Monday, September 20, 2010

Impatience in Ministry

While the form of the advice comes from a pagan, the substance of the advice is thoroughly biblical. Because we have a perfect Word from God, we know exactly what direction we must go. Our goal in the Church’s ministry must be the same as Paul’s—to present every man complete in Christ (Col. 1:28). Because our worship is to glorify God, and not to please ourselves, we must never rest content until we worship Him the way the twenty-four elders do. We must never rest until the Church returns to the doctrine of Christ’s efficacious death for the sins of His people, and the appropriation of that salvation by faith alone. We make haste because we still fall short of the perfection required by God’s Word. Even in times of relative purity, the Church needs constantly to reform itself according to the Word. How much more in times of corruption!

Let Your Laughter Be Turned

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:8-10

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Checklist Approach

The second attitude is often a reaction to this modernist refusal to take God’s Word seriously. In this reaction, the list of attributes ceases to be descriptive of a certain kind of man and hardens into a checklist. And as with all “checklist” approaches to godliness, a clear arbitrariness begins to creep in—no less humanistic, even though it is thought to be “strict” or “conservative.” Countless churches have fallen away from faithfulness to Christ into an unbiblical woodenness because they were faithless first in how they selected their leaders.
Douglas Wilson, Fidelity, pg. 192.

Draw Near In Full Assurance

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Studying Arguments

Most discussions about divorce get tangled up far too quickly in discussions of what is “legal.” In others words, divorce is thought to be lawful if all the appropriate t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted. And in the words of the Westminster Confession, men are apt to “study arguments” in order to make sure the whole is legal. This can happen in both the civil and biblical realms. In other words, we often treat divorce in the text as a very wooden phenomenon. If it happened “this way,” then it isn’t adultery to remarry. If it happened the “other way,” then it is. But our Lord teaches us here that divorce is a sexual phenomenon, and He relates it directly to a man’s motivations. So while we do have to consider first the outline of the biblical teaching on the nature of divorce, we must not forget this motivational question, which we will return to at the end of our chapter.
Douglas Wilson, Fidelity, pg. 68.

All These Things

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [clothing, food, shelter] will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Invisible Uniform

The problem today is that of the “invisible” uniform, the invisible worldview. Very few have eyes to see it. Remember that we are after the principle, and not a dress code, woodenly applied. The principle here is that sons must be taught not to hunger for a source of authority other than the Word of God—which is precisely what the concept of cool is. The problem is not this piece of fabric or that one, but rather a question of the source of legitimacy—is it to be found in the whims of designers and teenaged consumers, or is it to be found in the wisdom resident in Scripture?

Douglas Wilson, Future Men, pg. 158.

God Delights In Our Prayers

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Proverbs 15:8

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Having No Hands

In dealing with mysteries, wisdom is essential, and a set of wooden rules is useless. The Bible teaches us here that the relationship between the sexes is a profound mystery. This is true from the very inception of interest all the way through the fiftieth wedding anniversary. Paul tells us this explicitly: “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:31–32). Those who want the formation of this great mystery to be reduced to a simple checkoff list want something that cannot be. For those who have no hands, wisdom has no handles.
Douglas Wilson, Future Men, pg. 147.

Where is Your Delight?

I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
Psalm 119:47

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Not Perfectionism

Our goal is perfection, not perfectionism. The Word of God is absolute. But it is false to assume from this premise that the Bible provides a tidy list of do’s and don’ts, all of which must accord with a respectable and middle class common sense. Although the law required priests to have a  certain lineage which the usurping priests of Christ’s day did not have, the Bible still treats Caiaphas as the genuine high priest (Jn. 11:51); Hezekiah requested that God receive certain defiled Israelites coming to the reinstituted Passover (2 Chr. 30:17–19); Namaan received permission to escort his master into the house of Rimmon, and there to help him bow (2 Kgs. 5:17–18); David unlawfully ate the showbread and was praised by Christ (Mt. 12:4); and Christians should have no trouble eating meat that was offered up to an idol (1 Cor. 8:4). Perfectionism has the appearance of wisdom, but it is a work of the flesh. We do not counter perfectionism with imperfectionism; we counter perfectionism with obedience.
Douglas Wilson, Future Men, pg. 26.

God's Statutes a Delight

I will delight myself in thy statutes; I shall not forget Thy word.
Psalm 119:16

It is Good to Want God's Reward

You wrote, “…its all about ME serving God. Its [sic] makes me think that I’ve done something for God…Also, if I measure my good deeds to God’s law, they don’t look like much.”

When Christians do good deeds out of gratitude for what God has done in their lives, God blesses them. We are going to be judged according to the deeds we’ve done in this life (e.g. 1 Peter 1:17). Our deeds are evil if when we think we’ve done them on our own apart from Grace and that we’re in control. But if we acknowledge that nothing we do is done because we’re anyone, God blesses that. We know, for example, that when we pray and fast in secret our father sees us and rewards us (Matt. 6:6, 18). We also get a reward from God if we take care of folks who can’t take care of themselves (Matt. 10:42). I could go on and on. The point is that God does give rewards for things his children do. He is pleased when we obey and when we love one another by serving one another and the only way we can do this is by living out the Law.

Friday, September 03, 2010

Delight To Do His Will

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
Psalm 40:8

Perfection VS Perfectionism

Our goal is perfection, not perfectionism. The Word of God is absolute. But it is false to assume from this premise that the Bible provides a tidy list of do’s and don’ts, all of which must accord with a respectable and middle class common sense. Although the law required priests to have a  certain lineage which the usurping priests of Christ’s day did not have, the Bible still treats Caiaphas as the genuine high priest (Jn. 11:51); Hezekiah requested that God receive certain defiled Israelites coming to the reinstituted Passover (2 Chr. 30:17–19); Namaan received permission to escort his master into the house of Rimmon, and there to help him bow (2 Kgs. 5:17–18); David unlawfully ate the showbread and was praised by Christ (Mt. 12:4); and Christians should have no trouble eating meat that was offered up to an idol (1 Cor. 8:4). Perfectionism has the appearance of wisdom, but it is a work of the flesh. We do not counter perfectionism with imperfectionism; we counter perfectionism with obedience.
Douglas Wilson, Future Men, pg. 26.

Walk By Faith

How do I work on sanctification?

You work on sanctification by receiving God’s free gifts of salvation, relationship, adoption, forgiveness, etc. Believe that these are all yours in Jesus’ Name. The Greek word that is translated believe is also translated faith and trust in various places in the Bible. In other words, when you believe that Jesus died for your sins, you trust yourself to him as Lord and you live in a way that reflects that trust. We call the reason for our submission to him, faith. Faith lives itself out in our lives by submitting to God in the Name of Jesus.

So salvation is by faith alone as they say but faith lives itself out in our lives when we obey and we do this by trusting that God knows more about what we need than we do. We rely on his wisdom and organize our lives around his Word. This organization puts us in the camp of sanctification. Notice in Colossians 2:6 it says, “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” We received the Lord by faith and were saved, now we are being called to trust him by faith and now live that way. So, you work on sanctification by trusting God for every facet of your life and living accordingly. Walk by faith, breath by faith, trust by faith, submit by faith. "For from him and through him and to are all things. To God be the glory forever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36).

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Wearing a Frilly Apron

But in order to do this [helping boys behave like boys] properly, a right understanding of masculinity (on the part of the parents) is necessary. Small boys tend to think that masculinity consists of rolling around in the dirt, and so they are likely to dismiss a quiet studiousness in a boy as simply another form of indoor effeminacy. But we have already seen that a boy should be studying to become wise, studying to be a sage when he is old. This is not the same thing as wearing a frilly apron. Put another way, the distinction between masculinity and femininity is not one of “outdoors” and “indoors.” Women can consider a field and buy it for a vineyard, they can work in the garden, they can tend the fruit trees, and be a glory to their sex. Men can work inside too, helping and leading with many domestic duties, though their focus will be different. Role relationships are clear to the wise, but for those who want life to conform to wooden simplicities, they are a stumbling block.
Douglas Wilson, Future Men, pg. 20-21.

Delight In The Lord

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

The Jailer Touches the Prisoner

How do I get close to God?


By living according to his word. There is a doctrine called transcendence. This means that God is totally other than his creation. He is not a created being and everything else is created. This puts God in another category altogether. The temptation is to think that because God is totally other that we can’t have anything to do with him.

The Call of Death is The Beginning of Life

Joe Rosales
Greyfriars Hall
9.1.10
Hughs, Disciplines of a Godly Man


Here is a brief response to the Kent Hughes' book, Disciplines of a Godly Man.  As you will see, I focused on chapter three, which is titled, Discipline of Marriage.  I focused on this chapter because I believe that there is an obvious organic relationship which exists in the role of a husband, a pastor, and a savior, has been purposely ordained by God in marriage.  The organic relationship that exists between a husband, a pastor, and savior, is of great importance to our understanding of what marriage is and how we ought to live together as married folk.  The notion of giving yourself for someone else is the epitome of the the Christian faith, as much as giving of oneself is reflected in the person of Jesus.  As the one who gave himself to the world, and for the world, the man of God is equally called to exist in the same way.  His life is to be about giving.  Hughes' work touches on the interconnectedness between Jesus and marriage admirably, as he begins with the concept of union as the basis for all things practical.

How To Slit a Sermon's Throat

CJ Bowen
Greyfriars Hall
9.1.10
The Reformed Pastor, Chapter 1

Baxter's message rings out again and again – the preaching of the word depends on the holiness of the minister for its strength. A preacher must first allow himself to be captivated by his text, overcome by the gospel he preaches, before he can even think about having a meaningful ministry. (Not to slight the Spirit's ministry overcoming the sinfulness of preachers, and causing the true Word to shine through brittle crazy glass.) A genuine, honest man will bear more gospel fruit that the most silver-tongued of hypocrites, for, as Baxter memorably puts it, “One proud, surly, lordly word, one needless contention, one covetous action, may cut the throat of many a sermon.”

This is why the pastor needs spiritual formation just as much as he needs spiritual information. It is no injustice to evaluate the personal life of the leaders of the Church, as well as the doctrinal content of their messages. Baxter is highlighting the organic connection of doctrine and life, and exhorting pastors to watch both very carefully.

The underlying assumption of Baxter's call is that the preacher should be very concerned with his own reputation and the fruit his ministry is bearing. Now, it seems very pious to assert just the opposite, that the preacher should take no thought to how he is perceived, and “trust God” with the fruitfulness of his ministry. But Baxter is focusing on the pastor as a servant, an ambassador, one who acts on behalf of Christ. Because the preacher is called to show Christ, his reputation is tied to that of Christ. He guards his behavior not to feed his own pride, but to show forth Christ. Fruitfulness in ministry, then, is not a barometer of personal success, but a reflection of whether or not Christ is being set forth clearly.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Covenant Mantras

The federal mind is not a technique; it is a mind of wisdom. A man must always be careful to distinguish application from mindless conformity. A man can say, “I am the federal head of this place,” every morning when he gets up, but covenant mantras do not work any better than any other kind of mantra. Too many people want twelve steps, or seven steps, or three steps out of their problems, and this approach cannot be manipulated in this fashion.
Douglas Wilson, Federal Husband, Pg. 88.

He Delights In the Law of God

But his delight is in the law of the LORD
Psalm 1:2

He Delights In God

What is Sanctification?

Sanctification is the process whereby God changes sinful human beings into the image and likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Col. 2:9-10). I suppose the real question is, How does he do this?

God loves to do things through means. He makes the grass grow by the means of watering it. He saved us from our sins by means of Jesus’ death on the cross. And on and on. He makes us like Christ by bringing people into our lives and situations into our paths that cause us to choose him and his way over ourselves and our shortsighted ways.

The difference between us and Jesus is that Jesus was totally reliant on the Father for every facet of his life. We shun that reliance and continually want to go our own way and do our own thing. This is sin. But God continually causes us to see that we aren’t really smart enough, or smooth enough, or wise enough to rule our own hearts and so he brings us to the point of commitment over and over again.