In order news, happy new year. May it be lived for our great and worthy God and His good pleasure and glory.

The irrational desire for that which is all in all vanity and worldliness rises in potency and seeks to reign. Its fate is eagerly awaited. It is to be crushed by the supremacy of Christ.

But the experience is painful and humbling. That may be my understatement of the year.

Give me grace, Lord, and with joy and pleasure, I will fight this.

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.

Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
O while Thou dost smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me,
Show Thy face and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure,
Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure,
With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father,
I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
All must work for good to me.

Sigh.

Why would I do such a thing, you ask? The reason is because I think TV is evil.

Okay, not really.

The reason is pretty simple. I didn’t ruminate over this decision for hours. It went something like this:

Thought #1: TV has so wastefully absorbed so much of my time.
Thought #2: No more TV.

Instead of watching Law & Order today, I read Edward’s Resolutions. Here I am championing my No-TV resolution, and pow! (That’s the sound of a jaw dropping to the ground, in case you couldn’t tell). Puts my resolution into perspective, if you know what I mean.

——————————————————————————————

With finals week just around the corner, I’ve been spending plenty of time at the library, and I haven’t been able to get over how packed it’s been and how frantic some students look (particularly at certain hours in the night). Within these past few days, I’ve been reluctantly getting my work done, stressing and complaining about the amount that needs to get done, deceiving myself with the claim that my workload justifies my reaction. I’m treating schoolwork as if it’s some kind of burden, when it’s no burden at all, it’s too great a blessing.

During a break tonight, I was sitting on a bench outside, next to a fountain, sipping my tea, enthralled by the beauty of my campus, at such a fine institution, where my only job is to become educated. Oh, what a burden it is to be in my shoes! I think of children in this world, the circumstances they endure, what they’d give for an opportunity to receive higher education, or for a meal… and then I think back on the packed library, the distressed faces, my own grumbling, I mean, what can we do, it’s just such a difficult week…

I often enter class or handle schoolwork with a negative attitude, sometimes claiming that I’m not learning anything lasting or valuable anyway. Or, there are times when I’ll act as if I have some sort of claim to certain circumstances, and if things don’t go my way, I have a right to dissatisfaction, when it’s all grace. It’s so sad when we look at our lives and desire more or display discontent with what we do have, when we have more than we deserve as it is, regardless of how it is. And even sadder when handling gifts such as studying and school, we find cause for grumbling.

Edward T. Welch, “A Discussion Among Clergy: Pastoral Counseling Talks With Secular Psychology,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 13, no. 2 (1995): 24.

During my first quarter of taking biblical Hebrew as an undergrad, about seven weeks in or so, the professor had the class dive into BHS, reading from it for the last portion of each class. We began with Genesis 22. Upon reaching the end of the quarter, we knew that questions from the chapter would be on the final exam. The night before the exam, I was reading the passage for maybe the 40th time in the past 3 weeks, probably the 10th time that day alone, and reached the words “Abraham rose early in the morning” in verse 3. A knife to my heart.

“If you read, ‘I want to get rid of the pain of this situation,’ you know that the agenda is probably wholly wrong. God may have brought a person into a painful situation in order to challenge, grow, and bless him. To be rid of it (at least for the present, or in the way he wishes) would be to dump God’s blessing overboard. What the Lord may want in a situation is to teach endurance (how to hang in there when the going gets tough), greater dependence on Him, or how to help others whom he could not if he were ‘rid of’ the painful circumstance.” – Jay Adams (Critical Stages of Biblical Counseling, p.40)

The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust in them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through was a longing… For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.
-C.S. Lewis

Beware of the reaction which will take place soon after reaching your field of labor. There you will perhaps find native Christians, of whose merits or demerits you can not judge correctly without some familiar acquaintance with their language. Some appearances will combine to disappoint and disgust you. You will meet with disappointments and discouragements, of which it is impossible to form a correct idea from written accounts, and which will lead you, at first, almost to regret that you have embarked in the cause. You will see men and women whom you have been accustomed to view through a telescope some thousands of miles long. Such an instrument is apt to magnify. Beware, therefore, of the reaction you will experience from a combination of all these causes, lest you become disheartened at commencing your work, or take up a prejudice against some persons and places, which will embitter all your future lives. . . . Beware of the greater reaction which will take place after you have acquired the language, and become fatigued and worn out with preaching the gospel to a disobedient and gainsaying people. You will sometimes long for a quiet retreat, where you can find a respite from the tug of toiling at native work — the incessant, intolerable friction of the missionary grindstone. And Satan will sympathize with you in this matter; and he will present some chapel of ease, in which to officiate in your native tongue, some government situation, some professorship or editorship, some literary or scientific pursuit, some supernumerary translation, or, at least, some system of schools; anything, in a word, that will help you, without much surrender of character, to slip out of real missionary work. Such a temptation will form the crisis of your disease. If your spiritual constitution can sustain it, you recover; if not, you die.

HT: Desiring God

Read Judson’s entire letter here. So glad to come across this.

“Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.” – Jonathan Edwards

Life is not one party after another. Don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying live miserable and depressed. I’m not saying don’t go to parties. I’m not saying don’t enjoy what God has blessed you with. What I’m saying is that you should not have to be reminded day after day that people are perishing, and you should not have to be persuaded not to be apathetic about that. In all your business and activities and youth, don’t forget that life is about more than a preoccupation with clothes and sales and tans.

You could live a life of significance. That doesn’t mean being popular, or famous, or rich, or a CEO, or just like your favorite celebrity, or that your friendships will mimic the cast of your favorite TV show. You want your life to count? Your friendships will look nothing like the friendships from your TV show. No one will want to be like your friends. The world will not want to be just like you because you do things no one else wants to do. You serve when everyone else wants to be served. You give when everyone else wants to receive. You do the dishes when no one else wants to. You clean the apartment when no one else seems to. You serve the church with all your heart, and don’t complain about how imperfect it is. You love people not because they love you in return, but even when they don’t. You pray for people when they are unkind to you. You respect authority. You honor your parents. You bless your enemies. You are not cliquey or partial with your friendships, and you ask for forgiveness when you are. You don’t play around in sin, and you definitely don’t love it when you do. You find, as we all do, that your failings are many in all of this. You endeavor still to do these things, from assurance, not insecurity; and you don’t say “being a Christian is tough” or “ministry is hard” at the end of the day, but realize you are an unworthy servant and weep at your own sinful yet forgiven heart, and pray that it would be more inclined to serve sacrificially and impartially like your precious Lord deserves. You realize any good wrought in you is all grace.

Your life will not make it as the next TV show with the cast whose lives everyone wants to emulate. You do these things even if for the next 50 years not a single person recognizes you for them, because you really do believe that the Lord sees and that the Lord is pleased, and you don’t aim to please man but God. You sing “Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be” at church and live each day like you actually mean it. You want to love your neighbor as yourself, and so when you see that your neighbor is suffering or has a lack of resources or oh so much more significantly, has eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, you don’t ignore your neighbor or wait for your neighbor to ask for your affection and time, all with the statement “God wants me to enjoy my life.” …You are afraid to wrongly interpret and apply Scripture.

Look back on your life so far. What do you have of eternal significance to show? On that judgment day you will be stripped of all your excuses. I don’t want you to stand there and wish you could do it all over again. I don’t want to stand there and wish I could do it all over again.  You may be a full-time employee, you may be a full-time student, you may be a full-time mom, you may be a combination of those, your life may be full of events and activities. You could still do everything above. I intentionally did not include anything about missions when I say to you, make your life count. Though not to suggest that you should not be involved in missions. John Piper once said, there are those who go, those who send, and those who are disobedient. I didn’t include missions in here to demonstrate that you could live a life that is not wasted even if you’re living in a place like LA amidst all the noise and distractions and triviality. Everything all around you may seem to suggest that it is normal to live an apathetic, lukewarm life. There’s nothing normal about it. Don’t look around you to see what’s normal. Look to the Word of God. Look to what God has commanded of you and that is what’s normal. Turn off the TV, pass up on one of the events or parties, close the door, open your Bible, dwell in it, seek the Lord. You will see that it is not normal to live an apathetic life. And on that judgment day, you will not regret the time you spent praying to the Lord, seeking to know Him, studying His Word. You will not regret giving, serving, loving, yielding everything for the cause of Christ.

Do you really want to be used by the Lord? Know this, the world needs the Word of God. I want the Lord to use me too, but I realized something. I’m not making myself useful. I know so little of the Word of God and I don’t pursue holiness with the vigor that I should. I spend too much time watching TV. I realized this when I was having a conversation and knew that if I had spent more time studying the Bible, I would be more useful in that moment. The hours I’ve wasted. Let’s encourage each other in the Lord daily. I know I need it. O how I need to exhort my own soul in these very things as I’m writing at this moment. Are you equipped in the Word of God? Are you holy? Are you yielded? Flee from your idols. Mortify your sin. Seek the Lord. He will help you and preserve you and encourage your heart with the Gospel when you fail. Who hasn’t failed? Keep going in the strength that He provides after you fail. And know that your life will be infinitely better than what you see on the TV shows. You will enjoy a life that is truly life; and more precious to your heart, dear Christian, than anything else, you will honor King Jesus.

“Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.” – Jonathan Edwards

I went to the Resolved Conference this past weekend. It was awesome. As one of the guys behind the conference mentioned- it’s meant to have an eternal impact on our lives, instead of simply being something we walk away from with mere memories.  You can find all the media of the conference at the site above.

The preaching was passionate and powerful, although I still need to listen to Saturday’s messages. I returned home early in the morning for my 8am graduation from UCLA, and by the time I got back to Palm Springs for the evening session, I was too exhausted to attend it.

The worship was heavenly. Enfield led in worship with reverence, talent, and theology. I was introduced to the hymn, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.” Being a sinner who is too easily distracted, who just graduated, and who lives in LA, the words have been very good for my soul.

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my All shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.

Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends may shun me;
Show Thy face, and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure!
Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure;
With Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee Abba, Father!
I have stayed my heart on Thee.
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather,
All must work for good to me.

Take, my soul, thy full salvation;
Rise o’er sin and fear and care;
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
What a Father’s smile is thine,
What a Savior died to win thee;
Child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Haste, then, on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith and winged by prayer;
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close the earthly mission,
Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope soon change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

I fear that I have declined in religion the past week. Nothing do I dread so much as becoming cold and worldly-minded, and losing the life of religion in the soul. Though I have but few temptations, I find that the innate depravity of my heart is constantly showing itself, in some way or other. I find that it is just as necessary to watch and pray, and guard against easily besetting sins, in this heathen land, as in any other situation. O for a more holy heart, more fervent love to God, and more ardent longings for the promotion of his cause!

Wow. Ann Judson was concerned that she not become worldly-minded, while IN BURMA. How often do we think about being worldly-minded? I would imagine that since we are enjoying and relishing so many of the comforts of this world, we’d at the least pursue the same kind of consistent heart-examination and prayer that Ann did.

Sharon James, My Heart in His Hands (Durham: Evangelical Press, 2003; originally published 1998), 78.

By her inquiries respecting the Christian religion, she evinced a mind, which, had it been early and properly cultivated, would have hardly been surpassed by females in our own country. And happy am I to add, that she not only became rationally and speculatively convinced of the truths of the Gospel, but was, I trust, taught to feel their power on her heart, by the influence of the Holy Spirit, embraced them, has become an ornament to her profession, and her daily walk and conversation would shame many professors of religion in Christian countries.

Sharon James, My Heart in His Hands (Durham: Evangelical Press, 2003; originally published 1998), 207.

For example, in April 1819, after 6 years on the mission field with no conversions, Ann did not settle for a profession of faith lacking evidence, but looked for regeneration. She wrote:

[One woman] said, she believed in Christ, prayed to him daily, and asked what else was necessary to make her a real disciple of Christ. I told her that she must not only say that she believed in Christ, but must believe with all her heart. I told her the manner of life would be changed; but one of the best evidences she could obtain would be when others came to quarrel with her and use abusive language, if, so far from retaliating, she felt a disposition to bear with, to pity, and to pray for them. The Burman women are particularly given to quarreling, and to refrain from it would be a most decided evidence of a change of heart.

Later in April they had their first convert: Mr. Moung Nau. Overjoyed, in June of 1819, Ann wrote in a letter:

Little did I think, when I last wrote, that I should so soon have the joyful intelligence to communicate, that one Burman has embraced the Christian religion, and given good evidence of being a true disciple of the dear Redeemer. This event, this single trophy of victorious grace, has filled our hearts with sensations, hardly to be conceived by Christians in Christian countries.

Mr. Nau was baptized in June, and Ann’s husband, Adoniram, wrote in July:

We have had the pleasure of sitting down, for the first time, at the Lord’s table, with a converted Burman; and it was my privilege,–a privilege to which I have been looking forward with desire for many years,–to administer the Lord’s supper in two languages.

Sharon James, My Heart in His Hands (Durham: Evangelical Press, 2003; originally published 1998), 101-04.

Were it not for the support we derive from the Gospel of Jesus, we should be ready to sink down in despondency, in view of the dark and gloomy scenes around us. But when we recollect that Jesus has commanded his disciples to carry the Gospel to the heathen, and promised to be with them to the end of the world; that God has promised to give the heathen to his Son for an inheritance, we are encouraged to make a beginning, though in the midst of discouragement, and leave it to him to grant success, in his own time and way. I find here no dear female friends, with whom I can unite in social prayer, nor even one with whom I could converse. I have, indeed, no society at all, but that of Mr. J. [her husband]; yet I feel happy in thinking, that I give up this source of pleasure, as well as most others, for the sake of the poor heathen… O if it may please the dear Redeemer to make me instrumental of leading some of the females of Burmah to a saving acquaintance with him, my great object would be accomplished, my highest desires gratified; I shall rejoice to have relinquished my comforts, my country, and my home.

Sharon James, My Heart in His Hands (Durham: Evangelical Press, 2003; originally published 1998), 72-3.

What are your “highest desires”?

I’ve been thinking lately about the difference between conviction and repentance, and wonder if sometimes we equate the two. In evangelism, or even friendships with those who we are to hold accountable, to encourage, exhort, etc. (and from whom we are to expect the same), do we settle for conviction yet with repentance lacking, in response to correction? Do we tell people that mortification is not instant and sanctification is progressive and use that to justify delayed obedience (which is disobedience), especially with the more tolerated sins of our day? Feeling bad about sin isn’t the same as repentance, and that’s an important distinction to make, while knowing, of course, what true repentance is and looks like. I’m not saying here that our distinction or lack thereof is of theoretical nature; we may get it right theoretically yet later literally say “that’s repentance” when it’s actually just conviction. Lord, may we repent daily with a godly sorrow and with friends good enough to point it out when we’re not.

Also, have you ever contrasted being gospel-centered with being in radical pursuit of holiness? Yet it is not one or the other, or more of one and less of the other. Jesus was the most gospel-centered and holy Man on Earth. The most gospel-centered people, I think, will also be the holiest people. Trying not to be Pharisaical does not mean trying not to be holy. A radical pursuit of holiness and obedience is not just for some, or just for those “weird” Christians, but for all who profess to be Christian. It is a basis for our assurance.

On a related note, could it be possible that Christians go days and days without the thought of sin, or God, or the glory of God, and think it’s normal? What happened to whatever you do, do all for the glory of God? I forgot who it was, but someone once said that Christianity has become so atypical that the true Christian is now considered atypical.

Anyway, I hope that doesn’t too harsh or anything. Just some things that I’ve personally been convicted about so I thought I’d share what’s on my heart.

- Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within, p.65

- C.J. Mahaney, How Can I Change, pp. 42-43

“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.”

This is a passage I’m assigned to study and apply this week for school, and I was thinking through some applications, but couldn’t come up with many practical specifics for the week in terms of interaction, and so I made one of my applications to pray for opportunities to demonstrate compassion, kindness, meekness, patience, forbearance, etc. I don’t think I understood what I was asking in retrospect, but the Lord did place a nice, big opportunity before me.

What do I do? Grit my teeth and say, “Okay, Lord, if I have to.” That doesn’t sound like the spirit of this passage at all. And could there really be a superficial level to compassion, forgiveness,  etc. If so, it really isn’t any of those. I was thinking today about friends I’ve had in a community that was not Christian. Was there a degree of compassion, kindness, patience, and love among us? Yes. Would there be if one had a complaint against another? Not really, and definitely not in the spirit of the New Testament.

“But it’s not like I’m being mean to anyone.” Does not being outright mean reflect obedience to this passage?

The way Christians love one another is radical. It stands out (John 13:35). It is the fruit of true salvation (1 John). And it is optional only insofar as obeying God is optional. He places us among His other beloved sons and daughters, who are 1). not perfect, and 2). not exactly like us (as in, do things differently/have different personalities). And we are to obey this passage in that context. And I mean really obey it.

]]> http://nahrinve.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/reflections-on-colossians-312-14/feed/ 1 nve http://nahrinve.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/pursuit-of-holiness-2/ http://nahrinve.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/pursuit-of-holiness-2/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:54:59 +0000 nve http://nahrinve.wordpress.com/?p=804 ]]> “The apostle John said, ‘My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin’ (1 John 2:1). The whole purpose of John’s letter, he says, is that we not sin. One day as I was studying this chapter I realized that my personal life’s objective regarding holiness was less than that of John’s. He was saying, in effect, ‘Make it your aim not to sin.’ As I thought about this, I realized that deep within my heart my real aim was not to sin very much…I realized God was calling me that day to a deeper level of commitment to holiness than I had previously been willing to make.”

- Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness, pp.92-93.

-Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness, p. 16

Ever since I have had a comfortable hope in Christ, I have desired to devote myself to him in such a way as to be useful to my fellow-creatures. As Providence has placed me in a situation in life where I have an opportunity of getting as good an education as I desire, I feel it would be highly criminal in me not to improve it. I feel, also, that it would be equally criminal to desire to be well educated and accomplished, from selfish motives, with a view merely to gratify my taste and relish for improvement, or my pride in being qualified to shine. I therefore resolved last winter to attend the academy from no other motive than to improve the talents bestowed by God, so as to be more extensively devoted to his glory, and the benefit of my fellow creatures.

After I read this book, I typed a lot of it up and sent it to a friend. I like how now when I come across something that strikes me, I could just post it here on the blog. So as I’m reminded of this book yet again, I thought I’d post a few among the many of these if-then statements that both comfort and convict me tonight:

If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points, in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting “who made thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou hast not received?”…

If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any way slight another in conversation, or even in thought…

If I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior than for my worried self when troublesome things occur…

If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the concerned should say, “You do not understand,” or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the others’ highest good…

If I fear to hold another to the highest goal because it is so much easier to avoid doing so…

If the moment I am conscious of the shadow of self crossing my threshold, I do not shut the door, and in the power of Him who works in us to will and to do, keep that door shut…

If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or the twentieth); if I cannot take the first without making a fuss about my unworthiness…

If I feel injured when another lays to my charge things that I know not, forgetting that my Sinless Savior trod this path to the end…

If I feel bitterly towards those who condemn me, as it seems to me, unjustly, forgetting that if they knew me as I know myself they would condemn me much more…

If something I am asked to do for another feels burdensome; if, yielding to an inward unwillingness, I avoid doing it…

If the praise of man elates me and his blame depresses me; if I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself…

If I do not forget about such a trifle as personal success, so that it never crosses my mind, or if it does, is never given a moment’s room there; if the cup of spiritual flattery tastes sweet to me…

If in the fellowship of service, I seek to attach a friend to myself, so that others are caused to feel unwanted; if my friendships do not draw others deeper in, but are ungenerous (i.e., to myself, for myself)…

If I avoid being “plowed under,” with all that such plowing entails of rough handling, isolation, uncongenial situations, strange tests…

If I forget that the way of the cross leads to the cross and not to a bank of flowers…

If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the cross…

Then I know nothing of Calvary love.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

I was thinking today about how many unexpected changes occur in my life. Whether it’s the day-to-day schedule changes (e.g. change in lunch plans with a friend), or changes on a larger scale (e.g. residence or employment), many things do not turn out as I expected. In fact, five years ago today, I would never have expected to be where I am now.  And five years from today, things can look very different from what I may plan today. Now James here is not forbidding wise planning. He does not say that, but exhorts us to plan considering our utter dependence upon God: HE wills, and things happen.

Every day, unexpected things happen (In fact, before I even got beyond this sentence, I accidentally published this post!). Although I can look at the uncertainty of life and be tempted to fear, I am reminded today of the great comfort that this uncertainty, this reality that I am not in control of my circumstances, brings. The reality is that God rules and decrees and sustains and commands. It is in the sovereignty and providence of God that I was born in 1987, became a believer not long ago and now stand before God Most High who has ordained even my most bitter of providences in infinite wisdom, love and mercy. I have no idea what the future holds, but I know all things work according to God’s will and He does all things perfectly. There is immense comfort in that, not in my ability to carry out my plans.

HT: Pure Church

Brought to mind the very weighty Romans 9:1-3, in which the Apostle Paul expresses his anguish over Israel’s unbelief-

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. (Notes on this text here or here)

May we always be on our knees.

Oh, if you have the hearts of Christians or of men in you, let them yearn towards your poor ignorant, ungodly neighbours. Alas, there is but a step betwixt them and death and hell; many hundred diseases are waiting ready to seize on them, and if they die unregenerate, they are lost forever.

Have you hearts of rock, that cannot pity men in such a case as this? If you believe not the Word of God, and the danger of sinners, why are you Christians yourselves? If you do believe it, why do you not bestir yourself to the helping of others? Do you not care who is damned, so you be saved? If so, you have sufficient cause to pity yourselves, for it is a frame of spirit utterly inconsistent with grace.  . . .

Dost thou live close by them, or meet them in the streets, or labour with them, or travel with them, or sit and talk with them, and say nothing to them of their souls, or the life to come? If their houses were on fire, thou wouldst run and help them; and wilt thou not help them when their souls are almost at the fire of hell?

HT: Pulpit Magazine

Having come to the light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ from Scripture or by the preaching of the gospel, let us regard it as our duty to meditate frequently on his glory. It is the neglect of meditation that keeps so many Christians in a feeble state, regardless of their privileges. They hear of these things and assent to the truth of them or at least they do not question them. But they never solemnly meditate on them. They think that meditation is above their capabilities, or they are totally ignorant of how to go about it, or they are not too concerned about it, or they treat it as fanaticism. Many cannot meditate because their minds are so cluttered up with earthly things. The mind must be spiritual and holy, freed from all earthly clutter. It must be raised above things here below if we wish to meditate on the glory of Christ. So many are strangers to this duty because they do not mortify their earthly desires and concerns.

HT: Recover the Gospel.com

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

We present-day believers have, to some extent, been influenced by the “feel good about myself” philosophy of our times. By contrast, believers in the Puritan era of the seventeenth century had a different view of themselves. They feared the reality of sin still dwelling in them.

Bridges writes this in a book about “respectable” sins, that is, the sins we tolerate, such as: anxiety, frustration, discontentment, selfishness, impatience, etc. Consider the quote above, and now consider how often sins such as these produce deep contrition, brokenness, and remorse within us.

Do we pursue the feel-good philosophy that Bridges notes above, and use our inherited sinfulness as an excuse to subtly justify continuing in our respectable sins? Or do we pursue awareness and exposure of our sin, with humble and contrite hearts before God, rejoicing in the forgiveness we’ve received through the cross while we, as justified sinners, actively put our sin to death in the strength that God provides?

May we pray as David did, and tremble as we pray-

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalm 139:23-24

That we may proceed with putting our sin to death.

“Do you mortify;
do you make it your daily work;
be always at it while you live;
cease not a day from this work;
be killing sin or it will be killing you.”
-John Owen

1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

And a word from Charles Spurgeon-

Remember that the man who truly repents is never satisfied with his own repentance. We can no more repent perfectly than we can live perfectly. However pure our tears, there will always be some dirt in them: there will be something to be repented of even in our best repentance. But listen! To repent is to change your mind about sin, and Christ, and all the great things of God. There is sorrow implied in this; but the main point is the turning of the heart from sin to Christ. If there be this turning, you have the essence of true repentance, even though no alarm and no despair should ever have cast their shadow upon your mind. (from All of Grace, ch. 11)

I speak as one who needs all the help she can get. Look to the cross and the glorious gospel, take heart, and remember-

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

- Nicole Whitacre (Read the whole post here)

I’m going through Susan Heck’s book, With the Master in the School of Tested Faith, a verse-by-verse Bible study on the Epistle of James, and reached her notes on James 1:22, with this convicting paragraph:

The way James states it, doer of the Word, instead of do the word, puts the emphasis on the kind of person a Christian should be, not just some act she performs. She is a “doer of the Word” –that’s just what she does! …It’s one thing to run a race; it’s something else to be a runner. It’s one thing to teach a class; it’s another thing to be a teacher. It’s one thing to bake a cake, but it is another thing to be a baker. Runners are known for their running. Teachers are known for their teaching. Bakers are known for their baking. Likewise, doers of the Word are known for their obedience to Biblical truth. The direction of the life is one of real obedience to God’s revealed will, not a sporadic obedience or a partial obedience.  Would others say about you, “Now she is a doer of the Word”?

And she had this humorous note on the “hearers only” part:

I once heard a story-perhaps apocryphal-about a new pastor who preached a wonderful sermon his first time in the pulpit. The pulpit committee knew they had done well by calling this man to their church, until the next Sunday when he preached the same sermon again. They were somewhat perplexed. So when some members of the congregation asked the new pastor why he preached the same sermon again, he replied, “When you start living the first message, then we will go on to the next one.”

What a strong reminder to be a doer of the Word.

The book addresses things like fellowship, small group leadership, correction, and conflicts, with an emphasis on sanctification throughout. One thing I love about the book is that small groups are continually addressed within the context of the local church. In fact, the last chapter is dedicated to looking at the “bigger picture” of small groups, and emphasizes the importance of having a biblical understanding of Scripture’s teaching concerning the church. It includes a section on para-church ministries and, while the author is very, very careful not to give the impression that he’s altogether dismissing them, he firmly affirms the importance and necessity of the biblical local church and authority of church leadership. The book leaves the reader with a powerful exhortation to love and be committed to their local church.

If I could change one thing in the book, it would be the section in the last chapter that addresses why some Christians may opt not to go to church, providing reasons like not feeling like it, worldly ambitions, love of leisure, etc. I really don’t want to sound too harsh, but I would also gently add “unregenerate” to that list, because (apart from simply being applicable) I think it’s commonplace and eternally significant enough to warrant the inclusion.

Because the book is written by different authors, you may notice some minor differences throughout, such as one author placing an emphasis on evangelistic outreach, while another has you focus on sanctification. However, this does not conflict with the overall biblical purpose for small groups that’s presented in the book. The question, “Why small groups?” will be clearly and thoroughly answered.

1. Be at peace with one another (Mark 9:50)
2. Love one another (John 13:34)
3. Be joined to one another (Romans 12:5)
4. Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10)
5. Honor one another (Romans 12:10)
6. Rejoice with one another (Romans 12:15)
7. Weep with one another (Romans 12:15)
8. Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16)
9. Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
10. Counsel one another (Romans 15:14)
11. Greet one another (Romans 16:16)
12. Agree with each other (1 Corinthians 1:10)
13. Wait for one another (1 Corinthians 11:33)
14. Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)
15. Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
16. Carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
17. Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
18. Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)
19. Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
20. Bear with one another (Colossians 3:13)
21. Teach, admonish each other (Colossians 3:16)
22. Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
23. Build up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
24. Spur one another on (Hebrews 10:24)
25. Offer hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
26. Minister gifts to one another (1 Peter 4:10)
27. Be humble toward one another (1 Peter 5:5)
28. Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16)
29. Pray for one another (James 5:16)
30. Fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7)

The first chapter is written by Mahaney, and directly addresses the question, “Why small groups?” Mahaney writes, “We attend a group without understanding its real purpose. We fail to understand why our small groups exist. And if we don’t know God’s purpose for small groups, we’re never going to achieve it.” But what is God’s purpose for small groups? Mahaney explains the importance of relationships and community in a believer’s life, and discusses how small groups (whether in a big church or small one) are a place where these intimate relationships can be formed. However, Mahaney writes that “small groups will only serve the church if they are founded on sound doctrine and sustained by a clear biblical purpose,” and so in addressing the purpose of small groups, he spends the rest of the chapter discussing 4 goals from Scripture: progressive sanctification, mutual care, fellowship, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

He proceeds with a definition of sanctification, and writes that small groups are an “ideal context” in which sanctification may occur. He then writes the following:

“Not every small group is intent on this purpose, however. Some put a higher priority on socializing than on sanctification. Others excel in open sharing and sympathetic listening, yet they never confront sin or challenge members to change. This is unacceptable. A group with an unbiblical purpose can do more harm than good. Groups that meet without the biblical purpose of pursuing character development have the tendency to reinforce, rather than confront, the sin and selfishness already present in us. None of us needs such reinforcement. Instead, we need to be provoked and challenged by others so we can change for the glory of God.”

After addressing sanctification, Mahaney provides a definition of justification, clearly distinguishing it from sanctification, because, as he says, “the rest of the book (and the rest of your Christian life!) depends on a clear understanding of these two doctrines.” After providing this distinction, he writes that the two doctrines, although different, are inseparable. “Sanctification is not optional,” he writes, “If one has truly been justified, that will be evident by a progressive work of sanctification in his life.”

Mahaney emphasizes the importance of community with regards to sanctification.  He writes, “It’s been sobering to observe others who have chosen not to participate in a local church or in small groups. They have demonstrated a distinct lack of growth. What’s worse, they haven’t even been aware of their spiritual condition and stagnation.”

He continues,

“If you have a passion for personal change-and every Christian should-then you will be glad when others challenge you to grow. This should not be seen as abnormal, or as the domain of those with an unusual level of maturity. It should be viewed as the normal process that follows new birth, expressed in a desire to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. We should be seriously and unapologetically committed to change.”

In discussing how God uses relationships to help us change, Mahaney uses the example of David and Nathan from Scripture, as Nathan confronted David for committing adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband, after which David repented (2 Sam. 11-12). Relationships and accountability are really a great means through which we can receive help in our pursuit of holiness/change. How often I am blind to my own sin, and need others to point it out to me. It would be foolish of me to think that I never need to be corrected (Proverbs 12:1).

Mahaney writes that as relationships are one means through which God sanctifies us, the application of God’s Word is another. He uses a great illustration found in James 1:22-24 to elaborate on this, and continues with these words on application that were incredibly convicting:

“Those who merely listen to the word, Sunday after Sunday, but fail to apply the word to their lives, will experience an increasing degree of self-deception rather than progressive sanctification. And yet isn’t it interesting that they deceive only themselves? Everyone else knows that they are merely listening and not obeying, not maturing. It’s as obvious to them as it would be if we woke up tomorrow morning, glanced in the mirror, and then walked away without ever touching the comb, the washcloth, or the toothbrush.”

Continuing in his discussion on application, Mahaney says that one of the main purposes of small groups is indeed application. Application is essential, but, of course, application arises from the accurate interpretation of God’s Word. He writes, “Some people think ‘Bible study’ means swapping their personal opinions and preferences. That’s bogus. We don’t gather to exchange opinions; we gather to learn God’s truth.

He then addresses “mutual care.” As much as I want to add a quote in here, in an attempt not to go too long, I’ll refrain and simply say that, essentially, he writes that small groups are a great context in which the one another’s in Scripture could be lived out.

Next up, fellowship. The word fellowship is used a lot, and Mahaney provides a clear explanation of what fellowship really is. What makes our fellowship fellowship, is our unity in Christ. I will include an extended quote by Mahaney on this simply because I don’t think I can get the point across as effectively as he does.

“Fellowship is not just another word for social activity . . . Social activities can’t be equated or confused with fellowship. They are distinctly different. Nothing compares to the fellowship we enjoy when we worship together, study and apply Scripture together, encourage and correct each other, and communicate to one another our current experience of God. Nothing. Social activities could create a context for fellowship, but they are a place to begin–not a place to remain. When I spend an extended time with another Christian, my desire is that we know fellowship. I want to hear of his relationship with God, and how God is revealing himself to him. I want to communicate my current experience of God as well, and impart a fresh passion for God. Is that your desire? If someone spent an afternoon with you, would he or she leave with a fresh understanding of and passion for God? If not, you need to change.”

Mahaney further asks if our small groups (as well as our meetings outside of small group) characterize true fellowship. This chapter really challenged me to evaluate my life and relationships in light of these questions.

Mahaney closes the chapter by talking about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and writes, “Apart from his presence, there’s no point in meeting.”

Before I attend a small group, I want to acknowledge and express my dependence upon God who, through His Spirit, conforms us to the image of His Son. Do we seek His help, do we consider our utter dependence upon His enablement and empowerment to live (and help each other live) victorious lives in Christ?

I learned a lot from this chapter, and really hope that what I learned and (although this post is no substitute for the chapter) what you learned these past few minutes reading this, will be used by the Holy Spirit to stir us towards a biblical pursuit of holiness, community, and small groups, for the glory of God. I would like to post some of what I learn from forthcoming chapters as well, but I’ll really strive towards brevity. A more in-depth analysis is what the book is for.

Psalm 8:3-4 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

So why blog, you ask? Somehow, I just like it. So we’ll see what becomes of my posting (and writing). My intent with this particular post is not to determine a posting frequency goal, but simply to express my purpose with the blog. Of course for the Christian, an underlying desire is for God to be glorified whether we eat, drink, or for the blogger, blog (1 Cor. 10:31). Therefore the first intent that comes to mind is the glory of God. This blog is for Him. Should His glory not be considered before I ever direct my gaze to the “publish” icon. A second intent is the edification of readers. Although not my exclusive account of things to consider as I blog, several other critical factors that do come to mind include: faithfulness to Scripture, gospel-centeredness, and Bible saturation. As for content, this blog will consist simply of what I’ve been learning (or as the title suggests, my “musings”) as I grow in my walk with Christ.

Thanks for visiting!

“There is no long-range effective teaching of the Bible that is not accompanied by long hours of ongoing study of the Bible. Effectiveness in teaching the Bible is purchased at the price of much study, some of it lonely, all of it tiring. If you are not a student of the Word, you are not called to be a teacher of the Word.”

This is what I woke up to this morning:

It was amazing. The fog covered everything. My camera phone doesn’t quite capture it.

And while you’re at it, the following posts are too good not to pass on as well.

“Christ is everything,” we say, but what do our lives communicate?

Is He everything everyday, or only around other Christians, or only when it’s convenient, comfortable, safe, easy?

Do we act one way when we’re around other Christians, and then as soon as the environment shifts, begin to gossip, and be unkind, and take pleasure in a variety of other “subtle” sins?

These are serious questions. Life is serious. Following Christ is serious. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me,” He says (Luke 9:23). Yes we may struggle in our walk, sometimes immensely, but if in that vein I’m going to justify the taking of these matters lightly, I have to be shown where in the Bible they are taken lightly.

All gracious affections that are a sweet odor to Christ, and that fill the soul of a Christian with a heavenly sweetness and fragrancy, are broken hearted affections. A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is a humble broken hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires. Their hope is a humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable, and full of glory, is a humble broken hearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit; and more like a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behavior.
-Jonathan Edwards (You can find the source here).

In case you’re not already familiar with this-

After missionary Adoniram Judson fell in love with Ann Hasseltine, he wrote the following in a letter to her father, communicating his intentions-

I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left is heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteous, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?

Her father turned the decision over to her. Ann wrote the following to a friend-

I feel willing, and expect, if nothing in Providence prevents, to spend my days in this world in heathen lands. Yes, Lydia, I have about, come to the determination to give up all my comforts and enjoyments here, sacrifice my affection to relatives and friends, and go where God, in his Providence, shall see fit to place me.

O how much we can learn from those who have gone before. My dear sisters, would we respond to such a call in such a way, not aiming to get by with the bare minimum of “sacrificial” service, but giving, joyfully and willingly, our time, comfort, leisure, convenience, our hands and feet and toil, yes, our very lives, for the unspeakable privilege of sharing and exulting in Christ glorified in all things for the joy of all peoples, in the end insisting, “I have made no sacrifice.” Whether at home or abroad, may our hearts yearn to love and sacrifice and to give of ourselves more, that Christ be honored and souls won.

2 Cor. 5:14-15 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.