MERCY IN ABUNDANCE

Recently God has caused me to go through a “growth spurt” where I have begun to realize that we as His people are so much more blessed & the riches that have been given to us are so much greater than we realize. It reminds me of the story of a slave during the Civil War era that had a master that loved him like a son; of which the master had none.  When it came time for the master to die he left all his earthly riches to his slave.  In one day the slave went from being a pauper to a very wealthy man.  In one day, the slave went from being penniless to a net worth of over $50,000 (which was a lot in those days).  While the slave was very rich he could not fathom the extent of his newly acquired wealth.  This was demonstrated one day when he went into the bank and asked the teller if he had enough in his account so that he could withdraw a nickel to purchase a bag of flour.

We as Christians often live like this slave.  John Owen, in his book entitled Communion with God points out that…

Christ shows and proves His love to His saints in richly providing for all their needs (John 1:16).  All that Christ does for us He does abundantly.  There is no niggardliness (stinginess) on Christ’s part to His saints (Rom. 5:20).  Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.  If grace abounds more than sin, it is abundant grace indeed.  He answers our prayers ‘exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think’ (Eph. 3:20).  He abundantly pardons (Isa. 55:7).  He sheds the Spirit on us abundantly (Titus 3:6).  We receive ‘abundant grace’ (Rom. 5:17).  He ‘abounds to us in all wisdom and prudence’ (Eph 1:8) (p. 116).

We have riches beyond our comprehension poured upon us through Jesus Christ, yet we often live; hoping that we have a nickels worth of God’s blessings so that we might meet some earthly need.  Owens puts it this way,

The great sin of believers is that they do not make as much use of Christ’s bounty as they might.  Every day we ought to take from Him mercy in abundance.  Supplies from Christ do not fail.  But our faith fails in receiving them.

In view then, of all Christ’s goodness to us, what is our duty to Him?

Our first duty to Christ is to practice holiness in the power of the Spirit.  The most holy person is the one most obedient to Christ.

Believers obey Christ as the author of their faith and obedience (Heb. 12:1, 2; Phil. 1:29).  Christ by His Spirit works obedience in them.

Believers obey Christ as the One by whom our obedience is accepted by God.  Believers know all their duties are weak, imperfect and unable to abide in God’s presence.  Therefore they look to Christ as the One who bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds from their duties and makes them acceptable to God.

Believers obey Christ as the One who has renewed the commands of God to them, placing them under a mighty obligation to obedience (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).

Believers obey Christ as the One who is God, equal with the Father, to whom all honor and obedience are due (Rev. 5:13).

In all their obedience, saints have a special regard to their dear Lord Jesus.  He is continually in their thoughts.  His love to them, His life for them, His death for them, all His mercy and all His kindness constrains them to live for Him. 

Our second duty to Christ is to abound in fruits of holiness.  As He abounds richly towards us, so He requires us to abound richly to Him in all grateful obedience (1 Cor. 15:58).

This is but a little glimpse of that communion which we enjoy with Christ (p. 117).

Brothers and sisters, let us seek daily to be much in God’s Word; praying that our spiritual eyes might be opened to see who we truly are in Christ.  Let us pray that our faith might be strengthened so that it does not fail in receiving the abundant blessings given to us in Christ!!!

HOW BELIEVERS LIVE IN COMMUNION WITH CHRIST

Having walked with the Lord for 40+ years, I have used many different methods of study for my personal time of worship each day; everything from reading through particular books of the Bible to devotional books (i.e. Tabletalk) to reading through the Bible in a year. However, this year I decided to do something different and use the writings of the Puritans as a guide for my devotional reading. I am currently reading through John Owen’s book Communion with God. One of the things I appreciate about the Puritans is they are steeped in Scripture. So by the time I read a short section of Communion with God and look up the Scriptures I have had a fairly hearty spiritual meal. Another benefit of the Puritans is that as they speak of the doctrines of Scripture, they do not merely state the doctrines (i.e. “God loves you”), but they unpack these wonderful doctrines; examining the nuances of that particular doctrine; painting word pictures that fix these truths vividly in the mind of the reader. A steady diet of the Puritans can be helpful in seeing familiar doctrines with new eyes. Let me give you an example from Owen’s book on the doctrine of our communion with Christ.

Scripture shows us that we hold communion with the Lord Jesus in grace by a marriage relationship. Christ is married to us and we to Him. This spiritual relation is accompanied with mutual love, and so in this fellowship with Christ we experience and enjoy all the excellent things which are in Him (p. 54).
But how do we as believers live in communion with Christ? What does this communion look like? Let me share just one aspect of this union in the words of Owen.

There is a mutual committing of each to the other in this marriage union. This is the first act of communion arising from the personal union with the grace of Christ. Christ commits Himself to the soul, to love, care for and show kindness to it as a husband does to his wife. The soul, in response, gives itself up wholly to the Lord Christ to be to Him a loving, tender, obedient wife. The prophet Hosea describes this in the relationship between himself and his unfaithful wife, Gomer. "You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you." (Hos 3:3).

This relationship begins with Christ giving Himself to the soul to be its Saviour, head and husband to dwell with that soul forever. Christ looks with joy upon the souls of His saints. Christ loves their souls, see them as fair and beautiful, because He has made them so (Song of Solomon 1:5; Ezek. 16:14). Therefore He desires to enjoy fellowship with His spouse. "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret place of the steep pathway, Let me see your form, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your form is lovely." (Song of Solomon 2:14). As if to say, “Do not hide yourself as one that flees to the clefts of the rocks. Do not be timid and fearful like one that hides in the secret places and is afraid to come out. Do not be cast down at the weakness of your prayers. Let Me hear you sighing and groaning for Me. They are sweet and delightful to My ears. Let Me see your spiritual face seeking for and desiring heavenly things. A look from you brings great joy and delight to Me.

Nor does He leave her only with these words, but urges her to a closer union with Himself. "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. Journey down from the summit of Amana, From the summit of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards. (Song of Solomon 4:8). As if to say, “You are in a wandering condition, like the Israelites of old, among sins and troubles which are lions and leopards to you. Come to Me and I will give you peace and comfort” (Matt. 11:28). So the spouse boldly concludes that the desire of Christ is for her fellowship, that He does indeed love her and is determined to have her for Himself (Song 7:10). So in carrying on this union, Christ freely gives Himself to the soul. Precious and excellent as Christ is, He becomes ours. He makes Himself available to us with all His graces. So the spouse says, “My beloved is mine. In all that He is, Christ is mine. Because He is righteousness, He is the Lord my righteousness. Because He is the wisdom and power of God, He is made to me wisdom” (Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30). So the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. (Isa 4:2). This is the first act of fellowship on Christ’s part in this spiritual union between Him and the believer. Christ gives Himself freely to us to be our Christ, our beloved, to fulfill all the purposes of His love, mercy, grace and glory. Christ was set up to be the Mediator between God and His elect, and to enter into a marriage covenant with His people, a covenant that will never be broken.

The Lord Jesus Christ, then, was set up and prepared to be a husband to His saints, His church. He undertook the work of Mediator for which He was especially filled with the Spirit. As Mediator He purchased for His people grace and glory. Now He offers Himself to them in the promises of the gospel, making Himself desirable to them. He convinces them of His good will, and that He is sufficient for all their needs. And when they agree to receive Him, which is all He requires or expects from them, He enters into a marriage contract to be theirs for ever.

On the saints’ part, all that is required is their free, willing agreement to receive, embrace and submit to the Lord Jesus as Husband, Lord and Saviour, to abide with Him, subject their souls to Him to be ruled by Him for ever.

This is the first act of union the soul makes with Christ (pp. 57-59). 

Owens words are more than simply a flowery way of expressing that God loves you! Owens describes a relationship that is so intimate between Christ and His church that it may even sound inappropriate to our religious ears. But it is such intimacy that the soul of believers has with Christ.

Christian, as one who has been made part of Christ’s church, do you realize how deeply you are loved? Not because you are worthy, but simply because your husband has so intently fixed His love upon you! Do you rest in the security and comfort of His love? Is service & obedience to Him the delight of your soul in response to His glorious love?

Christian, please stop struggling. Stop seeking to be self-reliant. Instead, rest in the warmth of His embrace. Know that you are loved beyond your comprehension!

Thoughts on Manhood

Westerners today value many things, but manhood isn't one of them. Our culture tells us that men are arrogant, stupid, shortsighted, and selfish. Our society dismisses courage as bravado, and denounces chivalry as chauvinism. Yet history & Scripture paint a rich picture of what men are to be and how they are to conduct themselves. Much profit can be gained by examining the attributes of godly men as evidenced by our forefathers.

Courage (The Battle of Maldon)

In 991 A.D. The British Earl Birhtnoth led his thanes against the Viking raiders that threatened the security of Essex. As the sea-wolves cut down the English defenders and finally killed Birhtnoth many warriors began to flee in terror. As the tide of battle turned fear began to grip the defenders. Until, at the last moment, a young thane by the name of Ælfwine spoke these words: “Remember the speeches we have spoken so often over our mead, when we raised boast on the bench, heroes in the hall, about hard fighting. Now may the man who is bold prove that he is.” With these words he “went forward, bent on revenge, and with the point of his spear pierced one of the pirate band, so that he lay on the earth, destroyed by the weapon.” Ælfwine's example of manly bravery illustrates one of the characteristics of a godly man: courage. The Bible is replete with examples of courageous men who faced danger and difficulty with firm resolve. As Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:20 “[I]t is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

Wisdom (Erasmus of Rotterdam)

But courage is not enough. In 1516 the renaissance scholar Erasmus wrote an admonition to the young Prince Charles, grandson of the Emperor Maximilian. Erasmus opens his letter by reminding the Prince that “Wisdom in itself is a wonderful thing...” Wisdom is another attribute of a godly man, and a subject about which the Scriptures often speak. King Solomon, the wisest man in history, reminds us in Ecclesiastes 9:17 that “The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.” As Proverbs 1:7 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Humility (Marcus Aurelius)

The ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was a man renowned for his wisdom. While on campaign against the barbarian hordes in 170-180 A.D. He wrote his famous Meditations. In this great work he gives a warning particularly well suited to young men when he says: “Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.” Marcus Aurelius's reminder of both our mortality and our duty illustrates another characteristic of a godly man: humility. Without an awareness of our own frailty, and of God's infinite power, courage and wisdom are useless. It is through humility that we submit ourselves to God. As Proverbs 15:33 reminds us: “The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

The 6^th century Roman philosopher Boethius closes his great work The Consolation of Philosophy with these words: “Avoid vice, therefore, and cultivate virtue; lift up your mind to the right kind of hope, and put forth humble prayers on high. A great necessity is laid upon you, if you will be honest with yourself, a great necessity to be good, since you live in the sight of a judge who sees all things.”

“I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!”

Valentine’s Day is soon approaching and many men will purchase for their wives or girlfriends tokens of their love such as cards, boxes of heart shaped candy or even flowers!  Such a tradition is good in that it allows men to back up their statements of “I love you!” with tangible expressions of love to the one they care for deeply.  While a woman likes to be told by her man that he loves her (and she likes to be told a lot by the way), she also likes to be shown that love as well.  A wise man is one who backs up his words with his actions!  Valentine’s Day is just one of many opportunities to demonstrate such love.

While Valentine’s Day seems to primarily bring to mind thoughts of romantic love, it does not have to be limited to that.  This holiday season I would like us to also think about our love for God.  Do you love God?  You may quickly say, “Yes I love God!  He sent His only begotten Son to die for my sins, of course I love Him!”  Such expressions of love to God are all well and good, but how do we express that love?  What are tangible ways that we show God that we love Him?

As we grow in our faith our love for God grows as well.  It is a great gift of God when as the years go by, we grow to love Him more.  But such love flows from a heart that is changing; that is being made more like the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let me ask you, what is the condition of your heart?  Don Cousins gives Ten Signs of a Healthy Heart; a heart or life that demonstrates its love to God:

1.      A tongue that blesses.  An unhealthy heart is a tongue that is vile, negative, and cursing.  The words we speak say a lot about the condition of our heart.  Matthew 12:34—“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

2.      Thoughts that are pure.  When your mind is free to wander, what are you thinking about?  Matthew 15:19—“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

3.      Thankfulness…in all things.  I Thessalonians 5:16-18—Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

4.      A peace-filled spirit.  Ephesians 4:31-32—Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”   Colossians 3:15—Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”  How is your anger level these days?  How are your irritations these days?

5.      A desire to worship God.  Psalm 96:9—“Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.”  Is worship filling your heart?  The more you pray, the more you pray.  The more you worship, the more you worship.          

6.      Contentment in all circumstances.  Philippians 4:11—“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in all circumstances.”    Are you satisfied with what God has given you?

7.      A hunger for God’s Word.    Psalm 119:9—“How can a young person live a pure life?  By obeying your Word.”  

8.      Demonstrated humility.  James 4:6—But he gives us more grace.  That is why Scripture says:  ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”   How much of your life starts with self?

9.      A commitment to personal holiness.  II Timothy 2:22—Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”  True holiness is to walk in faith. 

10.   Whole-hearted devotedness to the Lord.  I John 5:21—Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”  Anything you have to add to Jesus is an idol.  What threatens your devotion to the Lord?

Of course all these 10 signs could easily be summarized by Jesus’ statement in John 14:15 which says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”.   This Valentine’s Day season let us respond to God’s great love for us by loving Him back with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Mark 12:30)!

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER LIST

With the coming of the New Year I have become increasing aware of how our culture does everything it can to persuade us not to think, but simply to be satisfied to be entertained. It is so easy to spend hours surfing the web, watching TV or even listening to music on one's mp3 player. Let me challenge you though, to take more time feeding your mind by increasing the amount of time you spend reading and pondering. I encouraged you to set some goals for your reading; not only in the amount of books you read, but in the types as well. As Ligon Duncan points out,

…you want to be reading what the Puritans would have called "soul-fatting" books: works that will increase your knowledge, your love for the Lord and your confidence in Scripture. You will, of course, from time to time read things that are not soul-fatting, but you must never allow this best kind of book to be entirely absent from your normal plan of reading (http://blog.t4g.org/2006/02/pastors_studyin_1.html).

This is a good reminder as Christians are prone to simply read what is on the latest Christian best seller reading list; whether it is "soul-fatting" reading or not. To get into the habit of reading only that which is in the Christian top 50 is a poor habit; much like that of living on junk food. C.S. Lewis points out that it is not good to read only modern books, but one should also read old books:

Naturally, since I myself am a writer, I do not wish the ordinary reader to read no modern books. But if he must read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old. And I would give him this advice precisely because he is an amateur and therefore much less protected than the expert against the dangers of an exclusive contemporary diet. A new book is still on its trial and the amateur is not in a position to judge it. It has to be tested against the great body of Christian thought down the ages, and all its hidden implications (often unsuspected by the author himself) have to be brought to light. Often it cannot be fully understood without the knowledge of a good many other modern books….

… The only safety is to have a standard of plain, central Christianity ("mere Christianity" as Baxter called it) which puts the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective. Such a standard can be acquired only from the old books. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones
(http://blog.t4g.org/2006/02/pastors_studyin_1.html).

 

So, let me encourage you to read a variety of "soul-fatting" books, both modern & old.

In order to help you get started on your endeavor let me suggest a list of books that you might consider. If you are not an avid reader then do not worry, but take heart. Rather than trying to read all these books, pick out 6 or even 3 that you will read in 2010. 

The Quest for More by Paul David Tripp (both book and discussion guide) - Tripp demonstrates though sound biblical principles how humanity is made by God to transcend far beyond the mere physical realm and is likewise created to be "glory junkies;" those whose visionary lives are governed by God's grand purposes rather than existing only within their narrow self-interested confines. Paul Tripp expertly traverses the deepest recesses of the human heart and compassionately invites fellow Christian travelers to journey with him into God's bigger kingdom. The author promises readers that they will be encouraged, excited, and motivated by hope as they learn how to set aside their "little kingdom" attachments which can expertly masquerade within the church as Christian activism, legalism, emotionalism, formalism, creedalism, and externalism; in favor of God's expansive and soul-freeing eternal quest.

Making Kingdom Disciples:  A New Framework by Charles H.
Dunahoo -- In much of the church one-sided discipleship has produced one-sided disciples. Such believers often divorce Sunday from the work week, religious feeling from intellectual rigor, or personal practice from the public square. To redress these imbalances, Making Kingdom Disciples proposes a holistic, kingdom-oriented approach to discipleship. Drawing on years of experience in Christian education at the pastoral and denominational level, Dunahoo calls churches to train disciples to "think God's thoughts after him" in all of life: business, education, politics, recreation. Drawing deeply from the Reformed tradition, he orients readers to overarching concepts such as kingdom, epistemology, covenant, and worldview together with their eminently practical implications. The work as a whole serves to root anew our discipleship efforts upon a biblical foundation with a sensitivity to today's modern and post-modern generations. This is a must read for anyone who makes disciples!

Why We Love The Church by Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck – Community is hip, but the church is lame. Both inside the church and out, organized religion is seen as oppressive, irrelevant, and a waste of time. Outsiders like Jesus, but not the church. Insiders have been told they can do just fine with God apart from the church. Yet Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck paint a picture of the local church in all its biblical and real life guts, gaffes, and glory in an effort to edify local congregations and counteract the "leave church" books that trumpet rebellion and individual felt needs. They remind us that being part of a church---and learning to live it—is good for your soul, biblically responsible, and pleasing to God.

Worldly Saints by Leland Ryken – This is a very persuasive & interesting book; offering a good introduction to seventeenth-century Puritanism. The typical Puritans were not wild men, fierce and freaky, religious fanatics and social extremists, but sober, conscientious, and cultured citizens, persons of principle, determined and disciplined. Dr. Ryken's presentation of the Puritan view and style of life is perceptive and accurate. He allows the Puritans to speak for themselves on topics ranging from "Church and Worship" to "Money" and "Marriage and Sex.

The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher -- An intriguing book, quite unlike any other The Marrow of Modern Divinity defies pigeonholing. It was written in the 1600s by an author of whom we know little, yet it proved to be a critically important and controversial theological text.


Penned as dialogue between a minister(Evangelista), a young Christian(Neophytus), a legalist(Nomista) who believes Christianity is a set of rules to be obeyed and Antinomista who thinks it's okay to sin because God will forgive him anyway, it makes for a wonderfully insightful book that remains tremendously relevant for our world today.

God At Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. -- Culture expert Gene Veith unpacks the biblical, Reformation teaching about the doctrine of vocation, emphasizing not what we should specifically do with our time or what careers we are called to, but what God does in and through our callings--even within the home. In each task He has given us--in our workplaces and families, our churches and society--God Himself is at work. Veith guides you to discover God's purpose and calling in those seemingly ordinary areas by providing you with a spiritual framework for thinking about such issues and for acting upon them with a changed perspective.

Also, consider the following:

• Lost in the Middle: Midlife and the Grace of God by Paul David Tripp
  
• Blame It On The Brain? By Edward T. Welch
  
• Cross Talk: Where Life & Scripture Meet by Michael R. Emlet
  
• The Walk by Stephen Smallman
  
• Robert E. Lee on Leadership by H.W. Crocker III
  
• Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks
  
• Broken Down House by Paul David Tripp
  

Happy reading in 2010!!!!