Look up!

It is impossible to say what will happen to us, or what will be required of us this year — but "Look up!" This direction, if properly attended to, will . . . procure for us all that we need, secure us against all that we dread, and make us more than a match for all our foes and fears!

Fellow-Christian, are you fearful? "Look up" and hear Jesus saying to you, "Do not be afraid — I Myself will help you!"

Are you discouraged? "Look up" — and your youth shall be renewed like the eagle's, and fresh light, comfort, and courage shall be given to you!

Are you desponding? "Look up" for Jesus never breaks the bruised reed, nor quenches the smoking flax.

Do not look too much at your sin — look most at the infinitely meritorious blood of God's dear Son!

Do not look too much at self — but look at Jesus, who ever lives to make intercession for you in Heaven.

Are you stripped of your comforts, your props, and your goods? Then look up! He who stripped you — loves you! He will be more than all these to you! He will bind up your broken heart, calm your perturbed spirit, cheer your drooping mind, and fill you with his own peace and happiness.

Look up . . .
for all that you need;
from all that you fear;
through all that would obstruct your way;
and notwithstanding all that would deter you from doing so.

Look up every day, saying with David, "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and will look up!" Psalm 5:3

Look up in every trial, saying "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help: my help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth!"

Do not look at your sin — it will discourage you!

Do not look at your self — it will distress you!

Do not look at Satan — he will bewilder you!

Do not look to men — they will deceive, or disappoint you!

Do not look at your trials — they will deject you!

But do as the church did, look up "until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees" (Lamentations 3:50).

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us — looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!" Hebrews 12:1-2. Look only, look always, look intently, to Jesus; run looking, work looking, fight looking, suffer looking, live looking, and die looking — to Jesus, who is at God's right hand in glory. Oh, look, look, look to Jesus!

From A New Year's Motto, sermon by James Smith, 1865.

Confessions of a World-Lover

Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: consider your ways. You have sown much and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes...You looked for much, and behold it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins,
while each of you busies himself with his own house.

~Haggai 1:5-6, 9

 Haggai's words pierce my heart as I think of the toiling and spinning I've done in this life. I have pursued the American dream and come up wanting. I've known the emptiness of too many possessions and too much debt, of being overwhelmed yet still not having enough. I have stored up my treasures on earth. I have tried to live my best life now.

I have loved the world and paid the price.

There are many pitfalls to loving the world. Puritan William Greenhill outlines them thoughtfully in a sermon later published as the book, Stop Loving the World. His argument that most convicted me is that loving the world is unreasonable. Loving the world "will direct you to things that are merely probable and make you leave things that are certain." Greenhill directs us to Haggai 1, where "the Lord asks his hearers to consider whether their prosperity, such as it is, brings about the intended satisfaction" (source). The Israelites were so busy pursuing their own gain that they ignored the Lord's house. It's easy enough to look at the prosperity gospel that's so rampant today and point fingers, but I am also guilty. How many times have I overlooked the church - both the building and the people - in favor of my own pleasures? The trappings of this world are uncertain. As Greenhill states, "The promises of the world and the devil are seldom made good." We don't have to look any further than Genesis 3 to know he is right. As believers, we have full assurance that God's promises are certain. Psalm 18:30 tells us, This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Greenhill also cautions that even if "we do get the world with our endeavors, we cannot keep it without fear of losing it."  Again, he points to Scripture, Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:5, KJV). Hebrews 12:28 tells us we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. It is secure. Greenhill points out, "if we get grace, that will continue with us. If we get peace and joy, none can take them from us. If we get an interest in Christ, none can pluck us out of His hand."

Finally, Greenhill explains that "Loving the world directs us toward the worst things. There is excellency in grace; there is excellency in the knowledge of Christ. To let these things go and choose the others is unreasonable." 

Although I have been guilty of treasuring the material, it is more often the non-material that my sinful heart craves. As Jay Collier writes in the Preface of Stop Loving the World,

We cherish the good opinion of others, desiring honor among men. And we love to be in control, influencing the way things happen in this world and having our will be done. Each of these things has its proper place, yet we so easily expect them to be our source of joy.

 D.A. Carson posits that our hearts and lives are the hardest place to love God (source). To fight against our natural tendencies "demands of every believer who can read...devoted, reverent, disciplined reading and rereading of the Word of God, a reading discharged with an attitude of eager attentiveness."

Could it be that the key to loving the world less and loving God more is to adjust the attention I give to each? Pouring over the Word with more intensity than I pour over social media. Being more eager to read my Bible than my library book. Giving more thought to the Scripture than what someone said to hurt my feelings. Looking at the life of Christ as intently as I judge the lives of those around me. And most importantly, point others to Christ instead of the rotting decay of this world. Greenhill states, "when we relish and savor the world in our conversations, this shows we are glued to the world and love it." My love for the world must be glaringly evident to those around me.

Greenhill is absolutely right. It is unreasonable to exchange the glories of God for the trappings of this world. Yet I have done so, over and over again. In typical Puritan bluntness, Greenhill offers directions to stop loving the world: mortify your lusts, look on Christ, submit to God's will, and a few others. Armed with these remedies and with the grace of God, I hope to break off my love affair with the world.

Comfort for a New Year

"The Lord lives!" 2 Samuel 22:47

We lives in trying times. The new year opens, as no new year has opened to us of late. Our country is at war. Provisions are scant. The future, though concealed from our view, appears to be hung with clouds. It is probable that there will be great changes. Many fears will be awakened. Many hearts will be wounded. The faith of many of the Lord's people will be deeply tried. Satan will be busy. Our principles will be put to the test. But amidst all, we, as believers in Jesus, have one comfort, "The Lord lives!" There will be no change in him.

His Word will remain true, his throne will be unshaken, and his purposes rest undisturbed. He will have his way in the whirlwind and storm, and make a path for himself in the deep waters. Yes, Jehovah is immutably the same, and he is our God. Ours by covenant engagement. Ours by promise and by oath. Ours in Jesus, his beloved Son. He is the object of our hope and love. His bosom will be our resting-place, his arm our defense, and his proviilence our friend. Unspeakable privilege! Unparalleled mercy! Jehovah, in all his greatness and glory, in all his goodness and grace, is our God. And as our God he ever lives, ever reigns, and performs all things for us...

We do not know what we may need, nor how much we may need, nor how long we may need — but the Lord knows; and he has provided of his goodness for the poor. In eternity, he laid up for us; and in time, all through our time here, he will lay out upon us. Only let us . . .

exercise faith in his Word,
cleave to his cross,
wrestle at his throne,
watch in his way,
work in his vineyard,
and aim at his glory —
and then let taxes rise ever so high, let trade sink ever so low, let needs increase ever so fast — we may confidently say, "The Lord lives — and my God will supply all my needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus!"

Excerpt from Comfort For a New Year - James Smith, 1856

Captive to the Word of God

If I had to pick a significant event of the Protestant Reformation, it would be Martin Luther's trial at the Diet of Worms on April 17, 1521. This was nearly four years since he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church. In the intervening time, Luther continued publishing critiques against the Roman Catholic Church's teachings on indulgences and the treasury of merit, which were not well received. Thus the process began of prosecuting him in both church and civil courts. Prior to Worms, Luther met with church officials to debate his position. Rather than supporting their stance from Scripture, Rome's arguments lay in the fact that the practices objected to were sanctioned by previous popes and church councils. Thus Luther was put in the unenviable place of stating that popes, theologians, and councils can err. By the time the Diet of Worms convened, he had already been excommunicated. This trial, presided by Emperor Charles V, was to seek civil penalties, likely execution, if he refused to recant. There was no opportunity for further debate on April 17, 1521. Luther was merely presented with a stack of his books and asked to identify if they were his, which he acknowledged. He was then asked to recant and promise to never teach such heresy again. Yes or no? His voice was barely audible as he requested another 24 hours to consider the matter. After spending the night in prayer, Martin Luther returned to the council the following day and delivered his famous speech. There was no turning back.

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason - for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves - I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one's conscience is neither safe nor sound. God help me. Amen.

I will never be a pivotal figure in church history like Martin Luther, but there is much I can learn from his example. As a Baptist, I don't have a pope, but it can be easy to defer to a "pope" of my own making when it comes to spiritual matters. I greatly respect my pastor and other theologians past and present who have greater knowledge of the Bible than I do. Yet even if they are right, they can't learn or think for me. This does not mean that I go to a desert island with just my Bible and the Holy Spirit and see what pops into my head. Bad idea. No, the process of examining the Scriptures to see if these things are so takes place in the context of the local church. But I will miss out on so much if I short-circuit digging into the Word and wrestling with doctrines myself by taking another person's word for it. Likewise, I need to respect those who are in the same learning process. In my enthusiasm, it can be easy to bowl someone over by the strength of my convictions and sway them to come to "my side." But this deprives my brothers and sisters of the joy and benefit of searching the Scriptures for themselves.

So I want to take a leaf from Martin Luther's book. May "I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God... God help me. Amen."

Sources:
Reformation 500 - A site dedicated to the upcoming 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It has a very helpful timeline of events with associated articles.
The Trial of Martin Luther - Another timeline.
What Luther Said - What did he really say at the Diet of Worms?
Progress to Worms from Luther and the Reformation - Lectures by R.C. Sproul

Seven Things for the New Year

This is an excerpt from a New Year's address by James Smith who was C.H. Spurgeon's predecessor at the New Park Street Chapel. He mentions seven things to experience, to have, to do, to enjoy, and be preserved from in the New Year. When I read his lists, I couldn't ask for anything better for my loved ones or myself in 2015.

May God grant us these blessings for His praise and glory.

*******

[T]here are seven things I wish you may all more fully EXPERIENCE this year:

His Spirit working in your hearts,
His blood speaking in your consciences,
His power subduing your corruptions,
His blessing resting upon your souls,
His presence cheering your way,
His righteousness covering your sins,
His peace keeping your hearts and minds.

There are seven things I wish you may know it is your privilege to HAVE this year:
a name in his book,
a sight of his covenant,
a tear in his bottle,
a place in his heart,
a title to his fullness,
a right to his promises,
and an interest in his prayers.

There are seven things I wish you may DO this year:
weep at his cross,
wrestle at his throne,
cleave to his truth,
walk in his ways,
aim at his honor,
comfort his people,
and spread his fame in every direction.

There are seven things which I wish you may ENJOY this year:
the light of his countenance,
the power of his love,
the hope of his calling,
the blessings of his chosen,
contentment under all dispensations,
liberty in performing his commands,
and victory over every foe.

There are seven things from which I hope you may be PRESERVED from this year:
a hard heart,
a seared conscience,
a Laodicean state,
a proud look,
an unforgiving spirit,
an envious eye,
and distrusting God.

And now, brethren, Jesus can give all that I wish you to experience, to know, to enjoy! And he can preserve you from all I wish you to be kept from...

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

From A New Year's Address, James Smith, New Park Street Chapel, London, 1849.

Why I love Spurgeon

Painting by Robert Bucknell

God has blessed His church with theologians, past and present, who have equipped the saints through their sermons and writings. Kim wrote last week of her appreciation for the good Doctor, Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I am going to borrow her idea and share why I love Charles Spurgeon.


I first heard of Charles Spurgeon from a fellow InterVarsity member when I was in college. I still remember his exact words: "Spurgeon is awesome!" To be honest, my first thought was, "Why on earth would someone want to read anything by a long-dead Baptist preacher?"

Fast forward nearly 30 years. The bottom had just dropped out of my marriage. I wasn't attending a local church at the time, which is another story. I had no idea where to turn for help, so I called a close friend who promptly told me, "You need to read some Spurgeon." I wasn't sure what advice a 19th-century minister could give to a 21st-century woman who was facing a broken marriage, but I was desperate. I googled "Charles Spurgeon" to see what I would find. The first site on Google's list was The Spurgeon Archive. This seemed like a good place to start, so I clicked the link for the daily devotions.  Given my present state, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I had never read anything like this in my life.

Even though I had been a believer since childhood, my view of God was pretty pitiful. Like Job, I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that God would allow His children to suffer, and like Job's friends, there was a nagging sense that if I had been a better Christian, none of this would be happening right now. On top of this, I was spiritually malnourished from the lack of sound teaching and fellowship.

My view of God was small, but Spurgeon's view of God was BIG. The God he described was glorious and awesome in His holiness and power. Yet He was unchanging in His love for and faithfulness to His children. If there was any doubt on that score, look at the Cross and look at Christ. He also ordains every second of our lives, watching over us as a loving Father who has our eternal good in mind.

This was food and drink to my starving soul. I eagerly read Morning and Evening and Faith's Checkbook each day. I printed out sermon after sermon until I had bulging 3-ring binder. Spurgeon's love of God and His Word was so contagious that I began to read the Bible in a new light. My trial did not miraculously disappear. I still shed many tears and battled fear and unbelief, but my view of God changed which changed everything.

I truly believe God used this long-dead Baptist preacher to keep me from throwing in the towel and abandoning the faith. My weak and rather unbiblical understanding would never have stood the test, but He was faithful to give me a bigger glimpse of Himself in His power, His love, and His sovereignty.

So I thank God for His faithful servants down through the ages, and I especially thank Him for Charles Spurgeon.

The Lord and no one else shall save me. I desire no other helper and would not trust in an arm of flesh even if I could. I will cry to Him evening, and morning, and noon, and I will cry to no one else, for He is all sufficient.

How He will save me I cannot guess; but He will do it, I know. He will do it in the best and surest way, and He will do it in the largest, truest, and fullest sense. Out of this trouble and all future troubles the great I AM will bring me as surely as He lives; and when death comes and all the mysteries of eternity follow thereon, still will this be true: "the Lord shall save me." This shall be my song all through this autumn day. Is it not as a ripe apple from the tree of life? I will feed upon it. How sweet it is to my taste!  

Faith's Check Book, August 28

Resources:

• The Spurgeon Archive - For all things Spurgeon.
• Spurgeon Gems - All of his sermons are available in .pdf or .zip format for easy download.
• E-books by Charles Spurgeon 

Food for Thought

 Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

~Psalm 73:25-26

All the riches of the covenant of grace that Christ has purchased with his precious blood, and all the good that an infinite God can give, you shall have them. God will fill your soul to its utmost capacity. When you have these, you desire no more and quietly rest forever. What a portion is this! The pleasures of sin are for a season, a little inch of time. This portion is forever...Death parts all other portions from the sons of men, but gives you your full portion. Then you will know your portion's true worth. When fire burns up the world it will not even singe your portion. You may stand upon the ruins of the world and sing: I have lost nothing, I have my inheritance, my happiness, and my God still.

~George Swinnock

Voices From The Past - Puritan Devotional Readings

Defending a Lion

Several "Christian" films¹ are opening in theaters this year, one of which centers on a philosophy student's attempt to prove to his classmates that God exists.  I haven't seen the movie; I've only read this review, which brought to mind a passage from Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Authority:

I am not sure that apologetics has not been the curse of evangelical Christianity for the last twenty to thirty years. I am not saying that apologetics is not necessary. But I am suggesting that, with a kind of worldly wisdom, we have been approaching the world on the grounds of apologetics instead of (with the apostle Paul), determining not to know anything 'save Christ crucified'...We assert Him, we proclaim Him, we start with Him, because He is the ultimate and the final authority. We start with the fact of Jesus Christ, because He is really at the centre of the whole of our position and the whole of our case rests upon Him. It is to me interesting and rather extraordinary that Evangelicals should ever seem to forget this...I am convinced that most of our troubles today are due to the fact that we have become so immersed in secondary details that we have lost the main picture. We are missing the whole, because of our interest in the parts. If we could but stand back and just look at the New Testament and the whole Bible with fresh eyes, I believe we would be rather amazed at the fact that the really big claim, which is made in the whole of the New Testament, is for the supreme authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. If what they say about Jesus is not true then they have nothing much at all to offer us. (pp. 14 -15)

I've been pondering this idea quite a bit lately, that believers (myself included) are often more prone to speak based on their assumptions about God rather than relying on God's Word itself. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the necessity of staying in the Word so that we can offer biblical, sound advice to others. As my Sunday School class has gone further in the Book of Job, I keep coming back to this key concept. For example, when Job tells his friends that they "...lift me up on this wind; you make me ride on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm" (Job. 30:22), I think of Ephesians 4:12-14. Paul exhorts us to pursue spiritual maturity "that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.."

Why is it that instead of giving others pure spiritual milk, we offer the theological fluff that's so plentiful these days? Is it our belief that the sugary stuff is easier to swallow? Or is it our own lack of devotion to the Word that makes us feel inadequate to defend it?

Even if we guard against offering fluff, there is the danger of believing that our words - rather than the Word - can bring people to salvation.  Yet the apostle Paul tells us that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). And the Westminster Shorter Catechism states, "The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation." (Q. 89) (see Nehemiah 8:8-9, Acts 20:32, Romans 10:14-17, 2 Timothy 3:15-17)

Spurgeon said, "The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself." I don't believe he was intimating that apologetics is not necessary; rather, I believe he knew this truth: that if we speak the Word, we won't have to rely on man-made defenses of God. Why would we want to use the dull knife of our own logic, when we have the two-edged sword of God's Word? (Hebrews 4:12)

Which is one reason this blog exists - to encourage women to know the Word and to know Whom we have believed. As Rebecca wrote in her first post here,

If you were to ask me what practical use there is for theology, this is the answer I'd give. Right living begins with right theology; solid theology builds solid women. 

But theology is much more than motivation for right living. It soars above the practical to the doxological; it is down-to-earth—and up-to-heaven, too. The overflow of the love for God that grows from theology learned well is praise. Theology writes the hymnal of the Christian heart. (emphasis mine)

Studying the Word of God isn't as easy as reading the latest how-to guide or popular devotional. But the rewards will be greater than anything we can imagine. And with that goal in mind, we ordinary theologians keep writing in hopes that we will exhort you to make this your first priority: "...know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Cor. 2:2)

__________________________________
¹I have not seen any of these films and make no claim as to their "Christianity"; I use the term as the films themselves are labeled.

The turns in life which try our spirits

Have you ever wondered why believers still struggle with sin? Or to bring it home, why you struggle with sin? It would be so much easier for God and for all of us if we overcame sin once and for all in this life. But is it possible that in His sovereignty, He uses this on-going fight for His glory and our good?¹

Here are some thoughts by John Newton:

The Lord appoints occasions and turns in life, which try our spirits. There are particular seasons when temptations are suited to our frames, tempers, and situations; and there are times when he is pleased to withdraw, and to permit Satan's approach, that we may feel how vile we are in ourselves. We are prone to spiritual pride, to self-dependence, to vain confidence, to creature attachments, and a train of evils. The Lord often discovers to us one sinful disposition by exposing us to another. He sometimes shows us what he can do for us and in us; and at other times how little we can do, and how unable we are to stand without him. 

By a variety of these exercises, through the over-ruling and edifying influences of the Holy Spirit, 'B' [the maturing believer] is trained up in a growing knowledge of himself and of the Lord. He learns to be more distrustful of his own heart, and to suspect a snare in every step he takes. The dark and disconsolate hours which he has brought upon himself in times past, make him doubly prize the light of God's countenance, and teach him to dread whatever might grieve the Spirit of God, and cause him to withdraw again. The repeated and multiplied pardons which he has received, increase his admiration of, and the sense of his obligations to, the rich sovereign abounding mercy of the covenant. Much has been forgiven him, therefore he loves much, and therefore he knows how to forgive and pity others. He does not call evil good, or good evil; but his own experiences teach him tenderness and forbearance. He exercises a spirit of meekness towards those who are overtaken in a fault; and his attempts to restore such, are according to the pattern of the Lord's dealings with himself.²

                                                                                                                                         
1. Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weakness, Barbara Duguid, P&R Publishing, 2013, pp 51-61.
2. Letters of John Newton, Banner of Truth Trust, 1965, pg. 22. Online letter here. (italics mine)

(Adapted from a previous blog post.)

A Prayer for Monday

MY GOD,

I bless thee that thou hast given me the eye of faith,

   to see thee as Father,

   to know thee as a covenant God,

   to experience thy love planted in me.

For faith is the grace of union

   by which I spell out my entitlement to thee:

Faith casts my anchor upwards where I trust in thee

   and engage thee to be my Lord.

Be pleased to live and move within me,

   breathing in my prayers,

   inhabiting my praises,

   speaking in my words,

   moving in my actions,

   living in my life,

   causing me to grow in grace.

Thy bounteous goodness has helped me believe,

   but my faith is weak and wavering,

     its light dim,

     its steps tottering,

     its increase slow,

     its backslidings frequent;

It should scale the heavens,

   but lies grovelling in the dust.

Lord, fan this divine spark into glowing flame.

When faith sleeps, my heart becomes an unclean thing,

   the fount of every loathsome desire,

   the cage of unclean lusts all fluttering to escape,

   the noxious tree of deadly fruit,

   the open wayside of earthly tares.

Lord, awake faith to put forth its strength

   until all heaven fills my soul

     and all impurity is cast out.

"Faith", from Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

In Defense of Old Books

Our thanks to everyone for reading and encouraging us. September is here. In the United States it's Labor Day, the last holiday of summer. I will wrap up our dead theologians month with a quotation from C.S. Lewis explaining why we should take the trouble to read old books in the first place.

A new book is still on its trial and the amateur is not in a position to judge it. It has to be tested against the great body of Christian thought down the ages, and all its hidden implications (often unsuspected by the author himself) have to be brought to light. Often it cannot be fully understood without the knowledge of a good many other modern books. If you join at eleven o'clock a conversation which began at eight you will often not see the real bearing of what is said. Remarks which seem to you very ordinary will produce laughter or irritation and you will not see why—the reason, of course, being that the earlier stages of the conversation have given them a special point. In the same way sentences in a modern book which look quite ordinary may be directed "at" some other book; in this way you may be led to accept what you would have indignantly rejected if you knew its real significance. The only safety is to have a standard of plain, central Christianity ("mere Christianity" as Baxter called it) which puts the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective. Such a standard can be acquired only from the old books. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones.

Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books. All contemporary writers share to some extent the contemporary outlook—even those, like myself, who seem most opposed to it. Nothing strikes me more when I read the controversies of past ages than the fact that both sides were usually assuming without question a good deal which we should now absolutely deny. They thought that they were a completely opposed as two sides could be, but in fact they were all the time secretly united—united with each other and against earlier and later ages—by a great mass of common assumptions. We may be sure that the characteristic blindness of the twentieth century—the blindness about which posterity will ask, "But how could they have thought that?"—lies where we have never suspected it, and concerns something about which there is untroubled agreement between Hitler and President Roosevelt or between Mr. H.G. Wells and Karl Barth. None of us can fully escape this blindness, but we shall certainly increase it, and weaken our guard against it, if we read only modern books. Where they are true they will give us truths which we half knew already. Where they are false they will aggravate the error with which we are already dangerously ill. The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books. Not, of course, that there is any magic about the past. People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes. They will not flatter us in the errors we are already committing; and their own errors, being now open and palpable, will not endanger us. Two heads are better than one, not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction. To be sure, the books of the future would be just as good a corrective as the books of the past, but unfortunately we cannot get at them.

From God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics by C.S. Lewis.

Henry Scougal and The Life of God in the Soul of Man

My mom has often said that church cookbooks contain the best recipes because you can be sure that they've stood the test of time and use. They are tried and shown themselves true. I think the same principle applies to what we've been talking about here in this space over the course of the last month. We're highlighting dead guys, theologians and pastors whose words are tried and true. They've stood the test of time and examination.

In my earlier post in this series I told you I emailed a pastor blogger years ago to ask his recommendations on this very topic of reading works by dead theologians. Reading any sorts of theological works, by guys dead or alive, was something of a novel endeavor for me so I had no idea where to even begin. In true pastoral fashion, my friend sent me a list of six or seven titles, some small and seemingly innocuous, some large and rather intimidating. Two weeks ago I wrote about one of his recommendations to me, The Autobiography of George Mueller.

Included on his list was The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal. Scougal lived in the seventeenth century (1650-1678). He was a pastor and a professor who died at the young age of 28. Scougal wrote this particular work to a friend to explain true Christianity--the life of God in the soul of man as it were. Directed to a friend from a friend, it is a short and personal book.

The first part of the book examines the nature of genuine religion. From there Scougal discusses the "excellency and advantage of religion" meaning religion in its truest sense. The greatest advantage? knowing divine love. The last part of the book explores the difficulty and struggle which can accompany Christian discipleship and the importance of meditating on the truths of the gospel and the future grace that awaits.

Here are a few quotes to pique your interest. On the love of God...

The love of God is a delightful and affectionate sense of the divine perfections, which makes the soul resign and sacrifice itself wholly unto him, desiring above all things to please him, and delighting in nothing so much as in fellowship and communion with him, and being ready to do or suffer anything for his sake, or at his pleasure. Though this affection may have its first rise from the favors and mercies of God toward ourselves, yet doth it, in its growth and progress, transcend such particular considerations and ground itself on his infinite goodness, manifested in all the works fo creation and providence. 

On the satisfaction that is ours in Christ...

Behold on what sure foundation his happiness is built whose soul is possessed with divine love, whose will is transformed into the will of God, and whose greatest desire is, that his Maker should be pleased! Oh! the peace, the rest, the satisfaction that attendeth such a temper of mind!

And the secret to genuine humility...

[T]he deepest and most purest humility doth not so much arise from the consideration of our own faults and defects as from a clam and quiet contemplation of the Divine purity and goodness. Our spots never appear so clearly as when we place them before this Infinite Light...

I find Scougal's prayers to be particularly encouraging.

Fill our souls with such a deep sense, and full persuasion of those great truths which thou hast revealed in the Gospel, as may influence and regular our whole conversation, and that the life which we henceforth live in the flesh, we may live through faith in the Son of God. Oh! that the infinite perfections of thy blessed nature, and the astonishing expressions of thy goodness and love, may conquer and overpower our hearts, that they may be constantly rising toward thee in flames of devoutest affection, and enlarging themselves in sincere and cordial love toward all the world for thy sake, and that we may cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in thy fear, without which we can never hope to behold and enjoy thee. Finally, O God, grant that the consideration of what thou art, and what we ourselves are, may both humble and lay us low before thee, and also stir up in us the strongest and most ardent aspirations toward thee. 

George Whitefield (another dead theologian) reportedly claimed that he never knew what true religion was until he read Scougal's treatise. I wonder if you would agree? The Life of God in the Soul of Man is available in several places across the internet as a free download. I encourage you to read it, particularly if you are new to the whole reading-dead-guys deal. I think you'll be glad you did. And, please, be sure to let us know what you think!

This is last post in our dead guys series. I know we on the writing end enjoyed it and we hope you, our readers, did as well. We'd love to know what dead guys you would recommend. Did we highlight a book or author that was new to you? Have you read any of our recommendations? Comments and conversation are always welcome; we'd love to hear your thoughts!

John Owen on Regeneration

Sometimes the Christian life can be discouraging. We take baby steps. We sin. We repent. Rinse. Repeat. During these cycles, it's easy to wonder if anything has really changed deep down inside. You may not have had these thoughts run through your head, but I have.

Here are a few passages from John Owen on regeneration - what happened when we were born again. I hope they will encourage you as they have me. When the doubts come, there's nothing better than looking away from my present condition and being reminded of how God raised my spiritual corpse to life.

God began the work of salvation. He will finish it, and He gets all the glory.

Regeneration is the putting into the soul of a new, real, spiritual law of life, light, holiness and righteousness which leads to the destruction of all that hates God and fights against him.

Regeneration produces an inward miraculous change of heart. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." Regeneration is not produced by the outward signs of a moral change of heart and is quite distinct from them (Gal. 5:6; 6:15)

Regeneration is a creating act of almighty power. A new principle or law is created in us by the Holy Spirit (Ps. 51:10; Eph. 2:10). This new creation is not a new habit formed in us. but a new power and ability. So it is called "the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4). This new creation is a habitual new power and ability created in us by God and it bears his image (Eph. 4:22-24).

Regeneration renews our minds. Being renewed in the spirit of our minds means that our minds now have a new, saving supernatural light, to enable them to think and act spiritually (Eph. 4:23; Rom. 12:2). The believer is "renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him" (Col. 3:10).¹

All this is the work of the Holy Spirit. He brings us who were dead in trespasses and sins to life. He gives us a new heart and puts a new spirit within us. He writes his laws in our hearts, so that we may know and do the will of God and so walk in his ways. He works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. He makes them who were unwilling and obstinate to become willing and obedient, and that by their freedom of will and choice.

In the same way, he implants in our heart a prevailing love for God, causing the soul to cling to him, and his ways with delight and satisfaction (Deut. 30:6; Col. 2:11).

By nature, the heart is depraved so that the mind and will desire to fulfill the lusts which are in it (Gal. 5:24; James 1:14,15), but the Holy Spirit circumcises the heart with its lusts and desires, and fills us with holy, spiritual love, joy, fear and delight. The Holy Spirit does not change the essence of our desires, but sanctifies them by his saving light and knowledge. By this he unites the desires to their proper object which is Christ.²

                                                                                                                                      
1. The Holy Spirit, John Owen, R.J.K. Law editor, Banner of Truth Trust, 2006, pp. 48-49.
2. Ibid. pg. 93.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Kingdom of God

I shared my affinity for Martyn Lloyd- Jones in my last post, by introducing you to his first work that I read, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure. As I wrote, Lloyd-Jones' sermons are as applicable today as they were 50 years ago. I found that to be true not only of Spiritual Depression, but also of The Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is a series of 12 sermons that begins with Lloyd-Jones' exposition of Mark 1:14-15. The passage "is such a perfect summary of Christianity and what it stands for and of what the message of the Gospel really is." (p. 8) He goes on

...there is, perhaps, nothing that is so sadly needed in this modern world as just to get a simple, direct, unvarnished statement as to what the Gospel is about. Indeed, this is to me the standing and almost perpetual problem. How does it come to pass that, with open Bibles before them, men and women should be wrong not so much about certain details with respect to the Gospel, but about the whole thing, about the very essence of the Gospel? It is quite understandable that there should be certain points, certain facets of truth about which people are not clear and about which there may be division of opinion. This Gospel is many-sided, it has many aspects, so that is not surprising. But I do suggest that it is indeed very surprising that at the end of the twentieth century, men and women should still be all wrong about what the Gospel is; wrong about its foundation, wrong about its central message; wrong about its objective and wrong about the way in which one comes into relationship with it. And yet, that is the very position by which we are confronted at the present time. (p. 8)

It seems that not much has changed since 1963. Our postmodern society urges us to seek our own truth, one that is relevant and meaningful to us. Sadly this line of thought has infiltrated the church, as is evidenced by the abundance of churches that lack Biblical theology and lack a true understanding of the Gospel. Instead of boldly proclaiming truth, these churches encouraging members to find whatever truth works for them.

Lloyd-Jones battled this trend 50 years ago, firmly stating that preachers have a duty to point people to God's truth which He made known from the foundation of the world (see Heb. 1:1-2).  God has a plan and He has done the work to accomplish it.

...because He has already done it I need not waste a second in trying to discover truth. All I need to do is to pay attention to the truth that God has already revealed through the prophets, through the teachers of the Old Testament, through His Son, through the apostles of the New Testament. It is all here. I do not need anything fresh or new; all I need has already been given.  And, of course, that is why preaching is possible. If it were anything else it would not be preaching, it would be a sort of philosophical or semi-political ethical society... (p. 16)

Remind you of anyone?

Martyn Lloyd-Jones' passion for the truth of the Gospel shines through The Kingdom of God, as it does in his other works. If you're not familiar with his work, I encourage you to read one of his books. I bet you'll love his preaching as much as I do.

John Calvin: Faith and Hope, Inseparable Companions

John Calvin

We could call John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion a theological treatise—and it is—but the word "treatise" makes me think stodgy, boring, and lifeless. So, for that matter, do "institutes" and "religion."

But once you get past the old-fashioned language of the translations, the Institutes is nothing like that. Let me show you.

Faith, writes Calvin, is "a firm persuasion of the truth of God—a persuasion that it can never be false, never deceive, never be in vain." And hope? "[H]ope is nothing more than the expectation of those things which faith previously believes to have been truly promised by God."

"Thus," he continues,

Faith believes that God is true;
Hope expects that in due season he will manifest his truth. 

Faith believes that he is our Father;
Hope expects that he will always act the part of a Father towards us.  

Faith believes that eternal life has been given to us;
Hope expects that it will one day be revealed.  

Faith is the foundation on which hope rests;
Hope nourishes and sustains faith. 

The words are Calvin's; the formatting is mine. These sentences are found in the middle of one of his long, dense paragraphs. I think of this as a piece of hidden devotional poetry.

Can you see Calvin's heart? His love for God? His love for his fellow believers, too?

[Quoting from Book 3, Chapter 2, Section 42. You'll find the Institutes online at Christian Classics Ethereal Library, or better yet, buy a real book.]

The Autobiography of George Muller

When I first stumbled upon the wide world of blogs several years ago, I read several posts extolling the virtues of reading dead guys, much as we are doing here during the month of August. But where does one begin? I wondered. I posed that question to a blogging pastor and he responded with a list of recommendations including a few of the dead brothers already recommended here in this series.

I was then, and maybe even now, a little intimidated by dogmatics and institutes and treatises. Thus I began my foray into the realm of dead theologians with a less daunting selection, an autobiography recommended by my blogging pastor friend. The Autobiography Of George Muller is one man's account of his life of faith, its struggles, its losses, and its victories. 

George Muller was a German Christian who pastored in Bristol, England in the 1800's. His great passion was caring for the orphaned children of his country, a pervasive and nearly epidemic problem at the time. Through the course of his ministry he established homes for orphans and cared for thousands of children, doing so in full dependence on the Lord for the necessary funds. He never asked for donations nor did he take a salary. Over and over and over again he records the Lord's amazing and timely provision. His autobiography is a stirring testimony to God's faithful sufficiency!

His motivation for the establishment of the orphan homes extended beyond the practical; in meeting the orphans' needs wholly through the provision of the Lord, Muller sought to demonstrate the trustworthiness of God. He writes,

[B]y giving my brothers visible proof of the unchangeable faithfulness of the Lord, I might strengthen their faith. I want to be the servant of the Church in the particular point on which I had obtained mercy--in being able to take God at His Word and to rely on it. 

This seems to me best done by establishing an orphan house--something which could be seen by the natural eye. If I, a poor man, simply by prayer and faith obtained, without asking any individual, the finances for establishing and carrying on an orphan house, this might strengthen the faith of the children of God. It would also be a testimony to the unconverted of the reality of the things of God. 

This is the primary reason for establishing the orphan house. I certainly desire to be used by God to help the poor children and train them in the ways of God. But the primary object of the work is that God would be magnified because the orphans under my care will be provided with all they need through prayer and faith. Everyone will see that God is faithful and hears prayer.

And God was indeed faithful. I read one estimate that Muller collected close to $150 million in today's dollars. That I am writing this post proves his testimony endures.

In a passage personally encouraging to me, Muller emphasizes the priority of fellowship and intimacy with the Lord through His Word...

The primary business I must attend to every day is to fellowship with the Lord. The first concern is not how much I might serve the Lord, but how my inner man might be nourished. I may share the truth with the unconverted; I may try to encourage believers; I may relieve the distressed; or I may, in other ways, seek to behave as a child of God; yet, not being happy in the Lord and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, may result in this work being done in a wrong spirit. 

The most important thing I had to do was to read the Word of God and to meditate on it. Thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, and instructed...As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time unless he eats, so it is with the inner man. What is the food for the inner man ? Not prayer, but the Word of God--not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe. No, we must consider what we read, ponder over it, and apply it to our hearts. 

His autobiography is not only an account of orphans and ministry, it is also a personal chronicle of the Lord's grace and His sometimes severe mercy. On June 25, 1834, Muller writes a one sentence entry, "Our little boy is so ill that I have no hope of his recovery." The next day's account relates the sobering news,

My prayer last evening was that God would support my dear wife under the trial. Two hours later, the little one went home to be with the Lord. I fully realize that the dear infant is much better off with the Lord Jesus than with us, and when I weep, I weep for joy.

The Autobiography Of George Muller is an accessible, encouraging, and profoundly Biblical introduction to reading the dead theologians. It is perhaps not the most theologically dense among our recommendations, yet this small book is encouraging and thought provoking just the same. 

John Owen on Holiness

I was introduced to the Puritans five years ago. As providence would have it, I stumbled upon a blogger who was hosting the 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge - one Puritan Paperback per month. I was spiritually malnourished after a long absence from the local church. I was also in the middle of the worst trial of my life to date, so I was looking for help and encouragement wherever I could find it. Little did I know what was in store for me.

I had never read anything like this before. To the Puritans, the Word of God was a mine filled with priceless treasures, and they dug deep, far deeper than anything I had previously encountered. They didn't pull punches when it came to sin, but their view of sin was a result of a high view of God and His holiness that we seem to have lost today. But far from being cold and academic, they had a deep love for God and His grace. The Puritans rocked my theological world with their understanding of the greatness of God and their practical application of doctrine. A few authors stood out to me, and one of them was John Owen.

Owen (1616-1683) is considered by some to be "a genius with a learning second only to Calvin." He was dean of Christchurch at Oxford and preached before Parliament under Cromwell's rule. He wrote numerous books on subjects such as the perseverance of the saints, the mortification of sin, communion with the Trinity, temptation, the Holy Spirit, and the authority of Scripture. Unfortunately, Owen has the reputation of being a tad difficult to read. J.I. Packer describes his writing as having a "lumbering literary gait" and "a certain clumsy dignity." While there may be stout-hearted souls who are brave enough to tackle the original, I am thankful for the Puritan Paperback versions published by Banner of Truth Trust. They have printed abridged and easier-to-read versions of nine of his major works, which are much more accessible for the rest of us.

Here is an excerpt from The Holy Spirit, which is a treatise on the person and work of the Holy Spirit as seen in the Old and New Testaments, in regeneration, sanctification, and the believer's pursuit of holiness. The original Pneumatologia, is a hefty 650 pages, which is another reason why I am reading the abridged version. I hope Owen's thoughts on holiness will whet your appetite to read more.

What, then, is holiness? Holiness is nothing but the implanting, writing and living out the gospel in our souls (Eph. 4:24)...

The work of holiness in us is wonderful. It is a supernatural work and is known only by supernatural revelation. We must not be deceived by a false holiness. Holiness is not just a reformed life.

Holiness is not only for this life, but goes on with us into eternity and glory. Death has no power to destroy holiness. The activities of holiness are indeed momentary and transient, but their fruits last for ever in their reward (Rev. 14:14, Heb. 6:10). Holiness lasts for ever and enters into glory with us (1 Cor. 13:8).

Holiness reveals something of the spiritual and heavenly glory in this world (2 Cor. 3:18). The true believer is 'all glorious within' (Ps. 45:13). Holiness, then, is the glorious work of the Holy Spirit...

And what should be our response to the promise that God will make us holy? Firstly, we must remember our utter inability to obey the command to be holy. Then we must see that our sufficiency is in God.

Secondly, we must adore that grace which has promised to do in us what we are unable to do in ourselves.

Thirdly, we must pray in faith, believing God's promise to make us holy, and look to him to supply us with all grace necessary to walk in holiness.

Fourthly, we should pray specially for that grace to keep us holy in times of temptation and when called to carry out special and difficult duties.

Finally, we must never forget that it is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies all believers, and who produces all holiness in them. (Ps. 51:1-12; Ezek. 11:19; 36:25-27; Rom. 8:8-14; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Pet. 1:2, Isa. 4:4; 44:3-4, Titus 3:4-5).

The Holy Spirit by John Owen, R.J.K. Law, editor, Banner of Truth Trust, 2006, pp.100-101, 103-104.

For more information:

Why Read the Puritans Today? by Don Kistler
Biographical excerpt from Meet the Puritans by Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson 
Biographical talk by John Piper
Resources and articles at Monergism.com
John Owen web site with facts, quotes, and more

Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Spiritual Depression

As is true of many different authors I've read, my co-contributor Lisa introduced me to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Several years ago she recommended Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure, for which I am forever grateful. My husband had lost his job and returned to college full-time when I first opened the pages of  the book, a compilation of 21 sermons that were the nourishment my ailing soul needed.

At the time I'd never heard of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a Welsh Protestant minister who died in 1981 at the age of 81. He was a physician, having worked in the medical field for 6 years before surrendering to the call to ministry in 1927. In 1939, he began ministry with Westminster Chapel in London, where he remained until his retirement in 1968. Afterwards he devoted his time to editing his sermons, which have been published in various volumes. His sermons are also available on audio through the Martyn Lloyd-Jones Trust.

It was through reading Spiritual Depression that I first came to realize how much Christians need the Gospel every day.

A great gospel like this takes up the whole man, and if the whole man is not taken up, think again as to where you stand. 'You have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine delivered unto you.' What a gospel! What a glorious heart entirely and it can lead to wholehearted obedience in the realm of the will. That is the gospel. Christ has died that we might be complete men, not merely that parts of us may be saved; not that we might be lop-sided Christians, but that there may be a balanced finality about us. (p. 60)

During a time in my life when my family was at the beginning of a long, hard journey that required more faith than I could muster, Lloyd-Jones' pull-no-punches preaching exhorted me to continue.

...remind yourself that we have been given the gift of God's Holy Spirit, and to realize that because of this our whole outlook upon life and the future must therefore be essentially different. We must think of suffering in a new way, we must face everything in a new way. And the way in which we face it all is by reminding ourselves that the Holy Spirit is in us..In other words, we have to learn to say, that what matters is any of these positions is not what is true of us but what is true of Him...So do not think of your own weakness; think of the power of the Spirit of God. It is when we begin to do that that we balance our doctrine and see the whole position clearly. (pg. 100 - 101)

The Lord used words written before I was born to charge me to spend this season of my life for His glory

As we face the modern world with all its trouble and turmoil and with all its difficulties and sadness, nothing is more important than that we who call ourselves Christian, and who claim the name of Christ, should be representing our faith in such a way before others, as to give them the impression that here is the solution, and here the answer. In a world where everything has gone sadly astray, we should be standing out as men and women apart, people characterized by a fundamental joy and certainty in spite of conditions, in spite of adversity. (p. 23)

What I find most amazing about the work of Martyn Lloyd-Jones (and why I highly recommend reading him) is the timelessness of his words. His sermons are proof that man faces the same struggles today as 50 years ago, and that the same God still reigns.

John Calvin - Institutes of the Christian Religion

John Calvin

The church is not just us, the current generations of believers world-wide, but includes all the believers who lived and died before us. Christians of the past are our spiritual family, too; we come from them. In eternity we will live with them in the same way we live with our physical families now. Reading from dead theologians is one way to connect with this part of our family.

During this month we've set aside for reading the dead guys, I'm becoming acquainted with John Calvin by reading from the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Calvin first published this work when he was in his twenties, but that edition wasn't quite like the big book we have now. It was much shorter—one piece I read called it "rudimentary"—and he revised and added content over the next twenty-four years, increasing the length from six chapters in the first edition to eighty in the final one. Calvin worked on his Institutes throughout most of his adult life—in an on and off way, I'm guessing, because he did so much other writing, too.

I've dipped into this book previously to read what Calvin wrote on this or that subject, but I've never read through it. My plan is to read from beginning to end—a long-term project—starting now.

The Institutes is a systematic theology arranged like the Apostles Creed. This creed, you remember, has four parts, starting with a statement on God the Father, and continuing with statements on the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the church. The four books included in the Institutes correspond, more or less, with these four creedal statements.

The first chapters concern the knowledge of God, and what I've read so far discusses how all people in every corner of the world know of God. "[T]here exists in the human minds," Calvin says, "some sense of Deity. . . ." God himself,

has endued all men with some idea of his Godhead, the memory of which he constantly renews and occasionally enlarges, that all to a man being aware that there is a God, and that he is their Maker, may be condemned by their own conscience when they neither worship him nor consecrate their lives to his service. [Book 1, Chapter 3, Section 1]

That human beings are universally religious is a "tacit confession" that every heart is inscribed with the knowledge of God.

[E]ven idolatry is ample evidence of this fact. For we know how reluctant man is to lower himself, in order to set other creatures above him. Therefore, when he chooses to worship wood and stone rather than be thought to have no God, it is evident how very strong this impression of a Deity must be; since it is more difficult to obliterate it from the mind of man, than to break down the feelings of his nature,—these certainly being broken down, when, in opposition to his natural haughtiness, he spontaneously humbles himself before the meanest object as an act of reverence to God. [Book 1, Chapter 3, Section 1]

In addition to this heart-inscribed knowledge of God, the natural world around reveals some of God's attributes, like wisdom, for instance:

[N]one who have the use of their eyes can be ignorant of the divine skill manifested so conspicuously in the endless variety, yet distinct and well ordered array, of the heavenly host; and, therefore, it is plain that the Lord has furnished every man with abundant proofs of his wisdom. [Book 1, Chapter 5, Section 2]

The natural world teaches of God's power, too, and along with his power, all these:

From the power of God we are naturally led to consider his eternity since that from which all other things derive their origin must necessarily be self-existent and eternal. Moreover, if it be asked what cause induced him to create all things at first, and now inclines him to preserve them, we shall find that there could be no other cause than his own goodness. But if this is the only cause, nothing more should be required to draw forth our love towards him; every creature, as the Psalmist reminds us, participating in his mercy. “His tender mercies are over all his works”.  [Book 1, Chapter 5, Section 6]

It sounds like Romans 1, doesn't it?  Romans 1 also teaches us that all people suppress this universal knowledge of God and his attributes. Calvin writes of this too.

[N]o sooner do we, from a survey of the world, obtain some slight knowledge of Deity, than we pass by the true God, and set up in his stead the dream and phantom of our own brain, drawing away the praise of justice, wisdom, and goodness, from the fountain-head, and transferring it to some other quarter. [Book 1, Chapter 5, Section 6]

The Institutes of the Christian Religion is easier to read than I expected, considering it was written more than 450 years ago. If you've read anything by John Owen or Jonathan Edwards, you'd probably find Calvin's writings a walk in the park in comparison. You'll find the Institutes online at Christian Classics Ethereal Library, or better yet (Who can read something so dense on a screen?) buy a real book.

Herman Bavinck - Reformed Dogmatics

Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) was a Dutch Reformed Theologian. In 1902 he succeeded Abraham Kuyper as Professor of Theology at the Free University of Amsterdam. He is best known for his four volume work, Reformed Dogmatics (also available in a abridged version, edited by John Bolt).

I first became aware of Bavinck from my friend Gloria Furman. She kept putting these fantastic quotes up on Twitter, which made me wonder who this Dutch guy was.

We can benefit by reading all sorts of different things. Some things, like blog posts, are like salad or potato chips. Light and (sometimes) beneficial, but not always filling. A few contemporary classics, like J.I. Packer's Knowing God, are like a steak dinner, one of the heavier meals, but manageable. And then works like Reformed Dogmatics are akin to fudge or cheesecake--rich and filling. While a few exceptional people might be able to take works like Reformed Dogmatics (or foods like fudge) in large gulps, most of us have to take it slowly.

For the past few years, I've been drawn to readings on the attributes of God. People have been trying to come to God on their own terms since Genesis 3. When it comes to God's attributes, we tend to elevate the attributes we find less threatening. This leaves us with a God more akin to a kindly grandpa or Santa Claus and not the God revealed in Scripture.

I like what Bavinck has to say about the subject.

When a single attribute is chosen as foundational it affects the total portrait of God; a wrong choice here points us to a different God than the one revealed in Scripture. Choosing love, for example, exposes us to the danger of regarding other attributes of God, such as righteousness and holiness, as less real. (1)

And later:

Each attribute expresses something special about God. God himself reveals his many perfections to us; we name him with the names Scripture itself provides. No one perfection fully expresses God's being. This diversity does not clash with God's simplicity. God reveals himself to finite creatures by many names because the divine essence is so infinitely and profusely rich that we cannot grasp it all at once, and God relates to us in many ways, now in one relationship, then in another. God remains eternally and immutably the same, but our relation to him varies in the same way that the light that breaks up into many colors remains the same (Augustine), and fire does not change whether it warms us, illumines us, or consumes us (Moses Maimonides). (2)

God certainly is a God of love, but he's a holy God as well. He never changes, nor does he need anything from us. Our finite minds can never fully grasp him in his fullness, but when we reflect on his attributes as revealed in Scripture, we glimpse a holy God who could not ignore our sin, but because of his love made a way for us to come to him through the sacrifice of his Son on the cross (Ephesians 1:4-5). It reminds us what a privilege it is to be able to go to him in prayer. It shows how futile our good works are in light of his perfection and holiness. When I focus on these things, grace becomes more than just an empty word, but a beautiful, undeserved gift.

As A.W. Tozer said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." Knowing God better helps us love him more and worship him more sincerely. Meditating on God's attributes helps us think about him rightly.

(1) Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Abridged in One Volume, ed. John Bolt (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011), 176.

(2) Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, 177.