Thoughts for a Young Man

A friend once asked me to share some thoughts with his son as his son entered into manhood. These are the thoughts:

The most important gifts God will give you during your life are relationships.

Knowing Him.

Knowing those made in His image.

Relationships live and breathe with humility, but die with selfishness.

Be quick to admit when you are wrong.

Be quick to repent when you sin against God and people.

Take full responsibility for your actions.

Never blame others.

Apply the promises of the Gospel.

Depend on God’s forgiveness.

Rest in His Fatherly care.

Seek His grace to change and grow.

Think about the Cross of Christ every day.

Excel in serving others. It will bring joy!

                                    Pray for others like you pray for yourself.

                                    Serve those around you.

Give to those in need.

Trust in the Lord to give you the humility that is needed in every situation, and the strength to persevere.

Your relationships with God and His people will endure forever.

Most everything else will pass away.

Keep your focus on Christ.

Never give up!

Lessons from Blues Legend B.B. King

Today I read an interesting article about B.B. King's church background and Gospel music roots, which he later abondoned to pursue his Blues career. It seems that there are at least two key observations to be made about the sad turn of events which led to his departure from Christianity:

1. B.B. left the church because his religious interests were more about the music and entertainment factors than Jesus Christ Himself. It is not too surprising that one who was never a disciple would seek to liberate himself from the seemingly constricting requirements of real devotion to the Lord. Hip sounding music easily won out when placed next to the way of the cross.

2. B.B. left a church environment that was (at least in his perception) legalistic and hypocritical. Did he even hear the Gospel in the Southern-cultured, Americanized "evangelical" Baptist and Pentecostal churches he attended? One wonders. Churchy folk certainly did not hide their condemnation of the "blues" musical style, nor of the beer drinking and dancing that often accompanied it. However, King said many church members secretly loved the music!

In short, we are reminded that there is nothing more detrimental to the reputation and health of the local church than unconverted, legalistic, religious hypocrites on the one hand, and the failure to aim for genuine conversion and disciple-making through faithful Gospel witness on the other.

And we might imagine that Reformed believers would have embraced the beer and the music (and perhaps even the dancing--all in tasteful moderation, of course), recognizing these as God's good gifts to be enjoyed, while at the same time holding forth the potent light of the Gospel and calling sinners to repentance and true discipleship.

May our great and gracious God help us not to repeat the errors of a church culture gone wrong in the Deep South of long ago. And today. 

We can thank God for Mr. King's amazing talents, and hope in earnest that he did not die unconverted.

Kyrie Eleison.

Pride, Humility, Truth, Mercy

In some ways, nothing is more humbling than reality itself. A proud man must in some measure be deluded about his own nature, the nature of God, the nature of sin, or the nature of truth itself. Nevertheless, merely knowing the facts about everything would most likely serve to ENHANCE a person's pride! This reveals the practical invincibility of this foundational vice: it is immune to the light that should rightly vanquish it. Knowledge puffs up the very soul that ought to be humbled by it.

So, what can possibly slay the self-regenerating root of pride? Only this: experiencing the mercy of God. The soul that experiences utter dependence on God's sheer kindness - and finds itself undeservedly shielded from His wrath - has a genuine hope of being freed from the straitjacket of pride. The person who daily and gratefully receives the gift of grace is being taught real humility. This person is the one who can benefit from a wider knowledge of the truth and the reality of things.

The very skies and fields and trees look different when once you have found yourself flat on your back, defeated and desperate, and then have felt the extended hand of healing mercy laying gentle on your shoulder. God gives grace to the humble, indeed, but it is all by grace He makes us humble.

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble."
- Daniel 4:37

Our Skewed Moral Self-Perception

We tend to minimize the significance of our evil deeds, as if they are somehow unreflective of our true character; and at the same time we maximize the significance of our slightest good intention, as if it was sufficient by itself to validate our character as genuinely virtuous.

In reality our hearts are corrupt. This corruption displays itself in our darkest intentions even as it taints our most virtuous deeds. So the real situation is exactly opposite to our perception if we are operating under the default assumption of our own basic goodness.

Christ remedies this situation by showing us an accurate picture of our evil character, leading us to repentance, filling us with His own goodness and displaying His great virtue through corrupted vessels like us.

Therefore let us give Him every ounce of glory rather than trying to take credit for the miracle of our sanctification.

Is this my living room . . . or is it M.C. Escher's?

The Victorious Christian LIfe: What Happens When Jesus Conquers Us

I was recently privileged to deliver the Sunday morning message at my church. 

Text: Acts 20:17-38 (Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders)
Title: The Victorious Christian LIfe: What Happens When Jesus Conquers Us
Theme: Christ's victory in us will be seen in our deeds, words, values and motivations.

It's not the best sermon I've ever heard, but God blessed it and you may find it encouraging.

Listen to the message here.

______________________________________________________________________

Bonus "Two for One" Deal:
Dr. James Anderson preaches from the same passage here.

A Primer on Sanctification

At different times in Church History, issues of justification and sanctification have led to great errors. Sometimes the attempts to correct these errors have resulted in other errors. What follows is a Biblical perspective on eight aspects of sanctification that deserve to be included in any discussion of the topic. They range from the forensic, instantaneous aspect of sanctification, which takes place right alongside justification, to the oft-mentioned progressive aspect - and several associated aspects which are often overlooked or underplayed. Of course, much more could be said, but it is our earnest prayer that this little primer will help saints to advance in the cross-centered life of holiness.
   
Sanctification is . . .
  

Possessive

We belong to God. This is the "definitive" or "positional" sanctification that accompanies justification. God now calls us holy, saints, His own redeemed people. We become His special possession - immediately, instantaneously, and irrevocably. It is a legal and forensic holiness - entailing a change of status rather than a change of state or behavior. Because we are in Christ, God now looks upon us and treats us as those clothed in Jesus' own perfect holiness.

Acts 26:18 so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

Romans 7:4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

I Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ...

I Corinthians 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption ... 

I Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

Hebrews 10:10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Ingressive

Christ has the right of way. We must surrender to Him and yield to the Holy Spirit daily.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Romans 6:11, 13 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. ... Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 

Galatians 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 

James 4:7-8 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Impressive

We are impressed by the splendors of Christ's holiness, and His image is increasingly impressed upon our hearts. We become more like Him in our thoughts and beliefs as our inner person is transformed.

Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.  

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

Galatians 6:14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 

Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus ... 

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Colossians 3:1-3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

I John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 

Expressive

We actively portray Christ's image through our words and deeds.

Philippians 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ ...  

Philippians 3:10 ... that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ...

I John 2:6 ... whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 

I John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

Suppressive

We fight against our natural, fleshly and sinful tendencies and say "no" to sin.

Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. 

I Thessalonians 4:3-5 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God ...

Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age ...

James 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Progressive

We change over time as we replace sinful habits with godly practices, and we gradually become more holy in our thoughts, attitudes and actions.

Galatians 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 

Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 

Heb. 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Excessive

Sanctification takes us beyond the minimum "legal" requirements of obedience to a divine overflow of love and service. 

I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 

II Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 

Philippians 1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more ... 

I Thessalonians 3:12 ... and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all ... 

I Thessalonians 4:1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 

I Thessalonians 4:9-10 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more ...

Aggressive

Our energies and wills are devoted to the mortification of sin and the vivification of Christian virtues. Through a struggle and fight of perseverance we overcome evil with good. We increasingly learn to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, and we become hyper-conquerors through Him who loved us.

Romans 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 

Romans 13:12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 

Galatians 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

Colossians 3:5, 8 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. . . . But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 

I Thessalonians 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

Nouthetic Counseling and Discipleship Training

Brad Bigney shares a Biblical
Perspective on Worry and Fear

This weekend my pastor and I attended the third installment of NANC Counseling and Discipleship Training at Christian Family Chapel in Jacksonville, FL. Over three weekends, we received an introduction to the basics and fundamentals, and we hope to pursue more education in this area in the future. My former pastor, Brad Bigney, was one of the featured speakers. It has been wonderful to sit again before this man whom God used at a critical time in my life. Soon after I first met Brad back in 2000, my marriage fell apart and my wife and I were separated for two and a half years. We are walking miracles, now committed to our family and working hard to raise up our children in the ways of the Lord! We have received such mercy at the hands of our God, who not only forgave and accepted us, but also lives in us and transforms us by His Word. As I sat next to my current pastor, Craig Bowen, it struck me how perfectly God has provided for the care of my family under faithful servants of Christ.

The 30 hour NANC training course was amazing. Some of the other featured speakers were:

Randy Patten - Executive Director of NANC. He is a solid, hard-hitting preacher and teacher with vast counseling experience and lots of insightful lessons to share.
Stuart Scott - Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling at SBTS and Department Coordinator of Biblical Counseling at Boyce College. Dr. Scott served 10 years under John MacArthur at Grace Community Church. He is a pioneer in the art of Biblical Counseling and a man of great discernment.
Jim Newheiser - Pastor of Grace Bible Church of North San Diego County, CA and head of the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship. He is a wise, balanced thinker.
Nicolas Ellen - Pastor of Community of Faith Bible Church in Houston, TX. He is a great speaker with energy and passion for the Truth!
Dan Gannon, MD and Pam Gannon, RN - This husband/wife team includes an orthopedic surgeon and a registered nurse who share valuable insights regarding medical issues in counseling. They are thorough and extremely helpful in their analysis of challenging topics.
Andrew Rogers - Pastor of Sunrise Community Church in Atlantic Beach, FL. He is a solid preacher and teacher with a gift for exposition and application.

A key concept shared by several of the speakers is the fact that humanity's problems revolve around two primary issues: sin and suffering. All suffering is a result of the fall, but not all suffering is the direct result of one's own sin. Often a counselor must confront sin, but sometimes he is simply called to offer comfort to an afflicted soul. The counselor is a fellow sinner and a fellow sufferer who desires to share God's grace. The goal is always to help the counselee to grow to become more like Christ, pleasing and glorifying God through the situation. NANC's overall perspective included a great deal of humility and nuance, while holding resolutely to the sufficiency of Scripture. Integrationist methods that attempt to reconcile secular psychology with Biblical theology were briefly critiqued, but the main focus was on the power and efficacy of the Word of God itself.

I have met a few people who have gotten a poor impression of nouthetic counseling. My suggestion would be to attend a NANC training course before believing any negative reports about what is taught. The things you actually hear might surprise you!

In conclusion, I highly recommend this training for any Christian who is interested in helping others and making disciples.

Isaiah 53:5 - Wrath and Discipline

Editor's Note: With chagrin, I must remark that our slowly progressing study of Isaiah 53 might be the longest running series in blogging history. This particular post has been 15 months in the making! I hope it was worth the wait. The challenges contained in this verse led to the recent series of posts on the extent of the atonement, which had to be sorted through before this post could be finished. May you be blessed by the encouragements given through Isaiah in his astoundingly deep words about the work of Christ in our behalf.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, 

He was crushed for our iniquities; 

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, 

And by His scourging we are healed.

This verse is a response to the preceding phrase: "we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:4b). It answers the questions, "Why was He so afflicted, grieved and sorrowful?" and, "Why would God treat Him this way?" The reasons are clear: because we sinned, and in order to restore us.


Here Isaiah brings the substitutionary and representative aspects of Christ's work into focus. As substitute, Christ stands in the place of the condemned sinner and receives the full outpouring of God's wrath. Yet He stands also in the place of the redeemed sinner and represents that sinner in the corrective judgments that will bring full restoration. As the believer's substitute, Christ closes the door on wrath. As his representative, He opens the blessed way into God's discipline - the way of sonship.

First he endures wrath so that we can escape from it, then He experiences divine discipline so we can embrace it. There is the wrath which we deserve but haven't yet received, and then there is the discipline we need but can't receive without first being accepted as sons. Christ suffers the one substitutionally so that we can't suffer it, and the other representatively so that we may join Him in it. 

The Substitutionary Suffering of Christ

The verse divides neatly into two halves, indicating substitutionary atonement first, and then representative suffering. As our substitute, Christ suffered in our stead - so that the sting of sin and death is now removed. Thus, as believers, we can never experience what He experienced there. We could have, and should have, but by God's grace we never will. This is the message of the first half of the verse:

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, 

He was crushed for our iniquities; 

Pierced Through - Heb. HHALAL, חָלַל = to wound (fatally), bore through, pierce, bore. The word can also have the meaning: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate

In the literal sense, Christ was "pierced" 5 times; in each hand, in each foot, and then in His side. In the figurative sense, God allowed him to be defiled by our sin. Sin defiles the soul, piercing and killing it.


Crushed - Heb. DAKA, דָּכָא = to crush, be crushed, be contrite, be broken

Though our Lord experienced the most intense physical pain, He was not crushed physically. In fact, He was preserved from the breaking of bones (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20). He was spiritually broken, crushed and made contrite by the bearing of our sins. The weight and pressure of them was hideously oppressive to His soul.

Here He is treated as an enemy, and not as a son. "Piercing" and "crushing" describe the furious destruction that would be meted out upon one's adversary. One pierces and crushes his foe, not his child. Thus, Christ represented the enemies of God and experienced the kind of destruction they are due: the terror of having to bear their own iniquity and its destructive results.

The Representative Suffering of Christ

As our representative - our brother - Christ suffered with us. In the first half of the verse, he accomplished what was needed to justify us. But in the second half he brings about our much needed sanctification. In this sense He not only suffers for us, but also with us, and in order that we may suffer with Him. He thus provides the ground by which we can be accepted, not merely as sinners justified through a gifted righteousness, but also as sons sanctified through experiential identification with THE SON. This is the message of the second half of the verse:

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, 

And by His scourging we are healed.

Chastening - Heb. MUSAR מוּסָר = discipline, chastening, correction. "Essentially, it is a bond, a checking, restraint, i.e., correction which results in education." (Zodhiates)

Well-being - Heb. SHALOM שָׁלוֹם = completeness, soundness, welfare, peace. ". . . Shalom is a harmonious state of soul and mind, both externally and internally. . . . Though shalom can mean the absence of strife, it usually is much more. It expresses completeness, harmony, and fulfillment." (Zodhiates)

Scourging - Heb. HHABURAH חַבּוּרָה = bruise, stripe, wound, blow

Proverbs 20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.


Healed - Heb. RAPHA רָפָא = to heal, make healthful

In the second half of the verse, He suffers the corrective discipline which would be administered to a beloved but disobedient son. "Chastening" and "scourging" describe the discipline a Father administers to his erring child. Christ was standing in our place, no longer as rebellious sinners deserving wrath, but as justified sons needing the Father's discipline. He suffers this discipline not so that we can avoid it, but so that we can enter into it with Him.

In the first part of the verse, He suffered for the sin of the whole world. In the second, He suffered for the benefit of those who are redeemed and brought to sonship through His suffering. As He suffered the fullness of divine wrath for the sin of the world, so He suffered the fullness of divine discipline for the sins of the believer.

Thus we find God, in the process of making atonement, already responding to the anticipated effects of the atonement.

We now share in Christ's sufferings. We take up our crosses and follow Him. Christian suffering and sanctification in the New Testament are framed as a participation in the sufferings of Christ, and a sharing in the cross.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."
Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."
Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
I Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
I Peter 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Romans 6:10-11 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

The first half of Isaiah 53:5 showed us our culpability as sinners under God's wrath. The second half speaks of our well being as God's redeemed children. Contained in every line, and forming the link between these two concepts, is the suffering of Christ in behalf of sinners. His suffering accomplishes our justification and empowers our sanctification.

The Gospel in Isaiah 26

Editor's Note: I haven't posted much lately because I've been busy wrestling with the implications of Isaiah 53:5 while preparing for the next installment in the Suffering Servant series. That post should be ready for presentation soon. After we finish our study of Isaiah 53, I plan to present a series of articles from a devotional book on Biblical paradoxes (the author - a like minded preacher from a Plymouth Brethren background - has graciously granted me permission to re-publish his material on this site, which is very exciting!). After that, I plan to discuss some key theological concepts related to the goodness of God - particularly Augustine's theodicy and its relation to Calvinism and Christian faith in general). So, while I continue to struggle joyously through the implications of Isaiah 53:5, I have decided to publish the following brief doctrinal/devotional on Isaiah 26. Hope it's encouraging!

The book of Isaiah has been called "The Gospel according to Isaiah." Let's take a quick look at Isaiah 26 to find out why.

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation
as walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.

Here is the doctrine of justification by faith. What a strong city this doctrine is. What a welcoming gate of entrance it opens to those who trust in Christ. The word "nation" in verse 2 is the usual word for Gentiles, so for the Jews there was a great irony here. Could be read: "The righteous Gentile that keeps faith may enter in."

3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Here are the doctrines of reconciliation, sanctification and preservation. He reconciles us to Himself and keeps us and protects us. We trust in Him and fix our minds on Him and flee to Him.

5 For he has humbled
the inhabitants of the height,
the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
casts it to the dust.
6 The foot tramples it,
the feet of the poor,
the steps of the needy.”

7 The path of the righteous is level;
you make level the way of the righteous.

Here is a continuation of the doctrine of progressive yet militant sanctification, with emphasis on God's work of humbling the proud and then exalting the humble. His triumph is our victory! His conquering "army" is a band of blessed, triumphant, ragged beggars. Sanctification is the pathway in which we walk - humbly, by faith - never losing sight of our poverty and neediness. The meek shall take the land.

8 In the path of your judgments,
O LORD, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
are the desire of our soul.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.

Here are the results of the doctrine of regeneration. Only a regenerated heart can have these holy desires and worshipful yearnings. You must be born again.

For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 If favor is shown to the wicked,
he does not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly
and does not see the majesty of the LORD.
11 O LORD, your hand is lifted up,
but they do not see it.

Here are the doctrines of total depravity, common grace and reprobation. The unregenerate man militates against the things of God, even in a godly environment. God's favor is shown to all, but those who do not believe cannot "learn righteousness" by grace. They are blinded by sin.

Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.
Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.

Here is the doctrine of divine wrath and judgment. Make no mistake, God reserves fiery wrath for His enemies. But He has a great saving zeal for those who are His.

12 O LORD, you will ordain peace for us,

for you have indeed done for us all our works.

Here is the doctrine of man's entire dependence upon God. No "free will" here, but a bold affirmation of the divine decree and compatibilism. "For it is God who works in you . . ."

13 O LORD our God,
other lords besides you have ruled over us,
but your name alone we bring to remembrance.

14 They are dead, they will not live;

they are shades, they will not arise;
to that end you have visited them with destruction
and wiped out all remembrance of them.

15 But you have increased the nation, O LORD,

you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
you have enlarged all the borders of the land.


Here are the doctrines of confession and repentance from sin, divine sovereignty and the glory of God. We are natural idolaters, but the one Lord of all has captivated our hearts. He is jealous over us for our good and His glory. Soli deo gloria.

16 O LORD, in distress they sought you;
they poured out a whispered prayer
when your discipline was upon them.
17 Like a pregnant woman
who writhes and cries out in her pangs
when she is near to giving birth,
so were we because of you, O LORD;

Here is the doctrine of God's discipline. God loves us enough to humble us and bring us to the end of ourselves through suffering. Isaiah has just finished saying that God "increased" and "enlarged" the nation. Now he explains how it was done: by the pruning that leads to greater fruitfulness.

18 we were pregnant, we writhed,
but we have given birth to wind.
We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth,
and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.

Here is the doctrine of man's inability to save himself. Apart from effectual grace, all our works and efforts and strivings accomplish nothing of value. God's hand of discipline leads us to this realization - so that we may learn to trust in Him rather than ourselves.

19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Here, combined, are the doctrines of regeneration and the resurrection of the dead.  As a new day dawns, bringing fresh dew and light from above, the regenerated heart joyfully praises God. The night has passed! There is new birth! Death itself is overcome!

20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
21 For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.

Once again, here is the doctrine of divine wrath and judgment, along with the doctrine of atonement for sin. These verses call to mind the first Passover, when the righteous were covered and hidden away from God's judgment because an unblemished lamb was slain for them. And One has been sacrificed for us, too.

Isaiah 52:13 - This Deserves Attention

"Behold, My servant will prosper."

God's Focal Point is the Cross

"Behold" (Heb. HINNEH, הנה) is a call to attention. It means, "look over here!" It is not by mistake that this eye-catching term opens the greatest prophetic picture of Christ in the Old Testament, for God is ever drawing our attention back to His Son, and to the cross. In this series, we are endeavoring to pay heed to that call.

Christ's Mission was to Serve

"My Servant" (Heb. EBED, עבד) identifies Christ as God's servant, the One who obediently accomplishes His will. To save us, God did not send an army, a team of doctors, a professor, a scientist, or a politician. He sent a Servant who obeyed His will. The world vainly looks for salvation in the knowledge and power of its experts, most of whom are decidedly out of step with God's revealed will. But He offers salvation freely through the humble obedience of His Servant.

Philippians 2:6-8 ... although He existed in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Mark 10:45 "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Jesus was Wise and Successful in His Work

"Prosper" - Heb. SAKHAL, שכל (occurs 63 times in the OT) = "to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper ... to have insight ... to prosper, have success." (Brown-Driver-Briggs), "to be succussful (in carrying anything on), to act prosperously." (Gesenius), "... never concerns abstract prudence, but acting prudently." (Unger/White), "... relates to an intelligent knowledge of the reason." (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament). The semantic range of this word describes the relationship between wisdom and success. It can be used for the wisdom that leads to success, or for the success that was accomplished by using the wisdom. Hence, it stands for wise administration, insightful management, or an intelligent handling of a complex situation.

The world has its own ideas of success, but Jesus Christ is the supreme example of understanding and accomplishment. He is wise in all His actions and effective in all His works. His success cannot be thwarted by any opponent. Jesus vindicated God's "upside-down" wisdom by achieving His mission through the undervalued qualities of servanthood: humility and obedience. His acts depended upon the Father's blessing and faithfulness, so His success was guaranteed. Yet His mission was accomplished through affliction, surrender and self-sacrifice. Indeed, "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men " (I Cor. 1:25)

I Cor. 1:30-31 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

Focusing on the wisdom of Christ in His attitude, acts and accomplishments is the great remedy to being "wise in your own eyes." Let us pay attention to this, becoming deliberately cross-centered in all we do. And let us imitate the cross-wise approach to success and prosperity modeled by our Lord in His servanthood.

Matthew 26:24 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

To be a cross-bearing, self-relinquishing, others-serving, Christ-following disciple - that is true prosperity. Dear friend, do you wish to come after Him?

The Paradoxes of Prayer - Part 1

INTRODUCTION

Luke 18:1 "Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart . . ."

Praying is so essential to the Christian life that our Lord repeatedly commanded, exemplified, and extolled it. The Christian who has made any effort at all in prayer has discovered some things:

1. He does not do enough of it.

2. It is hard to do.

3. His flesh is irreparably bent against it.

4. It is easily neglected.

5. It is often contorted into a lifeless parody of itself.

6. When it is done in the right way, and with the right motives, it is unfathomably effective, pleasurable, and beneficial.

7. Yet perfectionism is sure to destroy it every time.

We pray only when things are going well; or we pray only when things are going badly. We pray only about ourselves; or we pray only about circumstances. We pray very brief and unfocused prayers; or we pray exceptionally good prayers that succeed in impressing ourselves or others. We condemn ourselves for our lack of prayer; or we exalt ourselves for our self-discipline. We find prayer dry and joyless, and therefore give up; or we find it ecstatically enjoyable, and therefore follow our feelings into inconsistency. There are many pitfalls, but there is no room for giving up. Like so many things in the Christian life - that is, the realistic life - praying is hard. But it is good. In fact, it is very good.

This series will examine two types of paradox regarding prayer. First, we will consider a theological paradox that can be a gigantic hindrance. Second, we will look at some practical paradoxes designed to encourage us in our praying. The goal is to help you (and me) to find encouragement from God's Word that will greatly increase our effectiveness and joyfulness in the life of prayer.

Before going any further, allow me to admit honestly that I am no expert on this subject. I struggle here, perhaps more than most. But I am long in the fight, and God has taught me a thing or two by hard experience. Years ago, some of my closest friends were apalled to hear me declare, "God ruined my prayer life." They thought it was a terrible thing to say. And it was terrible. But it was nonetheless true. My prayer life needed to be ruined, just as an old, rickety, mold-filled, dilapidated shack needs to be torn down. God had better gifts to give than I would ever find in my merit-minded, self-righteous, self-focused and self-satisfied prayers. He brought me down to nothing and gave me a new start. Then, for the first time, I did not merely approach the Lord. I connected with Him.

This series is all about connecting with God, on His terms and in His divinely mandated way. I hope you don't need to have your prayer life ruined as I did. But if you do, so be it. The God who "makes all things new" can give you a new start.

PS - To illustrate just how counterintuitive the phrase, "God ruined my prayer life" is, search for the phrase (in quotes) on Google. You're already looking at the only page that will be listed. "God ruined my prayer" yields the same result. Controversial as the phrase may be, I tell you truthfully that God will jealously destroy anything and everything that stands between Himself and His beloved children. Even spiritual things. And that is the GOOD NEWS!

IMPOSSIBLE - The Rich Young Ruler, Part 1

This series examines some of the ways Jesus used the Law to bring conviction of sin and prove the impossibility of human perfection. Ultimately, Jesus' intention is to have us see our need and trustingly surrender to His sovereign Lordship.

We have seen this principle in Jesus' interaction with Nicodemus; now let's take a look at how our Lord responded to a very religious young man. The story is found in three of the four Gospels, in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18.


Below you can read the three accounts merged into one harmonized story, which will help us to notice some interesting details . . .

As He was setting out on a journey, a man who was a ruler ran up to Him, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life, that I may obtain eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments. Then he said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus replied, "You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER. And YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth up; what am I still lacking?" When Jesus heard this, looking at him, He felt a love for him and said to him,"One thing you still lack; If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions, all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he became very sad and he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property and he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! For again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were even more astonished and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?" But looking at them, Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but not with God; the things that are impossible with people are possible with God, for all things are possible with God."

As we move along, I'll be looking specifically at the phrases highlighted in light blue. Several months ago, we studied the beginning of this story in a 4-part series called "My Goodness, What a Paradox!"

Jesus begins by leading this man to the Law of Moses. This Law was the God-ordained path by which the Jewish people were to be led to Christ, as Paul explains here:

Galatians 3:19-25 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions ... Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.


The Law was not meant to be a means of salvation, but a means of exposing sin and proving the need for Christ's righteousness. It is not meant to save a person from sin and guilt. Rather, it proves us guilty and sinful. Jesus applied the Law with this purpose in mind.



The list of commandments given by our Lord is notable in three ways. First, he adds a commandment not directly given in the Old Testament: Do not defraud. Is it possible that the rich ruler had gained his wealth through a scheme of some sort? Or perhaps his money came from a father who had perpetrated such a scheme. Could it be that Jesus added this command to give the man an opporunity to question it - and thereby realize that he was guilty of breaking the spirit of the Law in this way? We can only speculate, but we have to address the obvious question, why did Jesus include this particular command in His list? Secondly, Jesus adds "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," which is not properly part of the ten commandments. Could it be the young man had not treated others with love, though he had lived a strictly moral life, outwardly? That, after all, was the plague of Pharisaism: a hyper religiosity with strict outward morality and supposed love for God - and all of it entirely discredited by a lack of compassion and an indifference to the needs of others. Thirdly, Jesus does not mention the first 4 commandments, which focus on our relationship with God. He also does not mention the last commandment, "Do not covet" - the only one of the 10 commandments that deals solely with the inward man. He gave the most tangible, obvious, outward commands dealing with our treatment of other human beings.

Jesus was applying the Law in a targeted way, aiming right at this man's most obvious sins. But the intended effect of the Law was not happening, and the elite ruler remained self-righteously blind to his need for a Savior. The Lord was not finished with him yet, however . . .