Quotes of Note

Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.

Kim:

I'm taking Apologetics this semester, and we are expected to read John Frame's Apologetics: A Justification of Christian Belief. I was really excited when I saw it on the syllabus. I have read quite a bit of John Frame's writing, and I have always found his arguments compelling. Frame argues from what is known as a presuppositional view. That means the idea of a purely neutral view is rejected. Classical apologetics works to prove God's existence by rational arguments. R.C. Sproul was a classical apologist.

In the opening chapter, Frame articulates his view that neutrality is not possible. Because we hold to the truth that Jesus is Lord, it will determine how we argue:

To tell the unbeliever that we can reason with him on a neutral basis, however that claim might help to attract his attention, it is a lie. Indeed, it is a lie of the most serious kind, for it falsifies the very heart of the gospel -- that Jesus Christ is Lord. There is no neutrality. Our witness is either God's wisdom or the world's foolishness. There is nothing in between. Even if neutrality were possible, that route would be forbidden to us. . . .  When I oppose neutrality, what I oppose is appealing to something other than God's revelation as the ultimate source of truth.

Persis:

This quote is from Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them: Schizophrenia Through a Mother's Eyes by Simonetta Carr. The book will be released in February, and Lord willing, I will write a review here.

Almost mindlessly, the fatigued soldiers follow their king, step after step, their eyes still low. The fight is over, but walking back is still an arduous task. And yet it’s a task they can take on, step after step, as they remember that everything— the battle, the victory, the journey back and the prospects ahead—is not about them. Everything is for God’s glory. There is a larger story, much larger than any human plan and conjecture, as gripping and absorbing as these may be.

So I do the same. As impossible as letting go seems at this moment, I walk on, doing what I know God wants me to do right now—what he has always wanted me to do: trust him, worship him, and help others in the limited sphere of my ordinary life. And it’s there, in the ordinary steps of daily living, that I feel sustained. Doing dishes, cleaning floors, giving rides, teaching and translating, singing and worshiping with other believers on Sundays. This is all God is asking right now, and, by his grace, this I can do.

Rebecca:

Here’s an interesting tidbit from Can We Trust the Gospels by Peter J. Williams:

According to the Gospels, Jesus spent much of his time by the Sea of Galilee. Sea is, of course, a rather grand word for a body of water just twenty-one kilometers (thirteen miles) in length, but from the perspective of any local Galilean who had not traveled far, this was the sea and did not need further description.

Williams goes on to tell us that Matthew used the word sea twelve time to refer to the Sea of Galilee. Mark used sea for the Sea of Galilee seventeen times, twice calling it specifically the Sea of Galilee, but

[o]therwise, it is simply “the sea.” This is what we would expect if Mark’s Gospel were written on the basis of information supplied to Mark by the fisherman Peter, for whom this would have been the sea par excellence.

But Luke?

Luke is rather different. It uses the word sea only three times and never in reference to a particular body of water. If, as is traditionally thought, Luke came from Antioch on the Orontes, not far from the Mediterranean, he certainly would not have thought of the tiny Sea of Galilee as the sea. He just calls it “the lake.”

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.

Let Him take care of the rest

Lord willing, I will be reviewing Hannah Anderson's new book, Humble Roots, in a couple weeks. I have not finished reading the entire book yet, but this passage was too good not to share. There are some days when it is more than enough to get through the day. Not that I've had any crises, but normal life can be so overwhelming at times. It feels especially more difficult when my nemesis, my inner Little Red Hen, tries to tell me that my only recourse is "do it myself." When I read this, it was a balm to my soul. I hope it encourages you as well.

Failure at small things reminds us of how helpless we are in this great, wide world. When little things spiral out of control, they remind us that even they were never within our control in the first place.

And this is terrifying.

Jesus understood this. He understood that small things can unsettle us more than large things; so when He called the people of Galilee to leave their anxiety—when He calls us to do the same— He does so in context of very mundane, very ordinary concerns.

“Do not be anxious about your life,” He assures them, “what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.”...

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field . . . will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

We may be unable to cope with the most basic realities of existence; but He isn’t. In fact, He’s already providing food for the birds and luxurious garments for the flowers. They don’t worry because they know that their Creator cares for them. They don’t worry because they know the One who keeps this world running...  

When we believe that we are responsible for our own existence, when we trust our ability to care for ourselves, we will have nothing but stress because we are unequal to the task. You know this. Deep inside, you know your limits even as you fight against them. You know your helplessness even as you press forward by sheer determination. But at some point, the world becomes too much, and the largeness of life threatens to overwhelm you. And when it does, you must stop. And you must do what Jesus told His friends and followers to do on that flowered hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Your heavenly Father knows what you need. He knows your heart is troubled. He also knows, better than you do, that all these things are beyond you. And so, this is what you must do, all that you must do: You must seek Him. And let Him take care of the rest.

From Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul, Hannah Anderson, Moody Publishers, 2016, pp. 26-29.

Resurrection: The Ground of our Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  1 Peter 1:3

The following excerpt is from the Puritan, Jeremiah Burroughs, on hope and the resurrection. However, the hope of which Burroughs writes is for more than just Easter Sunday. It is very practical and applicable 24/7. These are perilous times both near and far, and we need a hope that goes beyond this life. (1 Cor. 15:19) We also need a hope that will give us confidence for the day of judgment. (1 John 4: 17) And may God help us to be ready and eager to share this hope that the world so desperately needs. (1 Pet. 3:15)

Question: "How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead come to be a means of giving hope?"

Answer: The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the cause of true lively hope in the hearts of the saints. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, God has declared that He is fully satisfied for the sins of man, and that the work of redemption is fully wrought out; otherwise Christ must have been held in the prison of the grave forever. But when Jesus Christ is let out of the prison of the grave, and the bonds of death are taken from him, this declares to men and angels that the work of redemption is perfect; it holds this out to the soul upon which faith is grounded and hope is raised. So there is an efficacy in this to work hope in the soul...

I am as vile and wretched as you can make me, but it is not presumption for me to hope because that which I make the ground and bottom of my hope is not in myself but on the doctrine of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. The Lord Jesus Christ has come and taken my nature upon Himself, and being in the form of a servant has had the sins of the people of God laid to His charge. He has stood before the Father clad with their sins. He has satisfied the justice of God the Father and has wrought a perfect work of reconciliation and redemption. The Father has discharged Him, and He is raised now to the Heavens and sits at the right hand of God the Father, there making intercession for sinners - upon this I ground my hope. I am begotten to a lively hope through what Jesus Christ has done, and therefore, though I am never so poor, vile, and sinful, yet I have enough to raise a lively hope that I shall one day attain to such things are are written in the Book of God. Indeed the things that are written there appear to me sometimes as if they were too good to be true!

Hope by Jeremiah Burroughs, Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2005, pp. 26-27. This book was originally published in 1654 as The Tenth Book of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs, Being a Treatise of Hope.

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.

Confessions of a Cymbal-Clanger

"I am deeply persuaded that the foundation for people-transforming ministry is not sound theology; it is love."  At first I wanted to close the book. The club-wielding Pharisee inside of me was quick to decry Paul Tripp's words.

One of the benefits of reading well this year is time to think on what I'm reading, to wrestle it out. And I have wrestled hard with Tripp's premise. Uncomfortably so. After all,  I've read, taken notes, studied long, written much and talked much about theology. Shouldn't theology be the basis for all we do? Tripp points to 1 Corinthians 13:1-2:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,but have not love, I am nothing.

Notice that the Apostle Paul doesn't deny the importance of prophetic powers, understanding, knowledge, and faith, but he goes on to say that they will pass away (1 Cor. 13:8). Wisdom, discernment, and faith are critical components of our lives as believers, but they are useless without love.

So I've continued to ponder Tripp's claim and how to offer hope to those around me who are hurting. And I've wrestled with another of his statements:  

The hope of every sinner does not rest in theological answers but in the love of Christ for his own...This love is not a band-aid attempting to cope with a cancerous world. It is effective and persevering...It faces the facts of who we are and how we need to change and simply goes to work.

I remember the ministry of Amy Carmichael, the lives changed because she loved Christ and He loved others through her. She preached the Gospel to them, but she loved them first. I consider the words of Martin Luther, "This should be the sign by which they should know whether they are true Christians or not...He makes him humble, gentle, and ready to help his neighbor in any need." (source) The great theologian knew that love, not theology, was the fruit of the Spirit.

I've realized that having a solid biblical theology is absolutely necessary. But I've also realized that offering a dose of good theology to someone in pain can be like offering a starving woman a lift to the grocery store. I may have shown her what will fix the problem, but I haven't helped her fix it.  I haven't loved. Oh! that I would learn the value of shutting my mouth and loving! Job's friends sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. (Job 2:13) Once they started speaking, they became clanging cymbals. I see myself in their words - fumbling for answers, giving terrible advice, pushing my ideas, drowning out the message of grace while I clanged on and on.

Several months ago I stood beside my closest friend as she mourned the loss of her father. Ten days later, I stood beside her again as we watched the medical examiner take both of her husband's parents. The depths of grief and despair were unimaginable to me. I wanted to offer comfort, make sense of the senseless, give her some deep theological truth to carry her through. It was God's grace that I was completely unable. He kept me silent, as Job's friends were. I held her, I prayed for her, I cared for her children. I watched her church family do the same. Words would have sounded as clanging cymbals, loud and discordant. They needed people to silently sit alongside them in the mud of suffering. They needed love.

Theology and a right understanding of God is essential to live the Christian life in a fallen world. Persis recently challenged us: "So please don't be afraid of theology. Please don't be afraid to open the Bible and stretch your understanding." I couldn't agree more. As I learn more, I trust more. I gain more peace in the chaos of this temporary home. I live more wisely and bring more glory to Him. My friend Becky said it well,

Studying big books about the Bible like commentaries, systematic theology, and other very important titles like The Institutes of Calvin, etc. is absolutely important; but we should never forget that the ultimate goal of knowing more is to love more. Love God more, love our neighbor more, love our family more, love the Word more, love to meditate on the Word more.

 It's time to lay my cymbal down.

Using the Sword as a Club

Just two weeks into my 2016 reading plan and I'm already reaping the benefit of reading less and thinking more. The slower pace gives me space to tie my reading together and apply it. Though beneficial, I can't say it's entirely fun. In fact, this extended pondering has led to conviction and brokeness.

The Lord has been using Amy Carmichael: Beauty For Ashes to reveal my pride and self-centeredness. He's also been showing me how often I focus on the trivial. For Amy, trying to rescue and minister to as many children as possible in India, "[t]hree things mattered: the verbal inspiration of Scripture, the power of God to deal with His enemy, and loyalty to one another." (p. 88) These were her requirements for those who would partner in ministry with her. She stood firm upon the Word and solid doctrine, but those were the only issues that divided her from others in ministry. When she parted ways with some co-laborers who did not believe in the total inerrancy of Scripture, she did so privately and remained quiet about it.

Of course, Amy Carmichael didn't have the technology of today. No world-wide audience at her fingertips. (Her books were published only because her mother championed them in Amy's native England.) No up-to-the second news feeds. She wasn't concerned with site hits or the number of people who liked her latest pithy tweet.  She was too busy working long, hard days for the sake of the Gospel and the broken children she had rescued from temple slavery and prostitution.

Amy Carmichael had an effective Biblical ministry, which Paul Tripp defines well:

...truly effective ministry of the Word must confront our self-focus and self-absorption at its roots, opening us up to the vastness of a God-defined, God-centered world. Unless this happens, we will use the promises, principles, and commands of the Word to serve the thing we really love: ourselves. This may be why many people read and hear God's Word regularly while their lives remain unchanged. Only when the rain of the Word penetrates the roots of the problem does lasting change occur.

(Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, p. 24-25)

His words unwrap my sin and lay it bare before my blinded eyes. I have wielded the Word of God has a sword against the wrong enemy: the people around me. When I first came to Reformed theology nearly a decade ago, I jumped in feet first and then proceeded to stomp on those who didn't agree with me. Publicly, via social media. Privately, with friends. Alone, in my own thoughts. I have used the Word to serve myself, to make myself feel superior, to call attention to myself. I have been running for the prize of being right, instead of the true prize Paul exhorts us to pursue (1 Cor. 9:24-25).

I know I am not alone. There are weekly - sometimes daily - internet debates that bear out this truth. At times it seems as if believers are intent on throwing each other into the lion's den. We're not satisfied until we've caused a feeding frenzy.  I fear we've become defined by issues, rather than Scripture. Even if we're not the ones hurling the stones, we stand by like Saul and nod our approval (Acts 8:1).

The Lord has opened my eyes to the hurt inflicted by my misguided zeal. I've wounded others as well as myself, damaged my personal ministry and wept many bitter tears in recent years. Thankfully the Lord's grace is greater than my sin and is powerful enough to soften even this hardest of hearts.

As I continue to think about Gospel living and loving others, I find great encouragement from Amy Carmichael: "Let nothing be said about anyone unless it passes through the three sieves: Is it true? kind? necessary?" (p. 58). These are three questions worth asking before I speak, write or think about someone, or to them.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 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. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

-Colossians 3:12-17

A prayer for the New Year

A prayer for the New Year, from The Valley of Vision...

O LOVE BEYOND COMPARE, 

Thou are good when thou givest,
when thou takest away,
when the sun shines upon me,
when night gathers over me. 

Thou has loved me before the foundation of the world,
and in love didst redeem my soul; 

Thou dost love me still,
in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust. 

Thy goodness has been with me during another year,
leading me through a twisting wilderness,
in retreat helping me to advance,
when beaten back making sure headway. 

Thy goodness will be with me in the year ahead; 

I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
with thee as the blessed Pilot of my future as of my past. 

I bless thee that thou has veiled my eyes to the waters ahead. 

If thou has appointed storms of tribulation,
thou wilt be with me in them; 

If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown; 

If I am to die,
I shall see thy face the sooner; 

If a painful end is to be my lot,
grant me grace that my faith fail not; 

If I am to be cast aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation; 

Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.

Happy New Year, friends! We here at Out of the Ordinary are grateful for you, our readers, and for your continued support and ongoing conversation. May the Lord be glorified in 2016 and always!

 

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

Thinking Reverently about the Virgin Birth

"And Mary said to the angel,  “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born  will be called  holy—the Son of God."  Luke 1:34-35

"Let us mark, in these verses, the reverent and discreet manner in which the angel Gabriel speaks of the great mystery of Christ's incarnation.   In reply to the question of the Virgin  "How shall this be?" he uses these remarkable words--"The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you."

 We shall do well to follow the example of the angel in all our reflections on this deep subject.   Let us ever regard it with holy reverence, and abstain from those improper and unprofitable speculations upon it, in which some have unhappily indulged.   Enough for us to know that  "the Word was made flesh," and that when the Son of God came into the world, a real  "body was prepared for Him," so that He "took part of our flesh and blood," and was  "made of a woman."  (John 1:14; Heb.10:5; Heb. 2:14; Gal. 4:4.)    Here we must stop.    

The manner in which all this was effected is wisely hidden from us.   If we attempt to pry beyond this point, we shall but darken counsel by words without knowledge, and rush in where angels fear to tread.    In a religion which really comes down from heaven there must needs be mysteries.    Of such mysteries in Christianity, the incarnation is one."  - J.C. Ryle

________________________________ 

The Gospel of Luke;  Chapter 1;  J.C.Ryle; 1858

Painting:  "Annunciation" - Henry Ossawa Tanner -1898; The Philadelphia Museum of Art

 

Pondering Christmas

The reason one does not rejoice in the incarnation is for lack of holy meditation upon the subject, its miraculous nature, the promises, the Person, the fruits and this great salvation brought about by His suffering and death. What reason for rejoicing would he who does not attentively reflect upon this have?

- Wilhelmus à Brakel, as quoted by Joel Beeke

Why Christ Came: 31 Meditations on the Incarnation

We must both read and meditate upon the nativity.  If the meditation does not reach the heart, we shall sense no sweetness, nor shall we know what solace for humankind lies in this contemplation.  The heart will not laugh nor be merry.  As spray does not touch the deep, so mere meditation will not quiet the heart.  There is such richness and goodness in this nativity that if we should see and deeply understand, we should be dissolved in perpetual joy.

- Martin Luther, as quoted by Nancy Guthrie

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas

These words slay me. They convict me of what I should be should be doing this Advent season. Meditating upon the glory of the incarnation. Pondering these things in my heart, as Mary did. I may celebrate the babe in the manger, but I don't fully consider the impact of his coming.

This doesn't mean I shouldn't watch White Christmas and sappy Hallmark movies. Or shop for Christmas gifts and bake cookies. Or even set out the ceramic Santas my mom painted years ago. I can celebrate Christmas because Christ has set me free. But in the midst of Christmas carols, holiday specials, and halls sufficiently decked there is a miracle to be considered. Every day, Jesus rescues me from my pit of sin. Every single day. And that deserves more than a cursory glance of my Bible, a fleeting thought as I sing along with "O Holy Night", and a quick prayer as I light the Advent candles. I cannot fully meditate upon the nativity, as à Brakel and Luther intended, in one month or even a year.

Persis wrote, "We can meditate on the incarnation and have our minds blown away by the mystery of the hypostatic union in December as well as the rest of the year." Her words remind me that the miracle of Christmas isn't confined to a season. Nor should our celebration of it be. Long after the nativity sets are nestled away for another year, may we, like Ebenezer Scrooge, keep Christmas well.

In Christ

I love the first chapter of Ephesians and Paul's obvious effusion as he attempts to describe the glories of grace and the blessings of salvation. It seems to me he struggles to pile words and phrases, superlative after superlative, one over another, to describe what is, finally, gloriously, indescribable.

Paul also employs repetition as he reminds his readers that each blessing of salvation is found in Christ. We are blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing, he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, and in love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. In him we have redemption through his blood and the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace. This is according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ, to unite all things in him.

In Ephesians 2, this theme continues as Paul emphasizes that even though we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ and raise us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. God the Father has done this so that he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

The Gospel Transformation Bible offers the following commentary on this glorious gospel truth of our union with Christ:

Paul uses the language of "in Christ" or "in him" or "in the Lord Jesus" roughly 40 times in Ephesians. The whole of our salvation can be summed up with reference to this reality. Union with Christ is not a single specific blessing we receive in our salvation. Rather it is the best phrase to describe all the blessings of salvation... 

Our entire blessedness--our victory, our happiness, our hope--is bound up in our being bound to Christ. How foolish, and ultimately disappointed, are those who stoop to drink from any other fountain. 

My life is hidden with Christ in God! What victory! What happiness! What hope! So often we are tempted to think of the blessings of salvation apart from our being found in Christ. "Come, find relief from the burden of your sin," we say, a wonderful and amazing gospel invitation, but the truth of our union with Christ is that we are forgiven in Christ and as new creatures, saved and redeemed, we live in him.

Last week as part of my devotions I read the following prayer from Prone to Wander: Prayers of Confession and Celebration by Barbara Duguid and Wayne Houk.

Holy Spirit, produce in us growing faith that we may live in Christ. May all our desires rest in him constantly. Make Jesus our greatest hope and all our glory. May we enter him as our refuge, build on him as our foundation, walk in him, follow him, conform to him, rely on him, and obey him. Let us never be ashamed of him or his words. May his death comfort us, for we have been loved with unfathomable love. May his resurrection assure us that his obedience was perfect, his sacrifice accepted, and his work finished. Help us to hold fast to the gospel we have believed, to cherish it in our weakness and to profess its power when we stand strong. Deepen our faith and guard our hearts and minds with the helmet of Christ's salvation, the breastplate of his righteousness, the shield of his faith, the sandals of his peace, and the sword of his truth. In his strong name we pray, amen.

Yes and amen.

Susanna Wesley Takes On Aristotle

In his book The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything, Fred Sanders gives a few glimpses into the personal devotional journal of Susanna Wesley (mother of John and Charles Wesley and seventeen more children, nine of whom died as infants) who, at the time she wrote the quote that follows, was "a full-time homeschooling mother."1 In the journal entry the quote comes from, Susanna is engaging the thought of none other than the philosopher Aristotle, who taught that "the world eternally existed along with God."2

Susanna Wesley notes that Aristotle seems to have understood that God was essentially good, and given this, he must "eternally be communicating good to something or other."3 In other words, if God is by nature one who gives of himself, then he must be always, eternally, giving to someone or something. And this is where the idea of an eternal world comes in. The world is the eternal receiver God's eternal self-giving goodness. But of course, this also makes God dependent on the world to be all that he is—and we can't have a dependent God, can we?

Aristotle's problem, according to Susanna Wesley, was that he had no knowledge of the revealed doctrine of the Trinity.

For had he ever heard of that great article of our Christian Faith concerning the Holy Trinity, he had then perceived the almighty Goodness eternally communicating being and all the fullness of the Godhead to the divine Logos, his uncreated Word, between whose existence and that of the Father there is not one moment assignable.4

She's exactly right about this: Because the true God exists as Trinity, with the Father eternal giving of himself to the co-eternal Son, an eternal world is not necessary for God to be eternally good. God can be good "in himself" and "from himself" because he is Father, Son, and Spirit.

Sanders includes this quote and more from Susanna Wesley to show, in part, that Evangelicals have deep Trinitarian roots. I'm quoting it for another reason—to encourage all of us, even as busy women with many responsibilities, to follow Susanna's example and use our brains to think through the implications of the doctrines we hold, and the implications of doctrinal error, too. If someone who is busy running a house full of children, giving birth to babies and burying nearly half of them, can manage a little time to ponder weighty theological issues, so can we. Our faith will be stronger and we will be less prone to doctrinal error if we engage our minds to the best of our abilities to think carefully and deeply about the true significance of what we know and learn.

---

1] Deep Things of God, Fred Sanders, page 69.
2] Ibid, page 68.
3] Ibid, page 68.
4] Ibid, page 68.

A word to the doubting

I recently finished reading Jared C. Wilson's excellent book The Wonder-Working God: Seeing the Glory of Jesus in His Miracles. Tucked into this encouraging and thought provoking look at Jesus' miracles is a word to the doubting, specifically five ways to battle the unbelief of doubt.

I've had periods of my life when I've doubted and I imagine you have as well. Like the father of Mark 9:24 I've cried out, "I do believe; help my unbelief!" Wilson exhorts me and you to battle our unbelief in the following ways...

Concentrate on the historical fact of the cross. Read the gospels and read books about the cross and reflect on why Jesus died. 

Do not seek refuge or advice with those who would shame you for doubting. In my doubts I need the gospel and I need the kind of community that neither shames nor coddles.  

Pray. Ask the Lord to increase your faith. Pray as if you do believe. Cry out to Him in boldness and in honesty. 

Refocus your doubts toward your own failings and inability. Wilson writes that we should doubt ourselves, doubt our doubts. In other words, despair of yourself! When you realize your utter insufficiency you are better able to trust the Lord's sufficiency and grace. 

Finally, read your Bible. Meditate on the promises of God. Christ's righteousness covers your doubt! Wrestling with unbelief is actually an indication of belief.

As I've written before, we all go through stages of our journey when the Lord seems distant and we are forced to wrestle with the reality of our faith. May we turn to Him in the smallness of our mustard seed sized faith and cry out for help. The Lord is faithful and we can trust Him to remove all doubt as He brings to completion His good work in us! Yes and amen!

Holy Parentheses

It's been a busy week: sick grandchildren, a deadline for another project—and more. Here it is, my turn to post here and I have nothing. But I did read something last night that I loved, and I think you might like it, too.

In his book The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything, Fred Sanders points out that the work of the Son and the work of the Holy Spirit are thoroughly intertwined as they fulfill their roles the plan of salvation. As proof, he quotes a list from R. A. Torrey's summary of Christian doctrine, What the Bible Teaches (pages 287-89)—a biblical list of ways Jesus's earthly ministry is accomplished in the power Holy Spirit. 

1. Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:35)
2. Jesus Christ led a holy, spotless life, and offered Himself to God through the working of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 9:14)
3. Jesus Christ was anointed for service by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 10:38; Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14, 18)
4. Jesus Christ was led by the Holy Spirit in His movements. (Luke 1:4)
5. Jesus Christ was taught by the Spirit who rested upon Him. The Spirit of God was the source of His wisdom in the days of His flesh. (Isaiah 11:2; compare Matthew 12:17, 18)
6. The Holy Spirit abode upon Him in fullness and the words He spoke were the words of God. (John 3:34)
7. Jesus Christ gave commandments to His apostles whom he had chosen, through the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:2)
8. Jesus Christ wrought His miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 12:28; compare 1 Corinthians 12:9-10)
9. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:11)

And it doesn't end there. The Holy Spirit continues to be involved in the Son's accomplishment of salvation even after the ascension. He applies the work of Christ to believers, regenerating them and empowering them to live holy lives. Christ ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit indwell his people. And at Pentecost, on the basis of the finished work of Christ, the Holy Spirit "inaugurates the new era in God's ways with the world."

"Thus," writes Sanders,

the work of the Holy Spirit surrounds the work of Jesus Christ, as he goes before and after the incarnate Son like a set of holy parentheses embracing the story of salvation in Christ. [Deep Things of God, page 135]

If you want to know more about the work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the work of salvation, or, to use Sanders terms, the Trinitarian shape of the gospel, The Deep Things of God is an excellent source.

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.

The Gift of Gifts

O SOURCE OF ALL GOOD,
What shall I render to thee for the gift of gifts.
    thine own dear Son, begotten, not created,
    my Redeemer, proxy, surety, substitute,
    his self-emptying incomprehensible,
    his infinity of love beyond the heart's grasp.
Herein is wonder of wonders:
    he came below to raise me above,
    was born like me that I might become like him.
Herein is love;
    when I cannot rise to him he draws near on wings of grace,
        to raise me to himself.
Herein is power;
    when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart
    he united them in indissoluble unity, the uncreated and the created.
Herein is wisdom;
    when I was undone, with no will to return to him,
        and no intellect to devise recovery,
    he came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,
        as man to die my death.
            to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
            to work out a perfect righteousness for me.
O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
    and enlarge my mind;
let me hear good tidings of great joy,
    and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
    my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
    my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;
place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
    to look with them upon my Redeemer's face,
    and in him account myself delivered from sin;
let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child to my heart,
    embrace him with undying faith,
    exulting that he is mine and I am his.
In him thou hast given me so much that heaven can give no more.

The Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett, Banner of Truth Trust, 2013, pg. 16.
Photo credit: Workshop of Rembrandt [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Thankful for Adoption

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God... 1 John 3:1a (KJV)

Rebecca posted last week on being thankful for salvation. This golden chain from election to the final resurrection is wonderful, but there is one link that is very dear to my heart. I am thankful for adoption.

God could have justified me without adopting me. It certainly would have been more than enough to be forgiven of my sins and given right standing before Him because of Christ's work. ¹ He hasn't brought me to His orphanage or enrolled me in His foster care system either. I am not under probation, waiting and wondering if the final papers will be filed in the court of heaven. This outcast has been welcomed with arms of love and given a seat at the family table, ² and His choice was made even before the foundation of the world. ( Rom. 8:15; Eph. 1:4-5)

God is not like the god of the deists who is remote and detached. He is a loving Father who has compassion for His children. (Ps. 103:13) When I'm tempted to be anxious, I am reminded that He knows exactly what I need. (Matt. 6:30-32) In times of sorrow and rejection, God never forsakes His own. (Ps. 27:10) 

When I sin and wonder if I've forfeited His love and favor, I am reminded that there was nothing I could have done to deserve it in the first place. Yet God demonstrated His love to me, a sinner, and at the greatest possible cost, the death of Christ. (Rom. 5:6-10)

It's no wonder the Apostle John says, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us."!

'Behold what manner of love'! ... The freeness of this love that looked upon us in spite of our sin, in spite of our recalcitrance, in spite of our unworthiness, in spite of our foulness as the result of the Fall and our own actions. Oh, the love that has not merely forgiven us but has given itself to us, that entered into us and shared its own nature with us; stand in awe at the greatness of it all! Think of what it cost Him, our Lord Jesus Christ, to come into the world, to live in the world, suffering its treatment, staggering up Golgotha with that cross upon His shoulders, and being nailed to the tree. Think of Him dying, suffering the agony, and the shame of it all in order that you and I might become children of God.

'Behold, what manner of love' - you cannot understand it, you cannot explain it. The only thing we can say is that it is the eternal love, it is the love of God and is self-generated, produced by nothing but itself, so that in spite of us and all that is true of us He came and died and suffered so much. The Son of God became the Son of Man, that we, the sons of men, might become the children of God. It is true, we are that; we have been made that. Amazing, incredible, yet true!³

Now it's your turn. What are you thankful for today? Please share it in the comments so we can all be encouraged. There is nothing too small for which to praise the Lord.
                                                                                                                                                           
1. Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem, Zondervan, 1994, pg. 739.
2. From Debtors to Heirs, sermon on Romans 8:12-17 by J. Ryan Davidson, Grace Baptist Chapel, April 28, 2013.
3. Children of God, Life in Christ Volume 3, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Crossway Books, 1993, pg. 19.

Thankful for the Body

From Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community

In the Christian community thankfulness is just what it is anywhere else in the Christian life. Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good. Then we deplore the fact that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experience that God has given to others, and we consider this lament to be pious. We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts. How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things? If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ. (p. 29)

No church is perfect. Sometimes it is difficult to be thankful for a group of sinners and the inevitable conflicts, attitudes, tensions, and well, sins, that arise. And yet, the church is our community. It is perhaps the only place - other than our homes - where we truly belong, this side of heaven. Gratitude is one of the means for authentic community (Stephen J. Nichols, Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life: From the Cross, for the World (Theologians on the Christian Life), p. 69).

A couple of years ago Lisa wrote a post about loving her church. Her words were a balm to me while my husband and I were looking for a new church family. They remain with me to this day.

Today, I am thankful for my church family.

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