Living in Light of the Hope (Part 2)

Paul Tripp's latest book, Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It explores how believers are to live out  their earthly lives in view of eternity. Jesus stressed the importance of having 20/20 spiritual vision (Mt.6:22-23). Tripp writes, "The unshakable promise of the future grace of eternity does more than give you hope for the future. Embedded in the promise of a future is the guarantee of grace for what you're facing right here, right now. You see, the God of eternity enters your story in the here and now, or he couldn't guarantee your future. And that makes all the difference in the world."

"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Cor. 15:12-21)

Part 1 looked at the first benefit of living out your life with an eternal perspective: The resurrection of Jesus and the hope of forever tell us what is really important in life. Below Tripp offers a second benefit.

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The resurrection of Jesus and the hope of eternity have the power to radically change the way you approach the responsibilities, difficulties, and opportunities of your daily life. "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1Cor.15:58)  What Paul is essentially saying is that eternity takes the vanity out of your living in the here and now.

So how can that knowledge change our approach to life? It means we have reason to continue. That's what it means to be steadfast. We don't continue because we can see that our efforts are bringing us success or because we are being affirmed by others. We don't continue because we  can see how our problems will be solved. We don't continue because continuing is pleasurable. We continue because we get the plan. We continue because we know that grace has given us a life beyond this life, and the forever that is before us makes the things we do in the here and now meaningful and consequential. ...This means that, in the here and now, we had better have a grander motivation when we get up in the morning than the hope that our day will be predictable, easy, and relatively free of hassle. Eternity gives us just that kind of big-picture motivation.

Now, all the things you do that are shaped by your belief in forgiveness now and for eternity are infused with new purpose, new meaning, and new hope. You are freed from wondering what in the world is going to happen to you and where in the world your life is going. You have been rescued from trying to control what you cannot control. You are delivered from tying all of your deepest hopes and dreams to temporary and dysfunctional situations and relationships. You no longer have to search for identity in things that were never designed to give you identity. The resurrection of Jesus, its guarantee of final resurrection to come and the forever that will follow, defines who you are, what you need, what your life is about, and where you are going. Now everything you do is connected to a radically different present and a guaranteed future. And all the things that are unsure in your life are not connected to things that are sure. ...Eternity changes the whole game.

Living in Light of the Hope (Part 1)

I have been thoroughly enjoying Paul Tripp's latest book, Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It. If you're a believer and you don't know the how's and why's of what it means to live out your daily life in view of eternity, this is a great place to start wrapping your mind around these biblical truths! In our Ladies' study of the Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 5-7, we've listened to Jesus talk about the importance of having 20/20 spiritual vision (Mt.6:22-23). This is exactly what Tripp addresses in his book. Here is the first of his reflections on the difference the hope of forever makes. 

"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who
                                     have fallen asleep."  (1 Corinthians 15:12-21)

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Our hope for the future depends on the actual point-in-time historicity of a past event, on the actuality of the resurrection of Jesus. If there was no empty tomb, then there is no hope of life after death. Life with God forever guarantees our final deliverance from all that sin has broken and life forever with the Lord. ...Here is the first specific way the resurrection makes a difference in the here and now:

The resurrection of Jesus and the hope of forever tell us what is really important in life. Many of us have lost sight of what is truly important. Consider these examples:

• Sarah lost it yesterday morning when her son spilled his cereal for the third day in a row.
• Sam silently cursed the weather that had created the traffic jam that he didn't want to be in.
• Mary didn't seem to be able to quit obsessing over the fact that Susan hadn't asked her to be in her wedding.
• Frank struggled with being bitter that as a father of four he had little time for himself anymore.
• Jeanna was tired of having to pick up after her roommate.

When circumstances rise to levels of importance way beyond their actual importance, they exercise more control over us than they should. Success is not the most important thing in life. Pleasure is not the most important thing in life. The degree to which others appreciate us and accept us is not the most important thing in life either, nor is the degree of our control over people and circumstances or the size of our pile of possessions.The resurrection of Jesus and the hope of forever give us a sense of priority and proportion.

Your biggest difficulty is not outside of you, it is inside of you. The Bible names it: sin. ...It is the universal and unavoidable disease. It is the one thing we cannot rescue ourselves from. It destroys our spirituality as it robs us of our humanity. If you are living for all those other things and are ignoring your sin, you are ignoring the single most significant problem of your existence. ...Sure all those relational, situational, and physical things you worry about are important in some way, but they must not be viewed as the essence of what life is about. ...The resurrection guarantees the progressive defeat of sin in the here and now and the final deliverance from it in eternity.

[In reference to a believer named Scott, who found himself weighed down by family and work responsibilities and felt as if life had passed him by, Tripp writes...] He was confused about what God was doing, and because he was, he lived with unrealistic expectations, which resulted in disenchantment with his faith. What Scott failed to understand was that the life that God promised him and was delivering to him was not the good life of an easy, predictable marriage, compliant children, and a satisfying job. God promised to work on Scott. Every day Scott was the recipient of patient, forgiving grace. Every day he was given the power to defeat temptations that he could not defeat on his own. In situation after situation, God was using the difficulties of life to grow, change, and mature Scott. ...All of those promises that Scott doubted were being fulfilled daily, but not in the way he expected or in the places he looked. ...The most important gift of all, the defeat of sin, was being delivered to Scott, but he didn't see it. Scott was being given the good life, yet day after day he awoke to the disappointment of believing that the good life had passed him by.

[When Scott came to understand these biblical truths, his view of life changed. He was able to say...] "I know my marriage isn't all that it could be, my children are difficult at times, and my job isn't always fulfilling, but I have reason to be thankful and encouraged. ...Today, because of the resurrection, I am given forgiveness for my wrongs, power to face temptation, and the hope that one day my battle will be over. And I also know that when things are tough, God is not absent, but using hardship to make me a man who quits looking for life where it can't be found and who starts celebrating the life he has already been given and the life that is to come." Because Scott  now gets what God is doing, he approaches his marriage, parenting, and job with peace of heart and confidence in the presence and help of the resurrected Jesus.


 

Are You Adding to the Gospel Now That You're Saved?

From Ed Stetzer's interview with Tullian Tchividjian, Pastor at Coral Ridge and author of Jesus + Nothing = Everything...

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Ed Stetzer:  You talk about how Christians like to add to the Gospel ("Christianity and ..."). What does it mean to add to the Gospel?

Tullian T:  Protestants have always embraced that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in the finished work of Christ alone--that our good works don't save us or merit favor with God. But once we're saved, we fall into the trap of adding a lot of things to the gospel. It's always Jesus + Something = Everything.

Remember C. S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. As the high-ranking demon Screwtape trains his protégé Wormwood in satanic strategies against Christians, he discusses how (in Screwtape's words) "to keep them in the state of mind I call 'Christianity And.'" Screwtape gives a few examples (reflecting some fads from Lewis's time, the mid-twentieth century): "Christianity and the New Psychology, Christianity and the New Order, Christianity and Faith Healing," and even "Christianity and Vegetarianism." These were all various manifestations of the urgent, Devil-fostered temptation believers face to add something else to Jesus and the gospel--all because of those deficiencies we sense in our own experience.

Today, Screwtape's list would doubtless look different. The currently tempting formulas might include "Christianity and success," "Christianity and self-affirmation," "Christianity and self-improvement," "Christianity and personal progress," or "Christianity and spiritual formation." There's a host of causes that might crop up: "Christianity and environmentalism," "Christianity and home schooling," "Christianity and social justice," "Christianity and diversity and tolerance," not to mention an abundance of "Christianity and political action" variations--liberal, conservative, libertarian, hope-and-change, take-back-America, whatever.

Besides those, there are plenty of extras that have timeless appeal for any and all generations: "Christianity and popularity," "Christianity and power," "Christianity and social status," "Christianity and reform," even "Christianity and tradition." It could even get more personal: "Christianity and my family", "Christianity and people liking me", "Christianity and feeling important."

The way I get at this in my own heart is to ask myself: What is the one thing, or things, that if God were to take away from me, I'd feel like I don't want to live anymore? What am I functionally depending on to make me feel like I matter?

That's the something that I'm enslaved to -  the something that might be ok to enjoy, but not to worship.

[Complete interview found here.]
[via Vitamin Z blog]

Shai Linne - Expositional Preaching

Another Look at Loving the Singles in Your Church

The previous post on this subject drew such interest I thought I would pass on highlights from another view of the subject. My daughter recommended Carolyn McCulley's post on the desiring god website entitled, "How to Serve the Singles." Below is the introduction and several of her main points. __________________________________________________

When I was a single woman in my mid-thirties, I invited the elders of my church and their wives to a formal holiday dinner as a way of expressing my thanks to them for their care and ministry. As I served the standing rib roast on a table set with china and crystal, one man remarked, “Wow. I never would have done this when I was single. It would have been pizza for everyone!”

This pastor offered this comment as an expression of thanks and I received it that way. But I did ponder it afterward, realizing that for many people the link between youthful inexperience and singleness is inextricably linked. In my early 20s, I too would have served pizza on paper plates, if indeed I had thought at all about offering hospitality...

I have a list of insights about single adults that I'd like to offer to church leaders. The hope here is that these ideas will foster a stronger connection between unmarried people and their local congregations.

 

Marriage is not the ultimate prize.

While I believe all churches should prize marriage and family, I also believe we have to be careful about the unintentional messages potentially conveyed about marriage and family. Both are gifts for this life alone. The one relationship that survives eternally is the one we have as the Bride of Christ to our beloved Savior. The relationships that we all have as brothers and sisters in Christ are the ones that will not end—and these need to be cultivated as much as family life is cultivated. Additionally, single adults need to be reminded that God has not withheld his very best from them if they remain unmarried.

 

The Singles are actually unmarried men and women.

It’s important that unmarried men and women are discipled as men and women and not a generic lump of singleness. From my perspective, Scripture’s emphasis is on being made a man or a woman in the image of God, with a secondary emphasis on how that looks in the various roles and seasons of life. Unmarried men and women are no less masculine or feminine because of being single.

Single men need leadership responsibilities.

Put 1 Corinthians 7 to work in your churches by showing that the church actually needs unmarried adults who are devoted to the Lord, especially single men. What this looks like will be different in various churches. But when church leaders ask unmarried men to take on significant responsibilities, they demonstrate a belief that godly singleness is a tremendous asset to the Body of Christ.

 

Single adults are not workhorses.

Conversely, unmarried men and women are not the church’s workhorses. ...Even though I am unmarried, I still need to make my home and my home church priorities. I need time to receive care from close friends and also to return that nurturing.

 

Understand the challenges of endless opportunity.

One wise pastor once told a group of single adults that he was sympathetic to the challenges of endless opportunity. Because he was a pastor, father, and husband, the boundaries of his day were fairly well-defined from the moment he woke up. He knew his responsibilities and the priorities given to him by God and he didn’t have to spend a lot of time deciding what he was supposed to do.

But single adults can think they don’t have those same clear priorities and can be tempted to drift through their days. But we actually do have many of the same boundaries and priorities in working faithfully as unto the Lord, in building up our local churches, in reaching out to non-Christians, in praying for others, in caring for the family members and friends we have (especially as single parents), in offering hospitality, and so forth. Though some of the most intimate relationships may be different, we all share a basic set of priorities and we often need to be reminded of that.

 

It’s not self-improvement, it’s others-improvement.

Too often our advice to unmarried adults stems from worldly thinking that infects us all. We give advice to improve and equip the unmarried adult to attract better relationships, rather than reminding them they are stewards of whatever relationships they have been given.

As John Piper wrote in This Momentary Marriage, "The meaning of marriage is the display of the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his people." Though it is not on display in exactly the same way in the lives of unmarried adults, we are part of the Bride of Christ and recipients of his faithful covenant love. Therefore, how we care for others who are also Christ's beloved speaks volumes to a watching world, to the praise of his glory.

[Carolyn McCulley is the author of Did I Kiss Marriage Good-bye?: Trusting God with a Hope Deferred and Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World ]

Loving the Single Woman in Your Church

A single friend of mine once asked why I never post anything for single Christian women. It may be because my own experience is in the sphere of marriage and children.  A strong memory of my own struggles starting out as a newly saved young wife and mother has made me sensitive to women in similar situations. In addition, I studied Scripture for some time with a group of young moms. I still tend to think about them and pray for them. Therefore, my radar is ever tuned towards encouraging moms! On the other hand, I do offer many posts applicable to ALL women. In fact, many of the posts are applicable to Christians in general.

But now I am pleased to say I have come across a post written by a single Christian woman advising the rest of us what NOT to say to someone in her position. Though said with the best of intentions, such comments are neither encouraging nor edifying and often quite hurtful. Taking a step back to look at the biblical picture, we need to remember that God is sovereign over every situation and circumstance in a believer's life. Sometimes when we offer comments such as these, we don't involve God in the picture at all! Let's be on guard against any attitude that erases God from the quotient! Here is her advice about what NOT to say to the single Christian woman. My guess is that my single friends have probably heard a few of these...
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“I keep praying for someone to come along for you.” Thanks for your prayers. I hope someone comes along too. Instead of praying for that, why don’t you pray that I would be growing in Christlikeness so that if Mr. Wonderful walks into my life, I would be better suited to be a helpmate for him.

“I don’t know why no young man hasn’t scooped you up and carried you off yet.”  I know this is supposed to be a compliment and that the intention of the kind woman is to tell me that she thinks I’m worth marrying. I appreciate that you think so highly of me. Unfortunately when you say this I immediately try to answer the question of why no one has carried me off. Am I too much of one thing and not enough of another? Do I not look right? Am I too soft spoken or too loud? What do I need to change about myself since obviously something is wrong with me if I haven’t been taken off the market? Maybe I should go read Proverbs 31 again to figure it out.

“You should move somewhere where there are more young men, or maybe go to a church with more single people.” There is some merit to having a community that you can feel comfortable with, but comments like this aren’t helpful for several reasons. First, it makes it seem like the goal of going to church or moving somewhere is to find a spouse. That’s not why you go to church. Second, it feeds the controlling nature of most women to want to put their matrimonial future into their own hands instead of trusting God. It’s a slippery slope that is all too easy to find yourself on. What woman wouldn’t want to go to a church filled with thousands of single men just waiting to find a wife? You could just ask them all to fill out applications and have a screening process. It could be the church version of The Dating Game. Third, some women don’t have the option of moving, so pointing out to them that there might be “greener pastures” on the other side of the fence doesn’t help them be content in their current situation. It can be a daily struggle for some women to be ok with where they are at in life, and indirectly telling them that their life would be better somewhere else doesn’t help.

“Have you ever thought about online dating?” Many, many wonderful Christian people have met and married through online dating. It’s the wave of the future without a doubt. But it is still something that brings embarrassment to the person. It can sometimes feel like the question is really saying “I see that you’ve completely failed at attracting anyone in your physical world so have you tried to do it in an online world?” It reminds me of being kicked off the varsity team and ending up on the bench for the JV.

“Don’t you want to get married and have children?” This is usually in response to a statement about being content in my current state. Being content is not the same as having no desire for something. Yes, I do want to get married and have children, but there’s not a whole lot that I can do about it. I don’t have a lot of control over who I come across and whether they would like to ask me out. And although I would like these things, my life is not somehow a failure if I do not achieve them. I would love to be able to have the blessings that come with marriage and children, but it should not be more than my desire to have the blessings of a relationship with Christ.

Single people have a responsibility as well to not be overly sensitive. Singleness can be a deep trial, but making little things into big deals because someone unintentionally prodded that hurt isn’t the way to go. Single people need to extend grace, knowing that the intentions of people are good and out of their love for them.

[Full post may be found on Kevin DeYoung's blog here]
[Related post: Another Look at Loving Singles in Your Church]

The Cross of Christ - Chapter 11

In his final section of The Cross of Christ, Stott examines the benefits available to those who are "Living Under the Cross." Chapter 10 looked at the believer's entry into "The Community of Celebration." Chapter 11 looks at the change that takes place in the believer's "Self-understanding and Self-Giving." Stott writes, "The cross revolutionizes our attitude to ourselves as well as to God."

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"Self-Understanding and Self-Giving"

By union with Christ, we have shared in his death and resurrection, and so have ourselves died to sin and risen to God; we must therefore constantly remember this fact and live a life consistent with it. (Rom.6:4, 11-14) William Tyndale expressed it in characteristically vivid terms at the end of his prologue to his work on Romans:

Remember that Christ made not this atonement that thou shouldest anger God again; neither died he for thy sins, that thou shouldest live still in them; neither cleansed he thee, that thou shouldest  return, as a swine, unto thine old puddle again; but that thou shouldest be a new creature, and live a new life after the will of God, and not of the flesh. (2Cor.5:17)

Granted this fundamental fact about all who are in Christ, namely that we have died and risen with him, so that our old life of sin, guilt and shame has been terminated and an entirely new life of holiness, forgiveness and freedom has begun, what is to be our attitude to our new self? Because our new self, though redeemed, is still fallen, a double attitude will be necessary, namely self-denial and self-affirmation, both illumined by the cross.

Self-denial

The invitation of Jesus is plain: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follw me' (Mk.8:34) ...'daily' (Lk.9:23). If anybody does not take his cross and follow him, he is not worthy of him and cannot be his disciple (Lk.9:25-26).

Every rebel condemned to crucifixion was compelled to carry his cross, or at least the patibulum (the cross beam), to the scene of his execution. ...To take up our cross, therefore, and follow Jesus, is 'to put oneself into the position of a condemned man on his way to execution. ...Our cross, then, is not an irritable husband or a cantankerous wife. It is instead the symbol of death to the self.

To deny ourselves is to behave towards ourselves as Peter did towards Jesus when he denied him three times. The verb is the same (aparneomai). He disowned him, repudiated him, turned his back on him. Self-denial is not denying to ourselves luxuries such as chocolates, cakes, cigarettes and cocktails (though it may include this); it is actually denying or disowning ourselves, renouncing our supposed right to go our own way. 'To deny oneself is ... to turn away from the idolatry of self-centeredness.' 

Paul must have been referring to the same thing when he wrote that those who belong to Christ 'have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires' (Gal.5:24). No picture could be more graphic than that: an actual taking of hammer and nails to fasten our slippery fallen nature to the cross and thus do it to death. The traditional word for this is 'mortification'; it is the sustained determination by the power of the Holy Spirit to 'put to death the misdeeds of the body', so that through this death we may live in fellowship with God.

Self-affirmation

The self we are to deny, disown and crucify is our fallen self, everything within us that is incompatible with Jesus Christ (hence his commands 'let him deny himself' and the 'let him follow me'). (Luke 9:23) True self-denial (the denial of our false, fallen self) is not the road to self-destruction but the road to self-discovery.

So then, whatever we are by creation we must affirm: our rationality, our sense of moral obligation, our sexuality, our family life, our gifts of aesthetic appreciation and artistic creativity, our stewardship of the fruitful earth, our hunger for love and experience of community, our awareness of the transcendent majesty of God, and our inbuilt urge to fall down and worship him.

Whatever we are by the Fall, however, we must deny or repudiate: our irrationality, our moral perversity, our blurring of sexual distinctives and lack of sexual self-control, the selfishness which spoils our family life, our fascination with the ugly, our lazy refusal to develop God's gifts,our pollution and spoliation of the environment, the anti-social tendencies with inhibit true community, our proud autonomy, and our idolatrous refusal to worship the living and true God. ...Christ came not to redeem this but to destroy it. So we must strenuously deny or repudiate it. ...Christians can no longer think of themselves only as 'created and fallen', but rather as 'created, fallen and redeemed'.

Self-sacrificial love

Neither self-denial (a repudiation of our sins) nor self-affirmation (an appreciation of God's gifts) is a dead end of self-absorption. On the contrary, both are means to self-sacrifice. Self-understanding should lead to self-giving. The community of the cross is essentially a community of self-giving love, expressed in the worship of God and in the service of others. ...With the love of God both revealed to us and indwelling us, we have a double, inescapable incentive to give ourselves in love to others.

...the choice between selfish ambition and sacrifice. Jesus' affirmation that 'the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve' was startlingly original. ...He calls us to follow. ...His new community is to be organized on a different principle and according to a different model - humble service.

...the choice between comfort and suffering. We...regard security as our birthright and 'safety first' as a prudent motto. ...Where are the Christians who are prepared to put service before security, compassion before comfort, hardship before ease? ...Insistence on security is incompatible with the way of the cross. What daring adventures the incarnation and the atonement were! What a breach of convention and decorum that Almighty God should renounce his privileges in order to take human flesh and bear human sin! Jesus had no security except in his Father. So to follow Jesus is always to accept at least a measure of uncertainty, danger and rejection for his sake.

[Challies' review of Chapter 11]

[Excerpts: Chapter 1]

Our Responsibility to One Another

From: One-to-One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian, David Helm...

Christians are also called to encourage one another [parakaleo -  literally: to call alongside; to exhort, encourage, comfort, beseech one another with biblical truth] and build up one another.

1Thess.5:11 "Therefore encourage [parakaleo] one another and build one another up..."

Hebrews 3:12-13 "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort [parakaleo] one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

Eph.4:29 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

They are called to instruct one another, to speak the truth to one another, to teach and admonish one another with the wisdom of Christ's word, and to stir up one another to love and good works.

Rom.15:14 "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another."

Eph.4:15 "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ..."

Col.3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing (noutheteo, from which we get "nouthetic") one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Heb.10:24-25 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

In his first letter, Peter says the Word that saved us is the same Word that strengthens us in our faith. He writes: 'long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.' (1Pet.2:2) In another place, the apostle Paul describes the usefulness and versatility of the Bible, declaring it to be 'profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.' (2Tim.3:16) Christians are called to live together as Christians, loving those around them and spreading God's truth to them.

Horatio Spafford & His Hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul"

Scripture Memory Tips

Susan Heck offers a little 21-page booklet named, A Call to Scripture Memory. In it she gives 6 tips to help us with Scripture memory. There are a few things I have personally learned about memorization of Scripture. It's much, much easier to memorize when you're young. So I encourage everyone to memorize as much as they can before it becomes more difficult to do so. Secondly, like most things, the ability to memorize improves with practice. If you do it regularly, you will discover it becomes easier. And lastly, it is easier to memorize passages rather than isolated verses. You can get the context with a passage, allowing for a logical progression of thought, and you can remember passages for a greater length of time. I have Scripture memorized 30 years ago still rattling around in my brain and surfacing just when I need it! Susan's common sense tips are as follows:

• Work on memorizing when you are mentally alert & free of distractions.
• Stick to the same Bible translation until you master the passage.
• If you are having trouble with a certain verse or passage, put it to music.
• Another helpful tip is to try to teach the verses to your children or to other children.
• Remember you are not just memorizing words, but God's words!
• Lastly, if you find yourself leaving out portions or phrases, ask yourself, "What logically would come next here?

She offers several outstanding historical examples of believers who devoted themselves to Scripture memory. I've certainly read many stories about modern day Christians imprisoned for their faith in Christ, notably in China, who were able to tap into the Scripture they had memorized, using it to encourage themselves to persevere in their faith, despite horrendous circumstances. Though I may never approach the level of these faithful believers, I have found my own mind recalling Scripture during those times in the night when I wake up and my mind becomes flooded with concerns, as well as when I am witnessing or encouraging another believer. Memorized Scripture is also essential to meditation upon God's Word. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) If you want to serve God well and live a victorious Christian life, put God's Word into your mind!

Even as the New Testament church progressed, according to church history, many Christians cherished God’s Word much more than we do, and would memorize great portions of it. Tertullian (160-220 A.D.), an early Christian apologist devoted his days and nights to Bible reading, so much so that he even memorized much of its punctuation.... Thomas Cramer (1489-1556 A.D.), a leader of the English Reformation could repeat the entire New Testament from memory. Theodore Beza (1519-1605 A.D.), a French theologian who played an important role in the early Reformation could repeat all of Paul’s letters in Greek at age 80. Finally, Frances Havergal who wrote my favorite hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be” memorized the entire New Testament, the Psalms, and Isaiah, in her teenage years, and in her later years she memorized the Minor Prophets. She died at the age of 43, and had already committed 12, 935 verses to memory.

[via Counseling One Another]

shai linne - "The Perfection of Beauty" ft. Blair Linne (Official Trailer)

The Cross of Christ - Chapter 10

Stott enters the final section of The Cross of Christ by examining the benefits available to those who are "Living Under the Cross." Chapter 10 looks at the first advantage of being "in Christ" as a result of personal repentance and having trusted in God's work through Christ on the cross - becoming a member of "The Community of Celebration," i.e. the church, the body of Christ. 

"Jesus Christ 'gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good'. (Gal.2:20; Titus 2:14; Acts 2:40-42) Thus the very purpose of his self-giving on the cross was not just to save isolated individuals ... but to create a new community whose members would belong to him, love one another and eagerly serve the world." (2Cor.5:19-21; Rev.7:9)

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"The Community of Celebration"

Our reconciliation includes the concepts of 'access' and 'nearness', which are aspects of our dynamic knowledge of God or 'eternal life' (Jn.17:3).  This intimate relationship to God, which has replaced the old and painful estrangement, has several characteristics.

First, it is marked by boldness. 

The word the apostles loved to use for it is parresia, which means 'outspokenness, frankness, plainness of speech' both in our witness to the world and in our prayers to God. Through Christ we are now able to 'approach God with freedom (parresia) and confidence'. We have parresia because of Christ's high priesthood to come to God's 'throne of grace', and parresia by Christ's blood 'to enter the Most Holy Place' of God's very presence. (Eph.3:11-12; Heb.4:16, 10:19-22)  ... due entirely to Christ's merit, not ours.

The second characteristic of our new relationship with God is love.

Indeed, 'we love because he first loved us'.  Previously we were afraid of him. But now love has driven out fear. Love begets love. God's love in Christ, which has in one sense liberated us, in another hems us in, because it leaves us no alternative but to live the rest of our lives for him, in adoring and grateful service. (1Jn.4:18-19; 2Cor.5:14-15)

Joy is a third mark of those who have been redeemed by the cross.

When the Babylonian exiles returned to Jerusalem, their 'mouths were filled with laughter' and their 'tongues with songs of joy'. The old alienation and humiliation were over; God had rescued and restored them. They likened their exhilaration to the revelries of harvest: 'Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.' How much more should we rejoice in the Lord, who have been redeemed from a much more oppressive slavery? The early Christians could hardly contain themselves: they shared their meals together 'with unaffected joy'.  (Ps.126:1-6; Acts 2:46, agalliasis (translated 'gladness') means 'exultation')

Boldness, love and joy are not to be thought of as purely private and interior experiences, however; they are to distinguish our public worship. The brief time we spend together on the Lord's Day, far from being divorced from the rest of our life, is intended to bring it into sharp focus. Humbly (as sinners), yet boldly (as forgiven sinners), we press into God's presence, responding to his loving initiative with an answering love of our own. ...The Christian community is a community of celebration. ...Holiness is to mark the Christian celebration, for Christ's ultimate purpose through the cross is 'to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation' (Col.1:22).

The cross is not just a badge to identify us and the banner under which we march; it is also the compass that gives us our bearings in a disoriented world.

[Challies' review of Chapter 10]

[Excerpts: Chapter 1; Chapter 11]

Thoughts on Parenting & Humility

Following is an excerpt from a post dealing with leadership in the workplace. But I found these few paragraphs useful for self-examination in the area of training up our children. In particular, the author considers how a lack of consistent parenting actually contributes to our children's misbehavior. Usually our intention is to be consistent, but actual day-to-day execution can be difficult. May this be an encouragement for consistency and perseverance! How we view behavior problems has a great deal to do with whether we handle them proactively or whether we feel we're the victim of our children's behavior.

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One of the best opportunities that I've found for being humbled is in my role as a parent. Some people might think I'm referring to the unglamorous work of changing diapers, cleaning up spilled milk and picking up dirty clothes. While those are certainly humbling experiences, I find that the most profound instances of parental humility occur for me when I am disciplining my children. Or more accurately, when I'm criticizing their behavior.

See, when I’m scolding any one of my four sons (it’s not that I’m unwilling to scold my daughters; it’s just that I don’t have any) I often find myself wondering why he acts the way he does. Being an extravert, I usually verbalize my thoughts and say something to the effect of “where did you learn to act like that?” And that’s when, if I’m being honest with myself, I realize that the answer to my semi-rhetorical question is that my son likely learned it from me...

Of course, I don’t really teach my sons to misbehave. It’s not like I sit down and give them instructions on how to provoke their brothers, break the dining room chairs or talk back to their parents. But I must have done something to give them the idea that it would be okay to do those things, or more likely, that the consequence for doing so wouldn’t be significant.

And it’s in that moment of realization that I have a choice: I can either be humble enough to acknowledge that the first person I need to be addressing if I want to change my son’s behavior is me, or I can go on venting about how ornery he is and watch the orneriness continue. 

[from "Humbled by Sins of Omission" by Pat Lencioni]

How to Articulate a Christian Worldview in 4 Easy Steps

As Easy as 1 .. 2 ... 3 ... 4

[Kevin DeYoung offers a 4 point synthesis of the Christian worldview based upon God's revelation...]

One God. We worship one, personal, knowable, holy God. There are not two gods or ten gods or ten million gods, only one. He has always been and will always be. He is not a product of our mind or imagination. He really exists and we can know him because he has spoken to us in his word.

Two kinds of being. We are not gods. God is not found in the trees or the wind or in us. He created the universe and cares for all that he has made, but he is distinct from his creation. The story of the world is not about being released from the illusion of our existence or discovering the god within. The story is about God, the people he made, and how the creatures can learn to delight in, trust in, and obey their Creator.

Three persons. The one God exists eternally in three persons. The Father is God. The Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is God. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father and the Son, is also God. And yet these three—equal in glory, rank, and power—are three persons. The doctrine of the Trinity helps explain how there can be true unity and diversity in our world. It also shows that our God is a relational God.

For us. Something happened in history that changed the world. The Son of God came into the world as a man, perfectly obeyed his Father, fulfilled Israel’s purpose, succeeded where Adam failed, and began the process of reversing the curse. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world. He rose again from the dead on the third day. By faith in him our sins can be forgiven and we can be assured of living forever with God and one day being raised from the dead like Christ.

[Kevin DeYoung's original post]

The Basis of Christian Unity

 God's truth is the basis for Christian unity. "God is spirit and 

those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God:

Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.

So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become “unity” conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.

[via Justin Taylor]

The Cross of Christ - Chapter 9

In this section of his book, The Cross of Christ, John Stott has been reviewing the achievements of the cross. Chapter 7 looked at "The Salvation of Sinners", Chapter 8 at "The Revelation of God" and this chapter explores "The Conquest of Evil." Understanding the magnitude and ramifications of Christ's victory in this area is crucial to Christian sanctification. These truths are for those who have repented of their sin against an infinitely holy God ("turned to God from sin") and placed their faith, their trust completely in Christ's work on the cross. Only by being spiritually united to Him, being "in Christ", can these four aspects of the
                                                      power of evil be broken.
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"The Conquest of Evil" 

At the cross Jesus disarmed and triumphed over the devil, and all the 'principalities and powers' at his command. (Col.2:15) ... The victory of Christians, therefore, consists of entering into the victory of Christ and of enjoying its benefits.

Though the devil has been defeated, he has not yet conceded defeat. Although he has been overthrown, he has not yet been eliminated. ... Already the kingdom of God has been inaugurated and is advancing; not yet has it been consummated. Already the new age (the age to come) has come, so that we have 'tasted... the powers of the coming age'; not yet has the old age completely passed away. Already we are God's sons and daughters, and no longer slaves; not yet have we entered 'the glorious freedom of the children of God'. (Heb.6:5; 1Jn.2:8; Rom.8:21)

The 'reason why the Son of God appeared was that he might "undo" or "do away with" the works of the devil'. (1Jn.3:8, literally) ... The four 'works of the devil' from which Christ frees us ... are the law, the flesh, the world and death.

First, through Christ we are no longer under the tyranny of the law.
It comes to many people as a surprise that the law, God's good gift to his people, in itself 'holy, righteous and good', could ever become a tyrant which enslaves us. The reason is that the law condemns our disobedience and so brings us under its 'curse' or judgment. But Christ has redeemed us from the law's curse by becoming a curse for us.... The law no longer enslaves us by its condemnation. (Gal.3:13)

Secondly, through Christ we are no longer under the tyranny of the flesh.
What Paul means by the 'flesh' (Greek sarx) is our fallen nature or unredeemed humanity, everything that we are by birth, inheritance and upbringing before Christ renewed us. Because our 'flesh' is our 'self' in Adam, its characteristic is self-centredness. ... Living this kind of life, we were 'enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures'. As Jesus himself said, 'everyone who sins is a slave to sin'. But he immediately added: 'if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed'. (Jn.8:34-36)  And freedom from our fallen nature and its selfishness comes through the cross. (Gal.5:19-21; Titus 3:3; Rom.6:6)

Thirdly, through Christ we are no longer under the tyranny of the world.
...the world is the means through which (Satan) exerts pressure upon us from without. (2Cor.4:4; 1Jn.5:19) The 'world' in this context means godless human society, whose hostility to the church is expressed now by open ridicule and persecution, now by subtle subversion, the infiltration of its values and standards. John declares outspokenly that love for the world and love for the Father are mutually exclusive. (1Jn.2:15)

It is when we believe in Jesus Christ that our values change. We no longer conform to the world's values, but find instead that we are being transformed by our renewed mind which grasps and approves the will of God. And nothing weans us from worldliness more than the cross of Christ. (Rom.12:1-2; Gal.6:14)

Fourthly, through Christ we are no longer under the tyranny of death.

Jesus Christ is able to set free even those who all their lives have been 'held in slavery by their fear of death'. This is because by his own death he has 'destroyed' (deprived of power) 'him who holds the power of death - that is the devil'. (Heb.2:14-15)

It is by dealing with sin that he has dealt with death. For sin is the 'sting' of death, the main reason why death is painful and poisonous. It is sin which causes death, and which after death will bring the judgment. Hence our fear of it. But Christ has died for our sins and taken them away... Now that we are forgiven, death can harm us no longer. (1 Cor.15:55-56)

What, then, should be the Christian's attitude to death? It is still an enemy, unnatural, unpleasant and undignified - in fact 'the last enemy to be destroyed'. Yet, it is a defeated enemy. Because Christ has taken away our sins, death has lot its power to harm and therefore to terrify. Jesus summed it up in one of his greatest affirmations: 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.' That is, Jesus is the resurrection of believers who die, and the life of believers who live. His promise to the former is 'you will live', meaning not just that you will survive, but that you will be resurrected. His promise to the latter is 'you will never die', meaning not that you will escape death, but that death will prove to be a trivial episode, a transition to fullness of life.

[Challies' review of Chapter 9]
[Excerpts: Chapter 1; Chapter 10]

Book Preview: "Parenting By God's Promises"

I hesitate to offer another book preview so quickly, but I thought Ligonier's review of  Dr. Joel Beeke's new book, Parenting By God's Promises, offered some really practical advice. I always have my eye out for biblical parenting advice because I can still remember the challenges of parenting well. At 350 pages long, I'm not sure how many will be interested in taking it on, but this looks too interesting for me to pass up. I've preordered a copy for the FBC Library. I'll let you know when it comes in. Here's one piece of advice from the book.

---

From the chapter, "Preventive Discipline"

“We are leaving in fifteen minutes. Please clean up your room before we go.” That command sounds clear, doesn’t it?

Perhaps there are twenty items on the floor when the child walks into his room, and about ten more things out of place. He picks up five things and then comes downstairs. His parents ask whether he has cleaned his room. He says, “Yes.” The parents check the room and exclaim: “It’s a pigpen in here! You didn’t clean your room.” The child says, “Yes, I did!”

Is it possible this boy really believes he has cleaned his room? Because a child thinks very differently from an adult, often what the adult says by implication does not get through to the child. The child may interpret an order in a way not intended by the parent. In the above example, perhaps the parents are to blame for not making their request perfectly clear. It would be better for them to say: “Pick up everything lying on the floor and put it where it belongs. Remember, in fifteen minutes we have to leave, so you should work fast.” Do you see the difference? We must be specific and leave nothing to the imagination. When we ask a child, “Did you get everything off the floor?” he should understand what we mean.

Give children clear instructions. You will not have to employ corrective discipline as much when both of you understand what is expected.

---

Excerpt from Joel Beeke’s Parenting by God’s Promises: How to Raise Children in the Covenant of Grace.


 

Book Preview: "Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It"

Paul David Tripp has a new book out called Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It which examines the Christian life lived out in view of eternity. Certainly in the West our focus tends to be upon enjoying this earthly life, to the extent that having a "full life", a "satisfying life" becomes our expectation, our perceived right. We surround ourselves with everything we think we need to bring it to pass, yet remain so dissatisfied. Always seeking and never finding. And when things like illness and disability intrude, we feel we've been short-changed. We may even find ourselves questioning and challenging God because He has not delivered "the life" we've come to expect. Even the minor vagaries of life are considered road blocks keeping happiness just out of our reach. In contrast, when my son spent a summer ministering in Uganda he was surprised to discover that eternity was their main topic of interest. At the time he was there life expectancy in Uganda was 47 years old. Wherever he traveled in the country to preach and teach, men asked to hear what the Bible teaches about eternity.

Tripp takes a different approach than the one we might expect. Instead of viewing eternity as something that intrudes into our earthly lives, he explores the biblical revelation that this life is, in fact, our preparation FOR eternity. In his review of the book, Stephen Witmer [The Gospel Coalition] writes,

The book hangs on two key pastoral insights, First, God calls Christians to live with a preparation mentality rather than a destination mentality. This life is not intended to be our final destination. Rather, it is God's intended means of preparing us for eternity in His presence. This preparation occurs in and through the imperfections and disappointments of this present life. We often miss God's grace because we're expecting it to show up as deliverance from troubles rather than the character-refining troubles themselves.

Second, God's promise to believers of an eternal future in heaven carries with it the implicit guarantee that He will guard us until we arrive safely at the future He has promised. In Tripp's  moving penultimate chapter ("My Forever Story") he shares the major importance of this realization in his own life. "When I realized that the promises of forever meant guarantees for me along the way, my life began to change."

[The entire review can be found here.]

The Cross of Christ - Chapter 8

Last week, Stott introduced a new section outlining the achievements of the cross in his book, The Cross of Christ. The most obvious achievement, "The Salvation of Sinners," was presented in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 looks at another result, "The Revelation of God." Stott writes, "Just as human beings disclose their character in their actions, so God has shown himself to us in the death of his Son." In short, this chapter investigates the "way the cross was a word as well as a work." What has the cross of Christ revealed to us about God? Which of mankind's most frequently asked questions were answered at the cross?

___________________________________________________________________________________

"The Revelation of God"

The Justice of God

Men and women of moral sensitivity have always been perplexed by the seeming injustice of God's providence. ... It is one of the recurring themes of the Wisdom Literature and dominates the book of Job. Why do the wicked flourish and the innocent suffer? ...

The Bible responds ... in two complementary ways, first by looking on to the final judgment and secondly (from the perspective of NT believers) by looking back to the decisive judgment which took place at the cross. As to the first, this was the standard OT answer to the problem, for example in Psalm 73. Evil people prosper. They are healthy and wealthy. In spite of their violence, their arrogance and their impudent defiance of God, they get away with it. ...The psalmist admits that by envying their freedom to sin and their immunity to suffering, he had almost turned away from God ... but then he 'understood their final destiny'. The place on which they stand so self-confidently is more slippery than they realize, and one day they will fall, ruined by the righteous judgment of God.

The second part ... is to declare that the judgment of God has already taken place at the cross. ... The reason for God's previous inaction in the face of sin was not moral indifference but personal forbearance until Christ should come and deal with it on the cross.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets [i.e. OT Scripture], even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;  for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  [Romans 3:21-26]

If God does not justly punish sin, he would be 'unjust to himself' ...He would cease to be God ... He would destroy himself by contradicting his divine character as righteous Lawgiver and Judge. ...And he has done this publicly ... in order not only to be just but also to be seen to be just. ...The cross demonstrates with equal vividness both his justice in judging sin and his mercy in justifying the sinner.

The Love of God

Personal tragedies, floods and earthquakes, accidents which cost hundreds of lives, hunger and poverty on a global scale ... disease and death, and the sum total of the misery of the centuries - how can these horrors be reconciled with a God of love? Why does God allow them?

Christianity offers no glib answers to these agonized questions. But it does offer evidence of God's love, just as historical and objective as the evidence which seems to deny it, in the light of which the world's calamities need to be viewed.

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us... [1 John 3:16]

Most people would have no difficulty in telling us what they think love is... John would disagree with them, however. He dares to say that, apart from Christ and his cross, the world would never have known what true love is. Of course all human beings have experienced some degree and quality of love. But John is saying that only one act of pure love, unsullied by any taint of ulterior motive, has ever been performed in the history of the world, namely the self-giving of God in Christ on the cross for undeserving sinners. That is why, if we are looking for a definition of love, we should look not in a dictionary, but at Calvary.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [1 John 4:10]

John takes the propitiatory nature of the cross ... as the manifestation of God's love. Because we were sinners, we deserved to die under the righteous anger of God. But God sent his only Son, and in sending him came himself, to die that death and bear that wrath instead of us. It was an act of sheer, pure, unmerited love.

The Wisdom & Power of God

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."  [1 Corinthians 1:30-31]

 ...my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.  [1 Corinthians 2:4-5]

By human standards not many of them were wise or powerful. In fact God deliberately chose what the world regards as foolish and feeble people, in order to shame the wise and the strong; he chose even the lowly, the despised ... to nullify what exists. His goal in this was to exclude human boasting. Boasting was entirely out of place, because it was God who had united them to Christ, and Christ who had become their wisdom (revealing God to them) and their power (bringing them justification, holiness and the promise of final redemption). The gospel of the cross will never be a popular message, because it humbles the pride of our intellect and character. ... For the cross is God's way to satisfy his love and justice in the salvation of sinners. It therefore manifests his power, too, 'the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes' (Rom.1:16).

[Challies' review of Chapter 8]
[Selections from Chapter 1; Chapter 9]

Joni Eareckson Tada: "A Purpose in the Pain"

Few have ever experienced the ongoing physical trials of Joni Eareckson Tada. Her long testimony of a life lived resting in Christ in the midst of unrelenting pain and disability has been an inspiration to many. Tabletalk recently interviewed her. [The complete interview on the Lignonier site can be read here.] We can learn from fellow pilgrims who deal with adversity and pain every day of their lives, yet never lose joy in their union with Christ. She offers the following practical advise concerning how application drawn from God's dealings with His people Israel is able to encourage her daily. ["All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable ... so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2Tim.3:16-17] Here's an excerpt from the interview. I recommend reading her entire interview at the above link.

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Tabletalk: Which passages of Scripture have given you encouragement during your struggles with disability and cancer?

Joni: Psalm 79:8 says, “May your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need” (NIV). Basically, I wake up almost every morning in desperate need of Jesus — from those early days when I first got out of the hospital, to over four decades in a wheelchair, it’s still the same. The morning dawns and I realize: “Lord, I don’t have the strength to go on. I have no resources. I can’t ‘do’ another day of quadriplegia, but I can do all things through You who strengthen me. So please give me Your smile for the day; I need You urgently.” This, I have found, is the secret to my joy and contentment. Every morning, my disability — and, most recently, my battle with cancer — forces me to come to the Lord Jesus in empty-handed spiritual poverty. But that’s a good place to be because Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. (Mt.5:3).

Another anchor is Deuteronomy 31:6, where God tells me, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified [of quadriplegia, chronic pain, or cancer], for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (NIV). I’m convinced a believer can endure any amount of suffering as long as he’s convinced that God is with him in it. And we have the Man of Sorrows, the most God-forsaken man who ever lived, so that, in turn, He might say to us, “I will never leave you; I will never forsake you.” God wrote the book on suffering and He called it Jesus. This means God understands. He knows. He’s with me. My diving accident really was an answer to that prayer to be drawn closer to Him.