“Once again, the connection of the resurrection and the gospel is this, it proves the safely of the saints, for if when Christ rose his people rose also, they rose to a life like that of their Lord, and therefore they can never die. It is written, “Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death hath no more dominion over him,” and it is so with the believer: if you have been dead with Christ and are risen with Christ, death has no more dominion over you; you shall never go back to the beggarly elements of sin, you shall never become what you were before your regeneration. You shall never perish, neither shall any pluck you out of Jesus’ hand. He has put within you a living and incorruptible seed which lives and abides forever. He says himself, “The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of living water springing up unto everlasting life.” Wherefore hold ye fast to this, and let the resurrection of your Lord be the pledge of your own final perseverance. Brethren, I cannot stop to show you how this resurrection touches the gospel at every point, but Paul is always full of it.”
Charles H. Spurgeon, The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus
http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/1653.htm
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
A Personal Necessity: someone who loves us radically, unconditionally, vulnerably – Tim Keller
“Some years ago a theologian named William Vanstone wrote a book, now out of print, that included an interesting chapter called “The Phenomenology of Love.” All human beings, he says – even people who from childhood were deprived of love – know the difference between false & true love, fake & authentic love.
Here’s the difference, Vanstone says. In false love your aim is to use the other person to fulfill your happiness. Your love is conditional: You give it only as long as the person is affirming you & meeting your needs. And it’s nonvulnerable: You hold back so that you can cut your losses if necessary. But in true love, your aim is to spend yourself & use yourself for the happiness of the other, because your greatest joy is that person’s joy. Therefore your affection is unconditional: You give it regardless of whether your loved one is meeting your needs. And it’s radically vulnerable: You spend everything, hold nothing back, give it all away. Then Vanstone says, surprisingly, that our real problem is that nobody is actually fully capable of giving true love. We want it desperately, but we can’t give it. He doesn’t say we can’t give any kind of real love at all, but he’s saying that nobody is fully capable of true love. All of our love is somewhat fake. How so? Because we need to be loved like we need air & water. We can’t live without love. That means there’s a certain mercenary quality to our relationships. We look for people whose love would really affirm us. We invest our love only where we know we’ll get a good return. Of course when we do that, our love is conditional and nonvulnerable, because we’re not loving the person simply for himself or herself; we’re loving the person partly for the love we’re getting.
Obviously there are healthy people and unhealthy people; some are more able to love than others. But at the core Vanstone is right: Nobody can give anyone else the kind or amount of love they’re starved for. In the end we’re all alike, groping for true love & incapable of fully giving it. What we need is someone to love us who doesn’t need us at all. Someone who loves us radically, unconditionally, vulnerably. Someone who loves us just for our sake. If we received that kind of love, that would so assure us of our value, it would so fill us up, that maybe we could start to give love like that too. Who can give love with no need? Jesus. Remember the dance of the Trinity – the Father, the Son, & the Spirit have been knowing & loving one another perfectly for all eternity. Within Himself, God has forever had all the love, all the fulfillment, & all the joy that He could possibly want. He has all the love within Himself that the whole human race lacks. And the only way we’re going to get any more is from Him…
Why did God create us & later redeem us at great cost even though He doesn’t need us? He did it because He loves us. His love is perfect love, radically vulnerable love. And when you begin to get it, when you begin to experience it, the fakery & manipulativeness of your own love starts to wash away, & you’ve got the patience & security to reach out & start giving a truer love to other people…”
– Timothy Keller, King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus
http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Cross-Story-World-Jesus/dp/0525952101
Sunday, March 27, 2011
the election of grace – Saint Augustine
“This is ‘the election of grace’ (Romans 11:5), that is, the election by which men are chosen through the grace of God. This is, I say, the election of grace by which one advances beyond all good, human merits. If it is given for any outstanding merits, it is no longer a gratuitous, but is rendered as due (Rom. 4:3-5). For this reason, one cannot use the term ‘grace’ in its true sense when ‘the reward,’ as the same Apostle says ‘is not credited as favor but as something due’ (Romans 4:4).
For this reason, one cannot use the term ‘grace’ in its true sense when ‘the reward,’ as the same Apostle says, ‘is not credited as favor but as something due’ (Romans 4:4). But, if, in order to be true grace, that is, gratuitous, it finds nothing in man which would rightly claim it as his due – and this is clearly understood in that saying, “For nothing shalt thou save them’ (Isaiah 52:3) – surely it itself bestows merit & is not given according to merit…
For God calls his many predestined children to make them members of His predestined only Son, & not with that call by which those who did not wish to come to the wedding were called (Matthew 22:1-14), for with that call the Jews also were called, to whom Christ crucified is a scandal, & the Gentiles were called, for whom Christ crucified is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). Rather, He calls the predestined by that call which the Apostle distinguished when he declared that he preached Christ, the Wisdom & the Power of God, to those who were called, Jews as well as Greeks (1 Corinthians 1:24). For he speaks thus: “But unto those who are called,” to show that those others were not called, for he knows that there is a special & certain call reserved for those who are called according to God’s purpose, “whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).
This is the calling which he means when he says, "Not of works, but of him who calls, was it said to her, 'The elder shall serve the younger’” (Romans 9:10-13). Did the Apostle say, ‘Not of works but of him who believes’? No, for he took this entirely away from man, so that he might give it all to God. Hence he said, "But of him who calls," not by any kind of call but by that call whereby one becomes a believer.”
– Saint Augustine
For this reason, one cannot use the term ‘grace’ in its true sense when ‘the reward,’ as the same Apostle says, ‘is not credited as favor but as something due’ (Romans 4:4). But, if, in order to be true grace, that is, gratuitous, it finds nothing in man which would rightly claim it as his due – and this is clearly understood in that saying, “For nothing shalt thou save them’ (Isaiah 52:3) – surely it itself bestows merit & is not given according to merit…
For God calls his many predestined children to make them members of His predestined only Son, & not with that call by which those who did not wish to come to the wedding were called (Matthew 22:1-14), for with that call the Jews also were called, to whom Christ crucified is a scandal, & the Gentiles were called, for whom Christ crucified is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). Rather, He calls the predestined by that call which the Apostle distinguished when he declared that he preached Christ, the Wisdom & the Power of God, to those who were called, Jews as well as Greeks (1 Corinthians 1:24). For he speaks thus: “But unto those who are called,” to show that those others were not called, for he knows that there is a special & certain call reserved for those who are called according to God’s purpose, “whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).
This is the calling which he means when he says, "Not of works, but of him who calls, was it said to her, 'The elder shall serve the younger’” (Romans 9:10-13). Did the Apostle say, ‘Not of works but of him who believes’? No, for he took this entirely away from man, so that he might give it all to God. Hence he said, "But of him who calls," not by any kind of call but by that call whereby one becomes a believer.”
– Saint Augustine
Friday, March 25, 2011
Ruin, redemption, & regeneration – C. H. Spurgeon
“I remember an old friend of mine once saying, "Ah! you preach the three R's, and God will always bless you." I said, "What are the three R's?" and he answered, "Ruin, redemption, and regeneration." They contain the sum and substance of divinity. R for ruin. We were all ruined in the fall; we were lost when Adam sinned, and we were all ruined by our own transgressions; we are all ruined by our own evil hearts, and our own wicked wills; and we all shall be ruined, unless grace saves us. Then there is a second R for redemption. We are ransomed by the blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish and without spot; we are rescued by his power; we are ransomed by his merits; we are redeemed by his strength. then there is R for regeneration. If we would be pardoned, we must also be regenerated; for no man can partake of redemption unless he is regenerate. Let him be as good as he pleases; let him serve God, as he imagines, as much as he likes; unless he is regenerate, and has a new heart, a new birth, he will still be in the first R, that is ruin. These things contain an epitome of the gospel.
I believe there is a better epitome in the five points of Calvinism;—Election according to the foreknowledge of God; the natural depravity and sinfulness of man; particular redemption by the blood of Christ; effectual calling by the power of the Spirit; and ultimate perseverance by the efforts of God's might. I think all those need to be believed, in order to salvation; but I should not like to write a creed like the Athanasian, beginning with "Whosoever shall be saved, before all things it is necessary that he should hold the Catholic faith, which faith is this,"—when I got so far, I should stop, because I should not know what to write. I hold the Catholic faith of the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible. It is not for me to draw up creeds; but I ask you to search the Scriptures, for this is the word of life.”
– C. H. Spurgeon
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Indwelling of Christ in our hearts - Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love…” - Ephesians 3:14-17
“Our hearts also need to be strengthened, because while we love ourselves, Christ will not come into our hearts…The ultimate battle in the Christian life is to get rid of self & self-love; & of ourselves we cannot do this. You drive it out as it were by one door of your house, but it soon returns by another, or through some window, or by the chimney. To get rid of self-love seems impossible. But Christ will not come into our hearts until there is room for Him. We cannot create love, we cannot ‘work it up’. Nothing is so foolish as to try to do so. Love is a gift of God through the Spirit; so we must pray that He will strengthen our hearts to receive this pure love, which is so strange to us as natural men & women...
Whenever you invite a guest to come to stay in your home you always begin to tidy up the house; you want the place to look nice, & at its best. It would be insulting to your guest not to do so. In so doing you are paying the guest a very subtle & delicate compliment. If you have some great personage coming to stay with you, you redouble your efforts; there is nothing you will not do. What we have been considering is the possibility of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, coming to dwell within us; not only to pay a visit, but to make His home within us. This needs preparation, but preparation beyond our natural capacity & capability. So we need to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, & as we thus become strengthened, we act, we get rid of the rubbish, we cleanse & purify ourselves, mortify the flesh, deliberately keep out things that we know are not compatible with Him, or which would grieve Him & offend Him. We do all we can, & we go on doing so. We plead with Him to come; we yearn for Him.
This is where faith comes in – ‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith’. We believe in the possibility, knowing that it can become an actuality…”
- Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Unsearchable Riches of Christ: Exposition of Ephesians 3
Thursday, February 24, 2011
preaching to ourselves every day - Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“I am more than ever convinced that the trouble with many Christian people is that they do not preach to themselves. We should spend time every day preaching to ourselves, & never more so than when we get on our knees in prayer. By preaching to yourself I mean that, when you are on your knees, and all these thoughts and doubts and uncertainties come crowding in upon you, and your sins rise up against you, and you feel you have no right to pray at all, and that you are almost a cad in doing so – I say, you must first realize where they come from and then begin to remind yourself of the central truths of the Christian faith. You must remind yourself of the great doctrine which we have been considering together. You say: ‘Of course I am a sinner; when the devil told me I was a sinner, he was quite right. He said it to discourage me; but I am going to use it to help myself. Of course I am a sinner! God is holy and I am vile, and I do not realize even yet how vile I am. Well then, how can I pray? How can I go into the presence of God? The answer is, that God Himself has opened the way for me; He has provided it. He has sent His only Son into this world to bear my sins, to die for me. Christ has kept the law for me and has ‘put His own perfect robe of righteousness upon me. With this on me I can go into the presence of God’. Having convinced yourself of that, you gain confidence and begin to pray.
Thus you have solemnly and specifically to remind yourself of what you are, and of what you are doing, also that the God whom you are addressing is the God who has revealed Himself. You have to see the absolute necessity of Christ, and to know that He really covers you in every respect. So with Christ’s righteousness upon you, and Christ with you, you go into the presence of God. John in his First Epistle states it thus: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’. He says that in the context of ‘the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7-9). He goes on to say, ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins’ (1 John 2:1-2). That is what you say to yourself. You do not wait until a better mood comes; and you do not simply go on talking in spite of your mood or state. You have to say to yourself ‘Although I am a sinner, and though I feel nothing, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that I can never fit myself to go into the presence of God; but I believe this record in the Scriptures. I therefore believe, whatever I may feel or not feel, that Christ the Son of God has died for me and my sins; and that therefore I have as much right to go into the presence of God as the greatest saint’.
And then you immediately, thank God for it all – ‘By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving’, says this apostle in teaching the Philippians how to pray (Phil. 4:6). Forget for the moment all your needs and desires, even that particular thing which led you to pray. Before you ever come even to that, just thank God for His love, thank Him for His mercy and compassion, thank Him for sending His Son into a world such as this; thank Him for going to the Cross and dying for you, thank Him for rising again, thank Him for sending the Holy Spirit. Pour out your heart in praise and thanksgiving. Soon you will find freedom; your heart will be moved, and you will know for the first time in your life ‘boldness and access with confidence’. Then pray that God will shed His Holy Spirit abroad in your heart so that you may experience the authentication of all these things.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Unsearchable Riches of Christ: Exposition of Ephesians 3,
Boldness, Access, Confidence
Thus you have solemnly and specifically to remind yourself of what you are, and of what you are doing, also that the God whom you are addressing is the God who has revealed Himself. You have to see the absolute necessity of Christ, and to know that He really covers you in every respect. So with Christ’s righteousness upon you, and Christ with you, you go into the presence of God. John in his First Epistle states it thus: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’. He says that in the context of ‘the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7-9). He goes on to say, ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins’ (1 John 2:1-2). That is what you say to yourself. You do not wait until a better mood comes; and you do not simply go on talking in spite of your mood or state. You have to say to yourself ‘Although I am a sinner, and though I feel nothing, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that I can never fit myself to go into the presence of God; but I believe this record in the Scriptures. I therefore believe, whatever I may feel or not feel, that Christ the Son of God has died for me and my sins; and that therefore I have as much right to go into the presence of God as the greatest saint’.
And then you immediately, thank God for it all – ‘By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving’, says this apostle in teaching the Philippians how to pray (Phil. 4:6). Forget for the moment all your needs and desires, even that particular thing which led you to pray. Before you ever come even to that, just thank God for His love, thank Him for His mercy and compassion, thank Him for sending His Son into a world such as this; thank Him for going to the Cross and dying for you, thank Him for rising again, thank Him for sending the Holy Spirit. Pour out your heart in praise and thanksgiving. Soon you will find freedom; your heart will be moved, and you will know for the first time in your life ‘boldness and access with confidence’. Then pray that God will shed His Holy Spirit abroad in your heart so that you may experience the authentication of all these things.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Unsearchable Riches of Christ: Exposition of Ephesians 3,
Boldness, Access, Confidence
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