A Good Wound
The following quote hit me hard. I’ve had an experience of gospel grace, but pride remains. It needs to die.
Per Jonathan Edwards, Thoughts on the Revival (1742)
Spiritual pride is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of Christianity. It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit, to darken the mind and mislead the judgment. It is the main source of all the mischief the devil introduces, to clog and hinder a work of God.
Spiritual pride tends to speak of other persons’ sins with bitterness or with laughter and levity and an air of contempt. But pure Christian humility tends either to be silent about these problems or to speak of them with grief and pity. Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others, but a humble Christian is most guarded about himself. He is as suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The proud person is apt to find fault with other believers, that they are low in grace, and to be much in observing how cold and dead they are and to be quick to note their deficiencies. But the humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts. He is apt to esteem others better than himself.
Some who have pride mixed in with a heightened awareness of God’s glory and intense experiences of spiritual joy are apt to rebuke other Christians around them for being so cold and lifeless. But the humble, in their joys, are also wounded with a sense of their own vileness. When they have high visions of God’s glory, they also see their own sinfulness. And though they speak to others earnestly, it is in confession of their own sins. And if they exhort other Christians, they do so in a charitable manner. Pure Christian humility disposes a person to take notice of everything that is good in others and to make the best of it and to diminish their failings.
Christ’s Loveliness in All of Scripture
“The object of these pages is simple, clear, holy. It is to arouse attention to the blessed truth, that Christ pervades all Scripture. Christ pervades all Scripture, as salt all waters of the sea, as light the brightest day, as fragrance the garden of choice flowers.
To see this is my prime delight. To testify it is my happiest duty. Devoted loyalty to Him who is the first and last, the sum and substance of all Scripture, impels me. Earnest zeal for the undying souls of men constrains me. I know, and am intensely persuaded, that all peace, all joy, all salvation, are in Jesus. My eyes are widely open to the fact that men are blessed, and are blessings, just in proportion as they live, ever gazing on Christ, ever listening to His voice.”
Henry Law, Preface to the Gospel in Genesis
Are You In The Mood For Thanksgiving Yet?
HT: Ray Ortlund (Per Men’s Group @ Immanuel Church)
And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. . . . You shall not covet . . . anything that is your neighbor’s.” Exodus 20:1-2, 17
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The problem: Coveting
What might we covet about another man? His job, money, looks, brains, wife and kids, car, house, opportunities, influence, position, education, musical talent, promotions at work, sense of humor, friendships, etc. Our hearts are ungrateful, blaming, resentful, insecure, sulky, grasping, plotting, unhappy, defeated with selfishness. The Israelites murmured and complained their way right out of usefulness to God. And Paul says their story is a warning to us (1 Cor 10). At the bottom of it all, the human heart is unhappy with God, even angry. Our hearts are born in attack-mode toward God.
The antidote: Love from God
Romans 13:9-10 says the Ten Commandments boil down to this: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” for love fulfills the law. The generosity of heart called “love” frees us from craving what God has given to another man. Love frees us to rejoice with that guy. Love calms us into contentment with the life God has assigned us. We even go beyond contentment. We become generous. “The righteous give without sparing” (Proverbs 21:26). “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35, JB). How do we get into that happy place? “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). We can’t explain it, but we know it’s true: In giving, we receive. God is able to supply us with such inner fullness that we have something to give to all around.
God Alone
Psalm 62:1-2 says, “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”
Throughout that Psalm, David tells us that there is only one place we can go where our frantic hearts can experience the rest it so desperately needs, and that place is God alone. This morning, a friend of mine named Don Brothers sent me the following hymn that so wonderfully describes this place of rest.
The following hymn was written by Gerhard Tersteegen, 18th century German reformed pastor.
Allured into the desert, with God alone, apart,
There spirit meeteth spirit, there speaketh heart to heart.
Far, far on that untrodden shore, God’s secret place I find,
Alone I pass the golden door, the dearest left behind.There God and I–none other; oh far from men to be!
Nay, midst the crowd and tumult, still, Lord, alone with Thee.
Still folded close upon Thy breast, in field, and mart, and street,
Untroubled in that perfect rest, that isolation sweet.O God, Thou art far other than men have dreamed and taught,
Unspoken in all language, unpictured in all thought.
Thou God art God–he only learns what that great Name must be,
Whose raptured heart within him burns, because he walks with Thee.Stilled by that wondrous Presence, that tenderest embrace,
The years of longing over, do we behold Thy Face;
We seek no more than Thou hast given, we ask no vision fair,
Thy precious Blood has opened Heaven, and we have found Thee there.O weary souls, draw near Him; to you I can but bring
One drop of that great ocean, one blossom of that spring;
Sealed with His kiss, my lips are dumb, my soul with awe is still;
Let him that is athirst but come, and freely drink his fill.
Are You A Smuggler?
Answer: Yes, you are a smuggler.
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Psalm 62:2 says, “He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”
…..
He only…
If you are anything like me, and you are (because you are human), you do not fully believe that He only is your rock and salvation. We all smuggle something else into the equation. For example, I may say that He only is my rock and salvation, but really it’s He + me being a good dad. Or, it could be He + being able to pay my bills (+ knowing the future… + having a husband/wife… + having your dream job, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc). We are master smugglers. We smuggle in anything and everything into the He only equation, and thereby rob ourselves of experiencing the only great treasure – God Himself. So, if you recognize you are a smuggler, pray like David did in Ps. 61:2, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Repent of your additions and ask God to give you a heart that treasures Christ alone.
All Is Grace
Brennan Manning’s Ragamuffin Gospel profoundly impacted me when I was in college. Manning’s honesty was refreshing and his emphasis on grace was life-changing. In almost every Brennan Manning book I’ve read over the years, his message is the same: “God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be.”
I came across a review of his most recent book – All Is Grace – last night, and wanted to share an excerpt from that review. I’m very excited to read this book and be surprised again at just how great the grace of God really is.
Regarding Manning… Per Mark Yaconelli
An abusive mother, an alcoholic father, a friendless childhood, a life-long addiction to alcohol—all help to hollow out Brennan’s soul with a gaping yearning to be loved, to be liked, to be known and accepted. This primal ache drives him into the military, the Catholic priesthood, communities of prayer and poverty, marriage, and life as a celebrated speaker and author, yet none of these settings answers the deep ache to be known. It’s only what Brennan calls the “vulgar” grace of God that from time to time relieves him of his endless hunger for approval.
The book is sparse and at times dark. This seems to have caused great discomfort and anxiety for the publishers who felt compelled to stuff the opening and ending pages with testimonies from friends and appreciative Christian celebrities, asserting Brennan’s gift as a spiritual leader. I’m not sure why the publishers felt it necessary to collect and print these letters. Was it to extend the book’s page count? Was it to counter Brennan’s confessions of sin? For me, these testimonials read like a kind of cover-up that only detracts from the central message of the book, which Brennan states as, “God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be.”
52 Paid Vacation Days!
HT: Ray Ortlund (Tuesday Night Men’s Group @ Immanuel)
Exodus 20:8-11
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
If someone told you there was a way to glorify and enjoy God, slow down your jam-packed, over-committed pace of life, renew your family and friendships, engage in random acts of kindness, take a deep breath, think about the most worthy and exciting things in the universe, stop and smell the roses, take an afternoon nap – all at absolutely no charge, not counting against the number of annual vacation days at work, you’d want to know more about it. Well, here it is. Not the Sabbath, but The Lord’s Day.
If we remember to make Jesus a priority in our schedules for one whole year, one day per week, then by one year from today we will have enjoyed 52 days, seven and a half weeks, of paid vacation with Jesus and his people! You kiddin’me?!?
I’m Not So Bad!
Martin Luther shows how probing the problem of presumption is and reveals that our so-called progress may not be as impressive as we think it is:
Presumption follows when a man sets himself to fulfill the Law with works and diligently sees to it that he does what the letter of the Law asks him to do. He serves God, does not swear, honors father and mother, does not kill, does not commit adultery, and the like. Meanwhile, however, he does not observe his heart, does not note the reason why he is leading such a good life. He does not see that he is merely covering the old hypocrite in his heart with such a beautiful life. For, if he looked at himself aright–at his own heart–he would discover that he is doing all these things with dislike and out of compulsion; that he fears hell or seeks heaven, if not also for more insignificant matters: honor, goods, health; and that he is motivated by the fear of shame or harm or diseases. In short, he would have to confess that he would rather lead a different life if the consequence of such a life did not deter him; for he would not do it merely for the sake of the Law. But because he does not see this bad reason, he lives on in security, looks only at the works, not into the heart, and so assumes that he is keeping the Law of God well. (Luther’s Works, St. Louis edition, 11:81 ff)
The Subtle Sin
I was reminded of ‘the subtle sin’ as I listened to Tim Keller’s sermon on the prodigal sons (if you have never listened to it, please do! you can access it here). In Luke 15, both the younger brother (guy who likes to party) and the elder brother (guy who looks down on the guy who likes to party) are both using their father. Neither of them want their father. Instead, they want the father’s things.
So often, I think that I’m living for God, but instead I’m actually trying to use him for other things. For example, I think that I’m living for God when I seek his help in loving my wife and kids, but in reality my strength is dependent on what my wife and kids think of me. The examples could continue on and if you want me to share some more, I’d be happy to.
I’m writing this quick post to say that we use God all the time to try and get the gifts, and… I don’t think we even realize we’re doing that most of the time. God is the gift that we truly need, have, and must pursue.
It's a Beautiful Gospel 