A Book I Highly Reccomend… February 18, 2009
Posted by Eddie in : Required Reading, Justification, The Atonement, Avoiding Deceit, The Love of God, Legalism, assurance, Depression, The Word Of God , 1 comment so far
A book that I HEAVILY commend to you is a book called “A Gospel Primer For Christians” by Milton Vincent. It is truly feeding my soul right now. I believe that outside of the Bible itself, this will be one of the books that I will read and reread and come back to time and time again for years to come. It has been a constant companion for me for quite some time now. The premise of the book is based on the fact that we should PREACH THE GOSPEL TO OURSELVES DAILY. The gospel is NOT just something for unbelievers, but for believers as well. Preaching the Gospel to ourselves will help us to be more steadfast in turning our back on sin as well as helping our hearts to rejoice in the glories of God’s great love for us.
And for those who struggle with issues such as depression, despair, discouragement, lack of assurance, and legalistic tendencies, this book is invaluable to your walk. Almost every line the author uses in his book comes with a direct reference to Scripture and is packed with soul-stirring promises from the Word of God. The author does an excellent job of hammering home the effects of what being justified through Christ means and the implications of the finished work of Christ for the believer’s everyday life and how those truths and promises ignite joy in Christ.
Read a small excerpt from the book below entitled “My Salvation”:
Now when my time came and I placed my faith in Jesus, God instantly granted me a great salvation. He forgave me of all of my sins, past, present and future. He made me His child, adopting me into His family. He gave me the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gives me God’s power, who pours out God’s love within my heart, and who tenderly communicates to my spirit that I am a child of God and an heir of eternal glory in heaven. In saving me, God also freed me from slavery to any and all sins. I no longer have to sin again, for sin’s mastery over me has been broken! In saving me, God also justified me, and being justified through Christ, I have a peace with God that will endure forever. In justifying me, God declared me innocent of my sins and pronounced me righteous with the very righteousness of Jesus. God also allowed His future and present wrath against me to be completely propitiated by Jesus, who bore it upon Himself while on the cross. Consequently, God now has only love, compassion, and deepest affection for me, and this love is WITHOUT ANY ADMIXTURE OF WRATH WHATSOEVER. God always looks upon me with gracious favor, always working all things together for my ultimate and eternal good. God’s grace to me abounds even through trials. Because I am a justified one, He subjugates every trial and forces it to do good unto me. When I sin, God’s grace abounds to me all the more as He graciously maintains my justified status as described above. When I sin, God feels no wrath in His heart against me. His heart is filled with nothing but love for me, and He longs for me to repent and confess my sins to Him, so that He might show me the gracious and forgiving love that has been in His heart all along. God does not require my confession before He desires to forgive me. In His heart He already has forgiven me; and when I come to Him to confess my sins to Him, He runs to me (as it were) and is repeatedly embracing and kissing me even before I get the words of my confession out of my mouth! God does see my sins, and He is grieved by my sins. His grief comes partly from the fact that in my moments of sin, I am not receiving the fullness of His love for me. He even sends chastisement into my life, but He does so because He is for me, and He loves me; and He disciplines me for my ultimate good. I don’t deserve any of this, even on my best day; but this is my salvation, and herein I stand. Thank You, Jesus.
You can read reviews and purchase this book, from sites such as: The Gospel Coalition, Monergism, The Westminster Bookstore, and Grace Books International as well as on Amazon (where the lowest rating I saw was where only 1 person gave it 4 stars).
Lookin’ For A Good Study Bible? August 19, 2008
Posted by Eddie in : Resources/Links, Required Reading , 1 comment so farIf you are looking for a good study Bible or if you are looking to recommend one, here are 3 different ones for you to grow deeper in the Scriptures with. The ESV Study Bible is the newest of them all and is in the 1st video and may be well worth buying even if you already own one. The second video is the “Johnny Mac” and the third is the one produced by R.C. Sproul. Listen to John MacArthur explain what made him finally overcome his objections to creating a study Bible at the 1:24 mark.
Zechariah’s vision of Joshua the High Priest August 7, 2008
Posted by brian in : Spurgeon, Required Reading , add a comment
“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him be said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.” - Zechariah 3:1-5.
Spurgeon:
Observe that this rebuke also came from the very highest authority. He says, “Jehovah rebuke thee, oh Satan.” Christ does not merely rebuke Satan himself, but he prays the Lord to do it. The eternal God, who is full of justice, says to the accuser, “I have justified, why dost thou accuse. I accepted my own dear Son in the room and place of the poor sinner with the filthy garments on; why dost thou accuse?” That is a joyous utterance of the apostle, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” If God justifieth, that very act is a rebuke to all the accusations of the false fiend. Courage, Christian! the voice which silenced
thy cruel foe is the voice that rolls the stars along, against which nothing can stand.
You must not fail to observe, however, that this rebuke was founded upon electing love. You that deny the doctrine of election come here and read this verse: “Jehovah rebuke thee, old Satan; even Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee.” If God hath chosen his people, then it is of no use for Satan to attempt their overthrow. Christ does not here meet Satan with
any ifs ands buts, and peradventures, he does not meet him with those truths which are merely matters of experience, and about which there may be a question, but he meets him with the high mysterious truth which was settled before the world was, he throws as it were this chain into his teeth, and bids him champ that till he breaks his teeth. “God hath chosen Jerusalem; let that be rebuke enough.” I think your experience will bear out what I now say, that it is all very well to live on spoon victuals, and on milk, when you have no trials and troubles; but if it ever comes to a pinch between your soul and sin, if you are in the deep waters of conscious sinfulness, and Satan is accusing you, nothing will do for your soul to meet the adversary with, but the doctrine of sovereign grace. You may be an Arminian in summer, but you must be a Calvinist in the roaring winds of winter. Arminianism is a very pretty sort of theology for a painted boat upon a glassy lake, but they that do business on deep waters, and weather the storms and hurricanes, must have a good substantial bark of everlasting immutable love; otherwise, if the vessel be not staunchly and well built, their tacklings are loose, they cannot well strengthen their mast, and the vessel drives upon the quicksands. Beloved, in my spiritual building I want to get more and more on to the rock, immediately on the rock. I know I am told that the rock does not yield a harvest, that election is not a practical truth; but after all, if I want a house built, let me have it on the rock, for if it does not yield me any present practical results, yet I must have some comfort, I must have some place to dwell in the storm. I can go out to other fields to sow my corn and reap my harvest, but for my everlasting confidence I want a rock.
Rest assured that the doctrines commonly called Calvinistic are the only doctrines that can shut the mouths of devils, and fill the mouths of saints in the day of famine and in the time of extremity. “The Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee.” When I am bowed down under sin, next to my Bible I love such books as Elisha Coles on Divine Sovereignty, or Dr. Crisp’s Sermons. Albeit that they do not contain all the truth, yet they teach very clearly that part of it which a troubled spirit needs. Does eternal love ordain sinners to eternal life irrespective of their works? Does the Lord absolutely, out of sovereign mercy, make men to be his children? Did God choose the chief of sinners, and does he never cast them away? Does he say, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” Does he declare that he is absolutely justified in doing whatever he wills with his own? Does he on such terms as that choose me? Then blessed be his name, such an election as this just suits my case; and I find that believing the doctrine in that light, I can say to all my doubts and fears “Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee.”
Read the sermon in it’s entirety here:
Zechariah’s vision of Joshua the High Priest
Luther’s Introduction to his commentary on the Book of Galatians June 12, 2008
Posted by brian in : Required Reading, Martin Luther , add a commentI have taken in hand, in the name of the Lord, once again to expound this Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians: not because I desire to teach new things, or such as you have not heard before, but because we have to fear, as the greatest and nearest danger, that Satan take from us the pure doctrine of faith and bring into the Church again the doctrine of works and men’s traditions.
The devil, our adversary, who continually seeks to devour us, is not dead; likewise our flesh and old man is yet alive. Besides this, all kinds of temptations vex and oppress us. on every side. So this doctrine can never be taught, urged, and repeated enough. If this doctrine is lost, then is also the whole knowledge of truth, life and salvation lost. If this doctrine flourish, then all good things flourish.
The Argument of the Epistle to the Galatians
First of all, we speak of the argument of this epistle: in it Paul is seeking to establish the doctrine of faith, grace, forgiveness of sins, or Christian righteousness in order that we may know the difference between Christian righteousness and all other kinds of righteousness. There are many sorts of righteousness. There is a civil or political righteousness, which kings, princes of the world, magistrates and lawyers deal with. There is also a ceremonial righteousness, which the traditions of men teach. Besides these, there is another righteousness, called the righteous¬ness of the law, or the Ten Commandments.
Above all these, there is yet another righteousness: the righteousness of faith or Christian righteousness, which we must diligently discern from the others. The others are quite contrary to this righteousness, both because they flow out of the laws of kings and rulers, religious traditions, and the commandments of God; and because they consist in our works, and may be wrought by us either by our natural strength, or else by the gift of God. These kinds of righteousness are also the gift of God, like all other good things which we enjoy.
But the most excellent righteousness of faith, which God through Christ, without any works, imputes to us, is neither political, nor ceremonial, nor the righteousness of God’s law, nor consists of works, but is contrary to these; that is to say, it is a mere passive righteousness, as the others are active. For in the righteousness of faith, we work nothing, we render nothing unto God, but we only receive, and suffer another to work in us, that is to say, God. This is a righteousness hidden in a mystery, which the world does not know. Indeed, Christians themselves do not thoroughly understand it, and can hardly take hold of it in their temptations. Therefore it must be diligently taught, and continually practiced.
The troubled conscience, in view of God’s judgment, has no remedy against desperation and eternal death, unless it takes hold of the forgiveness of sins by grace, freely offered in Christ Jesus, which if it can apprehend, it may then be at rest. Then it can boldly say: I seek not active or working righteousness, for if I had it, I could not trust it, neither dare I set it against the judgment of God. Then I abandon myself from all active righteousness, both of my own and of God’s law, and embrace only that passive righteousness, which is the righteousness of grace, mercy, and forgiveness of sins. I rest only upon that righteousness, which is the righteousness of Christ and of the Holy Ghost. The highest wisdom of Christians is not to know the law and to be ignorant of works, especially when the conscience is wrestling with God. But among those who are not God’s people, the greatest wisdom is to know the law and the active righteousness. Unless the Christian is ignorant of the law and is assuredly persuaded in his heart that there is now no law, nor wrath of God, but only grace and mercy for Christ’s sake, he cannot be saved; for by the law comes the knowledge of sin. Contrariwise, works and the keeping of the law is strictly required in the world, as if there were no promise, or grace.
A wise and faithful disposer of the Word of God must so moderate the law that it may be kept within its bounds. He that teaches that men are justified before God by the observation of the law, passes the bounds of the law, and confounds these two kinds of righteousness, active and passive. Contrariwise, he that sets forth the law and works to the old man, and the promise and forgiveness of sins and God’s mercy to the new man, divides the Word well. For the flesh or the old man must be coupled with the law and works; the spirit or the new man must be joined with the promise of God and His mercy.
When I see a man oppressed with the law, terrified with sin, and thirsting for comfort, it is time that I remove out of his sight the law and active righteousness, and set before him, by the gospel, the Christian or passive righteousness, which offers the promise made in Christ, who came for the afflicted and sinners.
We teach the difference between these two kinds of righteousness, active and passive, to the end that manners and faith, works and grace, policy and religion, should not be confounded, or taken the one for the other. Both are necessary; but each must be kept within its bounds: Christian righteousness pertains to the new man, and the righteousness of the law pertains to the old man, which is born of flesh and blood. Upon this old man, as upon an ass, there must be laid a burden that may press him down, and he must not enjoy the freedom of the spirit of grace, except he first put upon him the new man, by faith in Christ. Then may he enjoy the kingdom and inestimable gift of grace. This I say, so that no man should think we reject or forbid good works.
We imagine two worlds, the one heavenly, the other earthly. In these we place these two kinds of righteousness, the one far separate from the other. The righteousness of the law is earthly and deals with earthly things. But Christian righteousness is heavenly, which we have not of ourselves, but receive from heaven; we work not for it, but by grace it is wrought in us, and is apprehended by faith.
Do we then do nothing? Do we do nothing at all for the obtaining of this righteousness? I answer, Nothing at all. For this is perfect righteous¬ness, to do nothing, to hear nothing, to know nothing of the law, or of works, but to know and believe this only, that Christ is gone to the Father, and is not now seen; that He sits in heaven at the right hand of His Father, not as judge, but made unto us of God, wisdom, righteousness, holiness and redemption-briefly, that He is our high priest entreating for us, and reigning over us, and in us, by grace. In this heavenly righteous¬ness sin can have no place, for there is no law; and where no law is, there can be no transgression (Romans 4: IS). Seeing then that sin has here no place, there can be no anguish of conscience, no fear, no heaviness. Therefore John says (l John 5: 18): “He that is born of God cannot sin.”
But if there is any fear, or grief of conscience, it is a token that this righteousness is withdrawn, that grace is hidden, and that Christ is darkened and out of sight. But where Christ is truly seen, there must be full and perfect joy in the Lord, with peace of conscience, which thinks this way: Although I am a sinner by the law and under condemnation of the law, yet I despair not, yet I die not, because Christ lives, who is both my righteousness and my everlasting life. In that righteousness and life I have no sin, no fear, no sting of conscience, no care of death. I am indeed a sinner as touching this present life, and the righteousness thereof, as a child of Adam. But I have another righteousness and life, above this life, which is Christ the Son of God, who knows no sin, no death, but is righteousness and life eternal; by whom this my body, being dead and brought to dust, shall be raised up again, and delivered from the bondage of the law and sin, and shall be sanctified together with my spirit.
So both these continue while we live here. The flesh is accused, exercised with temptations, oppressed with heaviness and sorrow, bruised by the active righteousness of the law; but the spirit reigns, rejoices, and is saved by this passive and Christian righteousness, because it knows that it has a Lord in Heaven, at the right hand of His Father, who has abolished the law, sin, death, and has trodden under His feet all evils, led them captive, and triumphed over them in Himself (Colossians 2:15).
St. Paul, in this epistle, goes about diligently to instruct us, to comfort us, to hold us in the perfect knowledge of this most Christian and excellent righteousness. For if the article of justification is lost, then all true Christian doctrine is lost. He who strays from Christian righteousness falls into the righteousness of the law; that is, when he loses Christ, he falls into the confidence of his own works. Therefore we also earnestly set forth, and so often repeat the doctrine of’ ‘faith,” or Christian righteous¬ness, that by this means it may be kept in continual exercise, and may be plainly discerned from the active righteousness of the law.
Let us diligently learn to judge between these two kinds of righteous¬ness. We have said before that, in a Christian, the law ought not to pass its bounds, but ought to have dominion only over the flesh, which is in subjection to it, and remains under it. But if it creeps into the conscience, play the cunning logician, and make the true division. Say: “0 law, you would climb up into the kingdom of my conscience, and there reprove it of sin, and take from me the joy of my heart, which I have by faith in Christ, and drive me to desperation that I may be without hope, and utterly perish. Keep within your bounds, and exercise your power upon the flesh: for by the gospel I am called to the partaking of righteousness and everlasting life.”
When I have Christian righteousness reigning in my heart, I descend from heaven as the rain makes fruitful the earth; that is to say, I do good works, how and wheresoever the occasion arises. If I am a minister of the Word, I preach, I comfort the brokenhearted, I administer the sacraments. If I am a householder, I govern my house and family well, and in the fear of God. If I am a servant, I do my master’s business faithfully.
To conclude, whoever is assuredly persuaded that Christ alone is his righteousness, does not only cheerfully and gladly work well in his vocation, but also submits himself through love to the rulers and to their laws, yea, though they be severe, and, if necessity should require, to all manner of burdens, and to all dangers of the present life, because he knows that this is the will of God, and that this obedience pleases Him.
Singleness June 12, 2008
Posted by Eddie in : John Piper, Holiness, Marriage, Pilgrims Progress, John Bunyan, C J Mahaney, Required Reading, Suffering, Righteousness, Lusts, Sovereignty of God, The Love of God, Devotion, Grace, Temptation , 1 comment so far
The following is an excerpt from the foreword from the chapter “For Single Men and Women (And the rest of us)” by John Piper. Some of the readers who frequently read and visit this blog may be single. This is one of the best quotes on singleness I have ever read. I hope this serves you.
Margaret Clarkson’s personal statement of submission rings with the strength that comes from bowing before the sovereignty of God:
Through no fault or choice of my own, I am unable to express my sexuality in the beauty and intimacy of Christian marriage, as God intended when he created me a sexual being in his own image. To seek to do this outside of marriage is, by the clear teaching of Scripture, to sin against God and against my own nature. As a committed Christian, then, I have no alternative but to live a life of voluntary celibacy. I must be chaste not only in body, but in mind and spirit as well. Since I am now in my 60’s I think that my experience of what this means is valid. I want to go on record as having proved that for those who are committed to do God’s will, his commands are his enablings. . . . My whole being cries out continually for something I may not have. My whole life must be lived in the context of this never-ceasing tension. My professional life, my social life, my personal life, my Christian life-all are subject to its constant and powerful pull. As a Christian I have no choice but to obey God, cost what it may. I must trust him to make it possible for me to honor him in my singleness. That this is possible, a mighty cloud of witnesses will join me to attest. Multitudes of single Christians in every age and circumstance have proved God’s sufficiency in this matter. He has promised to meet our needs and he honors his word. If we seek fulfillment in him, we shall find it. It may not be easy, but whoever said that Christian life was easy? The badge of Christ’s discipleship was a cross. Why must I live my life alone? I do not know. But Jesus Christ is Lord of my life. I believe in the sovereignty of God, and I accept my singleness from his hand. He could have ordered my life otherwise, but he has not chosen to do so. As his child, I must trust his love and wisdom.”
Ann Kiemel Anderson gave poetic expression to what thousands of Christian singles have discovered about the relationship of desire for marriage and devotion to a sovereign God:
Jesus, if this is Your will,
then YES to being single.
In my deepest heart, I want to marry,
to belong to a great man;
to know that I am linked to his life . . .
and he to mine . . .
following Christ and our dreams together . . .
but You know what I need.
if I never marry, it is YES to You.
I close this foreword with a final word of hope from a woman of deep insight and long singleness. Margaret Clarkson looks back over a lifetime of singleness and extends a hand to those just starting:
When Christian was crossing the River at the close of Pilgrim’s Progress, his heart failed him for fear. He began to sink in the cold, dark waters. But Hopeful, his companion, helped him to stand, calling out loudly, “Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, and it is good.” Then Christian recovered his faith, and passed safely through the waters to the Celestial City. If there are singles who find the waters of singleness dark and deep, who feel, “I sink in deep waters; the billows go over my head; all his waves go over me,” this is my message to you concerning singleness: “Be of good cheer, my brother, my sister; I feel the bottom, and it is good.”
This is located in the foreword to Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. It is made available by Crossway Books and can be purchased HERE.
You can also listen to (and download) CJ Mahaney on this topic in the message “Preparation For Marriage, Part 1” from the Celebration East 1994 conference HERE.
