Jesus' Soul-trouble

Consider Jesus—in Soul-trouble

"Now My soul is deeply troubled."—John 12:27

In this lay our Lord's greatest suffering—His soul-sorrow. Compared with this, the lingering, excruciating tortures of the cross—the extended limbs, the quivering nerves, the bleeding wounds, the burning thirst—were, as nothing.

This was physical, the other spiritual; the one, the suffering of the body, the other, the anguish of the soul.

Let a vessel traversing the ocean keep afloat, and she may still plough the deep and brave the tempest; but let the proud waves burst in upon her and she sinks.

So long as our blessed Lord endured outwardly the gibes and insults and calumnies of men, not a complaint escaped His lips; but, when the wrath of God, endured as the Surety-Head of His people, entered within His holy soul, then the wail of agony rose strong and piercing—"Save Me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to My neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can't find a foothold to stand on. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm Me. I am exhausted from crying for help; My throat is parched and dry. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help Me." Psalm 69:1-3

How true is God's word—"The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit, who can bear?" Such was Christ's.

And why was His soul troubled?

One rational answer alone can be given—He was now bearing sin and, consequently, the punishment of sin—the wrath of God overwhelming His soul. This was the 'cup' which He prayed might, 'if possible, pass from Him.' Divine justice, finding the sins of God's elect meeting on His holy soul, exacted full satisfaction and inflicted the utmost penalty.

And thus a glorious gospel truth shines out of this terrible cloud of Jesus' soul-sorrow—that is, the substitutionary character and the atoning nature of His sufferings and death.

Upon no reasonable ground other than this can we satisfactorily account for His language—"My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death."

(From Octavius Winslow's Consider Jesus, line breaks mine)

Top Books I read in 2010

10) Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl by N. D. Wilson

Great writing! A fun and novel read on a much written about subject. A fresh view of topics such as suffering and the existence of God. I get the feeling that Wilson, at least in this book, might be the type of writer one loves or hates. I loved this book.

9) Epistle to the Romans (NICNT, Volume 2) by John Murray

8) Epistle to the Romans (NICNT, Volume 1) by John Murray

Working through these commentaries was one of the best choices of reading I made in 2010. I appreciated Murray's writings in other books and articles and this was no different in the commentaries. Murray's concise and articulate style will always endear him to me. The thorough explanation of “the most important letter ever written” was invaluable to me.

7) The Meaning of the Pentateuch by John Sailhamer

In many ways, this book was over my head. A more learned scholar would have appreciated the life's work that went in to this book in a way I never could. Nevertheless, this was a fascinating read. Sailhamer reflects a high view of Scripture and a love for God's Word. And his ideas and theories were very intriguing and eye opening. This book was well worth the work!

6) The Justification of God by John Piper

Another tough read; this took all the attention I could give it. It taught me about, arguably, the most important Christian doctrine; justification. It also taught me about the concepts surrounding justification such as righteousness and glory. A must read.

5) God's Passion for His Glory by John Piper

An enlightening look at man's chief end, and God's chief end. And an intriguing and compelling look at North America's greatest philosopher and theologian; Jonathan Edwards. Another proof for me that if Piper wrote it, I need to read it.

4) One Thing by Sam Storms

This has been the book I have recommended to more people than any other in 2010. A very readable style, One Thing is another book by Storms that will have a permanent place on my bookshelf. This is another powerfully compelling book by one of the "New Hedonists"; of the Christian variety, of course.

3) Reemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray

A classic. This book covers many major doctrines with thoroughness and clarity. As I have mentioned, Murray does not waste words, but neither is he dry or uninteresting. He deals with the subject at hand without playing games; you can tell this is serious stuff for him. I will use this book as a reference for years to come.

2) God is the Gospel by John Piper

I could clearly see God's providence in my reading this book when I did. It came at just the right time. Thus, it had a significant impact on me. The point of everything we do and believe is ultimately God. God is the gospel. The gospel is good news because of God and would not be good news otherwise. It sounds so obvious as I type it but that idea is often overlooked in our passion for gospel-centeredness and cross-centeredness. It is about God and His glory. This book works through that idea in many different areas. I was particularly helped by Piper's explanation of how this plays out in sanctification. Don't miss this one by “Pipes”.

1) A Praying Life by Paul Miller

This, if I could only read one, would be the book of choice for me in 2010. This book took a sledgehammer to some ungodly thought patterns in my life that undermine prayer. And then it edified me to a place where I was praying more, particularly in supplication, than I have in quite some time. It bolstered my faith thereby adding a vitality to my making requests of my God. It was informative, motivating, and produced practical results in an much-neglected area of my Christian walk. Read it.

Fiction

I don't read much fiction, but the best work I read in this genre was The Death of Ivan Iliych by Leo Tolstoy from a compilation of some of his short stories. An unflinching and gut wrenching look at the futility of life. Wow! You will not forget this piece of fiction should you choose to read it. It made me wondrously glad that my life has purpose because of my union with Christ.

Our Reading for 2010

Our Reading for 2010

Below you will find a list of the books read in 2010 by the four bloggers that blog here. We share this list for several reasons.

Why we share this?

• To give glory to God – it is by grace that we read, desire to read, learn from our reading. Books would burst into flames instantaneously in hell, thus, even the fact that we hold books in our hand is a testament to God's grace.
• To encourage – if we can read more, so can you. We are not special; just four sinners reading books. We want you to read more because we believe it is a significant tool of God for your sanctification and ours.
• To remember – reflecting on the books we read reminds us of God's goodness in our lives. He helps us grow in likeness to His Son through beholding His Son; and we behold Him in books.
• To promote – we want to promote the idea of reading in community. We read books together intentionally and unintentionally. And we encouraged and urged each other on, sometimes solemnly and sometimes sarcastically, to read to the glory of God. We think you should find some like-minded brothers or sisters and read together.

A few more things: if a book appears more than once it is because more than one of us read it. The commentaries were read in their entirety. There were a few more books started in 2010, but not finished. Look for them in the 2011 list.

1. Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem
2. Consider Jesus by Octavius Winslow
3. Think by John Piper
4. Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die by John Piper
5. An Antidote for Arminianism by Christopher Ness
6. The Justification Reader by Thomas C. Oden
7. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
8. Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen
9. Pleasures Evermore by Sam Storms
10. God is the Gospel by John Piper
11. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
12. The Death of Ivan Iliych and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy
13. Seeing and Savouring Jesus Christ by John Piper
14. The Search for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield
15. Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl by N. D. Wilson
16. A Hunger for God by John Piper
17. A New Inner Relish by Dane Ortlund
18. Rescuing Ambition by Dave Harvey
19. Epistle to the Romans (NICNT, Volume 2) by John Murray
20. A Praying Life by Paul Miller
21. Jesus Rediscovered by Malcolm Muggerdidge
22. Radical by David Platt
23. The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
24. The King James Version Debate by D. A. Carson
25. Which Version is the Bible? by Floyd Nolen Jones
26. Epistle to the Romans (NICNT, Volume 1) by John Murray
27. God Crucified by Richard Bauckham
28. Christ-Centered Preaching by Bryan Chapell
29. This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
30. Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack Deere
31. The Glory of Christ by John Owen
32. One Thing by Sam Storms
33. Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
34. The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit by Jeremiah Burroughs
35. The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
36. The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (PNTC) by Douglas Moo
37. The Hour that Changes the World by Dick Eastman
38. Godly Jealousy by K. Erik Thoennes
39. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
40. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
41. 1 and 2 Thessalonians (TNTC) by Leon Morris
42. The Meaning of the Pentateuch by John Sailhamer
43. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
44. Altogether Lovely by Jonathan Edwards
45. Mortification of Sin in Believers by John Owen
46. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
47. Preachers and Preaching by D. M. Lloyd-Jones
48. 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus (NIBC) by Gordon Fee
49. Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
50. The End for Which God Created the World by Jonathan Edwards
51. God's Passion for His Glory by John Piper
52. Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul by Octavius Winslow
53. Paul's Letter to the Philippians by Gordon D. Fee
54. Expository Preaching Plans and Methods by F. B. Meyer
55. The Reason for God by Timothy Keller
56. The Lost Virtue of Happiness by Moreland and Issler
57. Finally Alive by John Piper
58. Between Two Worlds by John Stott
59. The Justification of God by John Piper
60. Reemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray
61. Living the Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney
62. Attributes of God by AW Pink
63. The Sovereignty of God by AW Pink
64. The Life of Elijah by AW Pink
65. 50 Reasons Jesus Came To Die by John Piper
66. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs
67. Doctrine by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears
68. Religion Saves by Mark Driscoll
69. Pleasures Evermore by Sam Storms
70. One Thing by Sam Storms
71. God is the Gospel by John Piper
72. Seeing and Savouring Jesus Christ by John Piper
73. When I Don’t Desire God by John Piper
74. Radical by David Platt
75. Altogether Lovely by Jonathan Edwards
76. The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
77. How Long, Oh Lord? by D. A. Carson
78. The Cross by Martin Lloyd-Jones
79. Preachers and Preaching by Martin Lloyd-Jones
80. The Plight of Man and the Power of God by Martin Lloyd-Jones
81. What is the Gospel by Greg Gilbert
82. The Glory of Christ by John Owen
83. The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit by Jeremiah Burroughs
84. Gospel Fear by Jeremiah Burroughs
85. Declaring a Cross-Centered Theology by Mark Dever
86. How to Read the Bible Book by Book by Gordon Fee
87. New Testament Prophecy by Wayne Grudem
88. Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem
89. The Hour that Changes the World by Dick Eastman
90. Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
91. Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
92. Gods Passion for His Glory by John Piper
93. On Knowing Christ by Jonathan Edwards
94. Think by John Piper
95. The Cross of Christ by John Stott
96. Men Made New by John Stott
97. Pursuing God by A. W. Tozer
98. Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer
99. Chosen for Life by Sam Storms
100. Unfashionable by Tullian Tchividjian
101. The Reason for God - by Timothy Keller
102. Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
103. Altogether Lovely by Jonathan Edwards
104. The Glory of Christ by John Owen
105. Living the Cross Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney
106. The Attributes of God by A. W. Pink
107. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer
108. The Abolition of Man by by C. S. Lewis
109. What is the Gospel by Greg Gilbert
110. I Wish Someone Would Explain Hebrews To Me! by by Stuart Olyott
111. Think by John Piper
112. Seeing and Savouring Jesus Christ by John Piper
113. Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen
114. Altogether Lovely by Jonathan Edwards
115. This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
116. When Sinners Say I Do by Doug Harvey
117. The Reason For God by Tim Keller
118. Just Do Something by Tim Keller
119. The Glory of Christ by John Owen
120. Think by John Piper
121. He Is Not Silent by Albert Mohler
122. Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem
123. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
124. How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer
125. The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis
126. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
127. Why We Love The Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

Relational Suffering

Octavius Winslow from Consider Jesus:

You are, perhaps, suffering from MISPLACED AND WOUNDED AFFECTION. You have naturally allowed the fibers of your heart to entwine around some object of its warm and clinging love; but chilled affection, or the whisper of envy, or the venomed tooth of slander, has wrenched those fibers from their stem, and trailed them, torn and bleeding, in the dust. How like Jesus now you are, of whose loved disciples it is recorded, "They all forsook Him, and fled."

Or, you are suffering from BETRAYED AND DISAPPOINTED CONFIDENCE. One you thought a friend, tender and true, has deserted you; a judgment upon whose guidance you leaned has misled you; a source upon whose supplies you depended has failed you; a confidence in which you too implicitly reposed has betrayed you; and thus you are learning the lesson Jesus learned when, "all His disciples forsook Him, and fled."

Cheer up, my soul! there is One who has promised never to leave you. When father and mother, husband and wife, lover and friend, forsake you, the Lord will take you up. He who was deserted by friends and followers, will cling to you in prosperity and in adversity, in weal and in woe, with unfaltering fidelity and unchanging love; and though all forsake you, yet will He not in life, in death, and through eternity. How great and precious the divine promise—"They may forget, yet I will not." "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever." Precious Jesus! though all forsake me, as all forsook You; yet YOU will never leave me, nor forsake me!

Beauty

Beauty is whatever stuns and surprises and tales our breath away, whether the golden glow of a lingering sunset, the cavernous depths of the Grand Canyon, or the inaugural steps of a first-born child. Beauty is whatever causes our hearts to beat with increasing rapidity and sends chills down our spines our causes goosebumps to rise on our arms. Beauty is whatever stirs up worth in the human spirit and enables us to feel the dignity of self and the hope of tomorrow. (147)

What will turn our hearts from the passing pleasure of sin? What can strengthen our wills to reject the temptations of the flesh? What will energize our souls to turn from worldly delusions? What has the power to transform our desires and reconfigure our longings and stir our emotional chemistry that we might love what God loves and hate what He hates? Only one thing. Jesus, in all His beauty. Jesus, in all that He is for us now and will be tomorrow. (163)

Storms, C. Samuel. Pleasures Evermore: the Life-changing Power of Enjoying God. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2000. Print.

Merry Christmas

An interesting article from this past week:

Canadians have weighed in on the "Christmas" versus "Holiday" label to describe this time of the year and there is a clear winner.

A fat majority of 71 per cent says it should be referred to as the "Christmas Season" because that is the "original meaning and purpose of the holiday," says a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global National.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Call+Christmas+Season+Canadians/4021994/story.html#ixzz19DSoKy7D

I guess the whole world isn't offended every time someone says Merry Christmas. Go figure.

Christmas Gift

Some Christmas gifts are expensive, others are priceless. Below is a story my son wrote for me as a Christmas gift.

Books

From Strawberry Rhubarb Theology:

Books, People

We must not live in the world of books, but in the world of real people. Yet, all that is worth saying to them of lasting value comes from books.

--William Still, The Work of the Pastor (Christian Focus, 2010), 101-2

Grudem Q and A

Below are some videos of one of my favourite theologians, Wayne Grudem. The videos come from the Clarus Conference. Enjoy.

St. John Family Christmas 2010

Frogs are better off

"I have heard it said, “God didn’t die for frogs. So he was responding to our value as humans.” This turns grace on its head. We are worse off than frogs. They have not sinned. They have not rebelled and treated God with the contempt of being inconsequential in their lives. God did not have to die for frogs. They aren’t bad enough. We are. Our debt is so great, only a divine sacrifice could pay it." (Piper, John. Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2006. Print. 29)

Winslow on our justification

From Octavius Winslow's Morning Thoughts for the 20th of December:

You are often in fear that the righteousness of the law will rise against you; and when you consider your many failures and short-comings, you justly tremble. But fear not; for in Christ the law is perfectly fulfilled, and fulfilled in your stead, as much as if you had obeyed in your own person. Is not this a sure ground of comfort? You see the imperfection of your own obedience, and you are alarmed; but have you not an eye also for the perfection of Christ’s obedience, which He has made yours by imputation? "There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus," because He has fulfilled the law’s righteousness in their behalf. You are cast down because of the law of sin, but the Spirit of life has freed you from the law. You are troubled because of the law of God, but that law, by Christ’s perfect obedience, is fulfilled in you. You desire a righteousness that will present you without spot before God; you have it in Him who is the "Lord our righteousness." Christian! Christ’s whole obedience is yours. What can sin, or Satan, or conscience, or the law itself allege against you now? Be humble, and mourn over the many flaws and failures in your obedience; yet withal rejoice, and glory, and make your boast in the fullness, perfection, and unchangeableness of that righteousness on the Incarnate God which will place you without fault before the throne.

Consciousness of sin

Two quotes from Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen:

The consciousness of sin was formerly the starting-point of all preaching; but today it is gone. Characteristic of the modern age, above all else, is a supreme confidence in human goodness; the religious literature of the day is redolent of that confidence. Get beneath the rough exterior of men, we are told, and we shall discover enough self-sacrifice to found upon it the hope of society; the world's evil, it is said, can be overcome with the world's good; no help is needed from outside the world.

The more one observes the condition of the Church, the more one feels obliged to confess that the conviction of sin is a great mystery' which can be produced only by the Spirit of God. Proclamation of the law, in word and in deed, can prepare for the experience, but the experience itself comes from God. When a man has that experience, when a man comes under the conviction of sin, his whole attitude toward life is transformed; he wonders at his former blindness, and the message of the gospel, which formerly seemed to be an idle tale, becomes now instinct with light. But it is God alone who can produce the change. Only, let us not try to do without the Spirit of God.

Doctrines of self-esteem

The God-centered love of God is foreign to fallen human beings, especially those who, like most of us, have been saturated for decades with doctrines of self-esteem. We have absorbed a definition of love that makes us the center. That is, we feel loved when someone makes much of us. Thus the natural, human definition of love is making much of someone. The main reason this feels like love is that it feels so good to be made much of. The problem is that this feels good on wholly natural grounds. There is nothing spiritual about it. No change in us is needed at all to experience this kind of “love.” This love is wholly natural. It operates on the principles that are already present in our fallen, sinful, and spiritually dead souls. We love the praise of man. It feels good. Praise is to the ego what sex is to the body. It just doesn’t get any better—as long as we are spiritually dead.

The ground of natural love is finally me, not God. If you make much of me, I feel loved, because I am the final ground of my happiness. God is not in that place. He should be, but he is not. That is what it means to be unconverted and natural. The deepest foundation of my happiness is me.

(Piper, John. God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008. Print. 149)

The awful gulf

From beginning to end the Bible is concerned to set forth the awful gulf that separates the creature from the Creator. It is true, indeed, that according to the Bible God is immanent in the world. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without Him. But he is immanent in the world not because He is identified with the world, but because He is the free Creator and Upholder of it. Between the creature and the Creator a great gulf is fixed. (Machen, J. Gresham. Christianity and Liberalism. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub., 2009. Print. 54)

Sam Storms on Paul's confidence in the flesh

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
(Philippians 3:4-11 ESV)

This passage is all about a transformation, a personal revolution, a moral and mental 180 degree turn in one man’s life and how it can happen in our life as well. It is as if Paul envisions himself walking down a certain path in life, heading in a specific direction, believing certain things, honoring and valuing what he was convinced would bring him life, cherishing and nourishing his earthly achievements, only to find himself suddenly walking in the opposite direction. It is as if he is saying, “Those things of which I once boasted and loved and pursued, those things that energized me and gave me joy and got my juices flowing, I now look upon and say, YUK!”

How did he do it? Why did he do it? How do you explain this phenomenal experience that all of us yearn for so deeply?

First, We must look at what Paul used to prize. There are seven ,things in which he had once placed his confidence. The first four relate to birth and upbringing, the last three to personal choice:

l. He was circumcised the eighth day.
2. He was of the nation of Israel.
3. He was of the tribe of Benjamin.
4. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews.
5. He was, as to the Law, a Pharisee.
6. He was, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church.
7. He was, as to righteousness, blameless.

One can almost hear Paul’s prideful reminder: “No one did it better than I. I was the best. I was number one. If it is possible to have good reason and warrant for boasting in human achievement and religious excellence and ethnic purity, I did it!”

Perhaps it would be wise for each of us to pause at this point and draw up our own list. They will undoubtedly be different from Paul’s, but that’s OKAY. So let me ask you: What are the seven things in this world, in your life, that compete with the most intensity to win your heart away from Jesus? If you were of a mind to boast in earthly achievements and accolades, what would they be?

The second thing of importance is for us to recognize we are not going to simply wake up one morning and discover that we suddenly hate what we used to love. The things of this world will never appear as “dung” when viewed in and of themselves. They will smell good and taste good and feel good and bring satisfaction and we will treasure and value them and fight for them and work for them and find every excuse imaginable to get them at any and all cost; they will retain their magnetic appeal and allure and power until they are set against the surpassing value and beauty of Christ Jesus.

(Storms, C. Samuel. Pleasures Evermore: the Life-changing Power of Enjoying God. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2000. Print. 115-6. emphasis mine)

Oden on Luther

In his introduction to The Justification Reader (Oden, Thomas C. The Justification Reader. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2002. Print.), Thomas C. Oden touches upon several thoughts Luther had on justification that I thought were worth sharing:

"Luther regarded justification as the "rule and judge over all other Christian doctrines." Of justification he wrote: "Nothing in this article can be given up or compromised. ... On this article rests all that we teach. ... Therefore we must be quite certain and have no doubts about it. Otherwise all is lost. ... Luther taught that every time you insist that I am a sinner, just so often do you call me to remember the benefit of Christ my Redeemer, upon whose shoulders, and not upon mine, lie all my sins. So, when you say that I am a sinner, you do not terrify, but comfort me immeasurably." (4-5)

Let us not deceive ourselves

Let us not deceive ourselves.

A Jewish teacher of the first century can never satisfy the longing of our souls.

Clothe Him with all the art of modern research,
throw upon Him the warm, deceptive calcium-light of modern sentimentality;
and despite it all common sense will come to its rights again,
and for our brief hour of self-deception-- as though we had been with Jesus
--will wreak upon us the revenge of hopeless disillusionment ...

Certainly we shall remain forever in the gloom if we attend merely to the character of Jesus and neglect the thing that He has done,
if we try to attend to the Person and neglect the message.

We may have joy for sadness and power for weakness;
but not by easy half-way measures,
not by avoidance of controversy,
not by trying to hold on to Jesus and yet reject the gospel.

(Machen, J. Gresham. Christianity and Liberalism. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub., 2009. Print. 35, line breaks mine)

No stint

Some things in the economy of grace are measured; for instance our vinegar and gall are given us with such exactness that we never have a single drop too much, but of the salt of grace no stint is made, "Ask what thou wilt and it shall be given unto thee." C. H. Spurgeon

Romans 1:2

From David Martyn Lloyd-Jones' exposition of Romans 1, The Gospel of God; specifically Romans 1:2.

Why was the gospel hidden?

1. To reveal the depth of our sin
2. To show mankind cannot save himself
3. To show God’s lordship and sovereignty

Why does Paul appeal to the Old Testament?

• To show the gospel was not something strange and new
• To show the Bible as complete, authoritative, unified, essential
• To show the New never contradicts the Old
• To show the New fulfills the Old
• To show salvation is for the world.

Botanical Biblical Theology

From Dane Ortlund at Strawberry Rhubarb Theology:

God placed mankind in a fruitful, lush garden, out of which he was kicked (Gen 2-3).

At important points in the developing story we hear of a world-tree (Dan 4) and a vine with many branches (Ezekiel 17), and of a coming Branch who will sprout from David’s line and restore God’s people (Isa 11; Jer 23; 33; Zech 6).

Christ arrives on the scene and not only teaches that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that becomes a huge tree (Mark 4:30–32) but also declares himself to be the vine (John 15:1), in whom we bear fruit. And along the way of faith, we are beset with 'thorns' (2 Cor 12:7-10) that ultimately make us more, not less, fruit-bearing (John 15:2).

Could it be that the very reason there is such a thing as botany--the very reason there is such a thing as a tree--is so that God might give one more picture to his people of his great salvation?

Super big nerd

As I have shared before, one of the blogs I follow and enjoy is Miscellanies by Tony Reinke. Here is a self-description Tony gives on his blog:

As you will soon see, I focus an inordinate amount of my life on the topic of books. I enjoy reading, reviewing, and talking about books (nerdness alert), sharing research tips and tricks with electronic reference books (big nerdness), photographing books (super big nerdness), censuring publishers for inferior book construction (hyper-extensive nerdness), and photographing the graves of dead writers (insert your own label here).

Taking into account that autobiographical definition, the blogger at The Puritan's Woodshop is a super big nerd. Brandon qualifies because he takes pictures of books. And they are amazing pictures at that. Below are a sample from his blog. If these pictures get your blood pumping, you just may be a super nerd too.

The key to holiness

Volitional restraint and abstinence are only effective against sin when the soul embraces a pleasure superior to the one denied. there is little sanctifying value in depriving our souls of fleshly entertainment if steps are not taken to feast on all that God is for us in Jesus. Suppressed desire will always resurface, desperate for satisfaction. Finding fullness of joy and everlasting pleasure in God's presence alone will serve to woo our wayward hearts from the power of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Therefore, falling in love with the Son of God is the key to holiness.

(Storms, C. Samuel. Pleasures Evermore: the Life-changing Power of Enjoying God. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2000. Print. 103-104)

An antagonistic principle

I really enjoy the writing style of Octavius Winslow. He is eloquent and honest, and writes things in such a way that his words resonate with me. I have read two of his books, The Glory of the Redeemer and Personal Declension and Revival, and I have been going through his morning devotional the past few months. Below is an excerpt from yesterday's devotional:

Regeneration does not transform flesh into spirit. It proposes not to eradicate and expel the deep-seated root of our degenerate nature; but it imparts another and a superadded nature—it implants a new and an antagonistic principle. This new nature is divine; this new principle is holy: and thus the believer becomes the subject of two natures, and his soul a battlefield, upon which a perpetual conflict is going on between the law of the members and the law of the mind; often resulting in his temporary captivity to the law of sin which is in his members. Thus every spiritual mind is painfully conscious of the earthly tendency of his evil nature, and that from the flesh he can derive no sympathy or help, but rather everything that discourages, encumbers, and retards his spirit in its breathings and strugglings after holiness. A mournful sense of the seductive power of earthly things enters deeply into this state of mind. As we bear about with us, in every step, an earthly nature, it is not surprising that its affinities and sympathies should be earthly; that earthly objects should possess a magnetic influence, perpetually attracting to themselves whatever is congenial with their own nature in the soul of the renewed man. Our homeward path lies through a world captivating and ensnaring. The world, chameleon-like, can assume any color, and, Proteus-like, any shape, suitable to its purpose and answerable to its end. There is not a mind, a conscience, or a taste, to which it cannot accommodate itself. For the gross, it has sensual pleasures; for the refined, it has polished enjoyments; for the thoughtful, it has intellectual delights; for the enterprising, it has bold, magnificent schemes. The child of God feels this engrossing power; he is conscious of this seductive influence.

Precious and precarious

Consider the following quote from John Piper's book, God is the Gospel:

All the enticements to God that are not God are precious and precarious. They can lead us to God or lure us to themselves. They may be food or marriage or church or miracles. All of these blessings bring love letters from God. But unless we stress continually that God himself is the gospel, people will fall in love with the mailman—whether his name is forgiveness of sins or eternal life or heaven or ministry or miracles or family or food. (143)

To drive home what Piper is suggesting, imagine a young lady who receives a Christmas gift from her fiancee who is temporarily out of the country. It is a beautiful gift that should indicate to the young lady how much her husband-to-be loves her. But in receiving this gift, the lady becomes captivated and falls in love with the gift. The gift becomes the foremost affection in her heart; she loves this present. Instead of seeing the gift as a token of her fiancee's love, and thus having her become more enthralled with him, she allows the gift to replace him in her heart.

Sounds crazy, doesn't it?

But, I think Piper is right in that, at least on a small scale, we do that all the time with God. We become enamoured with the gift instead of the Gift-giver. We 'seek first' the secondary things, and relegate the Primary One to a position of secondary importance.

Machen

"... the Christian movement at its inception was not just a way of life in the modern sense, but a way of life founded upon a message. It was based, not upon mere feeling, not upon a mere program of work, but upon an account of facts. In other words it was based upon doctrine."

So wrote J. Gresham Machen in his classic Christianity and Liberalism. I have long-intended to read this book and in the closing month of the year I have finally begun. So far, it is excellent. Machen is a concise writer; he doesn't waste words or take the long way around to get to a point. I enjoy this type of writing. Following are a few more quotes from the first chapter.

"It is perfectly conceivable that the originators of the Christian movement had no right to legislate for subsequent generations. But at any rate they did have an inalienable right to legislate for all generations that should choose to bear the name of "Christian." "

"What is it that forms the content of that primitive teaching? Is it a general principle of the fatherliness of God or the brotherliness of man? Is it a vague admiration for the character of Jesus such as that which prevails in the modern Church? Nothing could be further from the fact. "Christ died for our sins," said the primitive disciples, "according to the Scriptures; he was buried; he has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." From the beginning, the Christian gospel, as indeed the name "gospel" or "good news" implies, consisted in an account of something that had happened. And from the beginning, the meaning of the happening was set forth; and when the meaning of the happening was set forth then there was Christian doctrine. "Christ died"--that is history; "Christ died for our sins"--that is doctrine. Without these two elements, joined in an absolutely indissoluble union, there is no Christianity."

God's glory post fall

From John Piper:

... God went beyond the revelation of his glory in nature and in man by working redemptively in the material world after the fall. This was not just to recover for man the lost vision of God, but to reveal in the gospel vastly more of his glory than could have ever been known without the fall and the history of redemption. (Piper, John. God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008. Print. 139)

From John Owen (quoted by Piper):

The revelation made of Christ in the blessed Gospel is far more excellent, more glorious, and more filled with rays of divine wisdom and goodness, than the whole creation and the just comprehension of it, if attainable, can contain or afford. Without the knowledge hereof, the mind of man, however priding itself in other inventions and discoveries, is wrapped up in darkness and confusion. (Piper, John. God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008. Print.

No great matter

“To be sovereign of the universe is no great matter to God.”

C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves (New York, 1960), pages 175-176.

HT: Ray Ortlund

Where is the Savior

Where are the French Encyclopedists—the men of deep learning and brilliant genius, of moving eloquence, caustic wit, and untiring energy, who banded themselves together with a vow to exterminate Christ and Christianity? Where is the eloquent Rosseau, the witty Voltaire, the ingenious Helvetius, the sophistical Hume, the scoffing D’Alembert, and the ribaldist Paine? Their names have rotted from the earth, and their works follow them. And where is the Savior, whom they sought to annihilate? Enthroned in glory, robed in majesty, and exalted a Prince and a Savior, encircled, worshiped, and adored by countless myriads of holy beings, the crown of Deity on His head, and the scepter of universal government in His hand, from whose tribunal they have passed, tried, sentenced, and condemned, while He yet lives, "to guard His Church and crush His foes." - Octavius Winslow, Morning Thoughts for November 29

What is God's greatest pleasure?

What is the preeminent passion of God's heart? What is God's greatest pleasure? How does the happiness of God manifest itself? In what does God take supreme delight? I want to suggest that the preeminent passion in God's heart is His own glory. God is at the center of his own affections. The supreme love of God's life is God. God is preeminently committed to the fame of His name. God is Himself the end for which God created the world. Better still, God's immediate goal in all He does is His own glory.

God relentlessly and unceasingly creates, rules, orders, directs, speaks, judges, saves, destroys, and delivers in order to make known who He is and to secure from the whole of the universe the praise, honor, and glory of which He and He alone is ultimately and infinitely worthy.

(Storms, C. Samuel. Pleasures Evermore: the Life-changing Power of Enjoying God. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2000. Print. 82)

Winter ...

Winter in the soul is by no means a comfortable season, and if it be upon thee just now it will be very painful to thee: but there is this comfort, namely, that the Lord makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of expectation: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes over the once verdant meadows of our joy: He casteth forth His ice like morsels freezing the streams of our delight. He does it all, He is the great Winter King, and rules in the realms of frost, and therefore thou canst not murmur. Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand other ills, are of the Lord's sending, and come to us with wise design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and put a bound to raging diseases; they break up the clods, and sweeten the soul. O that such good results would always follow our winters of affliction!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon