 6:5). Now how come I think I can commune with God, read his word, and be his child, without being impressed with that holiness. I think the answer is that I don’t spend a considerable amount of time contemplating God’s holiness.

How can that be? Well, there is probably an endless list of reasons that all eventually lead to sin; however, the reason that comes to my mind is that I don’t have a grasp of what “Holy” means in connection with God. The Psalms are filled with praise to God for his Holiness, and Power; however, when I try to understand what holiness means, I find myself using other abstract words to describe it: majesty, glory, great, awesome, etc. In order to be truly moved by it, I need to find a starting point.

What does every Christian have in common? They have been saved. The reality that Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, shed his innocent blood for the sins of the elect is a reality for every human being bearing the name of Christ. This wonderful truth deserves meditation; however, to understand this we need to understand God’s perfection. Remembering what it was like to be accused of something I never did, then multiplying that feeling by infinity, gives me some sense of what it was like for him to be killed for my sins. Thinking about the love he has for sinful reprobates like me, who once hated him, is enough to humble and convict me. Contemplating how Jesus became a man, then gave his life as a sacrifice for the sins of other men women who hate him is amazing.

These must be some of the thoughts going through the mind of Isaiah when God was present before him. He saw a glimpse of the Lord’s perfection, and immediately was undone with shame and guilt for who we was. We are so arrogant to live day by day without continuously being moved by that love that compelled Him to descend to earth, live with sinful men, love them, and die for them. This wonderful truth opens the door to understanding a semblance of God’s holiness. It is enough to live on until faith is gone, and we live by sight.

Mortification of Sin

2010-05-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

I know Owen has this reputation for being wordy and verbose; however, he is so good. Often it takes a view times of rereading what he says to get it; but it's definitely worth it. Here is a brief section from his lengthy work on mortification of sin:

Indwelling sin always abides whilst we are in this world; therefore it is always to be mortified. The vain, foolish, and ignorant disputes of men about perfect keeping the commands of God, of perfection in this life, of being wholly and perfectly dead to sin, I meddle not now with. It is more than probable that the men of those abominations never knew what belonged to the keeping of any one of God’s commands, and are so much below perfection of degrees, that they never attained to a perfection of parts in obedience or universal obedience in sincerity. And, therefore, many in our days who have talked of perfection have been wiser, and have affirmed it to consist in knowing no difference between good and evil. Not that they are perfect in the things we call good, but that all is alike to them, and the height of wickedness is their perfection. Others who have found out a new way to it, by denying original, indwelling sin, and attempering the spirituality of the law of God unto men’s carnal hearts, as they have sufficiently discovered themselves to be ignorant of the life of Christ and the power of it in believers, so they have invented a new righteousness that the gospel knows not of, being vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds. For us, who dare not be wise above what is written, nor boast by other men’s lives of what God hath not done for us, we say that indwelling sin lives in us, in some measure and degree, whilst we are in this world. We dare not speak as “though we had already attained, or were already perfect,” Phil. iii. 12. Our “inward man is to be renewed day by day” whilst here we live, 2 Cor. iv. 16; and according to the renovations of the new are the breaches and decays of the old. Whilst we are here we “know but in part,” 1 Cor. xiii. 12, having a remaining darkness to be gradually removed by our “growth in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” 2 Pet. iii. 18; and “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, so that we cannot do the things that we would,” Gal. v. 17: and are therefore defective in our obedience as well as in our light, 1 John i. 8. We have a “body of death,” Rom. vii. 24; 11from whence we are not delivered but by the death of our bodies, Phil. iii. 21. Now, it being our duty to mortify, to be killing of sin whilst it is in us, we must be at work. He that is appointed to kill an enemy, if he leave striking before the other ceases living, doth but half his work, Gal. vi. 9; Heb. xii. 1; 2 Cor. vii. 1.

Christian Love

2010-05-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Do not be alarmed when trials and tribulations come your way. Jesus tells us that we will suffer (I Peter 2:21-25). Paul says that affliction in this life is preparing us for the glory to come (II Corinthians 4:17). If this is the case, we shouldn't be surprised when trials and tribulations afflict us. The question is how we respond. Don't waste a good trial. When somebody wrongs you, remember that God causes all things to work together for good. He sovereignly orchestrated that incident to happen; therefore, we should do the best we can to make it as sanctifying as possible. What a perfect opportunity to practice Christian love and charity towards a fellow human. It's easier to love people we like or get along with; however, the challenge intensifies when it's someone we don't.

Christian Love:
Patience, kindness, not being rude, arrogant, or envious, and, keeping no record of wrong. These are some of the attributes that characterize Christian love. How antithetical to the worldliness that characterizes most relationships. Love is so hard to put into practice; however, considering what Paul addresses in I Corinthians 13, it necessitates an unwavering devotion and diligence: "If I speak in tongues, of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers , and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." Those are radical words! With that kind of serious emphasis, I wonder why I don't spend more of my time devoted to meditating on true Christian love.

It's easy to think that if one maintains a veneer a friendliness towards someone, it's demonstrating love; however, we know that Scripture teaches different. We know that it's very easy to fake a smile when our heart stinks of bitter disdain. We also know that man looks at the outward appearance, but God, the one who judges, looks at the heart. When reading through the different attributes of love I feel conviction upon conviction pile up. Taking each one of these attributes (patience, kindness; not being rude, arrogant, or envious; keeping no record of wrong) and thinking about it throughout the day proves to be a good method of finding out how well you practice true Christian love.

Loving the Law

2010-04-28T12:19:00.001-07:00

It’s amazing how the Psalmist in Psalm 119 loves the law of God. He wants to learn more about it. He blesses the Lord because of the law. My prayer resonates with verse 18, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from your law.” When I hear the phrase, “the law of God” there is no overwhelming sense of love, or propensity towards worship. I feel a greater sense of intimidation and disappointment because I don’t come close to measuring up. I guess when one thinks about it in terms of worship (as the psalmist clearly does) it changes the meaning. Jesus perfectly kept the law, and it represents God’s perfect character. It provides a way that humans can begin to understand who God is and why he is to be worshiped.

Because the law represents who God is, it makes sense that if we want to be conformed to his image we should meditate on it. Meditating on the law will invoke a greater consciousness of sin in our lives. Paul famously reminds his readers that he would not know he coveted if the law hadn’t told him not to covet.

It reminds me of obeying or disobeying the speed limit. If you never think about the speed limit you would probably break it all the time; at least one would assume (you probably don’t know if you never think about it because, well, you never think about it). However, if you remind yourself every day while driving to work what the speed limit is and constantly keep it in the forefront of your mind, you’re much more likely to follow it, and you will be much more aware of it when you do not. It’s like when you see a police car parked on the side of the freeway. Immediately you check your speed. When there’s a policeman driving behind you, you’re constantly checking your speed to make sure you don’t exceed.

Similarly, when I don’t spend time dwelling on the law of God, I’m much more likely to break it. It’s not until I meditate on it am I reminded of my failure. If I never think about the sin of idolatry, I’m going to be practicing idolatry in many subtle ways that escape my notice. However, if I constantly meditate on God being the primary focus of my life, and how nothing should occupy my attention more, I will be aware when idolatry begins to creep in. I will probably even see its practice in areas I’d never thought of before. My conscience will become increasingly more captive to scripture, and bound to its words. It will cause me to grow in my desire of God and disdain for sin. I will begin seeing how so many little things have become more important to me than God. I will become grieved at the reality of my sin and attempt to destroy it because it stands as a hindrance to my communion with God.

If I do not, however, sin will continue to exist, and thrive. I could be living in a particular sin right now that I do not see because I’m not meditating on the law of God as I should. I will never see that sin if I continue to observe others and compare myself with them. (Because this illustration can’t be exhausted) it’s like comparing dirty sheets with less dirty sheets. The only way to really expose the filthiness of a sheet is to compare it to a perfectly clean one. Likewise, the only way to expose sin is to compare oneself with someone sinless; someone like God, who uses the law to manifest his sinless nature. Only then will sins that one might be oblivious to be made manifest.

Looking to the past for assurance.

2010-04-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sonnet that traces what happens when I get depressed; and the thought process that gets me out.

My cries find anguish in the tears I shed,
While hopelessly I pray, but much to no avail.
For God has left me now to blind and mournful dread,
While love that once I felt, now mocks me as I wail.

I do remember though, this love of God.
It's restful peace that calmed my restless soul
And raised my thoughts to heights of grateful laud.
But not today, oh peace that made me whole.

But think again (before you lose all heart).
Remember how he snatched you from the pit,
And raised you from despair, to joyously restart
This life that now, seems somewhat hopeful where you sit.

So when I think on how You made me free,
I feel, within, a greater sense of thee.

Often depression, or struggles with assurance happen because humans don't feel the love or presence of God. They fall into the trap of looking to themselves for joy and fulfillment, and forget that that comes from God. Humans are emotional creatures, moods fluctuate drastically from day to day. It's easy to wake up in the morning and feel abandoned, and rejected. I think the reason God made us like that is to remind us that we need something stronger and constant to hold on to; that something, of course, is Him.
We can't make it through life looking to ourselves for peace and assurance. That's where we find sin, despair, and more sin. God is the one who needs our constant gaze. The present doesn't always offer the greatest assurance; but that's why we have a memory, to look back and see what He has accomplished. Happy Easter.

Walk with Christ in Gratitude and Love:

2010-03-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in him, and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and over-flowing with gratitude. Colossians 2:6-7.
The phrase that stands out to me is “overflowing with gratitude.” "Overflowing" suggests that gratitude should not only be found in the life of a Christian, but should be definitional. It should be abundant. The only way to achieve that level of gratitude comes through a constant practice of meditating on the atoning work of Christ. Think about what He did and what it meant. What must it have been like for God to create humans; send his son to earth in the likeness of one; and allow him to be murdered by the creatures He created for crimes He never committed.
This wonderfully scandalous truth should produce a desire to “walk in Him.” When I think about the love of Christ it humbles me to the dust. I’m stripped of any amount of pride (clearly I don’t think about it enough) and the only desire remaining is one that wants to walk with Christ.
Who would not want to identify with a glorious being who gives his own life for reprobate creatures that hate him? If we establish our faith in him who died on the cross, we will continue to grow with immovable strength.

Religious Affections:

2010-03-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

The business of religion is, from time to time, compared to those exercises, wherein men are wont to have their hearts and strength greatly exercised and engaged; such as running, wrestling, or agonizing for a great prize or crown, and fighting with strong enemies that seek our lives, and warring as those that by violence take a city or kingdom. though true grace has various degrees, and there are some who are but babes in Christ, in whom the exercise of the inclination and will towards divine and heavenly things, is comparatively weak; yet every one that has the power of godliness, has his inclinations and heart exercised towards God and divine things with such strength and vigor, that these holy exercises prevail in him above all carnal or natural affections, and are effectual to overcome them: for every true disciple of Christ "loves him above father or mother, wife and children, brethren and sisters, houses and lands; yea more than his own life." Hence it follows, that wherever true religion is, there are vigorous exercises of the inclination and will towards divine objects: but by what was said before, the vigorous, lively, and sensible exercises of the will, are no other than the affections of the soul ~Jonathan Edwards.

Charles Spurgeon

2010-03-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

The Apostle says, “You are saved.” Not, “you shall be,” or, “you may be,” but, “you are saved.” He says not, “You are partly saved,” nor, “on the way to being saved,” nor, “hopeful of salvation,” but, “by Grace are you saved.” Let us be as clear on this point as he was and let us never rest till we know that we are saved! At this moment we are either saved or unsaved. That is clear. To which class do we belong? I hope that, by the witness of the Holy Spirit, we may be so assured of our safety as to sing, “The Lord is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation.”

Persecution

2010-03-09T13:05:00.001-08:00

Here is the link to one of the many articles about the Nigerian villages where hundreds of Christians were brutally killed by a gang Muslims on Sunday. I thought it was a good reminder to be praying for Christians worldwide who are persecuted daily for the faith. Also a reminder to be grateful for living in a country where we don't have to live in fear for our convictions.
I would expound more, but I really need to get back to work on a paper due tomorrow.

Doug Wilson vs. Dan Barker

2010-03-06T23:28:00.000-08:00

Great debate from 1997 between Dan Barker and Doug Wilson. Well worth listening to(multiple times) if you want to prepare yourself for witnessing to an atheist. Doug Wilson Dan Barker Debate.

A rant to myself for pursuing works, not Christ.

2010-02-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

“Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works.” Roman 9:32

Paul is answering the question; “Why did Israel not achieve righteousness when they were pursuing the works of righteousness.” They were reaching for the unreachable. They had a false view of the heart of fallen man. They didn’t realize that it’s not through the law one achieves righteousness; but through faith. What does this look like in you? Don’t continue to be a hypocrite. Have you been pursuing works? If Paul’s best works were considered filthy rags...you’re definitely hopeless. Seek God! Not the law. Set your mind on Christ. Think about this! If you’re a Christian then the blood of Christ covers you now. God looks at you through the perfect blood of Christ. He looks at you with approval because Jesus died on the cross for you! Think about that every single day! Dwell on that. That is something to glory in. You were a rebelious sinner, But God, adopted you, and brought you into his family. You’re in. Stop trying to work your way in. Stop insulting the efficacy of Christ's blood.

If you adopted a child, wouldn’t it be odd if he continually tried to work his way into your family. Wouldn’t you finally look at him and say, “Hey, you don’t have to keep pretending to be one of us to prove that you are one of us. You are one of us because you’ve been adopted. You’re in! You don’t become a member of this family by pretending to be one; you become one through adoption.” A child may come over to the house all the time, almost to the point where one might say, “they're like one of the family;” however, that doesn’t make them one.

Stop trying to work you’re way into God's adopted family. Live on the promise that if God has named you as a child, then you will be glorified as such (Romans 8:17). Pursue God through faith and remember that He is not interested in your works. You may claim justification by faith alone; but do you live it? As Luther said, we need to rediscover the gospel every day.

A prerequisite to repentence.

2010-02-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

A man must feel himself in misery, before he will go about to find a remedy; be sick before he will seek a physician; be in prison before he will seek for a pardon. A sinner must be weary of his former wicked ways before he will have recourse to Jesus Christ for refreshing. He must be sensible of his spiritual poverty, beggary, and slavery under the devil, before he thirst kindly for heavenly righteousness, and willingly take up Christ’s sweet and easy yoke. He must be cast down, confounded, condemned, a cast away, and lost in himself, before he will look about for a Savior.
-Robert Bolton

Mortifying of Sin

2010-02-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

There are two evils which certainly attend every unmortified professor; — the first, in himself; the other, in respect of others:—

1. In himself. Let him pretend what he will, he hath slight thoughts of sin; at least, of sins of daily infirmity. The root of an unmortified course is the digestion of sin without bitterness in the heart. When a man hath confirmed his imagination to such an apprehension of grace and mercy as to be able, without bitterness, to swallow and digest daily sins, that man is at the very brink of turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Neither is there a greater evidence of a false and rotten heart in the world than to drive such a trade. To use the blood of Christ, which is given to cleanse us, 1 John i. 7, Tit. ii. 14; the exaltation of Christ, which is to give us repentance, Acts v. 31; the doctrine of grace, which teaches us to deny all ungodliness, Tit. ii. 11, 12, to countenance sin, is a rebellion that in the issue will break the bones. At this door have gone out from us most of the professors that have apostatized in the days wherein we live. For a while they were most of them under convictions; these kept them unto duties, and brought them to profession; so they “escaped the pollutions that are in the world, through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” 2 Pet. ii. 20: but having got an acquaintance with the doctrine of the gospel, and being weary of duty, for which they had no principle, they began to countenance themselves in manifold neglects from the doctrine of grace. Now, when once this evil had laid hold of them, they speedily tumbled into perdition.

2. To others. It hath an evil influence on them on a twofold account:—

(1.) It hardens them, by begetting in them a persuasion that they are in as good condition as the best professors. Whatever they see in them is so stained for want of this mortification that it is of no 16value with them. They have a zeal for religion; but it is accompanied with want of forbearance and universal righteousness. They deny prodigality, but with worldliness; they separate from the world, but live wholly to themselves, taking no care to exercise loving-kindness in the earth; or they talk spiritually, and live vainly; mention communion with God, and are every way conformed to the world; boasting of forgiveness of sin, and never forgiving others. And with such considerations do poor creatures harden their hearts in their unregeneracy.

(2.) They deceive them, in making them believe that if they can come up to their condition it shall be well with them; and so it grows an easy thing to have the great temptation of repute in religion to wrestle withal, when they may go far beyond them as to what appears in them, and yet come short of eternal life. But of these things and all the evils of unmortified walking, afterward.

Quite The Change

2010-02-04T15:48:00.000-08:00

For the first Time in my life I believe I’ve truly felt God’s work in my soul. These past two months have been the worst two months of my life. I was trying to be independent in thought, action, and conviction (not necessarily a bad thing, but when independent with the Bible…). I let temptations, like doubt, take root, in my thoughts and I watered them daily with confusion, anger, and rebellion. I believe God gave me a taste of what life is like without him. Previous to this I’ve been solely interested in thinking polemically about Christianity. I didn’t have a full grasp of what it means. I wandered dangerously close to apostatizing, and God gave me glimpse of what life without Him is like. Insanity. Life without Christ, without a constant reliance the holy work that he accomplished on the cross, leads to a dismal and hopeless end. I came far too close to experiencing that end. And what brought me out? I can strongly say that it was a work of the Holy Spirit. In complete despair and quite pathetic humiliation I cried out for God’s forgiveness. He had mercy and picked me up, and for the first time in my life I know what it’s like to have God save my soul. I know the feeling of having Christ bring one to him; and I know the feeling of thankfulness for the work that He does. What a change. I’ve never known this feeling before. It’s wonderful. Now, instead of wanting to kill myself to end miserable insanity, I can’t wait for God to take me home, so I can be with him.

Killing the Abortion Doctor

2010-01-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

Scott Roeder has recently begun his trial for the killing of George Tiller, one of the few doctors in the country who would perform late term abortions. Monica Davey, writing for the New York Times, is following the story and in her article, In His Own Defense, Man Admits Killing Abortion Provider, she quotes Roeder as saying, "It's never up to man to take a life, only in cases of self defense or defense of others."

Although I believe Roeder was wrong in killing Tiller, and that he proved to be no help to the pro-life movement in doing so, I'm not one hundred percent certain, based on his previous statement, he was unjustified in his action. For example, if you were out in public and a man attempted to kill you or someone near you, you would be justified in taking action and killing him in self defense. In Roeder's case, considering the fact that Tiller had previously killed at least 60,000 babies and had no intention of stopping, was Roeder justified in killing someone to defend the lives of others? I suppose you could make the argument that he was not actually preserving the lives of others, because those women would have just gone to another doctor to have their baby aborted. However, you could also say that some of those women might not have been able to find someone else considering the fact that Tiller was one of the few doctors who would perform late term abortions; in which case, Roeder actually was saving future lives.

A bigger part of me still adamantly believes that Roeder was wrong when considering what the logical conclusion of his mindset would lead to: a mass outbreak of killing abortion doctors, and blowing up of abortion clinics. Also when one considers Romans 13, and the charge for Christians to live under subjection to the Government God has placed them under, it also seems wrong to openly disregard the law, and take your own action. Abortion doctors are protected, by law, to carry out this practice that to Christians, and many other non-Christians, is clearly morally wrong.

I'm sure there are many aspects to this issue I'm not even considering in my three short paragraphs; nevertheless, these were just some sudden thoughts on the topic. I'd love some feedback.

Being Different:

2010-01-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

Liberty and freedom. Two words sewn into the fabric of the American way of life. However, do we think about what they really mean. So often we let words become so familiar that they lose so much of there meaning. Liberty and freedom are not exempt from this travesty. I’m interested particularly in personal freedom and liberty. What does it mean to have personal freedom? To do with ones life as they please without the fear of infringement from other less satisfied souls. To grasp a deeper understanding liberty, I want to explore what human liberty means, and why it seems, at times, unattainable.
Personal liberty means that individuals should have the right to act in whatever way they please, so long as they are not infringing on others. To borrow from John Stuart Mill’s more eloquently phrased explanation: “Liberty of an individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people. But if he refrains from molesting others in what concerns them…he should be allowed, without molestation, to carry his opinions into practice at his own cost.” If humans lived in a manner commensurate with this elucidation, there would be a greater amount of, enjoyment, creativity, and vibrancy during the course of human existence.
For some reason, humans have this insatiable inclination to follow the crowd of “popularity,” and alienate those who do not. The price of daring to be different often proves too much, and forces broken-willed people to blend in with the group for fear of being estranged or isolated. What does this lead to? Not enjoyment. Do we see happiness in the everyday lives of actors living a façade? Following the masses like cattle being herded in every direction? They may assume the veneer of happiness, but inside they are broken. They realize the sham of their existence. Unfortunately they are too trained in the way of imitation to change.
What does the life of someone not enslaved to the drum of their culture look like? It’s creative. They think outside the box. They realize the pointlessness of blindly participating in the worldwide game of follow the leader. They are the people whose lives bloom with creative vivacity. The chains of social boundaries hold no weight on them, and as a result they explore diverse ways of living, that might be better then the status quo. Those changes, however, are foreign to the zombie-like, parroting imitators that make up most of society (that is, unless the majority begins traversing down those paths, thereby creating a different direction to follow).
I’ll conclude with another quote from Mill: “If the grounds of an opinion are not conclusive to the person’s own reason, his reason cannot be strengthened, but is likely to be weakened by his adopting it.”

Some Eclectic Thoughts:

2010-01-21T21:38:00.000-08:00

"What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone." Romans 9:30-32
When one attempts to attain the unattainable they always fail. What a no brainer; however, it seems that I've been living my life in this manner. I've been missing the basic meaning of the Christian faith. It's like trying to do calculus without knowing how to count. Or, trying to get on the top of a building by jumping, when it would be easier just to use a ladder. I'll spare you the pain of having to hear any more pathetic illustrations (and believe me, there are more) and just get to the main point. It's so easy to get caught up talking about theology, and lose a grasp on the fundamentals that theology (studied rightly) should lead to, that is, a love and devotion to God. How often do we think about the reality that Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed his blood so that those who put their faith in Him would have a way of salvation from eternal damnation. I know I don't. How often do we spend time thinking about "therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to flesh but according to the Spirit"(Romans 8:1-4).

How many times have I heard these truths articulated? Countless! I could probably ace a Bible 101 quiz, but that doesn't get me into Heaven. Do I really know these truths? Does my heart believe it? Well, right now I don't think so. I've heard this stuff all my life, so much so that I don't seem to blink an eye when I hear words like, "Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." That is a glorious truth! That's a sentence that one could spend the rest of their life meditating on. It's so easy to lose a grasp on the basic meaning of faith, and get caught up in spewing out terminology and phrases that mean nothing to you personally, but sound impressive to someone else. God is Love, and he sent Jesus to die on the cross so that each person who believes may be free from sin and death. "Free from Sin and Death." This is what theology should lead us back to. So often it takes us away, or at least it takes me away. It's so easy for such wonderful truths to lose the power they possess.

I worked with a guy about a year ago, who, when I found out was a Christian, asked about reformed theology and Calvinism. To my utter shock...(gasp)...he didn't know what Calvinism was. He said to me, "I don't know much about theology, I just know that I'm a piece of crap and that God saved me." I'm embarrassed now, because it's taken me over a year to figure out that I should have been convicted the minute I heard that. I think he knows more about theology then I ever did. It's so easy to get caught up in the terminology and lose sight of the fundamentals. That Jesus Christ died on the cross to save sinners. What does that mean? What does that look like? What should that produce in your life?

Does this mean that all the pieces will automatically fall into place? No. I still don't understand the issues that have been causing my emotional and spiritual chaos, but I know there's someone who does. That someone who said God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, also said that God is Love. That someone is God, with whom there is no injustice. You can't believe one of those truths and disregard the others.

Who are you O man?

2009-12-22T22:27:00.000-08:00

Romans 9:19-21
You will say to me then, "why does he still find fault? For who resists His will?" On the contrary who are you O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, why did you make me like this will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

Well one thing nice about Paul is that he always predicts the objections that his readers will most likely raise. Romans 9 is no exception. However, His response to the expected objection still baffles me. Some claim that he doesn't answer the objection; however, I believe he does. His answer, "who are you O man who answers back to God?" reveals much. It reveals at least two aspects of Paul's theological understanding. One, the holiness of God; and two, the sinful depravity, and lowliness of man. Paul has a clear grasp on the magnitude of God's holy perfection, and how it compares to the lowly wickedness of man. When a soul begins to gain a sense of God's holiness, the thought of a human, a molded piece of clay, answering back to him, reeks of blasphemy and arrogance. Paul immediately responds, not with words that attempt to justify God, but words that rebuke the audacity of a creature who dares to answer back to the creator of the world. "Who are you O man?" Paul clearly has a sense of how holy God is and how lowly humans are.
His answer, however, is disheartening to me. Mainly because I don't have a reverence or fear that even comes close to this. I have never trembled at the thought of questioning God's actions. The kind of reverence that evokes the immediate "who are you O man" response, is a reverence that will only come through time and meditation. The fear and love of God that humbly submits to his perfect and holy will, is vacant from my thoughts. I feel like there's a barrier inhibiting my understanding from grasping God's holiness.

Faith

2009-12-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

"God does everything for his own glory." The phrase is not a new one to me. It's one that rolls off my tongue so easily because I don't think I've spent time thinking about what it truly means. Ultimately I could ask the "why" question until the cows come in and never be satisfied. True satisfaction and peace comes when the Holy Spirit has done a work on the heart. Truly thinking about things you've been taught all your life puts a different perspective on them. Trying to make things become heart knowledge feels a lot like trying to convince myself of something I have a hard time believing, but feel that I should be believing for my own peace of mind. Realizing that what you've been taught all your life really doesn't make any sense is a mentally shattering experience. It almost seems easier to push the doubts to the back of my mind, and carry on with the comfortable normality that I've previously been accustomed to. I don't want to be doubtful about the Bible. I just want to fully believe what I say. I know assurance is something that many Christians often struggle with, and I think I'm one of those Christians.
I don't believe that it's morally wrong to have children. Not being able to see the confusing labyrinth of thought inside my mind, I understand the responses that that statement procured. That post was the product of a theologically frustrated mind that didn't give its own thoughts time to sink in. Assured belief in scriptural doctrine is a life long struggle that I am at the beginning of. It takes great faith to speak with true passion and conviction and great faith is definitely something I lack. I know the answer to my questions. I know in my head that God is perfect, he is holy, his methods should not be up for debate, humans should not even dare to question his perfect will that has been unfolding throughout history and will continue to unfold throughout eternity; however, that's the extent of my knowledge. I can give solid answers to questions relating to theodicy; the problem comes when I look to see if I believe them in my heart. I know I have issues when I push them to the back of my mind and hope the answers will eventually come. That seems like the wrong mode of operation. As far as receiving a satisfying answer...doesn't that have to be a work of the Holy Spirit over time? I believe I know the answers to my questions; however, I might paradoxically add, I also don't know. I don't truly know, and I don't know if I truly believe. Lastly, to quote a theologian whose name seems to have escaped me, "assurance comes over time." I have seen the truth of this statement exemplified in the lives of other Christians, which inclines me to believe its true. I now hope that time and the Holy Spirit will be the surgeons operating on my heart.

Why it seems morally wrong for Christians to have kids.

2009-12-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Why, in such sinful times of rampant immorality and temptation, do Christians continue to have children? They don't have a guarantee that every child will be saved. Most of the "Christian" kids I know don't even act like Christians. Kids grow up and often break their parents heart. All parents are doing is creating children who will most likely be banished to Hell for eternity. So what if two out of three children in a particular Christian family are saved, there is still that one child that isn't. That one child that will go to Hell for eternity because the parents wanted to fulfill their own desire for happiness. They wanted to bring joy into their lives by having kids and training them up in the "admonition of the Lord." Well, is it worth the gamble to have a kid that might be sent to Hell for eternity? Is it really worth the price? If parents really love Children they will not take the chance of creating future residents of Hell. It seems, in a fallen world, almost morally wrong to usher new souls into eternity. I envy the aborted and still born babies that never had to struggle with a life of sin; but rather, were immediately glorified, and now are in the presence of God.

Preparation to Justification

2009-11-19T21:59:00.000-08:00

In his book, The God Who Justifies, James White includes a stellar (rather lengthy) quotation from James Buchanan:
The best preparation for the study of this doctrine [justification] is neither great intellectual ability, nor much scholastic learning, but a conscience impressed with a sense of our actual condition as sinners in the sight of god. A deep conviction of sin is the one thing needful in such an inquiry, a conviction of the fact of sin, as an awful reality in our own personal experience, of the power of sin, as an inveterate evil cleaving to us continually, and having its roots deep in the innermost recesses of our hearts, and of the guilt of sin, past as well as present, as an offence against God, which, once committed, can never cease to be true of us individually, and which, however, He may be pleased to deal with it, has deserved His wrath and righteous condemnation. Without some such conviction of sin, we may speculate on this, as on any other, part of divine truth, and bring all the resources of our intellect and learning to bear upon it, but can have no suitable sense of our actual danger, and no serious desire for deliverance from it. To study the subject with advantage, we must have a heartfelt interest in it, as one that bears directly on the salvation of our own should; and this interest can only be felt in proportion as we realize our guilt, and misery, and danger, as transgressors of God's Law. The Law is still, as it was to the Jewish Church, "a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith"; and the Law must be applied to the conscience, so as to quicken and arouse it, before we can feel our need of salvation, or make any serious effort to attain it. It is the convinced, and not the careless, sinner, who alone will lay to heart, with some sense of its real meaning and momentous importance, the solemn question: "How shall a man be just with God?" But more than this. As, without some heartfelt conviction of sin, we could have no feeling of personal interest in the doctrine of Justification, such as is necessary to command our serious attention in the study of it, so we should be scarcely capable of understanding, in their full scriptural meaning, the terms in which it is proposed to us, or the testimonies by which alone it can be established. The doctrine of Salvation, which is taught by the Gospel, presupposes the doctrine of Sin, which is taught by the Law; and the two together constitute the sum and substance of God's revealed truth. They are distinct, and even different, from each other; but they are so related that, while there may be some knowledge of sin without any knowledge of salvation there can be no knowledge of salvation without some knowledge of sin. As this is true of the general doctrine of Salvation, which includes deliverance from the power, as well as from the punishment of sin, so it is equally true of each of its constituent parts, the special doctrines of Justification and Sanctification, with this only difference, that, in the one case, we must have some knowledge of sin, in its legal aspect, as guilt already incurred, in the other, of sin, in its spiritual aspect as an inveterate inherent depravity.

Be innocent in what is evil

2009-11-17T23:51:00.000-08:00

I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. Romans 16:14.
How can such a pithy statement be so convicting. This verse seems so contrary to how I've lived my entire life. It completely goes against my nature. I can't remember a single time in my life when I could honestly say that I wanted to be truly innocent in what is evil and wise in what is good.
Why is it so difficult? Because even Christians seem to attach some form of respect to someone who appears to be schooled in worldly matters. The person who has the radically transforming conversion story generally holds more appeal than the person who grew up in church. Maybe because its wonderful to see how the Lord transforms lives; however, I would argue that in many cases it has more to do with a greater interest in the pre-converted state of that person. All that aside (I feel I'm digressing) my main point is that its hard to be interested in becoming wise in things holy and good when we could be learning about evil. Evil saturates society at every level and often disguises itself as appealing, or good. Movies are the obvious example. There's a pressure to be "seasonably movied" in order to participate in brainless conversations about the latest theater releases. Too bad there's not the same kind of pressure to be schooled in what is good. Unfortunately it goes against the grain. If someone is attempting to be wholly devoted to being wise in what is good they are labeled as a legalistic, narrow-minded, straight-laced, prude (or something of the sort). This endeavor excludes them from many clicks, conversations, and social gatherings, sadly even among Christians.
Thankfully, life is just a sliver of time compared to eternity, and eternity is what truly matters. Where will you spend eternity? The question lends itself to the pursuit of good things. The eyes of God penetrate to the heart, and He who tells us to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil, will be the final judge.

The Canons of Scripture

2009-11-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

This fact, the more I learn the more I realize how little I really know, seems to be coming more and more evident to me. After a discussion with a Catholic friend at work yesterday I was left considerably shaken and unsure about my confidence in the canons of scripture. After spending some time with Grudem's Systematic Theology, my shakenness has subsided and the ameliorating effect proved so impressionable that I felt the need to share.
After discussing our differing views of justification (among other things) my Catholic friend's default conclusion goes as follows: "Well your Bible's different then mine." Much to my shame, my ignorance revealed itself in the silence that followed his statement. (After some reading throughout the day I've come to realize that the Catholic Bible is simply a different translation of the 66 books of my Bible, as well as some writings from the Apocrypha.) After challenging him on why he puts stock in his Bible as being wholly divinely inspired, I realized that I could not even answer my own question about my own Bible (without circular reasoning).
Thankfully, Wayne Grudem greatly aided me in my endeavor to answer the question. The question plaguing me was, "Why are other ancient writings (such as the Apocrypha) not included in the canons of scripture?" Grudem answers with four points: (1) They do not claim for themselves the same kind of authority as the Old Testament writings. Verses all throughout the Old Testament attest to being divinely inspired: Exodus 17:14; I Samuel 10:25; I Chronicles 29:29; Jeremiah 30:2. (2) They were not regarded as God's words by the Jewish people from whom they originated. (3) They were not considered to be Scripture by Jesus or the New Testament authors. Grudem writes, "According to one count, Jesus and the New testament authors quote various parts of the Old Testament scriptures as divinely authoritative over 295 times, but not once do they cite any statement from the books of the Apocrypha or any other writings as having divine authority." (4) They contain teaching inconsistent with the rest of the Bible. He quotes E. J. Young who writes, "Ecclesiasticus teaches that the giving of alms makes atonement for sin (3:30). In Baruch it is said that God hears the prayers of the dead (3:4), and in 1 Maccabees there are historical and geographical errors."
Grudem concludes by saying, "with regard to the canon of the Old Testament, Christians today should have no worry that anything needed has been left out or that anything that is not God's words has been included." These words have provided a great deal of comfort to me and though I don't have every answer needed to silence the critics, I do feel a greater confidence in the canonicity of the Bible. Pray for me as I continue to try to be a witness to my co-worker.

Meditation

2009-11-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

The practice of meditation, sadly, fails to occupy much of my time. Not voodoo meditation, but the kind of meditation where one spends time thinking about a verse in the Bible, or an attribute of God. The Psalmist seems to be constantly reminding his reader of how much he focuses on God, and how much he dwells on His attributes. But how often do I do it? To my shame, it remains difficult for me to think for longer than five minutes on something without being distracted. The real tragedy lies in the tremendous benefit I'm missing out on. Accompanying a Godly life is a consistent time of meditation on Scripture. How else will someone become more like God if they don't spend time thinking about Him. The more someone meditates on God's word, the more their thought life and actions will be shaped by it.
John Owen poses a question to his reader (I don't have the exact quote): What is your default thought life like? Or, what do you think about when you're not thinking about what you're thinking about? I can't really convey the embarrassment I felt when I thought about the answer to that question. My default thought life is so mundane and trivial it fails to measure up to anything that could even be labeled noteworthy. After I manage to beat down my conviction the legitimate follow-up question is how to cure the problem. The diagnosis is clear: my thought life is shallow. The cure however is something that will continue to be a lifetime struggle: a consistent daily meditation on scripture. Hopefully, by God's grace, as time goes on, I will find myself continually engaging my mind with holy thoughts.

The Sanctifying Work of Tribulation

2009-10-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Romans 5:3-5
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
According to this verse we are supposed to exult in tribulation because it brings about perseverance, which in turn brings about hope. How will it bring hope? We can't always be feeling good. Emotions will move at random and often feel as if they are taking control. Sometimes I don't feel like a Christian, and sometimes I feel like God doesn't care about me. However, thanks be to God that the truth of His word remains, regardless of my feelings. His truth does not depend on my emotional status. I believe the hope spoken of here is meant for us to look back on our lives and remember the past tribulations that God allowed us to persevere through. If we weren't Christians we would have fallen away during those hard times; however, because God glorifies that which He justifies (Romans 8:30), we can rest assured in the hope that carried us through past tribulation. Often the present seems daunting and depressing; however, God's faithfulness remains as strong as ever yesterday, today, and forever, regardless of how one might feel.
Matthew Henry writes:
Tribulation worketh patience, not in and of itself, but the powerful grace of god working in and with the tribulation. It proves, and by proving improves, patience, as parts and gifts increase by exercise. It is not the efficient cause, but yields the occasion, as steel is hardened by the fire. See how God brings meat out of the eater, and sweetness out of the strong. That which worketh patience is matter of joy; for patience does us more good than tribulations can do us hurt. Tribulation in itself worketh impatience; but, as it is sanctified to the saints, it worketh patience.

The Blessings of Christ's Kingly Office for Us:

2009-10-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

A good way to ease back into blogging after a month of neglecting. Calvin usually has good thoughts and these are especially edifying to dwell on (it's also fun to put up different pictures of him).
That the strength and utility of the kingdom of Christ cannot, as we have said, be fully perceived without recognizing it as spiritual, is sufficiently apparent, even from this, that having during the whole course of our lives to war under the cross, our condition here is bitter and wretched. What then would it avail us to be ranged under the government of a heavenly King, if its benefits were not realized beyond the present earthly life? We must, therefore, know that the happiness which is promised to us in Christ does not consist in external advantages—such as leading a joyful and tranquil life, abounding in wealth, being secure against all injury, and having an affluence of delights, such as the flesh is wont to long for—but properly belongs to the heavenly life. As in the world the prosperous and desirable condition of a people consists partly in the abundance of temporal good and domestic peace, and partly in the strong protection which gives security against external violence; so Christ also enriches his people with all things necessary to the eternal salvation of their souls and fortifies them with courage to stand unassailable by all the attacks of spiritual foes. Whence we infer, that he reigns more for us than for himself, and that both within us and without us; that being replenished, in so far as God knows to be expedient, with the gifts of the Spirit, of which we are naturally destitute, we may feel from their first fruits, that we are truly united to God for perfect blessedness; and then trusting to the power of the same Spirit, may not doubt that we shall always be victorious against the devil, the world, and every thing that can do us harm. To this effect was our Savior’s reply to the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is within you.” “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation,” (Luke 17:21, 22). It is probable that on his declaring himself to be that King under whom the highest blessing of God was to be expected, they had in derision asked him to produce his insignia. But to prevent those who were already more than enough inclined to the earth from dwelling on its pomp, he bids them enter into their consciences, for “the kingdom of God” is “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,” (Rom. 14:17). These words briefly teach what the kingdom of Christ bestows upon us. Not being earthly or carnal, and so subject to corruption, but spiritual, it raises us even to eternal life, so that we can patiently live at present under toil, hunger, cold, contempt, disgrace, and other annoyances; contented with this, that our King will never abandon us, but will supply our necessities until our warfare is ended, and we are called to triumph: such being the nature of his kingdom, that he communicates to us whatever he received of his Father. Since then he arms and equips us by his power, adorns us with splendor and magnificence, enriches us with wealth, we here find most abundant cause of glorying, and also are inspired with boldness, so that we can contend intrepidly with the devil, sin, and death. In fine, clothed with his righteousness, we can bravely surmount all the insults of the world: and as he replenishes us liberally with his gifts, so we can in our turn bring forth fruit unto his glory.

2009-09-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

The law is a mirror.
Calvin demonstrates a very succinct way of looking at a function of the law. This quote could also be phrased: "the law is the only mirror," or, "the law is the perfect mirror." There remains an easy possibility for sinners to use other sinners as their own personal mirrors. They compare themselves with people they know, or know of. Unfortunately this means they are using a dirty mirror. They are comparing dirty sheets with dirty sheets. The law of God stands as the only true mirror and standard of morality. One can easily see the defects in other individuals, and as a result, fail to see the defects in themselves. Many of the people traversing through life are bound for Hell with the false belief that they measure up to the required standard of morality to make it to Heaven. This proves the importance that individuals see sin in its utter ugliness. The only way one begins to grasp the depravity of man comes through the law of God. The Scripture teaches that we do not even come close to measuring up. In realization of this reality, we must fly to Christ. We must look at the law, see our sinfulness, and cling, as ones life depends on it, to Christ (Galatians 3:15-25). Christ: the only one who perfectly kept the law, who also died as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of His people. God sees those who are saved through the perfect blood of His son. Those who are not saved, however, are under the wrath of God, and the only thing they have to offer is their own works, which viewed in relation to the law of God, are filthy, defiled, and stained with sin. The only hope in life rests in the hope of the cross of Jesus.

The Law

2009-09-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Therefore if we look only upon the law, we can only be despondent, confused, and despairing in mind, since from it all of us are condemned and accursed [Galatians 3:10]. Institutes 2.7.4

This is the greatest our joy becomes when focusing solely on the law. We see the law, and unavoidably see our own sinfulness. In fact, this accomplishes one specific function of the law: to show us our sin (Romans 7:7-12). Our sin should cause us to feel “despondent, confused, and despairing in mind.” When dwelling on the law, we must acknowledge our sinfulness, and failure to measure up to God’s standards. It must become evident that the only way to Heaven exists through perfect law keeping. We also need to realize that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God(Romans 3:23). After grasping these two realities, it remains no wonder that we might be feeling despondent. In fact, hopeless despondency should be the reigning emotion in our minds in light of these realities. We have no hope of heaven based on our own works. The impossibility for us to keep the law manifests itself all throughout scripture. Galatians 5:17: The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. I Kings 8:46: …for there is no man who does not sin… Calvin writes that man must be compelled to know and to confess his own feebleness and impurity. In order for him to reach this conviction however, his own unworthiness must be made evident to him. The Law accomplishes this task.

Sin:

2009-08-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

If sin has no good at all in it, then, when there is a temptation to sin, there does not need to be any deliberation about it as to whether or not it should be admitted. If once you know it to be a sin, you need not reason the condition of admission or not, or what will follow. You immediately reject it without deliberation. Why? Because there is no good in it. We may deliberate about anything that has even a little good in it (though a greater good is offered), before we accept the one and cast off the other, but, if there is no good, there does not need to be any deliberation. If anything is pronounced to be sin, to be prejudicial to the estate of your soul, this must not be deliberated upon. Therefore, this is vain plea that men have, "What kind of government must we have if this is taken away?" First examine if this is evil or not evil that we have. If it is evil, it must be rejected, without deliberation, and we know what we must have in its stead. Indeed, if it was good, we might deliberate; but if it is evil and a sin, it must be cast off without deliberation., Brethren, this I am speaking of is of great use, because the strength sin usually has is from deliberating about is. I beseech you to observe thi. Take heed forever of reasoning with temptation, of consulting a casting about in your thoughts questions like "What will become of it? What trouble may come by this if I do no harken to this?" Take heed of reasoning. If the devil can but get you to reason about it, he has got it half granted already. You need not reason with any temptation. cast it off immediately because sin has no good in it. O that God would convince all our hearts of these things! Jeremiah Burroughs

Mistakes about conversion:

2009-08-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

It is one thing to have sin alarmed only by convictions, and another to have it crucified by converting grace. Many, because they have been troubled in conscience for their sins, think well of their case, miserably mistaking conviction for conversion. With these, Cain might have passed for a convert, who ran up and down the world like a man distracted, under the rage of a guilty conscience, till he stifled it with building and business. Others think that because they have given up their riotous ways, and are broken off from evil company or some particular lust, and are reduced to sobriety and civilty, they are now real converts. They forget that there is avast difference between being sanctified and civilized. They forget that many seek to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and are not far from it, and arrive to the almost of Christianity, and yet fall short at last. While conscience holds the whip over them, many will pray, hear, read, and forbear their delightful sins; but no sooner is the lion asleep than they are at their sins again. Who more religious than the Jews when God's hand was upon them? Yet no sooner was the affliction over, than they forgot God. You may have forsaken a troublesome sin, and have escaped the gross pollutions of the world, and yet in all this hav changed your carnal nature. Joseph Alleine

Not us, but Christ:

2009-08-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 2:4-5:
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
What a wonderful, God glorifying portion of Scripture. Of course all Scripture is glorifying to God; however, this portion is a sweet reminder that God alone is responsible for our salvation. He alone deserves the glory. The words "but God" mark a transitional phrase. The previous three verses paint a vivid picture of what the sinner accomplishes on his own. Anyone who thinks that they are responsible, or they made the decision to come to Christ, needs to read Ephesian 2: 1-3: "We were dead...we walked to the course of this world. We too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh...we were by nature children of wrath." That is what we used to be. That is what we used to live for. And in fact, that is what we wanted to live for. Then comes the pivotal point: "But God, being rich in mercy..."
These wonderful words bring it all together. It's almost as if, by verse 3, Paul expects the reader to be asking, "Then how was I saved?" or "Then what brought me to Christ?" It's obvious by verses 1-3 that there is nothing we could have done, or could have wanted to do to change our miserable existence. Then Paul answers the question in verse 4. Who is responsible for our salvation? God. His rich mercy, His great love, His wonderful grace saved us and raised us up with Him. Salvation is a wonderful gift of God, not of ourselves, but solely of Christ. Solus Christus, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Soli Deo Gloria.

God uses the works of the ungodly.

2009-07-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

From other passages, where God is said to bend or draw Satan himself and all the wicked to his will, there emerges a more difficult question. For carnal sense can hardly comprehend how in acting through them he does not contract some defilement from their transgression, and even in a common undertaking can be free of all blame, and indeed can justly condemn his ministers. Hence the distinction was devised between doing and permitting because to many this difficulty seemed inexplicable, that Satan and all the impious are so under God's hand and power that he directs their malice to whatever end seems good to him, and uses their wicked deeds to carry out his judgments. And perhaps the moderation of those whom the appearance of absurdity alarms would be excusable, except that they wrongly try to clear God's justice of every sinister mark by upholding a falsehood. It seems absurd to them for man , who will soon be punished for his blindness, to be blinded by God's will and command. Therefore they escape by the shift that this is done only with God's permission, not also by his will; but he, openly declaring that he is the doer, repudiates that evasion. However, that men can accomplish except by God's secret command, that they cannot by deliberating accomplish anything except what he has already decreed with himself and determines by his secret direction, is proved by innumerable and clear testimonies. What we have cited before from the psalm, that God does whatever he wills [Ps. 115:3], certainly pertains to all the actions of men.--John Calvin

The Bruised Reed

2009-07-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

What should we learn from this, but to 'come boldly to the throne of grace' (Heb. 4:16) in all our grievances? Shall our sins discourage us, when he appears there only for sinners? Are you bruised? Be of good comfort, he calls you. Conceal not your wounds, open all before him and take not Satan's counsel. Go to Christ, although trembling, as the poor woman who said, 'If I may but touch his garment' (Matt. 9:21). We shall be healed and have a gracious answer. Go boldly to God in our flesh; he is flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone for this reason, that we might go boldly to him. Never fear to go to God, since we have such a Mediator with him, who is not only our friend but our brother an husband. Well might the angel proclaim from heaven, 'behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy' (Luke 2:19). Well might the apostle stir us up to 'rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice' (Phil. 4:4). Paul was well advised upon what grounds he did it. Peace and joy are two main fruits of Christ's kingdom. Let the world be as it will, if we cannot rejoice in the world, yet we may rejoice in the Lord. His presence makes any condition comfortable. 'Be not afraid,' says he to his disciples, when they were afraid, as if they had seen a ghost, 'It is I' (Matt.14:27), as if there were no cause of fear where he was present. -Richard Sibbes

Boldness For Christ

2009-06-30T15:44:00.001-07:00

II Corinthians 3:12: Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech. As Christians we have the hope of eternal life. This alone should be cause for great boldness in our speech. This hope should cause us to boldly share the Gospel of Christ with everyone. Why? Because it's true. If the Gospel is true then a great number of men and women are going to Hell for eternity. This alone should be reason enough to want to proclaim it selflessly to all we meet. However, why would there still be hesitancy in letting others know about Christ? Perhaps a sense of peer pressure. Perhaps an indifference. Although a I Corinthians 13 kind of love should outweigh these impediments, often we let our idea of self importance get in the way. If a Christian does not have love for fellow men, he is nothing; and if he does have love for fellow men, it will not be self seeking, and it will not be proud; it will be selfless. The best thing a Christian can do for a non-believer, is to share the Gospel with him, and pray.

The point of this diatribe is to show that true love for fellow men, will want to share the Gospel with them. It will not be caught up in wondering what a co-worker will think or whether or not the right words will come, but will be so overjoyed with the hope to come, that it will want to boldly share the good news of Christ to all. Roman 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. This is the good news that we should not be ashamed of. Christ has the power to save anyone, the man who penned these words is proof of that. With our hope set on Christ, we should boldly proclaim His word to everyone.

The Witness Of The Holy Spirit...

2009-06-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

Yet they who strive to build up firm faith in Scripture through disputation are doing things backwards. For my part, although I do not excel either in great dexterity or eloquence, if I were struggling against the most crafty sort of despisers of God, who seek to appear shrewd and witty in disparaging Scripture, I am confident it would not be difficult for me to silence their clamorous voices. And if it were a useful labor to refute their cavils, I would with no great trouble shatter the boasts they mutter in their lurking places. But even if anyone clears God's Sacred Word from man's evil speaking, he will not at once imprint upon their hearts that certainty which piety requires. Since for unbelieving men religions seem to stand by opinion alone, they, in order not to believe anything foolishly or lightly, both wish and demand rational proof that Moses and the prophets spoke divinely. But I reply: the testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason. For as God alone is a fit witness of himself in his word, so also the Word will not find acceptance in men's heart before it is sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit. The same Spirit, therefore, who has spoken through the mouths of the prophets must penetrate into our hearts to persuade us that they faithfully proclaimed what had been divinely commanded. -John Calvin: Institutes: 1.7.4

The Depravity Of Man

2009-06-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

A while back I was in a conversation with one of my co-workers about Ted Bundy, the notorious serial killer in the latter half of the 20th century, and in that conversation he made a comment that stuck with me. Referring to Bundy, he said, "That guy was mentally ill." After reading about the atrocious actions he committed, it is understandable how someone could draw this conclusion; however, was he really mentally ill? After watching his last interview with Dr. Dobson, I was struck with the disturbing reality of how normal Ted Bundy looked and sounded. One would expect a man who admitted to murdering at least 30 women to be monstrous animal; however, this was not the case. Bundy himself attributes his actions not to a state of mental illness, but an early exposure to pornography which grew into a uncontrolled addiction.

There are endless examples of unbridled brutality towards fellow humans throughout history; most famous being the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. The reprehensible actions of the Nazi leaders seem so unlike anything a normal human being is capable of. People look at this and often respond in an attempt to make them sound as evil and demented as possible( presumably for the purpose of elevating their own self esteem, and reassuring themselves that they are not capable of behaving in such a way). A clear example of this in history can be found with Benedict Arnold. When his plot to betray America was exposed, it came to light that he had been negotiating with the British for almost a year over how much money he would receive for defecting. Arnold had fought bravely for years on the side of the Americans, only to end his career in a shameful betrayal. The Colonist reaction was one of utter shock and disbelief. Once the trauma blew over, then came the vilifying. Benedict Arnold was denounced and vilified to a deplorable state. After his execution, one arm was cut off and given a full military burial; the rest of his body was left outside to rot. Why did the early American founders disparage him so much? The answer is not only because of his treason, but because of the high position he occupied while serving in the military. Rarely did someone so high fall so low. He appeared to be an American patriot who fought courageously for independence; however, he turned out to be a plotting traitor. The point is, that the Colonists saw themselves in Benedict Arnold. Prior to the exposure of his betrayal, he embodied a spirit of patriotism that dwelled in all the colonist. They saw a man, just like them, commit an act that made them wonder if they themselves were capable of committing. The only way to dispel this haunting reality, was to besmirch Arnold to a level that made the Colonists feel better about themselves; however, in the back of their minds still lay the possibility that Arnold was just a normal man, like any one of them.

I'm not sure if this story fits in with the point I'm trying to make, but it's fascinating to talk about. The main application I see in these accounts, is that humans are capable of committing sin of all ranks and categories. The depravity of man is not a result of mental illness, but of the human sin nature. Ecclesiastes 7: 29: Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices. It is man's nature to want to sin, and to seek the things that are morally reprehensible. As depraved beings, there is no limit to the depths that man is able to sink. Romans 1:28: And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

It is only by the grace of God that the person reading this right now is not a Ted Bundy, or Adolph Hitler. It strikes me how murder, is in the same list with envy, gossip, and arrogance. To use Calvin's language, we are all dirty sheets in the sight of God. Comparing ourselves with others is similar to comparing one dirty sheet with another. Man is a sinful being, depraved to his very core, and I'll say again that it is only by the grace of God that all men are not fulfilling their lusts in an untamed beastly manner.

Faith In The Midst Of A Crowd

2009-06-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

Luke 18: 35-43:
As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" and Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And he said, "Lord, I want to regain my sight!" And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight: your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained is sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

I feel a level of conviction when thinking about the blind man's faith. The crowd was sternly telling him to be quiet, and his reaction was to cry out even louder. The peer pressure had to be tremendous, and yet it did not hinder him from calling out to God. Likewise, the peer pressure today is still a prominent force in dictating our actions. It is effective at separating out the true Christians from the false ones. The world today acts as a powerful crowd, telling Christians to be quiet. Everything from TV, to music, opposes the Christian worldview. As Al Martin passionately proclaimed in his sermon Separation from the World, "These things are not neutral!" They are attempting to steal our attention from the things that matter. They are, in essence, telling us to be quiet. The question that needs to be answered is, what will the Christian response be? Will it be one that cowers in defeat? Or will it cry out even louder, exhibiting a faith that, when facing opposition, will be strengthened rather than extinguished.

The Just Shall Live By Faith

2009-06-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

In Luther's own words:

Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that 'the just shall live by his faith.' Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before the "justice of God" had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven...

If you have a true faith that Christ is your saviour, then at once you have a gracious God, for faith leads you in and opens up God's heart and will, that you should see pure grace and overflowing love. This it is to behold God in faith that you should look upon his fatherly, friendly heart, in which there is no anger nor ungraciousness. He who sees God as angry does not see him rightly but looks only on a curtain, as if a dark cloud had been drawn across his face.

A Little Leaven...

2009-05-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 3:6: "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?"
This well known verse deserves some meditation. Although the verse can easily be cross referenced to 1 Corinthians 15:33 ("Bad company corrupts good morals"), it is important to remember that leaven is not only people, but any corrupting influence on ones life. If any trace of sin remains, it will spread like an untamed cancer. There's a reason why the Bible speaks about adopting a militant attitude towards sin(Matthew 5:29). The reason being, if its given its chance, sin will rapidly spread throughout ones life and eventually take control(Romans 6:12). This is why in Matthew 18 we are told that "if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you"(v.9). The meaning of this verse is to demonstrate the proactive attitude needed in dealing with sinful desires. If we do not militantly eradicate them, they will surely eradicate us. The path that a life of sin ultimately leads to, is Hell. The path that a life of righteousness leads to, is Heaven(Matthew 18:9).

Observing any battle will reveal that there is always a winning and losing side; not only in the end, but during the fight as well. The analogy is, that if we are not winning the battle against sin, then sin is winning the battle against us. All it has to do is survive and it will thrive. We are the ones who need to be constantly warring and killing any remnants that remain. We are never stagnant in the water. Either sin is being catered to, or it is being driven out. The only way for us to win, is to militantly exterminate anything that smells like sin. If we don't, that thing will distort itself into all kinds vile manifestations that, if given free reign, will leaven the whole lump.

Was Jesus Funny?

2009-05-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Is Jesus ever funny in the Bible? Recently I heard a pastor discussing this topic in his sermon. He gives three specific examples of Jesus attempting to be funny: first, Jesus calling Peter the rock that He will build his church on; second, Jesus telling us to take the log out of our own eye before taking the speck out of our brother's; and third, Jesus telling his disciples that it easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven. For each occasion the pastor suggests that Christians who do not see the humor in these statements simply miss the joke. However, are these (or any) portions of scripture really meant to inspire a good laugh? I would assert that there are three main reasons why Jesus never attempted to be funny.

First, Jesus was a man of sorrows. Isaiah 53:3 says, "He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." Does this description suggest that Jesus went around telling jokes? The reason He came down to earth was to die on the cross for the sins of the elect. While accomplishing this mission, Isaiah tells us, that Jesus was "despised and forsaken of men...acquainted with grief." This picture does not portray a man who supplied comic relief to loosen things up.

Second, the circumstances do not lend themselves to humorous situations. "It's easier for a camel to the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God"(Matthew 19:24). Jesus states this directly after the rich young ruler decides not to follow Him because he is too attached to his riches. "But when the Young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property"(v.22). A man had just forfeited his soul for the passing pleasures of this world. Would Jesus really turn to his disciples and make a joke about camels as the young ruler was walking away grieving?

Third, the gospel message does not lend itself to joke telling. The message to those who are lost is about repenting, fearing God, and keeping His commandments(Acts 2:37, Ecclesiastes 12:13). Where do jokes fit in? They don't. They undermine the gravity of the true message of the gospel.

Leave Everything and Follow

2009-05-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

"When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him"(Luke 5:11). Two observations. One: the immediacy of the response. There is no hesitation or second guessing in this verse; Jesus calls them and the immediate response is to follow. Two: they left everything. They felt no ties to the material world when they had Christ. They did not put their hope in the things of the world, but left everything and followed Him.
Contrary to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, true disciples of Christ should remember that there is no profit for those who gain the whole world but forfeit their own soul (Mark 8: 36).

A Knowledge of God

2009-05-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

In Volume I of Hodges Systematic Theology he writes, "All men have some knowledge of God. That is, they have the conviction that there is a being on whom they are dependent, and to whom they are responsible"(pg 189). Atheists, of course, would deny Hodge's claim; however, I have yet to hear a compelling argument as to why we have a built in sense of morality. No one can honestly deny that humans have some sense of right and wrong. However, if there is no God, then there is no judge, if there is there is no judge, then there is accountability. Calvin approaches Atheism from this angle. He suggests that men deny the existence of God so that they can, live in sin with a clear conscience. Makes sense. If there is no final judgment, then what's to stop me from living for my vain and selfish ambitions?

More Bunyan...

2009-05-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

In John Bunyan's book "Prayer," he responds to certain objections and queries raised by concerned Christians. One such concern is that when attempting to pour one's soul out to God, one can "scarce say anything at all." In Bunyan's three paragraph response, one line reads, "His eye is on the brokenness of your heart; and that it is that calls forth his compassion."

It is so easy to get caught up in spouting empty rhetoric when praying to God (especially for those of us who grew up in a Christian home). The buzz words, or phrases, that we've heard all our lives, lose any spiritual meaning that they might have originally held. "Dear Heavenly Father..." is the phrase that commonly opens prayer; however, does it even hold any real meaning? Or is it just a mindless phrase ingrained in the fabric of a mindless prayer. It's a reminder that what comes out of our mouths may not be what is in our heart.

Bunyan makes a wonderful point. Often times in my private prayers I struggle over the right words to say. However, considering the fact that the spirit already intercedes with groanings that cannot be uttered(Romans 8:26), the words are not what God is focused on. Why is it important to realize that God is not focused on the words? Words can be misleading. They connote different meanings to different people. What a stressful duty prayer would be if we needed to convey to God, through words, what we are feeling in our heart. Sometimes words cannot express a deep feeling of conviction, or an overwhelming sense of praise and glory, but because God looks directly at the heart, he knows our feelings perfectly, despite what words we use to express them. What a wonderfully convicting and encouraging thought, to remember that God is not fooled by flowery words(as humans might be), but reads directly into our hearts, and knows the very core of our thoughts.

Hymn: I don't think it needs a title. But then again, my blog's name is "What should I call it?"

2009-05-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

When e'er I fear my dying day, and think of how the hour will come,
That takes my soul so far away, from the place where I came from.
For a moment I always fear, then I shed a fleeting tear,
But then I'm strengthened by my lord, and the words that sooth my ear.

My soul will rise to heaven above,
And there I'll serve the God I love.
There I'll live eternally,
With the Lord I long to see.

Each new day I feel the pull, of this world that's full of sin.
How it weights upon my soul, how it pains my heart within.
My tiring heart grows fast depressed, from fighting flesh in sin's dark war.
Soon I'll go to Christ for rest, He's the one that I fight for

-Chorus-

Bogged down with sin and fleshly thoughts, my heart grows weak and faints within.
When turning to myself for peace, I find confusion steeped in sin.
But Christ, the one who offers rest, brings comfort to my troubled soul,
No more I fear my dying day, when Christ my God will make me whole.

-Chorus-

Bunyan on Prayer

2009-05-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

"You cry out that you are vile, and therefore God will not regard your prayers. It is true, if you delight in your vileness, and come to God out of a mere pretence. But if from a sense of your vileness you pour out your heart to God, desiring to be saved from the guilt, and cleansed from the filth, with all your heart, fear not, your vileness will not cause the Lord to stop his ear from hearing"(56).
-John Bunyan "Prayer"