Thursday, March 31, 2011

So That Christ Might Be Preeminent

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." Col 1:15-20
Dare I say more?  I know of no other passage of Scripture, save Heb 1, that paints such an awesome picture of who Jesus really is. My one thought today is that our vision of Christ is truly limited as we see things through a thick glass (1 Cor 13:12). Oh, if we could pause today (actually everyday) and reflect on who Jesus is and on what he accomplished, not just for us, but for all of His creation and to please His Father. And we must never forget what Christ continues to do on our behalf and that His ultimate victory is coming really soon. (Rev 22:20)

To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tuesdays from Phil 1 - Partnership in the Gospel

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Phil 1:3-5

Do we really see the gospel as a partnership? Sure, we "partner" with folks all the time: "You bring the veggies, I'll bring the dessert" "You sing and I'll preach" "You work with the youth and I'll serve in the nursery" There is no denying that these are all partnerships of some sort and when they are offered in humble service to Christ, they are partnerships in the gospel. But, I can't escape the thought that Paul was commending the Philippians for something beyond an entry level, basic body-life sort of partnership.

Think for a moment about what Paul says in 2 Cor 8:
"We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saintsand this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us." 2 Cor 8:1-5
 They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. They gave out of their abundant joy and extreme poverty. They begged earnestly to take part in the relief of the saints. That's a picture of partnership!

I also like to think of partnership in business terms. As I work for my employer, I want the company to succeed and keep me employed. Yet I'm free to go and they are free (hopefully not too free) to let me go. In a partnership, you are "all in". If the business succeeds, you succeed. If the business fails...

So are we "all in" with the gospel? I know the gospel and God's Word cannot fail, but yet God is calling us to put our ministries and perhaps even our lives (whether physically or just reputationally) on the line. And, if we casually re-read Philippians not for the doctrinal truth, but just for the tone of Paul's message, we see that he really did view them as partners in the gospel.

Maybe the prayer and the point is not so much to see the partnership that Paul had with the Philippians, as important as it is to see that (Phil 3:17), but rather to move toward this attitude in our lives and ministries. What would change if  you viewed your church (or where ever you serve) not as the "Jesus Corporation", but as the "Jesus and you partnership". To borrow from a different context, we are no longer slaves (employees) but sons and if sons then heirs (partners).

Be "all in" for the glory of Christ!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Captivated by the enormity of it all

In all honesty, I was not going to write this morning, but in reading two devotionals back to back lead me want to share them with you. My suggestion would be to read Spurgeon first, followed by Carson. As you read, consider the magnitude of who Christ is, the fathomless love He has, the immense cost of the incarnation and His subsequent death and the overwhelming implications to us who believe.

To God Alone be the Glory

http://www.heartlight.org/spurgeon/0328-am.html

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/loveofgod/2011/03/28/exodus-39-john-18-proverbs-15-philippians-2-2/

Edwards' Resolutions - week 13

My I intention, by God's grace, to post one of Jonathan Edward's 73 resolutions each Monday. As I read the list, it is convicting to me that I can only handle them in small doses, while Edwards reviewed the whole list each week The entire list of Edward's resolutions can be found here: the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

To God Alone be the Glory

Preamble:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Resolution 13:

Resolved, To be endeavouring to find out fit objects of liberality and charity.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

I am dust and ashes

The following is taken from a post by Tony Reinke on C.J. Mahaney's blog. While John Newton's experience is far beyond anything I have lived through, his words resonate with me.  I share them as here simply as a window into my heart and perhaps as a connection to yours.

It is, indeed, no small thing to stand between God and the people, to divide the word of truth aright, to give every one portion, to withstand the counter tides of opposition and popularity, and to press those truths upon others, the power of which, I, at times, feel so little of in my own soul. A cold, corrupt heart is uncomfortable company in the pulpit. 
Yet in the midst of all my fears and unworthiness, I am enabled to cleave to the promise, and to rely on the power of the great Redeemer. I know I am engaged in the cause against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. If He died and rose again, if He ever lives to make intercession, there must be safety under the shadow of his wings: there would I lie. 
In his name I would lift up my banner; in his strength I would go forth, do what He enables me, then take shame to myself that I can do no better, and put my hand upon my mouth, confessing that I am dust and ashes—less than the least of all his mercies.
To God Alone be the Glory

To Live is Christ

Philippians is another treasure trove of gospel truth. In reading through chapter 1, I tripped over several gems laying right there for our blessing.
  • Gospel ministry is a partnership
  • God completes what He starts
  • There is a deep and abiding affection within the body of Christ
  • Our prayers ultimately need to be for others to know Christ more in order to love Christ more in order to grow more in righteousness and faith
  • God can use anything in our lives, even bad, Satan-wrought things, to further the gospel
  • Preaching truth, even with false motives, is better than not preaching at all (Note: this is different than not preaching truth, even with true motives, see Galatians)
  • Our lives can glorify God both in our living and in our dying, if both are done in Christ.
  • Being with Christ is better by far!
  • Remaining here is for furthering the gospel.
  • We must be striving to live in a manner worthy of the gospel
  • Gospel-centered unity is a witness and indictment to the world
  • God grants salvation
  • God grants suffering
As I said with Acts 20, but never followed up on (yet), I will say here: Each of these items deserve a sermon (or at least a blog post).  By God's grace and some Holy Spirit driven organization, I may follow through on these themes on Tuesdays this spring.  Please pray with me in this regard.

To God Alone be the Glory

Saturday, March 26, 2011

I'm fundamentally a Gospel-person

Thanks to Colin Hansen for sharing the link to this interview:

“What drives me, in fact, is not first and foremost what label is attached to me functionally, but he Gospel itself,” he said. “In other words, as highly as I want to emphasize the local church and pastoral ministry – and pastoral ministry primarily being ministry of the Word – the presupposition behind all that is the non-negotiability and importance of the Gospel. So I’m happy to say I think of myself primarily as a pastor, but fundamentally, I’m a Gospel-person.
“And in that framework then, whether I am lecturing on the reliability of the Word in the Gospel of John at some academic function, or I’m doing evangelism in Melbourne, Australia, it’s still Gospel-driven.”
I knew I admired this person for a good reason. Any guesses? Read the full interview to find out.

To God Alone be the Glory

Fighting for Grace

"And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness" Rom 4:5

On Wed I ran across a blog post that stirred my heart. For a while I have ached as I have observed more and more churches and more and more Christians "assume" the gospel.  What we discuss, what we teach, what we preach, as true and as Biblical as it may be, is built upon a gospel that is assumed, but rarely stated and even more rarely set forth as the one essential thing in our lives. I read an article last fall by David Gibson that helped put some of these thoughts into perspective. But this raised another question in my mind: if we know the truth of the gospel, why are we so eager to simply assume it? What is going on?

So when I read the blog post Itchy Ears Want Works by Joel Brooks, I found someone who had put his finger on the pulse of the problem. He didn't simply identify the problem, he said, in essence, "I've seen the enemy and it is me". Here is an excerpt from his conclusion:
I confessed earlier that there were times in my past that I preached works while just assuming grace. The results that I saw from this were substantial. People loved it! I first thought that sermons like this would turn people off and drive them away, but how wrong I was. Especially younger Christians cannot get enough of it. It grieves me to look back and think of those times I looked out at the masses, got caught up in the moment, and briefly abandoned the gospel in order to scratch some itchy ears.
The substantial antidote for us is plunging (not wading) into the ocean of grace. Brooks cites Romans 4:5, which I agree is a liberating verse, in a liberating chapter, in a liberating book. He comments:
When pastors plead for their congregations to shake off their apathy and finally take action, this attempt to motivate can lead us to abandon the gospel if only for a moment. I have sought the Lord to repent of my own misplaced emphasis on what we need to do to prove ourselves as real Christians. I need to constantly remind myself of the gospel. Daily I struggle to put to death the desires I have to show myself as wild for Jesus and the impulse to do something great for him in order to win his approval. Romans 4:5 is the medicine I take daily—“And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness . . .” (italics mine).
What powerful, life-altering words these are! What lavish grace! Paul is saying that the one who does not go on the mission field, does not give to the homeless, does not tithe, does not throw away his TV, does not tutor at an inner-city school but believes in Christ who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Belief is all that is required for the ungodly. How amazing is that?!
This is the medicine we all need and what I must constantly preach from the pulpit—to Christians and non-Christians alike. Otherwise, no matter how strong my words are, they will only inspire people momentarily, never sustain them. I can guilt people into giving or use inspirational stories to move them, but without the steady drumbeat of the gospel, I am leading people into a works-based righteousness no matter how good my intentions. And sure, good works will follow, but not out of a heart of gratitude and worship to Jesus.
The bottom line? Its always Christ! It always grace! It always the gospel. We dare never leave it. We dare never assume it. We dare never combine it with something else lest we lose it altogether. Heb 2:1 jumps to my mind:

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

To God Alone be the Glory

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Speaking the Truth in Love

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" - Eph 4:15

"When you begin to see that person in the middle of a difficult and painful struggle, don’t try to prevent it, but pray that his difficulty will grow even ten times stronger, until no power on earth or in hell could hold him away from Jesus Christ...You may often have to watch Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it." Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest


Its funny how context matters.

In reading Ephesians 4, Paul's one main point is that we need to live in a manner worthy of the calling we have received. A substantial part of that living is done within the church. So, we unify around truth, have have men who are gifted to teach us and challenge us, and we grow up to become more and more like Christ. This is so we will not be tossed by every false doctrine, but be locked in on Christ and can do our part within the church so that it may be built up in love.

With that as background, what does Paul mean by "speaking the truth in love"? It would seem to me, that while it may be wise to always speak truth and to always speak lovingly, Eph 4:15 is not a blanket rule on how to have a conversation. Paul is very specific. Our love saturated truth speaking has a goal, to grow us up into Christ.  This verse is here because this sort of truth speaking is either a) hard to do or b) hard to do lovingly or c) hard do to lovingly so that we grow up in Christ.

Please note Paul is not saying "be quiet".  That would be the wrong application.  Rather, he is saying: 1) know the truth, 2) love the truth, 3) speak the truth that you love, 4) always know, love and speak so that others will grow closer to Christ.  Easy? No. Worth it? Yes!

To God Alone be the Glory

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Are we too soft on Hell?

The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligations at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. - Jonathan Edwards
Read the full post by Justin Taylor here,

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ - part 2

I wrote a blog post on 10/3/2010 entitled The Unsearchable Riches of Christ. This is not so much a follow up or a continuation as it is a different angle, a different facet on the whole concept of the unsearchable riches of Christ. After all, if the riches on Christ are really "unsearchable" then there should be raw material for many blog posts.

What caught my mind today is the reality that these unsearchable riches are not just the content of Paul's (and our) message, but they are what drives him (and us) to preach and teach and lead and serve in a way that brings these riches to the forefront. It is so easy in our ministries to lose sight of this fundamental truth. Christ's love must compel us, not our commitments or our desire to use our gifts or our fear (or love) of men.

So today, as we go to work or school, as we interact with people both Christian and non, as we do things both explicitly and implicitly spiritual, let us consider what is driving us to do these things. If the grace and mercy and love of Christ is not somewhere in the calculus, maybe we should pause and ask God to change that fact. Maybe we should ask the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and our hearts that we may not only proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ but that we may be driven and motivated by them as well.

To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

But now...

For the record, Ephesians is my favorite book in the Bible. Don't get me wrong, I adore Romans and Philippians, I'm intrigued by Revelation and have been blessed by Hebrews. I cherish the Gospels and Acts. I am captivate by Isaiah, Daniel, and Jeremiah  Plus, who could survive without the Psalms? But, when all is said and done, Ephesians is the book that is solidly at the top of my list.

I've written this somewhat as a disclaimer and somewhat as a peak into my heart.  As I've been reading through the Bible this year, when I got to Ephesians, something ignited (like I needed more motivation to read and study this book) I would love to write a couple dozen blog posts walking through the grandeur of Ephesians or preach a sermon series driving us to see the glory of Christ and the majesty beauty of His bride. And maybe, by God's grace, one or both of those heart aches will come to pass. But today I want reflect on one little phrase mentioned twice in Eph 2.

But now:

Ephesians 2 is made up of two "bad news / good news" scenarios.  The first scenario is personal, the second is corporate. Both scenarios are painted in very desperate terms. Dead, walking with the devil, alienated, without God in the world. If we had the capability, I think it would be useful to us to only read the bad new and really, truly absorb it. To really, truly grasp how bad we were.  Not just how bad our conduct was, because some of us may have been like the rich young ruler, but how bad our condition was. We were not just treading water in Lake Michigan, waiting for a rescue boat. In fact, we were not someone on the verge of going under for the last time and hoping and praying for that rescue boat. No, we were fish food at the bottom of lake. Eph 2 says "without hope".

But now:

Doesn't that pause make the flip in the text so much bigger, so much better, so much grander?

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved"

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

There is so much more, just in this chapter.  I pray and plead that you read and reflect on the grace and mercy that you have received (or may yet receive) through Christ as Paul has wonderfully described in Ephesians.

To God Alone be Glory

Monday, March 21, 2011

If He had faltered even once

Copied in its entirety from Desiring God blog As noted by the author, the last lines are the crux (pun intended) SDG
A poem to ponder during Lent:
They spit upon His meekness, 
And struck Him in the face. 
Their floggers swung with hatred; 
They stripped Him in disgrace. 
Deep worked the Roman anger 
That tortured Him, a Jew; 
Yet this His contemplation: 
“They know not what they do.” 
His people cheered “Hosanna,” 
Then had Him crucified. 
They freed corrupt Barabbas; 
To sentence Him, they lied. 
He hung outside their city, 
Where leaders mocked Him too; 
Yet this, the hurt He carried: 
“I would have gathered you.” 
No angels came to help Him 
When Heaven on Him fell. 
The Devil tried to reach Him 
Through ev’ry lie in hell. 
Unthinkable the anguish 
As Father crushed the Son, 
Yet this His firm conviction: 
“Thy will, not mine, be done.” 
No selfishness, no hatred, 
No spitefulness was there. 
No unbelief, no cursing, 
No pity from despair. 
One sinful thought; one failure, 
And Love would not succeed. 
The ransomed souls of hist’ry 
Must His perfection plead. 
If He had faltered even once, 
In flames of hell would men abide. 
Then ponder Christ, and praise at length 
The strength of Him there crucified. 
               - K. Hartnett, May 2007
Kevin comments:
I wrote this one backwards, i.e. having the idea for the last four lines before writing the rest. Verse one highlights Christ's physical sufferings; verse two, his emotional/mental and verse three, his spiritual. The colossal irony that the very men who tempted him to failure were among those He died in perfection to save captures my imagination— and praise.
Kevin Hartnett works for NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, overseeing the science operations activities of the mission. He was selected in 2003 from a thousand candidates as the “Poet of the Year” by the Fellowship of Christian Poets.

Edwards' Resolutions - week 12

My I intention, by God's grace, to post one of Jonathan Edward's 73 resolutions each Monday. As I read the list, it is convicting to me that I can only handle them in small doses, while Edwards reviewed the whole list each week The entire list of Edward's resolutions can be found here: the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

To God Alone be the Glory

Preamble:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Resolution 12:

Resolved, If I take delight in it (theorem in divinity) as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by

Whoever Finds Me Finds Life

"For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD," Proverbs 8:35

In reading through Proverbs 8 today, I was again struck by the reality that the Holy Spirit is a person. To be sure, I am a trinitarian as they come, but it is easy, too easy, to relegate the Spirit to a some kind of secondary status. He is like an athlete who comes off the bench to make the game winning play. We are glad he was there, but it was the starters that got us to the final seconds. That may be our perception, but that is far from God's reality.

As time allows I would respectfully ask you to thoughtfully read Proverbs 8. Absorb the fact that "Wisdom" is speaking. Wisdom speaking? Really? Does that mean wisdom is not a commodity to be handed out like candy at a parade? Maybe the truth of it is that Wisdom (i.e. the Spirit) is a person we come to know and to emulate, thus becoming wise. (See Prv 13:20). Beyond that, consider passages like Eph 1:13-14 or 1 Cor 2. The Holy Spirit has been given to us so that we may have the wisdom of God and the mind of Christ.

One last thought. Even though the Holy Spirit, by the nature of his role in the Trinity, is the "behind the scenes" person, we must strive to not commoditize him. There is so much in our walk with Christ that would be impossible without the Spirit (dare I say all of it!) so we must give him the respect and praise that is he is due! And as we stretch our puny minds to even grasp these realities, we can praise and thank the Spirit that we are able to grasp even a small part of of the grand reality of God.

To God Alone be the Glory

Sunday, March 20, 2011

A Life of Day-in and Day-out Consistency

"We feel the presence of God around us when we pray, yet we are only momentarily changed. We tend to keep going back to our everyday ways and the glory vanishes. A life of faith is not a life of one glorious mountaintop experience after another, like soaring on eagles’ wings, but is a life of day—in and day—out consistency; a life of walking without fainting (see Isaiah 40:31). It is not even a question of the holiness of sanctification, but of something which comes much farther down the road. It is a faith that has been tried and proved and has withstood the test." - Oswald Chambers

Maybe this is why Christianity, true Christianity, is so hard. Following Jesus isn't just a ticket to heaven or a "get out of Hell free" card. Following Jesus is a life long commitment to do things his way. Everything.  The big things (no murder, no adultery) and the "little" things (love your neighbor, serve rather than be served).

But, let's face it. These things are not sexy. Even writing a blog about them seems, well, boring. This is just ordinary stuff. The "just do it" kind of things. Yet, in the end, that what makes all the difference. As you read the parable at the beginning of Matt 25, what is the perception of both groups of people? Neither group realized they were either helping or neglecting Christ. So it is with us. Everyday, every decision, every action either glorifies or denigrates our Savior. Sobering thought, isn't it?

Thankfully there is hope.  First, we have a savior who gave up his life for us while we were yet sinners. Seccond, we have a merciful and faithful high priest that is ready to forgive those who come to him. Third, we have a victorious king who is seated at the right hand of the Father and is interceding for us. Fourth, we have the Holy Spirit, who is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, but is also the source of our power and strength, so that we can, in fact glorify God in everything we do.

To God Alone be the Glory

Friday, March 18, 2011

Are we really free?

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." Gal 4:7

Sometimes, every once in a while, it is possible to at least identify with Jesus' critics. If we reflect honestly at the extraordinary things he said, sometimes our heads spin and we start to think (or even say) "Yeah, but". For me John 8 is one of those times. I hear what Jesus is saying in that chapter. I treasure it. I own it, But...

How can Jesus say that we need freedom.  Are we not already free?  When I look at my life, I'm free to do whatever I want. Sure, I have commitments, but I entered into those freely. So who are you, Jesus, to say you need to set me free?

This is perhaps where following Christ is the most radical thing we can do. Everything else in our world teaches and promotes a freedom that we create or a religion of freedom that we manage. Not Jesus. He gives freedom. He wins freedom. He maintains and sustains freedom. Any freedom given by religion, is a freedom of our construction. The freedom the Christ provides is a freedom of his construction.

What makes this interesting is that Jesus doesn't disparage our quest for freedom. Just the opposite; I embraces it. I think this is because we all were created to be free (Ge 1-2). But one of the 100 million things that were broken in the fall was our conception of what freedom is. We all want freedom, but we want a freedom that is actually rebellion against God when in reality freedom is communion and worship of God.

So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  And, if you are free, you are no longer a slave, but a son (or daughter) and heir with Christ.

To God Alone be the Glory

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Liar, Lunatic or Lord?

I recently was reminded of C.S. Lewis' quote from Mere Christianity.  I thought it would be useful to post. The interesting thing is that as you read the gospels, Lewis' assessment is very accurate. Jesus could have been crazy or demonic. The 2000+ year affects seem to rule out crazy and simply the here and now benefits of Christianity seem to rule out demonic. So, along with Lewis, I'm left with one viable conclusion: Jesus is Lord.
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God. - Lewis, C.S., Mere Christianity, London: Collins, 1952, p54-56
To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Seek It Like Silver

My son, if you receive my words
   and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
   and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
   and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
   and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
   and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom;
   from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
   he is a shield to those who walk in integrity. Prv 2:1-7

I don't have much to say (or rather so much to say thank I can't find the right summation), so I thought these words from Proverbs might more than suffice. Each day we are in a wisdom / foolishness battle, not just on the days profound heresy hits the bookshelves. So today, and everyday, I will seek God's wisdom like silver. Can anyone picture a treasure hidden in a field?

To God Alone be the Glory

Monday, March 14, 2011

Edwards' Resolutions - week 11

My I intention, by God's grace, to post one of Jonathan Edward's 73 resolutions each Monday. As I read the list, it is convicting to me that I can only handle them in small doses, while Edwards reviewed the whole list each week The entire list of Edward's resolutions can be found here: the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

To God Alone be the Glory

Preamble:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Resolution 11:

Resolved, When I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Christ will do everything or nothing.

This week I began reading Christianity and Liberalism by J Gresham Machen. It is a book and an author I've often seen quoted, but have never read. I'm only part way into it but two things have already struck me about this book. First for an author and a topic that is 90 years removed from our current circumstances, it is amazingly up to date. The following quote is from the introduction. Read it without regard to the 1921 copyright date and see if it doesn't ring true for us in 2011.
When one considers what the public schools of America already are--their materialism, their discouragement of any sustained intellectual effort, their encouragement of the dangerous pseudo-scientific fads of experimental psychology--one can only be appalled by the thought of a commonwealth in which their is no escape from such a soul-killing system.
 The second thing I've noticed about this book may prove even more soul-nurturing to me than finding a kindred spirit from 90 years ago. It is the fact that Machen reads scripture very precisely and sees that the arguments the authors made were real arguments made to convince real people of a real live-giving truth. This second quote is taken from a section focusing on Paul's strong dispute with the Galatians.
If Christ only provides part of our salvation, leaving us to provide the rest, then we are still hopeless under the load of sin. For no matter how small the gap which must be bridged before salvation can be attained, the awakened conscience sees clearly that our wretched attempt at goodness is insufficient even to bridge that gap. The guilty soul enters again into the hopeless reckoning with God, to determine whether we have really done our part. And thus we groan again under the bondage of the old law. Such an attempt to piece out the work of Christ by our own merit, Paul saw clearly, is the very essence of unbelief; Christ will do everything or nothing, and the only hope is to throw ourselves unreservedly on His mercy and trust Him for all.
 To God Alone be the Glory

Now My Eye Sees You

"I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;" Job 42:5

How much of our Christian life is spent in the first half of this verse?  Hearing about God? Knowing about salvation? Thinking about the Spirit? How content are we to be like the nation of Israel when they sent Moses up to the mountain and then stayed behind and simply watched the "fireworks"?

The call of a disciple is something different than that.The disciple, by definition, wants to know his teacher so well that he begins to imitate him unconsciously. He wants to become just like the one he is following in every way. And he commits is life to this task. But, in order to do this, he must not just hear about his master, he must see him.

"Father of glory, give us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, having the eyes of our hearts enlightened, that we may know what is the hope to which he has called us, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe." Eph 1:17-19

"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." Phil 3:8

My prayer is this reality will consume us today, and everyday, for the rest of our lives.

To God Alone be the Glory

Friday, March 11, 2011

The True Worth and Weight of Biblical Preaching.

What follows is an excerpt from a blog post about John Newton from Tony Reinke

"In a letter dated March 10, 1774, to his esteemed friend William Legge, the second Earl of Dartmouth, Newton explained that he had recently spent a six-week stretch investing several hours of each day in the hospital caring for souls. In the letter Newton recounted one meeting with a sick young woman. The memory of the hospital encounter was etched so deep into Newton's memory that he recalled it years later.
Permit me, my Lord, to relate, upon this occasion, some things which exceedingly struck me in the conversation I had with a young woman whom I visited in her last illness about two years ago.
She was a sober, prudent person, of plain sense, could read her Bible, but had read little besides. Her knowledge of the world was nearly confined to the parish; for I suppose she was seldom, if ever, twelve miles from home in her life. She had known the gospel about seven years before the Lord visited her with a lingering consumption [tuberculosis], which at length removed her to a better world. 
A few days before her death, I had been praying by her bedside, and in my prayer I thanked the Lord that he gave her now to see that she had not followed cunningly-devised fables [Ephesians 4:14]. When I had finished, she repeated that word, “No,” she said “not cunningly-devised fables; these are realities indeed. I feel their truth, I feel their comfort. Oh! tell my friends, tell my acquaintances, tell enquiring souls, tell poor sinners, tell all the daughters of Jerusalem (alluding to Song of Solomon 5:16 from which she had just before desired me to preach at her funeral), what Jesus has done for my soul. Tell them, that now in the time of need I find him my beloved and my friend, and as such I commend him to them.” 
She then fixed her eyes steadfastly upon me, and proceeded, as well as I can recollect, as follows. “Sir, you are highly favored in being called to preach the gospel. I have often heard you with pleasure; but [only when] you come into my situation, and have death and eternity full in your view, will it be possible for you to conceive the vast weight and importance of the truths you declare.”
Until we are faced with eternity it is too easy to take preaching for granted, to treat sermons lightly, to so quickly forget them like yesterday’s newspaper.
Yet it was here, beside the bed of a dying young woman in a hospital room and in other situations just like it, that Newton learned the true worth and weight of biblical preaching."

To God Alone be the Glory

Our Frail Tenure

"Let us recollect the frail tenure upon which we hold our temporal mercies." C.H. Spurgeon

"What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." Jm 4:14

There are some cliches (good cliches, mind you) about the shortness of our lives, the importance of making use of every opportunity and our complete dependence on God. "Don't waste your life" "Redeem the times" "Treat every day like its your last" There is nothing wrong with these thoughts and phrases. Each has their place and their purpose.

But my question is do we really believe it? Do we really believe our life is a mist and that we could easily be blown away by wind? Do we really believe that our true joy is not bound up in this life but is bound up with life with Christ? Do we really believe that not only is our life short, so is our neighbor's and are our friends'?

I'm asking these somewhat provocative questions because they are personally pressing on me. Would I be focusing on the same ministries if I had terminal cancer? Would I conduct myself the same way at work if I knew that my life would end next week? How would my teaching change? How would my loving change? How would my compassion change? How would my heart for God and for man change?

Unfortunately, there is no good answer, save one, at least for me. I need to work toward a heart and attitude like Paul had as he wrote Philippians. "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." "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 "

But I hear me carefully. It is so easy to read words, even hard words, acknowledge them, swallow hard, commit to do better and move on. I do not want that to be the case for me. I am asking God to make these words stick. Allow these thoughts to penetrate below the hard packed surface and down into the soil of my heart. And, when the day (maybe its today) comes, I pray this can be said in honesty: "I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."

To God Alone be the Glory

Thursday, March 10, 2011

But what if you are wrong?

Yesterday, the youth group I help facilitate watched a presentation where the speaker challenged his audience to ask 4 questions when engaging people (with an optional 5th, if the conversation moved toward the gospel). These questions are designed to disarm arguments against Christianity and can be used in various discussions. The key, of course, is to use these questions with a meek and humble heart, not just to win an argument, but to open the door for the gospel.

Here are the questions:


  1. What do you mean by ____________? This question forces people to define their terms. Probably everyone sees the value in this. An example the presenter gave is when talking to someone about the gospel. If the person you are talking to says they're a Christian, the answer to this question clarifies the issue.
  2. How do you know?  This question can have twin affects. One is to make a person stop and think about a position they hold. We have all had thoughts, ideas, beliefs that we ascribed to just because. Then, when confronted with the prospect of actually have to defend that belief, it crumbles in the dust. The second aspect of this question is that it introduces the concept of ultimately reality. Many people deny the existence of an ultimate reality, but this question, just in the asking, allows the concept to be gently introduced.
  3. What difference does this make? Often arguments are based on preference rather than strong fundamental differences. This question exposes whether this is true.Consider someone who would say there should be no prayer in school. This question would force them to say that it is really about their preference over someone else's
  4. What happens if you are wrong? This question is based on Pascal's Wager. While Pascal's Wager is intended specifically for the theism / atheism debate, the question it poses is legitimate to ask at many levels. The bottom-line with this question is that if a Christian is wrong, the worst he or she is doing is making this world a little more bearable and trying to spread hope and love, but if the non-Christian is wrong...
  5. What evidence would you accept? This question would only apply if someone is pushing back and asking these same questions in return. As the speaker said, God may use these questions to push a person to the edge of their view of reality and they may begin to see the emptiness and being asking, perhaps defensively, what's difference about Christianity. This question should help us see their seriousness.
 So, I share this with two thoughts in mind.  One is that these questions can really be slid into most conversations, if and when we have them in our minds and are not afraid to actually ask them. The other is tied to the "Rob Bell - Is there really a Hell" debate. I wholeheartedly agree with much of the defense of the doctrine of hell that has been articulated in the last two weeks. However, I would want to ask Mr Bell just one question: "What if your wrong?"

To God Alone be the Glory

Crushed into Submission; Words set on Fire

From the March 10th My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

"Even the natural heart of the unsaved will serve if called upon to do so, but it takes a heart broken by conviction of sin, baptized by the Holy Spirit, and crushed into submission to God’s purpose to make a person’s life a holy example of God’s message."


"There is a difference between giving a testimony and preaching. A preacher is someone who has received the call of God and is determined to use all his energy to proclaim God’s truth. God takes us beyond our own aspirations and ideas for our lives, and molds and shapes us for His purpose, just as He worked in the disciples’ lives after Pentecost."


"Allow God to have complete liberty in your life when you speak. Before God’s message can liberate other people, His liberation must first be real in you. Gather your material carefully, and then allow God to “set your words on fire” for His glory."

I would only add: "Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Cor 2:16)

To God Alone be the Glory

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Lord Our Righteousness


Jehovah Tsidkenu (Sid kay new)
"The Lord Our Righteousness"

The watchword of the Reformers—
I once was a stranger to grace and to God,

I knew not my danger, and felt not my load;

Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree,

Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me.
I oft read with pleasure, to soothe or engage,

Isaiah's wild measure and John's simple page;

But e'en when they pictured the blood-sprinkled tree

Jehovah Tsidkenu seemed nothing to me.
Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll,

I wept when the waters went over His soul;

Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree

Jehovah Tsidkenu—'twas nothing to me.
When free grace awoke me, by light from on high,

Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die;

No refuge, no safety in self could I see—

Jehovah Tsidkenu my Savior must be.
My terrors all vanished before the sweet name;

My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came

To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free—

Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.
Jehovah Tsidkenu! my treasure and boast,

Jehovah Tsidkenu! I ne'er can be lost;

In thee I shall conquer by flood and by field—

My cable, my anchor, my breastplate and shield!
Even treading the valley, the shadow of death,

This "watchword" shall rally my faltering breath;

For while from life's fever my God sets me free,

Jehovah Tsidkenu my death-song shall be.
-- Robert Murray M'Cheyne (from DG 2011 Pastor's Conf)

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Did You Preach It With Tears?

"My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law." Ps 119:136

Periodically, I think that it is easy to gravitate to two extremes when reading, praying and processing God's Word. One extreme would be the rigid, dry, purely academic end. Jn 5:39-40 typifies this for me "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." At the other extreme would be pure emotionalism. No rigor, no mental discipline, just "gut". 2 Tim 4:3 sums this up nicely: "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions."

But knowing or seeing a problem is only half the battle. Yes these extremes are real. Yes they do occur in our churches and I would dare say in ourselves. What do we do with this? How do we proceed?

This may not answer the questions above, but, for me at least, it frames the question. This is a quote about Robert Murray M'Cheyne from a book by Sinclair Ferguson (thanks Justin Taylor).

"When Robert M’Cheyne met his dearest friend Andrew Bonar one Monday and inquired what Bonar had preached on the previous day, only to receive the answer “Hell,” he asked: “Did you preach it with tears?” "

Perhaps the balance is to know God's Word so well, that we begin to see things as God sees them. Then we will not get lost in the academia or the emotionalism, but rather get caught up in the holiness. Then the sin in our own lives and in the lives around us won't be simply broken rules, but heartbreaking actions. And the way back, whether for us or for others will not be some antiseptic application of truth, but rather a passionate application of grace.

In the end, as we preach the gospel to ourselves and to those the Spirit brings into our lives, I pray we "preach it with tears."

To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesdays with Clyde Kilby

On Tuesdays I am sharing one of the 10 resolutions of Clyde Kilby that are referenced in The Pleasures of God by John Piper. They are profound. While I plan on sharing one per week, Kilby reflected on these 10 items each day! The entire list can be found here: 10-resolutions-for-mental-health

To God Alone be the Glory

Clyde Kilby's Resolutions for Mental Health:

10. Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega.


Monday, March 7, 2011

Free Grace or Enduring Work?

"By your endurance you will gain your lives." Lk 21:19

"But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Lk 21:36-37

I often find myself drifting between the free grace that we have in Christ and the hard work Christ calls us to as his disciples. Well, which is it? In reality its both! I could list dozens verses explicitly stating the freeness of the gospel, but I will highlight only one "Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'" Jn 6:29. And there are dozens of verses that show us the effort and endurance required of us as believers. Lk 21:19 is a prime example.

So what do we do with this? How do we proceed? First we need to reconcile, or at least accept, that both propositions are true. We are saved by grace through faith and this is not of ourselves, but its the gift of God. And the one who endures to the end will be saved. In a very real sense, true saving faith is only true if it gets us to the end. Maybe John Bunyan painted the best, extra Biblical picture in Pilgrim's Progress. Christian was saved early on, but it took effort and endurance to reach the Celestial City. May we work out our salvation today with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God who works in us to will and to work according to his good purpose.

To God Alone be the Glory.

Edwards' Resolutions - week 10

My I intention, by God's grace, to post one of Jonathan Edward's 73 resolutions each Monday. As I read the list, it is convicting to me that I can only handle them in small doses, while Edwards reviewed the whole list each week The entire list of Edward's resolutions can be found here: the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

To God Alone be the Glory

Preamble:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Resolution 10:

Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Jars of Clay or Swallowed up by Life?

What does one do with 2 Cor 4-5? I've realized this weekend that I've highlighted and underlined virtually every verse in these two profound chapters. I almost wrote a blog post at the end of chapter 4, but hesitated since, these two chapters are intimately connected. How could I simply write about half of the picture? But now, with chapter 5 under my belt, I have the opposite problem. How do I highlight or summarize these two chapters? I'm not sure I have a good approach, but I'm going to try.

As I looked back over the verses, one thing that struck me was the images of the two conditions of believers. One condition is summed up in 4:7 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." How true is that? But there is another condition portrayed in 5:4b "so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." Isn't this the hope that all of us have?

Re-reading these two chapters, I see Paul painting pictures around these two conditions. Our current condition: frail, fallen and broken, yet not ultimately defeated, disowned or destroyed. He never says this is simply our fallen state and that we should despair. Instead he encourages us to see our current circumstances, as bad as they may be, as a testimony to the grace and mercy of God. Because through what we are currently enduring, God is glorified and we look forward to our ultimate deliverance. And that is the second image he paints for us. A glorified, resurrected existence that will be in the very presence of God. He then connects these two conditions by saying we are waiting, some days with groans, in the former condition. But we have the Spirit as a guarantee, a promise that one day soon we will make the trade. We will move from our jar of clay and be swallowed up by life.

To God Alone be the Glory

An Open Letter to Seekers

I am sharing the following thoughts for two reasons. First, I pray that anyone who is seeking the truth about Christ or, more importantly, is being sought by God, and stumbles on to this post may take the time to read it.  And, God through the power of the Holy Spirit may breathe new life into the person who reads it. I also pray for those reading who have already found or, more precisely, have been found by God, that they may read here profound gospel truth. As I read the blog that I've linked to, I kept asking (and continue to ask) how can I get this message out? How can You use me to reform how we view and interact with those who are earnestly seeking Christ. Below is a snippet to whet your appetite. What follows was taken from a blog post by Justin Taylor. He referencing a book by David Clotfelter.

Let’s begin by trying to determine whether you are already a Christian. Many people are deceived about their standing with God, supposing themselves to be Christians when, in fact, they are not. Others are simply uncertain and perhaps feel anxious and worried about how God views them. The Bible tells us that we are to make every effort to make our calling and election sure, and so it is only reasonable to try to determine how we can be certain of our spiritual state. I will first mention some things that do not indicate that we are genuinely converted, and then some that do.


Sad to say, the gospel is often presented in terms such as these: “Are you lonely? Christ can become your best friend. Are you fearful? Christ can take away your fears. Do you want power to overcome your bad habits? Christ can give you power. Now, don’t you want Christ?” A person may listen to that type of message and make a public response to it without, perhaps, ever understanding anything at all about his or her own sin, the meaning of Christ’s death, and the nature of true faith.
Your decision to go forward and “give your life to Christ” may have been based on a completely inadequate understanding of the commitment you were being asked to make, with the result that you have lived for years in a condition of disappointment, feeling that promises were made to you that have never been fulfilled. Perhaps the problem is that you are not yet a Christian.
You may think of yourself as a “spiritual” person, but beware: The only spirituality the Bible recognizes as genuine is one that is focused on Jesus Christ and guided by His teaching and that of His apostles. If you put your confidence in your supposed experiences, those experiences may wind up costing you your soul.
Let’s assume you have answered the question in the negative—either you recognize that you plainly are not a Christian or else you see that you have insufficient evidence to prove that you are a Christian.
Please bear with me as I give you a word of warning.
You are in very great danger. You are a sinner, and God is angry with you for your sin. God holds you responsible for your every violation of His Law throughout your life, and He has stated plainly and solemnly that unless your sins are forgiven through Christ, you will pay the penalty for them through an eternity of suffering in hell. God will accept no excuses. You will not get away with blaming your sins on your parents, on Satan, or on God Himself. The sincerity of your false beliefs and wrong way of life will not purchase your forgiveness.
If you do not repent and believe in Christ, you will die in your sins and be lost forever.
What then? If you are in a lost condition and are unable to believe in Christ as your Savior, what are you to do? Should you give up hope of being saved? Should you reason that if it all depends on the action of God, you might as well be passive? By no means! You cannot save yourself, but that does not mean that there is nothing you can do. You can look to Christ, confess to Him your depravity, admit your inability to love Him or even rightly believe in Him, and ask Him to mercifully change your bad heart to a good one.
You could pray such words of humble petition as these:
“Lord Jesus! I am not capable of loving You. I dread the loss of control involved in giving up my life to You. I hate the honesty involved in confessing that I am a sinner who cannot be saved other than by Your death on the cross. I do not want to submit my will to Yours. I do not want the shame of being known as Your follower.
“And yet, I also do not want to perish! I do not want to face an eternity of suffering for my sins. I do not want to experience the implacable and everlasting wrath of almighty God. I do not want to have lived in vain. I do not want to be lost, separated from You forever.
“And so, Lord Jesus, help me! Take away my heart of stone and give me a new heart, a good heart, one that will love You and love God. Change me from within; make me a new person; enable me to believe; cause me to love. If You leave me alone, I will damn myself. If You stand back and do not help me, I will use my free will to make a wreck of my existence. Do not abandon me! Have mercy on me, for the sake of Your own glorious grace. Amen.”
So take heart! Perhaps this is the very day of your salvation. But do not rest until you are sure. Ask until you know you have received the power to trust Christ. Seek until you have found peace with God. Knock until you know that the door has been opened and you have entered in.

This is just the teaser. I plead with each of you read the whole blog entry here.

To God Alone be the Glory

Friday, March 4, 2011

A father's prayer

Today my son leaves on an 11 day missions trip to Bolivia. This is a good thing on many levels. But, it struck me this morning as I prayed for him and the team that whether it Bolivia or Boston, whether its Santa Cruz or Santa Monica, whether it is ministering to teenagers thousands of miles away or ministering to teens right in our church and school, our prayer, our dependence, our trust, our mission, vision and values all must come from God, orient people to Christ and be empowered by the Spirit. So...

Father, I'm putting Andrew into your hands again today. You know that his commute is longer today and that he will be encountering many firsts of his young life. But I ask and trust that You will be with him as you are with him in school and youth group and that You will work in every situation he encounters, good or bad, to Your glory. And just as I would ask that You would give him opportunities to express and share the love of Christ to his friends, his classmates and his teachers, now I would ask the same for people on the plane, fellow teammates, the mission team he will be working with and the youths themselves. As I should pray each day, I would plead that You would keep his mind and heart focused on Christ, and allow him to speak and to act as an overflow of what You have graciously placed in his heart. You know my desire today, as it is everyday, is for safety. But, as risky as it is, I ask "not my will, but Yours be done". My real desire is that You would use Andrew and the entire team for Your glory and for the further in-breaking of the kingdom of your Son. May Jesus be exalted by whatever means You deem best. I offer these humble requests to You knowing that you do not give stones to children who ask for bread. In the holy, powerful, awesome name of Jesus my Savior and Lord, Redeemer and King,

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Orthodoxy in the midst of Controversy

I, for one, hate conflict. I may engage in it more than I ought, but I have never enjoyed it. And, as a Christian, it is doubly troubling. Now I have my internal dislike/distaste combined with the external command: "Love your enemies" However, with that being said, there are times and seasons when conflict is the God-honoring, Christ-exalting, gospel-proclaiming thing to do.

It seems we are near (or approaching, or well into) one of those times. Over the past few days there has been a debate centered around a forthcoming book by a prominent church leader that calls into question not only the reality of hell, but also the eternal destination of those who reject Christ and his gospel. My point here is not to weigh-in, although my primary question would be "If there is no bad news (ie no hell, no eternal conscious torment) why is the good news good? Why can't I just live according to my own morals, rationalize my own 'small, respectable' sins and just not worry about God or Christ or church?" If you want to dive in, here is the initial response from Justin Taylor. Also, follow the links, especially Kevin DeYoung's 2 thoughtful responses. Additionally, watch the promo video from the book. The style is very good and one can see how a distorted, heretical message can be delivered in a way that people simply consume it and in turn believe it.

My purpose here, however is tied to Kevin DeYoung's second response. You can read the full entry here, but I wanted to share the crux of it because 1) its core Christianity and 2) it is an awesome reminder that often conflict and controversy, rightly handled, can be the best way of proclaiming the truth of the gospel.
"Will God save everyone? Does everyone go to heaven no matter how bad they were and no matter what they believed? Is Hitler there next to Bonhoeffer enjoying the same eternal bliss? What kind of God would that be? How would we make sense of Jesus’ strong language about hell or the chilling scenes in Revelation? Would that God still be holy and just? 
And what would that do to our understanding of the gospel? Would Jesus’ death still be necessary? Would faith in him really be that important? Why would we still send out missionaries and evangelists? What would be so good about the good news if, in the end, there is no bad news? And if there is no hell, or we can’t really be sure anyone is there, why have almost all Christians in all of history believed there was such a place of eternal suffering? Have we found something that historic orthodoxy has missed all these centuries? 
What if the things you’ve heard recently are not the truth about Christianity? What if the warnings in Scripture are real warnings? What if God is purer than we thought, we’re worse than we imagined, and hell is as real as the nose on your face? What if the “only way” means the only way? What if God is glorified in salvation and judgment? What if the God of love and the Father of mercies is also a righteous Judge, a holy Sovereign, and a conquering King?"
To God Alone be the Glory