As a Blog Returns to its Vomit

The Blog! It's moving! Run for your lives!

2006-06-29T09:58:00.000-05:00

My blog is now at

isaiah543.wordpress.com

One reason I like wordpress is that there is a "recent" comments module that lets you know when someone comments even on an ancient post. I hope that this feature will encourage you to start up conversations on things that are old news. That's one of my least favorite things about blogging so far. It seems like if you don't get in on the conversation in the first 12 hours after posting, you've missed the party. Let's revive some old conversations.

Supposedly there are many other features that I will come to appreciate over at wordpress, but I don't know what they are yet. The main reason I'm moving is that mathuaerknedam said he'd buy me a beer if I left blogger, and hey, you don't have to tell me twice.

Astonishing

2006-06-29T09:25:00.000-05:00

Today in my "morning watch" I came again to Galatians 1. There is something verse 6 that Paul calls astonishing, he wonders, he marvels at it. He is amazed at how people who have so recently been called by the grace of Christ could so quickly be led into legalism.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ. (1:6)

But when God, who had set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, (1:15-16)

You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (3:1-3)

Why would we think that we need to keep the law in order to be saved when our own conversion experience witnesses to the contrary? Anybody out there receive the Holy Spirit as a reward for years of diligent law keeping? There's a good chance I was high on drugs when I received the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul was on his way to persecute Christians when he received the Holy Spirit. I think Paul's point is that understanding effectual calling by his grace should be an antidote to being suckered by the legalists. Consider your calling. So let's do this together. I ask you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law? Do you remember when you were effectually called? Tell us about it. Tell us how he called you by his grace.

P.S. need a definition of effectual calling? Here's one:

Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 67

What is effectual calling? A. Effectual calling is the work of God's almighty power and grace,(1) whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto(2) ) he doth, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his word and Spirit;(3) savingly enlightening their minds,(4) renewing and powerfully determining their wills,(5) so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein.(6)

(1)John 5:25; Eph. 1:18-20; 2 Tim. 1:8,9
(2)Tit. 3:4,5; Eph. 2:4,5,7,8,9; Rom. 9:11
(3)2 Cor. 5:20 compared with 2 Cor. 6:1,2; John 6:44; 2 Thess. 2:13,14
(4)Acts 26:18; 1 Cor. 2:10,12
(5)Ezek. 11:19; Ezek. 36:26,27; John 6:45
(6)Eph. 2:5; Phil. 2:13; Deut. 30:6

The Vision Thing

2006-06-27T13:35:00.000-05:00

A coupla quotes:

"Most evangelicals overestimate what they can accomplish in five years and underestimate what they can accomplish in twenty." -James Montgomery Boice

"The only things worth doing take longer than a lifetime." - Augustine

And a sermon excerpt:

Where did we get the idea that leadership in the church means mapping out measurable objectives for ministry and a blueprint for church growth? Why can’t our vision just be to pray for his kingdom to come, to pray for boldness to preach the gospel, to make the most of every opportunity, to keep in step with the Spirit, to put to death the misdeeds of the flesh? Last week we read in Paul’s conclusion to 2 Corinthians, “Aim for restoration” or aim for perfection, aim for maturity. Is that an acceptable vision?

Those who would argue for the critical importance of a clearly defined vision for the ministry of the church often bring forth one verse as their rallying cry to form focus groups. It’s the verse on the front of your bulletin, Proverbs 29:18 which in the KJV says “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” I have long suspected that this word vision in Proverbs 29:18 surely can’t mean what Dilbert’s pointy haired boss means when he says the word vision, but this week I looked at the verse in Hebrew for the first time and confirmed my suspicions.

It turns out the Hebrew word for vision in this verse is the word used for the visions of the Old Testament prophets. In fact, the ESV translates the verse “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint.” The point is not that people need carefully crafted vision statements. The point is that people need a word from God. Where there is no word from God, society crumbles. When there is a famine for hearing the word of the Lord, the people fall apart. This word vision is the same word used in Isaiah 1:1 “The vision of Isaiah” That’s the title of the book. The vision of Isaiah. God says to the church through Isaiah “Get you up on a high mountain…O herald of good news…say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” That’s the vision we need. A vision of God.

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?... He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing…Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing…Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

That’s the vision without which we perish. That’s the vision we need, that’s the vision for which the people truly hunger, that’s the vision for which the people should be clamoring.

And so just before he dies Paul writes to Timothy, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

Paul’s vision is for the church is to preach the word, to proclaim the vision of God, even when such preaching goes out of season. And we live in a time when preaching is out of season. Most people don’t want a vision of God so much as they want a purpose driven life.

Why does this always happen to me?

2006-06-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

I was contemplating a silly blog rant about why my links are suddenly down at the bottom of the page (anybody know how to fix it?) when I remembered this great Weird Al song about whinyness...

I was watching my TV one night when they broke in with a special report
About some devastating earthquake in Peru
There were thirty thousand crushed to death, even more were buried alive
On the Richter scale it measured 8.2

And I said, "God, please answer me one question?"
"Why'd they have to interrupt 'The Simpsons' just for this?"
What a drag, 'cause I was taping it and everything
And now I'll have to wait for the rerun to see the part of the show I missed

Why does this always happen?
Why does this always happen to me?
Why does this always happen?
Why does this always happen to me?

Turn or Burn

2006-06-25T16:34:00.000-05:00

If that seemed at times the theme of this morning's sermon, it was no coincidence. It was from Psalm 7:12 that Spurgeon once preached a sermon of this title. Here's an excerpt:

Baxter used to say, “Sinner! turn or burn; it is thine only alternative: TURN OR BURN!” And it is so. We think we can show you why men must turn, or else they must burn.

First, we cannot suppose the God of the Bible could suffer sin to be unpunished. Some may suppose it. They may dream their intellects into a state of intoxication, so as to suppose a God apart from justice but no man whose reason is sound and whose mind is in a healthy condition can imagine a God without justice. Ye cannot suppose a king without it to be a good king; ye cannot dream of a good government that should exist without justice, much less of God, the Judge and King of all the earth, without justice in his bosom. To suppose him all love, and no justice, were to undeify him, and make him no longer God.

Persevering Through the Pain of Relationships for the Sake of Joy

2006-06-24T10:44:00.000-05:00

From a sermon on 2Corinthians 1:23-2:4...

Three principles so far for persevering through painful relationships.
1) Fear God. Speak as in his presence, for you are.
2) Don’t try to control others, but work with them for their joy.
3) Be wise about your choice of timing and methods of communication

and finally now #4) Have an optimistic and hopeful long-term perspective.

I see that in verse 3. In the midst of Paul’s sorrow and anguish, he is still confident. He says “I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all” In other words, he believed that their relationship would get over this hump. He believed that the day would come when they would again rejoice together in the Lord, when they would again share a common joy in the gospel.

But this long-term confidence doesn’t mean that he doesn’t feel a lot of anxiety about the short-term outcome of this conflict. We will see him be very transparent and vulnerable about that concern as we go through this book. He was not sure that the Corinthians would respond favorably to his severe letter. So what was his confidence? As we saw two weeks ago, his hope was anchored in heaven. He knew that the Lord would keep those who were his. He knew that in heaven he would see the fruit of his labor. He wrote to the Thessalonians in 1Th 2:19-20, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” True, the wheat and the tares grow together in the church so we can’t have any guarantee that specific people will respond favorably to our efforts to help them find their joy in the Lord, but nevertheless, as he wrote in First Corinthians, he knew that his labor in the Lord was not in vain.

I believe the Lord has done something in my own heart this week through the writing of this sermon. I am hopeful that this is a breakthrough for me. The Lord gave me many years ago a high view of his sovereignty that has substantially delivered me from excessive anxieties about physical suffering. I really do trust that whatever happens to me will abound for my good and His glory and through this God has granted me a measure of peace.

But this week it occurs to me for the first time to apply this confidence in the sovereignty of God over suffering to relational pain. Two weeks ago we read in the opening verses of 2Corinthians about God’s comfort in affliction and that he lets us suffer affliction so that we might no longer trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. And at that time I encouraged you to “hope in God who raises the dead and to abandon any confidence in our ability to make for ourselves a pain-free life. Accept the inevitability of affliction, and trust in God to use it to make you a person of deep faith who can comfort others.”

So this morning I say to myself and to you, “Stop hoping for a relationally pain free life. Accept the inevitability of relational pain. Don’t try to avoid it at all costs. See it as an opportunity to grow, to love, to work through it for the sake of greater long-term joy, probably even in this age, but if not, then certainly in the next.

How might this change our church if we really grasped this principle? We’re going to hurt each other’s feelings from time to time, it’s inevitable in any family. But are you holding a grudge? Are you harboring an evil suspicion? Is there a difficult conversation that you need to have that you’ve been avoiding? Don’t let this sermon be a license to come out swinging. Don’t pick up the phone and let your tongue start wagging aimlessly, think about timing, methods of communication. Think about the fear of God and the other person’s joy, but then…have that conversation. Persevere through the pain of relationships for the sake of rejoicing together again in the Lord.

The Worthlessness and Worldliness of Human Regulations

2006-06-23T09:43:00.000-05:00

from a 1997 sermon on Colossians 2:20-23

"If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations- 21 "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)- according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion [KJV: will worship] and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

An austere disciplined denial of all earthly pleasure is not the way to live the Christian life. It is the way to live the gnostic life and it looks impressive for a while, but it is not the Christian life. Lightfoot describes in this way the ascetic discipline of the gnostics that fails to touch the springs of action. "By their fatal transference of the abode of sin from the human heart within to the material world without, they had incapacitated themselves from finding the true antidote."

A Prayer for the SBC

2006-06-21T23:14:00.000-05:00

Father,

I pray for my brothers who lead the SBC.
Teach them that the flesh can't kill the flesh.
May they mortify sin by Your Spirit instead.
May they walk in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
May they believe that preaching grace promotes holiness.
Forgive them their unbelief.
Put Fear in their hearts to convict them of binding the consciences of your children with extrabiblical resolutions.
Show them the Hellward tendency of their good intentions.
Raise up leaders who are men of both grace and truth.

In the name of Jesus who will surely build His church and wash her with the Word,

Amen.

Feel free to cut and paste this whereever it will edify and/or possibly be prayed.

Shame

2006-06-21T00:28:00.000-05:00

The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest denomination in America, is no longer walking in the truth of the gospel. Note it well, I didn't say their leaders were not real Christians or that they were heretics or false teachers. I said what the apostle Paul said of the apostle Peter in Galatians 2: they are not walking in accordance with the truth of the gospel.

They passed this resolution at their national conference last week:

WHEREAS, Years of research confirm biblical warnings that alcohol use leads to physical, mental, and emotional damage (e.g. Proverbs 23:29-35); and

WHEREAS, Alcohol use has led to countless injuries and deaths on our nation’s highways; and

WHEREAS, The breakup of families and homes can be directly and indirectly attributed to alcohol use by one or more members of a family;

And
WHEREAS, The use of alcohol as a recreational beverage has been shown to lead individuals down a path of addiction to alcohol and toward the use of other kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal; and

WHEREAS, There are some religious leaders who are now advocating the consumption of alcoholic beverages based on a misinterpretation of the doctrine of “our freedom in Christ”; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, express our total opposition to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists to take an active role in supporting legislation that is intended to curb alcohol use in our communities and nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptist to be actively involved in educating students and adults concerning the destructive nature of alcoholic beverages; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we commend organizations and ministries that treat alcohol-related problems from a biblical perspective and promote abstinence and encourage local churches to begin and/or support such biblically-based ministries.

-------------------------

and quoted from this story...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,199440,00.html

"Also Wednesday, the SBC unofficially barred members who drink
alcohol from serving as trustees or members of any SBC entity.

The ban, part of a larger anti-alcohol resolution that was
easily approved by delegates, was proposed by Jim Richards,
executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas
Convention. While stopping short of officially preventing
drinkers from serving, it "urges" that no one be elected or
appointed to SBC offices if they are "a user of alcohol."

-----------------------------

Let us pray for our tragically deceived brothers and the 16 million church members they represent. In the early 1990s a group of liberals within the SBC tried to take over and were smacked down by a wonderful conservative Reformed resurgence. Let us pray for a backlash to this new resolution. Let us pray fervently that the legalists would be as ashamed by 2010 as the liberals were in 1990. Amen. Let us drink together.

Secret Video of Italian Soccer Training Camp

2006-06-20T09:39:00.000-05:00

Click here.
[ht:Steve L.]

A Sober Assessment of Reformational Drinking

2006-06-19T23:16:00.000-05:00

There was a great article by this name that appeared about six years ago in a issue of Modern Reformation magazine. I've lost my copy and have searched several times online for it in vain. But today it has been located for me (ht: fruittart).

It's a church history piece. Here's a favorite quote that perhaps someone will act on at the next budget meeting...

"Calvin's yearly salary in Geneva included several barrels of wine. The Town Council recognized the large number of guests he would be expected to entertain, thus he was given "the substantial annual salary of 500 florins, together with twelve measures of wheat and two bossets (perhaps 250 gallons) of wine."

Click here and scroll down just a bit to the May 9th post and click "continue reading"...

Two Innumerable Things in Psalm 40

2006-06-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

I had a great time last week praying with some of you at the Green St. Coffee House. (Sorry, I'm never going to warm up to its new name, Bar Giuliani, that's goofy. But dumb name or not, you're invited to join us Wednesday at 7am.) Last week we prayed through Psalm 40 and I decided to linger there a few more days.

I was struck by the repetition of the phrase "beyond number".

verse 5: Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which Thou hast done, And Thy thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with Thee; If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.

verse 12: For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head; And my heart has failed me.

Our iniquities are innumerable. Notice David says this even after he has been lifted out of the miry pit and had his feet planted on the rock. Still his iniquities overtake him. But thank God that there is something even more innumerable than our iniquities--God's wonderful and gracious thoughts toward us. As Sibbes said, there is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.

Quote of the Day

2006-06-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

Just a few minutes ago I finished listening to the panel discussion/gigglesnort between the speakers who were at the Together for the Gospel conference some weeks ago in Kentucky. Glad I listened all the way to the end because CJ Mahaney closed the time by citing out of nowhere his favorite Richard Sibbes quote.

"There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us."

Wow, that got me. Snuck right up through my spine and out my eyes. Did you feel it? Read it again.

I think it's time to read Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed.

More Romans Reflections

2006-06-08T20:13:00.000-05:00

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

In verse 13, I don't believe that "living according to the flesh" is the same thing as doing "the deeds of the body". "Flesh" in Paul doesn't always mean debauchery. It means anything that is merely human and not of the Spirit. It can even include human moral striving, cf. Philippians 3. That seems to be what Paul means here, because when he does speak of putting to death our sins, he changes his term to "deeds of the body" instead of the expected "deeds of the flesh". So if living according to the flesh doesn't mean debauchery here, what does it mean?

The point of the verse is that there are two ways to fight against the [mis]deeds of the body. One is by the flesh, the other is by the Spirit. Living according to the flesh is trying to overcome the sins of the body by law plus willpower. Try this and you will die.

What then is doing it by the Spirit? Check out the parallelism between verses 13 and 15.

living according to the flesh = the spirit of slavery
putting to death by the Spirit = the Spirit of adoption as sons.

Fight sin like a son, not like a slave. Don't say "No" to sin because you're afraid of the master's whip. Say "No" to sin because Papa loves you very much. Only love conquers sin. Legalists are dead meat.

Quiet Time Guilt

2006-05-31T11:11:00.000-05:00

Nope, we're still not free enough yet. More freedom! More freedom! Ahhhhhh.....

http://gregscouch.homestead.com/files/Quiet_Time_Guilt.htm

Undiscerned Spiritual Pride

2006-05-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

From the back of our bulletin, February 18th, 1996. Yes, that was over a decade ago.

"A few months ago after reading Jonathan Edwards' chapter called "Undiscerned Spiritual Pride" in a section called "Obstacles to Revival" in his Thoughts on the Revival of Religion, I was prompted to spend a day doing a Bible study on pride. This was the end product:

Self Examination Questions for Discerning Spiritual Pride

1) Have I spoken of others' sins with levity or contempt? (instead of with grief or not at all)
2) Have I treated others with suspicion? (instead of suspecting no one's heart more than my own)
3) Have I been rough or harsh with anyone?
4) Have I said or done anything with the intention of being noticed?
5) Have I shown favoritism or neglected someone?
6) Have I been irreverent or disrespectful of God or men?
7) Have I been too talkative? (instead of slow to speak, quieted by His love)
8) Have I shown an unhealthy interest in controversy?
9) Have I been unwilling to listen to God or men?
10) Have I been defensive?
11) Have I insulted or mocked anyone?
12) Have I been irritable, impatient, or easily offended?
13) Have I been thankful for all that God has given me?
14) Have I sought God today, or have I lived as if I didn't need Him?"

Censoriousness: The Besetting Sin of Bloggers

2006-05-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

Censoriousness?! What's that?

censorious - Tending to censure; highly critical.

Jonathan Edwards wrote in "Thoughts on the Revival",

The word of God, which is in itself sharper than any two-edged sword, ought not to be sheathed by its ministers, but so used that its sharp edges may have their full effect, even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Yet they should do it without judging particular persons, leaving it to conscience and the Spirit of God to make the particular application.

But all their conversation should savour of nothing but lowliness and good-will, love and pity to all mankind; so that such a spirit should be like a sweet odour diffused around them wherever they go. This would have no tendency to prevent the awakening of men’s consciences, but on the contrary would have a very great tendency to awaken them. It would make way for the sharp sword to enter; it would remove the obstacles, and make a naked breast for the arrow.

Yea, the amiable Christ-like conversation of such ministers in itself, would terrify the consciences of men, as well as their terrible preaching; both would co-operate to subdue the hard, and bring down the proud heart. If there had been constantly and universally observable such a behaviour as this in itinerant preachers, it would have terrified the consciences of sinners ten times as much as all the invectives and the censorious talk there has been concerning particular persons, for their opposition, hypocrisy, delusion, pharisaism, &c.

These things in general have rather stupefied sinners’ consciences; they take them up, and make use of them as a shield, wherewith to defend themselves from the sharp arrows of the word that are shot by these preachers. The enemies of the present work have been glad of these things with all their hearts. Many of the most bitter of them are probably such as in the beginning of this work had their consciences something galled and terrified with it; but these errors of awakening preachers are the things they chiefly make use of as plasters to heal the sore that was made in their consciences.

Spiritual pride takes great notice of opposition and injuries that are received, and is apt to be often speaking of them, and to be much in taking notice of their aggravations, either with an air of bitterness or contempt. Whereas pure and unmixed Christian humility, disposes a person rather to be like his blessed Lord, when reviled, dumb, not opening his mouth, but committing himself in silence to him that judgeth righteously. The eminently humble Christian, the more clamorous and furious the world is against him, the more silent and still will he be; unless it be in his closet, and there he will not be still.

Want more? Here's a section from Edwards' "Love, The Sum of All Virtue".

http://www.biblebb.com/files/edwards/charity10.htm

The Inevitability of your Sanctification

2006-05-24T09:11:00.000-05:00

I've been studying Romans 6 lately in preparation for the fall.

ESV Romans 6:2 How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

What does it mean that we are dead to sin? It means we are justified. It means that in Christ his death is our death, his righteousness is our righteousness, and so we are not condemned. We are free from the guilt of sin, we are free from the power of sin to condemn us. That's what "dead to sin" means and that's all it means. It doesn't mean that we are dead to the influence of sin.

ASV Romans 6:7 for he that hath died is justified from sin.

Sadly, almost all the English versions translate the word "justified" in verse 7 "freed". This prevents us from seeing that justification itself is the key to no longer living in sin.

How does this work? Is it that now that I am justified, I am free from the guilty feelings that keep me in bondage to sin? That's true to a point, but that's not Paul's argument. And if it were Paul's argument, it wouldn't be a very strong one. The mere fact that justification puts new motives in the hearts of Christians is no guarantee of their sanctification.

Is it that when I am justified and come to understand that Jesus died for my sins, I will now hate my sins because their evil is seen in the suffering Christ had to endure for them? That's true and is a good reason to repent, but that's not Paul's argument here either.

The reason why your justification guarantees your sanctification is that both your justification and your sanctification come from your union with Christ.

Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

I've been saying throughout the sermon series on Romans that we are too obsessed with our sanctification and need to focus more on justification and glorification. I've been saying that exultation in your justification is the key to sanctification. Now it occurs to me that even that statement is a little too man-centered. I really could just say, "justification is the key to sanctification" or "union with Christ is the key to justification and sanctification"

And if today's meditation is for you a flash of insight that gives new understanding of Romans 6 and union with Christ, that itself is not the magic bullet that will kill your besetting sin and sanctify you. Union with Christ is what will sanctify you. Guaranteed. It's not dependent on your exultation or understanding.

Of course, exultation and understanding are good things. They are even means through which sanctifying grace keeps coming. But they are not the ultimate ground and guarantee of your inevitable sanctification and glorification. Union with Christ is.

So we do nothing? No, we still do things. We fight to think of ourselves dead to sin and alive to God and we offer the parts of our bodies no more as instruments of unrighteousness but as instruments of righteousness. We do these things. But we do them, and we will inevitably do them, because of our union with Christ. We work out our salvation because it is God who works in us. It's not our work plus God's work. It's not God works when we work. It's we work because God works. His work is the cause of our work.

Have you ever heard the cliche' "Pray as if it all depends on God. Work as if it all depends on you?" I've always thought that was ridiculous. Knowing our own hearts as we do in the mirror of the word, "working as if it all depends on you" leads to wallowing in despair. No, we are called to work as if it all depends on God, which it does. Does this lead to laziness? No, it leads to happiness. It leads to our getting up off the floor and rising to fulfill our glorious destiny.

Profanity, The Last Word

2006-05-20T19:56:00.000-05:00

1 Corinthians 13:5 "[Love] is not rude"

In addition to my previously posted four guiding principles for when not to use coarse language, let us remember that love is the fulfillment of the law.

Perhaps a coarse word does not blaspheme God, does not curse men, does not glorify sexual immorality, and does not express anger. Is it then always OK to say it? Of course not.

If the word has no defensible edifying potential, then it would be unloving to upset people for no good reason. And even if the word has defensible edifying potential, you still have to know your audience. Sometimes, probably most times, coarse language will obscure the communication of your message.

But I'll never choose rules over reason for the sake of polite pragmatism. So that's why I've insisted on thinking these things through. I think the most prudish of commentators should admit the possibility that sometimes, even if ever so rarely in their opinion, coarse language actually enhances communication. Paul certainly seemed to think so. If you've really got something to say, sometimes it's worth administering a little shock to your audience in order to get heard.

Look, we're famous!

2006-05-20T18:53:00.000-05:00

Hey, my profanity ravings have made a splash in the Reformed blogosphere. I'm a bad pastor, I'll go stand in the corner now. Check out the May 19th post on

teampyro.blogspot.com

I'm interested in all of your responses, but you must promise not to slander our good Calvinist brothers at teampyro. It's a great blog, especially when they post long quotes of Spurgeon.

But still, ***paragraph deleted***

Dang, that last paragraph was really witty. And it didn't have any profanity. But I cut it anyway 'cause I hate blustery blogging. Even when it's not profane.

Peace and love.

Where have you lived?

2006-05-18T18:28:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling like lightening up and procrastinating "profanity, part 3." So, where have you lived and how long? Here's my info:

Winter Park (suburb of Orlando), FL 4 years
Stone Mountain (suburb of Atlanta), GA 6 years
Chicago and its suburbs, 13 years
Champaign-Urbana, IL 16 years

So, a friend's blog asked whether we're students or townies. Which am I? I guess I'm more townie now than anything else, but I feel more like a student. Here's an interesting question. How many residents of C-U have never studied nor worked at the University of Illinois?

Profanity, part 2

2006-05-16T14:54:00.000-05:00

Shame on you loyal readers, both of you, for not doing your homework and helping me with my profanity bible study. Oh well, the good news is that mere Thessalonians get into heaven too. ;-)

Let me say up front that it is not my desire to promote the more widespread use of profanity. On the contrary, I believe that application of these principles to govern coarse language will actually reduce our cussing by about 95%. But I cannot abide lists of forbidden words. I want something that gets to the heart.

From the verses cited two days ago, I believe we can say that "cussing" is something Christians should not do when...

1) It blasphemes God.
2) It curses people.
3) It glorifies sexual immorality.
4) It expresses anger.

What's left? Here's a couple of examples of God-glorifying obscenity.

"Compared to the glories of knowing Christ, the pleasures of sin are a steamy pile of %$#@!"

"Anyone who thinks they can boast before God of their own righteous works is completely *&^%$#!"

If I write a part 3, we'll look at some examples of coarse language in the Bible, like Php 3:8, Isa 30:22, Gal 5:12, Ez 23:20, and 1Sam 25:22 (see KJV).

Profanity, A Bible Study, part 1

2006-05-14T23:25:00.000-05:00

First, the data gathering phase.

Ephesians 4:29-32 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. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

What does the context suggest that "corrupting" or "unwholesome" means?

Here's the entry in BAGD Greek-English lexicon for the word translated "corrupting" or "unwholesome"

"sapros"(‘make putrid')

1. lit. of such poor quality as to be of little or no value, bad, not good

A. in the prim. sense spoiled, rotten (of spoiled fish Antiphanes Com. [IV BC] fgm. 218, 4 K. [in Athen. 6, 225f]) of rotten fruits (PFlor , 9 figs; Theophr., HP 4, 14, 10 of worms that infect olives) of grapes that lie on the ground and rot Hs 2:4.

B. of poor quality bad

a) of living matter, fish Mt 13:48 (s. BAR 19, ’93, 52; it is of semantic significance that these fish have just been caught and would therefore not be rotten or spoiled, whereas Antiphanes in the ref. cited above [1a] declaims about fish that have been in the marketplace too long).—Of plants and their products (Aristoph., Theophr. et al.; PFay 119, 4; 6) that are of inferior quality: trees, Mt 7:17f; 12:33a; Lk 6:43b; fruit Mt 12:33b; Lk 6:43a. Unless the proverb contains hyperbolic diction, ‘rotten’ would be an inappropriate rendering, since ‘rotten’ trees would either not bear any fruit at all or at the most fruit of such poor quality as to be inedible.

b) of stones unusable, unfit, bad, stones of poor quality

2. bad or unwholesome to the extent of being harmful, bad, evil, unwholesome, in a moral sense an evil word, evil speech Eph 4:29

Ephesians 5:3-5 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous ( that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

All of the words in bold above occur only here in the NT. Again, what does context suggest they mean?

Depending on your translation, the English word "profane" occurs about 75x in the Bible, usually of desecrating a holy place or blaspheming the name of God. All but once or twice it translates this Hebrew word:

(chalal) vb. pollute, defile, profane; --

Niphal 1. reflex. pollute, defile oneself a. ritually, by contact with dead. b. sexually.
2. Passive, be polluted, defiled, of holy places, name of God and even God himself.

Piel 1. defile, pollute: a. sexually, (the father's bed); a woman. b. ceremonially, profane, the altar by a tool; sacred places; the holy land; sacred things; the sabbath; and so the sanctity of the prince of Tyre who made himself God, and his holy places. c. the name of God, God himself. d. defiles or profanes his inheritance by giving it over to Babylon; the princes of the sanctuary by giving them to Chaldeans.
2. violate the honour of, dishonor,

or this Greek word:

(Bebelow) to cause someth. highly revered to become identified with the commonplace, violate sanctity, desecrate, profane the Sabbath

"Obscene" occurs once and translates this word:

(aischrologes) speech of a kind that is generally considered in poor taste, obscene speech, dirty talk (Aristot., EN 4, 8 [1128a], contrasts the preference for obscenity in older drama with the more refined taste of later times and argues that obscenity, can be expected from those of servile nature but not from a cultured gentleman. Clem. Al., Paed. 2, 6, 52 might properly be defined as story-telling involving such unseemly deeds as adultery or pederasty. aivscro,j=obscene: Ps.-Demetr. Eloc. 151). Obscene expressions would also be used to flavor derogatory remarks (s. Aristot. above); hence the rendering scurrilous talk (Polyb. 8, 11, 8; 31, 6, 4; BGU 909, 11f ) is pertinent Col 3:8, esp. since blasphemy (=‘defamation) immediately precedes. The gener. sense dirty talk fits D 5:1, which could apply to ribald stories as well as scurrilous talk.

And now, here's the context to constrain the lexicon:

Colossians 3:5-15 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Results to come in few days. Any thoughts on these? Any other verses you think should be considered in seeking principles to govern a Christian's use of words considered obscene?

It Comes From Galatians, It Really Does.

2006-05-13T21:18:00.000-05:00

People sometimes ask me why I so loathe legalism. "Mike," they say, "why do you so loathe legalism? I mean, I know legalism is wrong, I don't like it either. But when you see legalism you get all like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. What's up with that?"

Some might think it's because I'm some kind of recovering fundamentalist reacting with bitterness against the legalism of my youth. Nope, I grew up basic pagan and ever since my conversion I've been in good gracious churches. I have no scars to show from the legalists, no personal bitterness.

Well then it must be that I'm a licentious grace abuser and I loathe legalists because they threaten my freedom. Nope, I didn't really start exercising the legs of my Christian liberty until my 30s. Never drank scotch until a few years ago, after my vitriolic rampage against legalism was already a decade old.

So where does it come from? It comes from Galatians, it really does. My pastor opened this book up for me in 1991 while I was in seminary and showed me legalism in all its lethal vileness. Then I preached it in 1999-2000 and solidified my convictions. Want a sample? Here's a sermon called "Becoming a Hypocrite: One Man's Journey" from Galatians 2:11-14.

http://www.communityefc.org/mp3/sermons/1999/CEFC_1999101700_16kbps_mono.mp3

Jesus spoke gently to prostitutes and severely to legalists. Paul told legalists to emasculate themselves and go to hell. (Gal 5:12, 1:8). Does it bother you then that so many Christians speak harshly to those who struggle with the sins of the flesh, but give legalists a pass, calling them (wrongly) weaker brothers?

Sing the Psalms, Part Deux

2006-05-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was at The Office reading a new book called "Interpreting the Psalms". It was tremendously affirming to me that my obsessive studies in the psalms over the last decade have not been off track.

One insight that made me shout aloud was in an article by Michael Lefebvre on Psalm 1. He points out that the word for "meditate" (hagah) always involves vocal activity. It can't mean silent contemplation. It must mean something like reciting from memory, or reading aloud, or praying aloud to God, or at least talking to yourself about the psalm.

This wasn't the part that was new to me. I've preached this before and my favorite cross-reference to cite has been Isaiah 31:4 "As a lion growls[hagah], a great lion over his prey..." So when you go to read the Bible, growl over the text looking for food.

But what was new is that when the psalmist calls us to meditation he may be commending the practice of singing the Word of God.

Psalm 63:6-7 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

Psalm 71:23-24 My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk[hagah] of your righteous help all the day long.

Consider also that when Moses gave the torah to Joshua and the priests in Deuteronomy 31, he also wrote a song for the people. It was as though singing that song was the way the common folk meditated on the torah.

So over the years as I've learned all this psalm-chanting and inflicted it upon my loved ones, I may not have been so wack after all. There's a good argument made by more people than just me that says this is the way the author of psalm 1 tells us to make use of the book if we are to know the blessing of flourishing like a tree planted beside streams of water.

You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.

2006-05-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

No, this isn't another post about scotch. It's observations from my time this morning in Psalm 36. Here it is with some formatting to highlight what I saw.

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

Notice how the beautiful central section about God giving us delight is surrounded by verses about wicked evildoing oppressors. Some doofus "higher critic" has probably written a paper on why this shows that these verses are misplaced. But I think it's a great encouragement to see that we experience this abundant pleasure in the steadfast love of God not on the couch at the coffeehouse, but when we are crying out to God for deliverance from our enemies. Steadfast love saves, then steadfast love satisfies.

Drink, so your weaker brothers won't stumble into legalism.

2006-05-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

I've spent the last week or so in my devotions thinking about 1 Corinthans 8. (N.B. what I say doesn't apply to Romans 14. The situation at Corinth is different.)

Paul says we know idols are nothing. But not everyone knows this and love is more important than knowledge, so don't eat meat offered to idols if it might make a weak brother stumble and be destroyed.

Many make this application: Sure you're free to drink, but be loving enough to abstain so that you won't make weak brothers stumble into drunkenness.

But now look carefully at verses 8-10. "Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. ⁹But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?"

But if an idol is nothing, then so what if he eats food offered to idols? Why is it so bad for the weak brother to eat food sacrificed to an idol? Because the weak brother is the one who thinks that eating this food actually commends him to God! (v. 8) That was the issue. If you eat that food because you think you need that food to get right with God as the pagans believed, then you are not believing in the sufficiency of Christ. This makes sense of Paul's strong statement "so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed." (v.11) The weak brother, fresh out of paganism, sees you eat meat offered to an idol (which you're free to do because an idol is nothing) and then he mistakenly thinks that even though he is now a Christian, he still needs to keep eating the "sacred" food in order to be sure that he's covered all his bases and is saved. Syncretism! So the great danger is that the weak brother will add to faith alone, not that the weak brother will be contaminated by idol food.

So the application should be this: Although you are free to abstain from alcoholic beverages, you should drink at least every once in a while, otherwise weak brothers will think that they need to abstain in order to commend themselves to God and they will be legalists and be destroyed.

In our culture, no one is tempted to think that drinking scotch wins the pleasure of God, but lots of people think they are holy because they don't. Therefore, abstinence is the deadlier option.

By Request - 3 events, two births, and one death that happened on my birthday.

2006-04-26T23:46:00.000-05:00

Type your birthday into wikipedia if you want to play along.

Events:
1903 - The Wright Brothers make the first powered heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

1989 - The first episode of The Simpsons airs on FOX.

2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is released worldwide.
(and I took my kids out of school to go see it, don't tell the truant officer)

Births:
1770 - (Baptism) - Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer
1946 - Eugene Levy, Canadian actor

Death:
1957 - Dorothy L. Sayers, British writer (b. 1893)

More NYC pics

2006-04-24T21:48:00.000-05:00

On Broadway

2006-04-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

I feel so thankful to the Lord for answering my prayers and blessing my daughter on her 13th birthday. Here's an excerpt from last Friday's prayer journal:

"Yesterday was awesome. Arrived at hotel at 11am, walked to Times Square and then Central Park Zoo. Went to wait in the cancellation line for tickets to "Wicked". Waited from 3:30-7:59! Literally the last minute we got in. The waiting made it better. A longing fulfilled. A parable for Amy. Thank you, Lord! O establish the work of my hands. Establish and finish your work in Amy's heart!"

What's "Wicked"? http://www.wickedthemusical.com/synopsis.htm

Cling to the Lord

2006-04-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

You know that Letterman bit "Is this anything?" Well, Manhattan is really something. But I'll write about that another time.

Last week I read about a technique for meditating on Scripture that I hadn't heard of before. It's called "MAP" Memorize. Analyze. Personalize. I've decided to do that to a verse I read the other day, 1 Corinthians 6:17 "But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him."

The context is fleeing sexual immorality. This is what you are supposed to do instead of joining yourself to a prostitute. It's a rather indelicate comparison.

Paul uses this word "is joined" (or "joins himself" is a better translation) because he is referencing Genesis 2:24. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast [cleave, be joined] to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Paul is not the first one to take this language of marital intimacy and apply it to our relationship with the Lord. Rather, Paul is picking up on something found even in Moses. Check out these verses:

Deuteronomy 10:20 You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him,

Deuteronomy 13:4 You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life,

And, on the other hand, we must not cling to idols or to things devoted to destruction...

Deuteronomy 13:17 Nothing from that which is put under the ban shall cling to your hand, in order that the LORD may turn from His burning anger and show mercy to you

Joshua 23:11-13 Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes,

2 Kings 3:2-3 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless, he clung to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.

So when we find ourselves clinging to our sins, when the idols are sticking to our hands, let us do like Hezekiah and David...

2 Kings 18:5-6 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the LORD;

Psalm 63:7-8 you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 101:3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

So there's some analyzing, now for some personalizing. What is this going to look like for us? How shall we cling to the Lord when fleeing sexual immorality? Post a comment.

1 Corinthians 6:17 "But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him."

Amy's 13th Birthday

2006-04-12T10:54:00.000-05:00

Start spreadin' the news,
I'm leavin' today
I want to be a part of it,
New York, New York...

I think I'm as excited as she is. I'll blog all about it when I get back. Thanks for your prayers for us and have an Exultant Easter. Here's where we plan to go to church Sunday...

http://www.redeemer2.com/about/values/index.cfm?fuseaction=history

Would You Let Me Preach This At Your Wedding?

2006-03-31T14:51:00.000-06:00

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-- all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

Some might regard this as a gloomy verse for a wedding sermon. Some regard the whole book of Ecclesiastes as a gloomy book, but I’ve always found great joy in it. True, there are some downer verses like 7:3 “Sorrow is better than laughter and a sad face is good for the heart” but on the other hand the author says in 8:15 that he “commends the enjoyment of life”. True, he says in 1:18 that “with much wisdom comes much sorrow” but he also says in 8:1 that “Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance.” How can we reconcile these things?

The Preacher of Ecclesiastes wants to convince us of the vanity of life. That there is an awful lot of futile ambition in the world that is just a chasing after the wind. So there are two kinds of wise counsel in this book given to two sorts of people. It’s a before and after distinction. There’s a wisdom you need to acquire if you still are full of vain ambition. But then there’s another wisdom you need to put into practice once you understand that life is vanity and are freed from anxious striving.

If you are still chasing after the wind, if you are still on the gerbil wheel of academic ambition, or the gerbil wheel of hedonism, or the gerbil wheel of materialism, or the gerbil wheel of pursuing a worldly legacy, then you are the ones the Preacher has in mind when he says that it is better to go to a house of mourning than a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man and the living should take this to heart. You are the ones who need to consider the sobering verses of this book that tell us just how fleeting are both riches and reputation.

But suppose you’ve already learned this lesson, as I believe in great measure you have. Suppose you’ve already gotten off the gerbil wheel. Now what? What do you do once you understand that life is vanity? You enjoy it. You enjoy life. With your wife. Whom you love. All the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun. You eat. And you drink. And you find satisfaction in your work. Because after all, says Ecclesiastes 10:19, a feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.

Now I hasten to add that you also fear the Lord, says Ecc 12:13, for, says Ecc 2:25 without Him who can eat or find enjoyment? God is the one who will enable you to enjoy life with one another. May God give you the blessing of Ecc 5:20, that you will seldom reflect on the days of your life because God keeps you occupied with gladness of heart.

But of course, not all your days will be joyful. Ecclesiastes 7:14 says “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.” Another gloomy verse? Not so. Pay careful attention to it. What did it say to do when times are good? Be happy. That’s all. Just enjoy it. It’s when times are bad that you need to consider and remember that God is in control and that although you don’t know what the future holds, you know Him who holds the future. But when times are good, be happy. This verse can help cure the anxious habits of our minds. When times are good we too often are looking over our shoulder waiting for the other shoe to drop. Don’t be like that. When times are good, be happy. And times are good! He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. God has given you to one another. It’s a match made in heaven.

The salient point of Ecclesiastes 9:9 for you today is this: There are many, many things that you will give yourself to in this life that will be a complete waste of time. Your marriage is not one of those things. So Josh, pour out your time and fervent energy into loving your wife and enjoying life with her, for everything you invest into your relationship with K.C. will come back to bless you and increase your joy. And K.C., be persistent and creative in respecting Josh and affirming him and encouraging him and thereby you will be a means of God’s grace to him making him into a godly and loving husband who will lead you into joy all the days of this meaningless life under the sun, all your meaningless days.

I could go on, but Ecclesiastes 6:11 says “The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?” So let’s praise the Lord again in song…

Spring Break Ruminations

2006-03-25T18:23:00.000-06:00

I've been away with the family for a week, and I thought I'd try to synthesize thoughts from my devotions here. I read several days ago a great sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 5:1 about peace with God. In his concluding paragraph he made a pregnant "by the way" remark about how the way to remain steady in the experience of peace with God is to remain much in the book of First John 1:1-2:2. This whet my appetite and I decided to spend my morning devotions this week in 1 John.

The first thing that stood out to me was a phrase in 1 John 1:7 to which I hadn't paid much attention before.

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

This strikes me as the purest motive for walking in the light. We want to walk in the light because that is where Jesus is. This should motivate us to come out of the darkness even more than the desire to escape the negative consequences of walking in the darkness. It's a Christ-centered motive for turning from sin. Follow Jesus. He's not walking in sin. So we can't either if we are to follow Him.

After observing this early in the week, I started seeing it elsewhere in the book.

1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself as He is pure.

1 John 3:7 Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as He is righteous.

We are so self-conscious about our sanctification. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2006-03-17T14:17:00.000-06:00

I spent the summer of 1991 on a missionary internship in South India. It was the 200th anniversary of the arrival of William Carey in India, and the Indian church was celebrating.

I returned to the states and the next St. Patrick's Day found myself drinking beer, funny how that happens, in an Irish pub in Rockford, IL. Suddenly it dawned on me. 1600 years or so ago all my ancestors were rock-worshiping pagans and then God sent Patrick. I decided thenceforth to use the holiday to give thanks and to instruct my family about missions.

If you'd like to read the true story of Patrick in his own words, click here:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/patrick/confession.ii.html

A Love of Literature

2006-03-11T22:27:00.000-06:00

As per my narcissism post of several days ago, most of my hobbies have always been a tad poisoned by self-conscious posing. Wine appreciation, pipe smoking, chess, jazz, I've enjoyed all these things in and of themselves, while at the same time being aware that I'm acting like a hoity-toity (etymology haute?)...dork.

But there is one enjoyment I've had over the years that I've acquired simply and unself-consciously. Without really thinking about it, I find that I love literature. Not all literature, of course. Hemingway, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, was a moron. But lots of good literature. Tonight I had dinner with my wife and daughter and published short-story author sister-in-law. That's why this is on my mind. She helped me decide what to read next. I told her that I thought John Updike was a genius and a pervert and I was looking for more genius and less pervert. No help there. But she did recommend I go back to Flannery O'Connor.

In case any of you care, here's a few of my 20th century favorites. It'd be nice if someone commented, so I could sustain the illusion I'm doing more than just wasting time.

John Steinbeck, East of Eden, Winter of our Discontent
Marilyn Robinson, Gilead
Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum
Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory

Becoming More Lutheran Every Day

2006-03-07T10:55:00.000-06:00

Besides the obvious increase in profanity, there are other ways in which I find myself becoming more Lutheran every day. This morning I read something by Douglas Moo on Romans 9:31 that reminded me of something I learned and loved from my Hebrew professor in seminary, John Sailhamer.

Lutherans have a sharp dichotomy in their thinking between law and gospel. Reformed folk emphasize continuity between the testaments and speak warmly of the third use of the law. As I indicated in my last post, I often feel conflicted between the two. But I learned from Sailhamer 15 years ago that torah does not equal law. There is law in the torah and there is gospel in the torah. Paul in Romans 10 and Galatians 3 pits the law "he who does the commandments shall live by them" (Lv 18:5) against the righteousness based on faith, which he sees in Deuteronomy(!) 30 and he says that the law is not of faith. But clearly Paul doesn't mean that the torah doesn't teach faith, for he argues for it from Genesis 15.6 and Deuteronomy.

So torah is not law. The message of the torah is the failure of the law of Moses because of sin and the need to be justified by faith like Abraham. So I can, like Paul, disparage "law" and still love the torah. There is continuity between OT and NT, but discontinuity between law and gospel. Put another way, the absolute discontinuity between law and gospel is the continuous message of both testaments.

A Love-Hate Relationship with the Law

2006-03-04T20:34:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow morning I'm going to say something in my sermon that I hope is defensible hyperbole. I will say, "If you want to grow in holiness, you've got to learn to shut up about the law". The law cannot make us holy. It exposes our sin, even provokes our sin. We serve in the new way of the spirit and not the old way of the written code. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Paul refers to Moses delivering the Ten Commandments to the people as the ministry of condemnation and death. So I don't feel my remarks about the law tomorrow will be too outrageous.

The problem is (and it is widely acknowledged to be the most difficult problem of Christian theology) how do I reconcile this with "O how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day." And now, here's the answer...just kidding. But it is a helpful step in the right direction when we realize that the Hebrew word "torah" doesn't have such strong legal connotations. Torah means instruction. As Christians we can meditate upon the torah and find wisdom in it. It is still our teacher, but no longer our schoolmaster. The cane is taken out of its hands. It's power to condemn is nullified.

A king may put his young son under the tutelage of a schoolmaster and give to the schoolmaster the authority to chastise his son. When the prince comes of age, the old teacher can still be a beloved counselor. But let some overzealous schoolmaster try to swing that cane again around the adult prince, and that schoolmaster is going to get himself crucified.

And did you see the new Sacred Sandwich?

2006-03-03T10:07:00.000-06:00

JOBLESS RATE FOR CHRISTIAN SATIRISTS SKYROCKETS AS CHURCHES BECOME PARODIES ON THEIR OWN

March 2006 --- Six months ago Chris Carmichael, a Christian satirist, would have never believed that one day he would be reduced to standing on a busy intersection in Kansas City, MO, holding a makeshift sign that reads, “Will Mock for Food.” But this is the situation now that Carmichael is no longer able to make a decent living lampooning postmodern Christianity. Out of work and destitute, Carmichael now grovels for enough money to buy himself a Egg McMuffin for his only meal of the day. “Just last fall I was still able to target some of the unbiblical activities of certain Christian organizations and take their absurdity to a satirical extreme to expose their folly,” laments Carmichael, “but now these organizations have gone to the ultimate level of absurdity all by themselves. I can’t compete with that.”

to read more... http://www.sacredsandwich.com/headline16.htm

Sing the Psalms

2006-03-02T23:47:00.000-06:00

Check out the new link on the right to sing the psalms.

Here's one that I found recently. It's Isaac Watts setting of Psalm 32. It's in C.M. (Common Meter) so you can sing it to Amazing Grace or I Sing the Mighty Power of God or thousands of other melodies.

Happy the man to whom his God
No more imputes his sin,
But, washed in the Redeemer's blood,
Hath made his garments clean.

Happy beyond expression he
Who debts are thus discharged;
And from the guilty bondage free,
He feels his soul enlarged.

His spirit hates deceit and lies,
His words are all sincere;
He guards his heart, he guards his eyes,
To keep his conscience clear.

While I my inward guilt suppressed,
No quiet could I find;
Thy wrath lay burning in my breast,
And racked my tortured mind.

Then I confessed my troubled thoughts,
My secret sins revealed;
Thy pard'ning grace forgave my faults,
Thy grace my pardon sealed.

This shall invite thy saints to pray;
When like a raging flood
Temptations rise, our strength and stay
Is a forgiving God.

The Trials of a Public School Parent

2006-03-01T23:18:00.001-06:00

In the last three days at middle school, my daughter has been called a racist and a homophobe and has been told that her dad is a hypocrite and that, y'know, you don't have to believe what your parents believe.

It's been an emotional roller coaster, but many of my wife's tears have been tears of joy. This is exactly why we send our kids to public school. It's great to have our daughter clinging to our side while we strategize against the worldly and wicked. Her heart is open right now and God is making himself known in times of trouble. And I praise God for the many Christian moles within the schools who have helped us along the way.

Home school readers, I mean no disrespect. God will send you your portion of trials to opportunize. Let us pray for one another. Not everyone has the same calling. But pray for those who, like Daniel, seek to stand and (Lord willing) even stand out in the Babylonian schools.

But Enough About Me, What Do You Think About Me?

2006-03-01T07:47:00.000-06:00

I've been convicted lately about my "Narcissistic Personality Disorder."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder

Anybody want to start a recovery group? Not only is it sin, but it seems to be the major cause of sadness. Exaggerated needs for affirmation, difficulties in empathizing, worry about what others think of ME, worry about how every contingency might adversely affect MY personal comfort.

Here's some verses with which I've been busted lately...

Romans 12:15-16 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.

Proverbs 3:7-8 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Romans 15:1-3 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."

Meditating on that last verse especially can lead us out of ourselves and into worshipping Christ, which is the ultimate cure. O that I might more steadfastly know this joy of self-forgetfulness!

My first post

2006-03-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

And we're off!