Monday, April 30, 2007

Scott K. Oliphint Review by Paul Helm, Professor Emeritus of University of London



Scott Oliphint is Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Seminary, Philadelphia, and so a direct academic descendent of Cornelius Van Til. At the outset of the book he pays tribute to CVT, and says that although he is rarely mentioned in what follows, his fingerprint is on every page. Oliphint sets out his view of the relation of philosophy to Christian theology in a very broad way, the body of the work being taken up with a discussion of basic epistemological and metaphysical issues, which are then put to work in a short series of implications and applications. To my way of thinking these discussions start and stop too quickly, and leave a good few loose ends. But the general trajectory of them is to be welcomed. It is that in the discussion of the relation between theology and philosophy, and the trading between them, Christian theology should have priority. Philosophy should be in the service of Theology, as the book's cover tells us. In this review I shall concentrate my remarks on this point.
Since the death of Van Til in 1987 there have been two very significant developments that are relevant to an understanding of the relation between philosophy and theology in Reformed theology. One has been the rise and rise of the influence of Alvin Plantinga, who in a monumental body of work (culminating so far in Warranted Christian Belief in epistemology and the Nature of Necessity in metaphysics) has set forth epistemological and metaphysical ideas and arguments that illuminate and do not (in the main) compromise a generally Calvinistic outlook. This body of work is nevertheless integrated with the language and some of the distinctive theses of current epistemology and metaphysics in analytic philosophy. The second development is the recovery of interest in and appreciation for Reformed Scholasticism, as can be seen in another equally monumental body of work, Richard Muller's four volume Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics.
Professor Oliphint is living with these changes. The fingerprints of Plantinga and Muller are on every page. His mentor CVT adopted a buttoned-up, belt and braces approach to the relation between the Reformed faith and philosophy. While himself (apparently unselfconsciously) using the language of his Idealist mentors such as Josiah Royce, he quoted philosophers only to refute them, and it seems had little positive appreciation of anything in theology that occurred between the death of Calvin and the birth of Abraham Kuyper. In this book there is evidence that Oliphint wears looser fitting clothes. To change the metaphor, he has opened the windows. Not only to Plantinga and to Muller's Reformed scholastics, but also to the 'genius' of Thomas Aquinas and to others.
I must say that I, for one, warmly welcome all this. The fresh air cannot but be beneficial. Why is that? For one thing, Oliphint seeks to reposition Reformed Theology where it has historically been situated, in the rich and varied tradition of debate and discussion between philosophy, arising from Greek culture, and Christian Theology which, in its Reformed variant at least, seeks to be obediently faithful to Holy Scripture. Plantinga’s work is in this line. For another thing, the working relationship that Oliphint is endeavouring to establish (or rather, to re-establish) between Reformed Theology and philosophy is appropriately eclectic, as the work of Muller has shown. Reformed theologians (with few exceptions) have never been Aristotelian or Platonic or Stoic, Thomist or Scotist, Cartesian, Leibnizian or Edwardsean. The idea that, besides Theology, a 'Christian Philosophy' has to be constructed has largely been shunned. The Reformed tradition has not allowed itself to be taken over by any one philosophical outlook, but it has appropriated elements from here and there as it has seen fit. Theology has called the shots. This is, alas, not the temper one finds in much current 'Christian Philosophy', despite the benign influence of Plantinga. All too often theology is allowed to trail behind the latest philosophical idea. Oliphint is quite right to draw our attention to all this.
As was said, within the welcome 'Faith Seeking Understanding' trajectory endorsed by Oliphint, there are many loose ends that call for comment. This is, in a way, how it should be. I am tempted to tug away at some of these ends, but I shall resist the call. That'll do for now.

For His Glory

You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet . . . . Psalm 8:6

It’s been said that Francis of Assisi treated every man or woman like a king or a queen. That’s a conviction the psalmist shares. God created us to have dominion (Genesis 1:28). We are kings and queens, rulers over the works of his hands, in charge for his glory.
When I was growing up in southern California, our house was next to the dairy where my father worked. One winter the rains were particularly heavy, and the cows in the corrals were up to their bellies in muck, unable to lie down and forced to sleep standing up. The rains went on for days, and the cows were miserable. Finally the boss asked my father if the fence could be cut down between our properties so that the cows could get out of the muck and onto the dry ground of our home’s front yard.
They cut the fence down, and to our amazement, instead of lying down to rest, the cows began to prance and frolic! Those big black-and-white Holsteins began to prance around like newborn lambs—dancing with joy and relief.
Exercising our dominion to the glory of God means we seek to make all things in our charge dance with joy, whether it be our children, spouses, students, cows, gardens, woodlands—everything! Christ’s goal, and so our goal, is to make God’s creation dance with joy.

PRAYER
Lord God, you entrust us with the care of your creation. As your redeemed people, grant us the wisdom to be good rulers, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Q&A WITH DR. RC. SPROUL

How should we be in the world but not of it? What does "not of it" mean?

The New Testament tells us that we are not to be conformed to this world but that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2). Let’s look at those two words that are crucial to that discussion in Scripture, the difference between conformity and transformation. The prefix con-means “with.” And so to conform to this world means literally to be with it. That’s one of the strongest drives and temptations that we have as Christians. Nobody wants to be out of it; we want to be “with it.” We want to be up-to-date. We want to fit in. And we’re often engulfed by peer pressure that wants us to imitate and participate in all of the structures and the styles of this world. The Bible says we are not to be conformed to the patterns of this world. Now, when we hear that as Christians, so often we think that all we have to do is to become obvious nonconformists. So if the world wears buttons and bows, we don’t wear buttons and bows, or if the world wears lipstick, we don’t wear lipstick. We try to show ways in which we are different from the world. But that’s not what the Bible is talking about. It’s not just a matter of being different from the world; we are to go beyond nonconformity to transformation. That fits with everything the Scripture tells us of being salt and light to the world. Something that is transformed is something that is changed. The prefix trans-means “above and beyond.” We are to be above and beyond the standards of this world, not in the sense that we are to elevate ourselves in lofty status above everybody else, but that we are called to a more excellent way of life. That doesn’t mean you drop out of the world; this world is my Father’s world, and this is the arena of God’s redemption. The tendency has always been to flee from the world and hide in the upper room, but God the Holy Spirit won’t tolerate that. He sends his people into the world. Luther said it this way: “There’s a normal pattern for Christian behavior. The person who’s converted out of the world spends his first days as a Christian in a tendency to completely withdraw from the world, as Paul went to Arabia, for example, or we might have a desire to be so far removed from the stains and the pollution of this world that we become monastic in our thinking—withdrawing, stepping out of the world altogether.” But Luther said a Christian doesn’t reach maturity until he reenters the world and embraces the world again, not in its worldliness and its ungodly patterns but as the theater and the arena of God’s redemption. That’s what Jesus did; he went into the world in order to save the world. This world is the world that God has committed himself to renew and redeem, and we are to participate in that with him.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Sluggish


[May] you . . . not become sluggish, but imitators of those who . . . inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:12

It takes energy to stay the course, “to live a life worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10).
It is easy, however, to grow spiritually sluggish.
This sluggishness is more than laziness, something that a stern warning might cure—though laziness can play into sluggishness. We become lazy about the affairs of the soul. We skip our prayers; we slide through worship. There are times when we have to rein in our laziness and hold ourselves accountable to others.
This sluggishness is also more than being weary, something that a good night’s rest might cure—though weariness can play into sluggishness. Like so many others, we complain that there are too many demands on our lives. We’re running as fast as we can, and it’s not fast enough. Sometimes the most important task in our spiritual life is pruning, beginning with the litter that clutters up our lives.
Ultimately this sluggishness is a symptom of hopelessness, the feeling that our life has no point. Sometimes we experience a season of sluggishness. The antidote to such a season is to call ourselves back to God and remember that God is present and faithful. God is a promise-keeper. His promises to save us and bring us to glory are guaranteed in Christ. Let that be the anchor for the soul that keeps us from drifting into sluggishness.

PRAYER
Dear God, you are faithful and true to your Word. We have seen your faithfulness in Christ and in the ordinary graces of everyday life. May it strengthen us to faithfulness. Amen.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Praise

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. Psalm 138:1

Preacher and author Carlyle Marney argued that what is essential about us is not our having or our doing, but our being. To illustrate, he told about a teenage girl who was a quadriplegic. Marney described her as having “a little voice”—no use of her arms or her legs, but a fine mind. This young woman, he said, was asked if she wouldn’t as soon be done with it all. She replied, “I wouldn’t have missed being for anything.”
There’s the wonder of being, and there’s also the wonder of being cared for. The psalmist praises God for his love and faithfulness, for saving with “his right hand,” and for his love that “endures forever.”
This praise emphasizes being proud of God. Instead of complaints or angry words, there are shouts of approval. Some years ago, Anton Armstrong gave his final performance as director of the Calvin College Alumni Choir. At the end of the performance, the audience stood and applauded wildly. Armstrong kept coming back for one more bow. Then, when the praise had nearly exhausted itself, an elderly woman, Anton’s mother, shouted, “That’s my boy!” People laughed and applauded still louder.
The psalmist shouts: “That’s my God!”—and we join him in the praise. Before all the movers and shakers of the world, we shout, “Our God is the greatest!”

PRAYER
Dear God, we join the whole company of saints in heaven and on earth in praising you. You are great, O Lord; your name and your word are exalted above all things! Amen.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Ignorance

The Lord is the everlasting God . . . . His understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28


The people are lamenting, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God.” Even when life appears cheerful, there is this undercurrent of sadness among the people. It’s life in exile. The people feel abandoned by God.
But Isaiah wants the people to reconsider what they already know, to hear what they’ve heard before. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God.” No one can fathom the ways of God.
As a teaspoon cannot take the measure of the oceans, so the human mind cannot fathom the mind of God. There’s a vast gap between the Creator and the creature. Life itself is full of mystery—a newborn baby, love, gravity. Who can fully explain these things? According to A Short History of Nearly Everything, “There are perhaps 140 billion galaxies in the still unfolding universe. If all the stars in the universe were only the size of the head of a pin, they still would fill Miami’s Orange Bowl to overflowing more than three billion times.”
Over the centuries, Christians have spoken of a “holy ignorance,” an ignorance that is deeply humbling. It revels in the knowledge that the unfathomable Lord has everything, including you and me, in his hands.
We need not fathom God’s ways in order to trust him. It’s enough to know his heart.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, you have unveiled to us the heart of God. In your strength we will hope in the Lord always, knowing that God loves us even more than we can fathom. Amen.

THE BLOG IN OUR EYES...... PART 3 By Nathan Busenitz


We had intended to conclude our series today, but it all got a bit too lengthy. So we’ll wait until Monday to finish it up. Today we will look at points 7 and 8, as we continue looking at how to blog in a way that honors the Lord.
The question we are seeking to answer is: What principles should guide Christians as they interact online?
7. Speak the Truth in Love
In Ephesians 4:15, Paul tells his readers to speak the truth in love. There are two important applications of this passage as it relates to Christian communication (both online and off). These are basic points from the verse, but they are equally important: First, we are to speak the truth. Second, we are to do so in a way that is characterized by love.
The context of Paul’s instruction centers around doctrinal issues (in v. 14), and is directly applicable to the edification of fellow believers (in v. 16). We are to speak the truth, then, in contrast to the falsehood of erroneous doctrine; and we are to do so in love, for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.
Speaking the truth addresses the content of what we say. We are to be those who guard, echo, and uphold the truth. That means there will also be times when we need to confront error, as we contend earnestly for the faith. As those who speak the truth, we will necessarily expose falsehood.
Speaking the truth in love addresses the way in which we speak. We must not be obnoxious with the truth, or personally offensive in how we approach others. Rather, we are called to communicate truth in such a way that the body of Christ is edified. Our words, especially when aimed at fellow believers, must be characterized by biblical love.
When we speak of love, we are not suggesting that we should ignore error or blindly tolerate “every wind of doctrine.” Not at all. Biblical love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6). In fact, the writers of the NT reserved their harshest criticisms for those who would promote false doctrine (Matt. 23:13–26; Gal. 1:6–9; 2 Peter 2; 1 John 2:18–24; Jude). Biblical love demands that we protect fellow believers from what we know to be potential threats and dangerous trends (cf. Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:14; Titus 1:9–11; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 John 5:21).
Yet, at the same time, biblical love is also patient, kind, humble, selfless, and not-easily provoked (1 Cor. 13:4-5). It is a sincere love (1 Pet. 1:22; Rom. 12:9) that is characterized by the phrase: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Rom. 12:18). It exhibits the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23) and, when exemplified in the lives of godly people is not quick-tempered, self-willed, pugnacious, or needlessly quarrelsome (Titus 1:7; 2 Tim. 2:24–25). It is not soft on false doctrine or on false teachers; but it is soft with compassion and seasoned with grace in its dealings with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
We might add here that love is not easily angered (1 Cor. 13:5), recognizing that, as a general rule, the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:20; cf. Eph. 4:26). As Solomon wrote, “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly” (Prov. 14:29); and, “An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot tempered man abounds in transgression” (Prov. 29:22); and again, “Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools” (Eccl. 7:9; see also Prov. 14:17; 15:1; 16:32; 19:11, 19; 22:24; 29:11).
Biblical love is courageous and forthright when it needs to be. But it is also characterized by gentleness, patience, and kindness. It is this type of steadfast yet gracious love that we should pursue in our blogging efforts.
8. If in Doubt, Wait It Out
No matter your connection speed, the blogosphere moves at a lightning pace. The breakneck speed at which online interaction takes place means that blog discussions usually only last for one or maybe two days, and that last week’s conversation is today’s ancient history. If someone hopes to get a word in, he or she better do it now. Otherwise the discussion will be over.
This (in my opinion) is one of the biggest disadvantages of blogging. (In fact, it is part of the reason we frequently do extended series here on Pulpit, to at least try to give people a few days in which to think about the same topic.) For the most part, blogs (by their very nature) provide very little time for readers to stop and think, soak in what is happening, sleep on it, and then respond intelligently.
Yet, that is exactly what the better part of wisdom tells us we should do (cf. Prov. 25:8; 29:20). We need time to process if we are going to give a thoughtful response. In light of this, it is often wise to wait (at least a couple hours) before reacting with a critical word. It is better to be a little tardy to the conversation (or even not participate at all), than to say something that will later be regretted. If there is any question about the appropriateness of a given post or comment, then let it rest for awhile.
Another practical step in this regard is to ask someone else about it first (someone with some spiritual sense, of course). To quote from Proverbs again: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel” (Prov. 12:15). If a trusted friend (perhaps a spouse, parent, or church leader) thinks your comment crosses the line, it probably does — meaning it’s better left unsaid.
To quote again from Solomon, “He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent” (Prov. 17:27-28). Or as Abraham Lincoln paraphrased: Better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
If you’re not sure if something is appropriate, wait until you are sure before you post.
(To Be Concluded [for Real] on Monday)

Thursday, April 26, 2007

TRAFFIC FOR PCRT WEEKEND

Penn Relays April 27–29 (Thursday–Saturday) may affect your route to Tenth for PCRT; please listen to traffic reports and adjust your route accordingly.

It's Not Fair! By Phil Ryken

Newsweek's recent debate between Sam Harris and Rick Warren ("God Debate") has a number of compelling moments, including the following litany of questions, courtesy of Sam Harris:

"How is it fair for God to have designed a world which gives such ambiguous testimony to his existence? How is it fair to have created a system where belief is the crucial piece, rather than being a good person? How is it fair to have created a world in which by mere accident of birth, someone who grew up Muslim can be confounded by the wrong religion?"Despite the wheedling tone, these are serious questions that deserve serious answers. A fair answer to all three of these questions requires a basic understanding of the biblical teaching on sin -- its noetic effects, its moral implications, and its hereditary influences.

But I am more interested in Harris's presupposition that we would be better off if God dealt with us strictly in terms of justice, when in fact our only hope is for God to show us mercy.

Here is the weekend PCRT schedule:

PCRT
Here is the weekend PCRT schedule:Friday8:00-9:00 am - Pre-Conference Registration9:00 am-3:15 pm - Pre-Conference: The Ministry of the Word, Ligon Duncan

5:30 pm - Conference Registration7:00 pm - Opening of the 2006 PCRTFirst Address: The True Word, R. C. Sproul

Saturday8:00 am - Late Registration9:00 am -
Second Address: The Revealed Word, Donald Carson10:00 am -
Third Address: The Mighty Word, Philip Ryken11:00 am - Question & Answer Session12:00 pm - Lunch (at local restaurnats)2:00 pm -
Fourth Address: The Accessible Word, Ligon Duncan3:15-4:30 pm - Seminars- Recent Undermining of the Doctrine of Scripture, Donald Carson-
A Layman's Primer on Bible Interpretation, Richard Phillips-
The Ministry of God's Word through Music, Paul Jones- Herman Bavinck: The Bible and the Amsterdam School4:30 pm - Dinner (at local restaurants)6:30 pm -
Sacred Concert7:00 pm -
Fifth Address: The Sufficient Word, Philip RykenSunday9:00 am & 11:00 am -
Sixth Address: The Saving Word, Donald Carson

The Size of God

To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? Isaiah 40:18

In C. S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian, Lucy meets Aslan the Lion after a long separation. She rushes toward him, puts her arms as far round his neck as she can, and buries her face in the rich silkiness of his mane. “Aslan, Aslan. Dear Aslan,” sobs Lucy. “At last.” Then she gazes up into his large wise face. “Welcome, child,” he says.
“Aslan,” says Lucy, “you’re bigger.” “That is because you are older, little one,” he answers. “. . . Every year you grow, you will find me bigger.” I take Lewis to mean that the size of our God reflects the size of our soul or the size of our faith. As it grows, so does the size of our God. They are two sides of the same coin.
When asked if we have grown spiritually, we need to evaluate whether our view or experience of God has grown. Is our view of God greater than before?
There are adults who have grown intellectually; they’re giants in their field. But about God and salvation some of them have kept a Sunday school mind. And because their understanding of God is childish, they think they have outgrown God.
Isaiah prods us to look to the heavens to ask questions. If God made this and he knows the name of every star, what size God do we suppose we’re dealing with?
To have confidence in our redemption, we need a magnificent God.

PRAYER
Almighty God, you are greater than we can imagine. Forgive us when we think of you as small and unimportant. Enable us to know you truly, we pray. In Jesus, Amen.

THE BLOG IN OUR EYES...... PART 2 By Nathan Busenitz


This is continued from yesterday’s post, responding to the question, “What principles should guide Christians who interact on blogs?”
For those wondering about the title of this series, see Luke 6:41–42. My concern is that, when blogging, we are careful not to point out the sins of others in such a way that we ourselves are guilty of sin. Having addressed three principles yesterday, we will continue today with numbers 4 through 6.
4. Check Your Motives
Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Even as believers, those who have been regenerated (Titus 3:5–8), we still battle the lusts of our sinful flesh (cf. Rom. 7:13–25; 13:14; Eph. 5:11–12; 6:10–18; James 1:14–15; 1 John 2:16–17). Because we can be driven (even subtly) by wrong motives and desires, we need to constantly examine our hearts.
Getting more specific, it is helpful to realize that of all the sinful motives we might have, the one God hates most is pride.
Pride (“haughty eyes”) heads the list of things that God hates in Proverbs 6:17 (see also 8:13). Solomon later says that, “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished” (Prov. 16:5; cf. 11:2; 15:25; 16:18-19: 29:23). Though in a salvation context, Jesus repeatedly made the point that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14). After all, “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). “To this one I will look” says the Lord in Isaiah 66:2, “To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My Word.”
Pride, then, is definitely something we want to avoid.
Even in blogging, pride (“thinking more highly of yourself than you ought” – Rom. 12:3) can manifest itself in many different ways. For instance, pride is seen:
when the reason we blog is simply to gain name-recognition or be lauded for our efforts
when we envy other bloggers more popular than us
when we become emotionally defensive (of ourselves) in our online interaction
when we delight in making others look foolish
when we refuse to admit (and apologize for) times when we are wrong
or when we “take on” well-respected Christian leaders in a condescending or demeaning way (as if they would certainly see their “obvious” errors if only we could “educate” them)
Of course, the list could go on and on. The boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16) is a sin we must all continually combat.
A friend of mine once told me that he views “BLOG” as an acronym for “Boys Lusting Over Glory.” That is quite an indictment, and too often true. Thus, as believers, we must guard our motives diligently, and keep our pride in check. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than youselves. . . . Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:3, 5). Remember that even when we look good on the outside, “the Lord weighs the spirit” (Prov. 16:2).
On a practical note, the best way to kill pride is to think accurately about God – regularly meditating on His character and attributes. When we see God for who He truly is (in His sovereign, awesome, holy perfection), we will also see ourselves for who we really are (in our finite, frail, sinful weakness). And when we see ourselves from God’s perspective, we are humbled. We bow low like Moses (Exod. 34:8), keep silent like Job (Job 40:4-5), fall on our face like Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:28), and cry out like David: “What is man that you take thought of him? Or the son of man that you care for him” (Psalm 8:4).
All of this brings us back to the first principle we listed in this series, for we must go to God’s Word to gain an accurate understanding of who He is.
5. Check Your Facts
Not only should you check your heart before you post or comment, but you should also check your facts.
The Book of Proverbs has much to say about bearing false witness (Prov. 6:19; 12:17; 13:5; 19:5; 21:28; 24:28; 25:18; 29:12) and also advises us to understand both sides before passing judgment (18:17). As those who dispense information we need to be careful not to jump to wrong conclusions (even unintentionally), especially when spreading “juicy” tidbits of information around the blogosphere.
We also need to be careful, when reading other blogs, not to believe everything we hear. Discernment should be something we apply, not only to doctrinal issues, but also to the breaking news of the blogosphere. The biblical principles of testing and double-checking (see passages like Acts 17:11 and 1 Thess. 5:19–21) are absolutely essential on the Internet (even if the rapid exchange of information sometimes makes verification difficult).
Even when the information comes from trusted sources, the temptation can be to not read articles carefully or even completely before rushing in to comment. But such rashness almost always leads to disaster (cf. Prov. 12:18; 19:2).
It was Carl F. Henry who said that, “Truth is Christianity’s most enduring asset.” Though his words primarily apply to apologetics, I think the principle extends to all of the Christian life. Believers are those who are marked by truth – both the truth of Scripture (cf. John 17:17), and truthfulness (integrity) in how we speak and live (cf. Psalm 15). If we are to appropriately represent Jesus Christ (the Truth incarnate — John 14:6) on the web, we need to have our facts straight before we post (cf. Prov. 13:16).
6. Make It Personal (Because It Is)
One of the most deceptive aspects of blogging is that it seems impersonal. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Blogging, by its very nature, is very personal.
People write blogs, people read blogs, people comment on blogs. In blogging, a person expresses his or her personal take on the actions, beliefs, or character of other persons (often particular persons) and invites third-party persons to give their personal comments in response. It’s all personal. Granted, it’s not face-to-face. It is removed from direct conversation by cables, modems, and computer screens. But insofar as it affects real people in a rational, emotional, and spiritual way – blogging is personal.
Of course, this is easy to forget when it’s late at night and only our computer screen is staring back at us. But it’s especially at those times (when we’re tired and alone) that we need to be careful with what we say and how we say it. On the other end of our barbed wit is a living, breathing human being — a person.
We may not know this person’s real name, gender, age, or physical address. But he or she is still a living soul, made in the image of God. Listen to the words of James, regarding how we speak to other people:
No one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be. (James 3:8-10)
Along these lines, here are a few practical tips. First, as we noted earlier: Don’t say something online that you wouldn’t be willing to say face-to-face. If you cannot honestly imagine yourself sitting across the desk from this person and saying it to him or her directly, then don’t say it.
Second, put your name with what you say. If you are unwilling to have your real name and your real-life reputation associated with your comment, then it’s probably better left unsaid.
Third, and most importantly, remember that there is another Person who is also watching (Prov. 15:3). That fact alone makes blogging infinitely personal. As we noted under principle number 2, if God would not approve of what you are about to say, then don’t publish it for the world to read.
One final note, as a balance to all of this, let me emphasize that – while we need to “make blogging personal” in respect to what we say to and about others — we should never “take it personally” when we ourselves are the object of criticism or ridicule.
When Jesus was scorned and mocked, He remained silent before His accusers (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21-23). He commanded His followers, when wronged, to likewise turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:39). When we feel insulted or personally offended by a post or a comment, we are never right to respond in kind (Rom. 12:18-21; cf. Prov. 15:1). Usually, all that’s been hurt is our pride; and at that point, it’s better to walk away than stay and defend ourselves. As Solomon wrote, “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult” (Prov. 12:16).
To Be Concluded Tomorrow

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Boice Memorial By Marion Clark


I will get a picture of the Boice plaque as it is on the wall. Meanwhile, many have been asking to see it. Here is a pre-installation picture.
It reads:
James Montgomery Boice
Doctor of Theology
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33-36
Born July 7, 1938
Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church
from Easter 1968 until his death
June 15, 2000

THE BLOG IN OUR EYES...... PART 1


By Nathan Busenitz
What principles should guide Christians who interact on blogs?
Having been asked this question on multiple occasions, even recently, I thought I would attempt to give a brief answer — highlighting ten Bible-based principles that I attempt (admittedly imperfectly) to employ in my own blogging ventures. I’m sure that additional ideas and principles could be added to these ten, and I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section.
In any case, I hope this list is helpful both for those who blog regularly, and for those who are thinking about starting.
The blogosphere is notoriously nasty — a breeding ground for slander, gossip, misinformation, bickering, name-calling, arrogance, and quick-temperedness. Sadly, even “Christian” blogs can deteriorate into something between a tabloid and a talk show, built on a few provocative “tidbits” of juicy news and the massing of ignorance in response. Armed with anonymity and eager for an audience, “bloggers” (meaning both those who post and those who comment) often shoot first, and ask questions only after it’s too late (if they ever ask questions at all).
So how can we, as Christian bloggers, stem the tide and honor the Lord in the way we interact online? Over the next few days, we will consider ten practical principles in response to that question.
Let’s start with the most foundational . . .
1. Have Your Quiet Time First
As believers, we are to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), being controlled and characterized by Him as we walk in His power (Gal. 5:16, 22–23). This begins with “letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16), daily renewing our minds with the truth (cf. Eph. 4:23), taking up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17), and recognizing that it is through “the pure milk of the Word” that we “grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2). If we are to be Spirit-filled as we engage others in online dialogue, discussion, and debate — we need to first immerse ourselves in prayer and in the Word (cf. Pss. 1:2-3; 5:3; 19:7-14; 119:9-11).
This principle applies to blogs in at least two ways. First, we need to remember that blogs, as helpful as they are, should never be a substitute for one’s personal time of private devotion, Scripture reading, and prayer. If we are to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led every day, we need to daily go to the book that the Spirit inspired (2 Pet. 1:20-21) and empowers (cf. Is. 55:11; Heb. 4:12). Even the best of Christian blogs (or books or CDs or DVDs, for that matter) can never compare with the very words of God. Before you indulge in spiritual snack food (much of which isn’t all that healthy), make sure you’ve first filled your soul with the meat and milk of Scripture.
Second, there is much about blogging that appeals to our sinful flesh, especially when a good argument is afoot. Pride, anger, impatience, and even jealousy (when another blog is getting all the hits) would quickly fill any list of common blogging sins. Such makes the importance of being Spirit-filled before going online vitally important.
So . . . until you’ve spent time in the Word and on your knees, don’t get on the web; you simply won’t be ready.
2. Stay Within the Lines
Like number one, this also should be a no-brainer for those who are believers, yet it often seems to be ignored. The point is this: Don’t say something online that violates biblical standards for godly speech.
Blogging is, after all, nothing more or less than speech, meaning that all of the biblical directives regarding speech directly apply to blogging. Many verses could be cited in this regard. Perhaps the most general is this: “When words are many, transgression is not lacking” (Proverbs 10:19), and the most sobering is this: “I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment” (Matt. 12:36).
Whether it’s characterized by gossip, slander, retribution, quick-temperedness, crudeness, falsehood, pride, or any other violation of the second greatest commandment (cf. Mark 12:30-32), it’s inappropriate. If it violates the biblical paradigm for godly speech, it doesn’t belong in our posts or in our comments — no matter how funny, how provocative, or how “perfect” it seems to be. A quick study of passages like Proverbs 12:17–18; 15:1; 16:23–24; 17:27–28; 20:19; 29:20; Eph. 4:29; 5:4; Titus 2:6–8; and Jas. 3:8–10 is a great starting point for any blogger concerned that his or her words both online and offline are honoring to Christ.
To be sure, applying the biblical mandates for sanctified speech is difficult in any circumstance. But it requires special effort and care in the blogosphere, where tone is difficult to accurately convey, and non-verbal cues are utterly absent. This means we must work even harder at seasoning our words with grace, and not being (or sounding) quarrelsome.
The bottom line is this: If it violates a biblical principle, then don’t post it. Sin is still sin, even if no one knows the true identity behind your anonymous pseudonym. After all, God knows, and in the end, His opinion is what matters.
3. Consider the Consequences
It is also important to realize that words have consequences. The book of Proverbs compares wicked words to things like sword thrusts, war clubs, firebrands, arrows, and death (Prov. 12:18; 25:18; 26:18–19), noting that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). James picks up on this theme in chapter 3 of his epistle, rebuking those who praise God and slander others from the same set of lips (cf. vv. 8-10). Listen to what he writes in verse 6: “The tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” That is sobering stuff! And as we saw earlier from Matthew 12:36, our words have consequences that are not only temporal (cf. Gal. 6:8-10), but eternal (cf. Rom. 14:12).
When posting on the Internet, it is especially important to consider the ramifications of what we are about to say. Not only are one’s words instantly accessible to the 1 billion people who regularly use the Internet, but they are quickly (within hours) cached by search engines – meaning that it is nearly impossible to delete every trace of them even if one wanted to do so later.
The size of the online audience, combined with the relative permanence of what is posted there, makes what is said through a blog potentially more-damaging than anything that could be said in private conversation. Yet ironically, comments are often made online that would never be made in face-to-face conversation. Thus, a good rule of thumb is: If you wouldn’t say it in a face-to-face meeting with the person, don’t say it on the web.
But that’s for point 6, which we will look at tomorrow. The point here is that what we say has consequences — and what we say online has much greater consequences (potentially) since it is accessible to anyone and available permanently. This is something we should all remember before we hit ”submit.”
To Be Continued Tomorrow

Safe

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies . . . .” John 11:25

The resurrection is no mere doctrine or holy possibility; Jesus himself embodies the resurrection life. “I am the resurrection,” he says. He is God’s life to a dying world. In Christ death has been defeated, and to be sheltered in him is to have the life that is eternal.
Before our congregation moved to our present facilities, we worshiped in a school gym. In between the two morning services, I would sometimes sit in a large closet near the gym to collect my thoughts.
Once while I was sitting there, some children began playing a game of tag outside my door. Anyone tagged was out of the game, but, as I heard the rules, if you had your hand on the closet doorknob, you were safe. So as I sat there, more or less in the dark, I heard the children running and shouting and playing their game. And now and again I would hear one of them shout, “No; you can’t tag me. I had my hand on the knob. I’m safe; I’m not out” (adapted from This Incomplete One).
We who walk in the valley of the shadow of death—often more or less in the dark—have our hand on Jesus. And we declare, “We’re safe!” Death and suffering cannot take us out of the game.
We belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
This is our only real comfort in life and in death.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we believe you are the Lord over all of life and death and that with you we are more than conquerors. In your hands we are safe, no matter what happens. Amen.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

National Poetry Month By Dr Phil Ryken

Few things are more out of fashion of among contemporary readers (a declining breed as it is) than poetry. At a Bible study workshop last Saturday I asked a group of PCA women to finish the following sentence: "The problem with poetry is . . . ."My favorite answer went like this: ". . . it's not prose." April is National Poetry Month--a good time to remember that at least one third of the sacred Scriptures are written in poetry. Our lives are greatly enriched when we take the time it takes to savor the special language of poetry, with the deeper reflection it requires for understanding. This exercise is especially valuable for preachers, who work with words every week, and whose use of language can only be enhanced by reading more poetry. Recently I have started taking a small step in that direction by keeping a volume of poetry beside my bed and reading a couple of poems before turning out the lights. Right now I'm reading the collected poems of Wendell Berry. And I'm starting to think about what will I read next.

Tim Keller and the Danger to Your Health of Ministry By Derek Thomas

A little late, I know, but you should check out this piece by Tim Keller from Last month's Redeemer Report called, "Ministry Can Be Dangerous to Your Spiritual Health."A sample: "It is also possible that your heart may stay feeling spiritually dry or even dead. In that case you keep your stated times of prayer even more diligently. And you humbly acknowledge to God your dryness and set your heart to trust him and seek him despite it and during it.That deliberate act is itself a great step of spiritual growth and maturity."

Come and See

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”. . . “Come and see.” John 1:46

Nathanael introduces us to doubt. He doubts that anything good can come from Nazareth. We don’t know why he’s skeptical. But we are familiar with skepticism. Many people have wondered, “Can anything good come out of a church full of hypocrites who mounted crusades and supported slavery?”
Philip simply says to Nathanael, “Come and see.” He doesn’t argue; he doesn’t bring out his best arguments to show that the Messiah could come from Nazareth. Philip responds to the doubt with a simple invitation.
Do you think the church is corrupt? Come and see. Allow me to introduce you to people for whom knowing Christ is also living for Christ.
Nathanael accepted the invitation. Why? Lots of people don’t. In her novel While I Was Gone, Sue Miller relates a conversation between a minister and a skeptic. The conversation has turned to religion, and the skeptic says, “Why not try to save me? That’s what your faith is about, isn’t it? Harvesting souls?” The minister replies, “If that were what my faith was about, what I’d say to you is that you’re not ripe. . . . There has to be some need, some desire, even, for God.”
Nathanael was ripe. He was longing for the fulfillment of God’s promises. He was willing to suspend his skepticism to come to the light.


PRAYER
Lord Jesus, may we so live our lives together as believers that it disarms the skeptic and reveals your grace and truth. Encourage us to keep inviting others to meet you. Amen.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Boice Memorial By Phil Ryken

James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000)
On April 22, 2007 a memorial plaque commemorating the service of James Montgomery Boice as Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church was unveiled. In late 2000, Tenth formed a committee to recommend a suitable memorial in recognition of Dr. James Boice’s long and fruitful service as Senior Minister. The memorial was to be “honoring to the Lord and for his glory,” “to cause the observer to glorify God, rather than the man,” and to “reflect Dr. Boice’s ministry and his person so that in future years after we are no longer here, people will know who Dr. Boice was and the basis for his life.”

After considering many options, the committee (Barbara Harder, chair; Greg Berzinsky, Dot Boersma, Joel Garver, Erna Goulding, Nancy Hala, Steven Horn, Sam Hsu, Carl Lingle, Rick Phillips and Carroll Wynne) recommended a memorial plaque. Greg Berzinsky developed the design in collaboration with Philip Ryken, Linda Boice, Barbara Harder, and myself. Greg continued to oversee the project to its completion. A. Thayer Smith III was commissioned to produce the plaque. We think we have achieved the delicate balance of a memorial design that lends the sense of dignity that those who knew Dr. Boice would appreciate and reflects his own personal goal to glorify God. It is fitting then to recall the ministry of this servant of the Lord.
James Boice served as Senior Minister of Tenth from 1968 until his death in 2000. He turned around an aging and declining church so that at his death it was thriving. Possibly no period in the Tenth's history can match all the accomplishments that Tenth reached under his ministry: a worldwide influential church, bursting at the seams with people of all ages, more diversity than at any other time, and more ministries than ever.
The 20th century for Tenth Church will be known as the Barnhouse-Boice era, two men who guided the church for 65 years. When Donald Grey Barnhouse died in 1960, Linda Boice writes, "Remembering the request Elisha made when Elijah was taken up into heaven, Jim prayed for a 'double portion' of God's Spirit." This prayer was answered for this man, who once as a toddler was prayed over by the great preacher as he held Jim in his arms.
If you read Tenth's history, there is a chapter entitled "City Church Again," which covers the ministry of Mariano Di Gangi. He was the actual successor of Dr. Barnhouse, and he worked to make the congregation conscious of reaching out to the city in the most turbulent decade of the century – the 60’s. He succeeded to a degree, but attendance declined and finances suffered. It seemed that Tenth was heading along the same path of decline that afflicted many churches who remained in the city.
Then came a young 30-year-old minister with little pastoral experience who turned the church around. By combining the strengths of his two predecessors, James Montgomery Boice matched Barnhouse's preaching gift and Di Gangi's passion for the city. He was preacher and pastor. He was also energetic and persistent, starting small groups, fellowship groups, ministries and even a high school. He fostered creativity and desire among church members to start new ministries. Dr. Boice also made a commitment to the city, turning down offers to go elsewhere.
But it was in the preaching and teaching of God’s Word where he would make his biggest mark. Dr. Boice took back over the radio ministry of The Bible Study Hour. Eventually, his radio broadcasts would extend internationally. He became one of the most sought after speakers of his time, attributed to both his radio ministry and to his growing number of Bible commentaries based on his sermons.
But what furthered his reputation and respect was his role as statesman and activist. In 1974 he founded the first of the PCRT conferences, which would become one of the most well-respected theological conferences in the country. He chaired The International Council on Biblical Inerrancy,which was seminal in anchoring the evangelical church in Scripture inerrancy. And he chaired the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, a movement calling the evangelical church to return to the foundational truths of the Reformation.
And Jim Boice was authentic. What you saw in the pulpit is what he was off it. His voice did not change, nor his manner. He was at ease interacting with the leading church leaders of the day, as he was talking with a 13-year-old boy asking questions while he ate lunch. Dr. Boice was a man you wanted to be around and would trust.
There were the two great motivations in Jim Boice's life. One was the supremacy of the Word of God. He was most committed to expository preaching – making God's Word plain. He believed that was the primary calling of the minister. He had a passion for preaching, but not for oratory; rather for proclaiming clearly the whole counsel of God in Scripture. Though he led the movement of defending inerrancy and promoting the Bible's sufficiency, what truly reveals his faith in the Bible is his unwavering practice of preaching passage after passage of the scriptures with the end that his hearers would come not to trust in his wisdom, but in the all surpassing, unfailing truth of God's Word.
Which leads to the other great, indeed his greatest, motivation in his ministry and life – soli deo gloria – to give glory to God alone. Thus it was fitting that his last prayer request for his congregation in regard to his illness were these words, “Above all, I would say pray for the glory of God.” Surely Romans 11:33-36 must be considered his theme passage.
33Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" 36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Together for the Gospel

There is a new Together for the Gospel video online--a continuing conversation among Mark Dever, Albert Mohler, Ligon Duncan, and C.J. Mahaney.Registration for T4G 2008 opens soon.The book built from the 2006 conference--Preaching the Cross--is now available.

WISDOM

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5

In Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov, a priest warns, “Every day and every hour, every minute, walk around yourself and watch yourself, and see that your image is a seemly one. You pass by a little child, you pass by spiteful, with ugly words, with angry heart; you may not have noticed the child, but he has seen you, and your image, unseemly and ignoble, may remain in his defenseless heart. You don’t know it, but you may have sown an evil seed in him and it may grow, and all because you were not careful before the child.” We need to be careful—that is, wise in the way we act toward outsiders.
Some cars are equipped with a global positioning system (GPS). With the help of 24 satellites that circle the globe, you can locate yourself anywhere on the earth, and when you punch in your destination, your GPS will give you directions.
A “spiritual positioning system” (SPS) would be even more worthwhile. Such a system would tell you at all times who you are, and it would give you directions to your desired end. It would operate on four satellites: Scripture, prayer, the sound counsel of others, and the facts of your circumstances.
To live wisely, we must consult our SPS not just occasionally but “every day and every hour, every minute.”

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, you are full of grace and truth. By your Spirit, may your grace and truth guide us today. Help us to live wisely, depending on you always. In your name, Amen.

LAY PEOPLE SERVANTS..NOT SPECTATORS By John MacArthur




I have often spoken out against all the pragmatic and “seeker-sensitive” approaches to contemporary worship because they tend to diminish the proper place of preaching and replace it with quasi-spiritual forms of sheer entertainment (music, comedy, drama, and whatnot). Any trend that threatens the centrality of God’s Word in our corporate worship is a dangerous trend.
But one of the most disturbing side effects of the seeker-sensitive fad is something I haven’t said as much about: When one of the main aims of a ministry philosophy is to keep people entertained, church members inevitably become mere spectators. The architects of the modern megachurches admit that they have deliberately redesigned the worship service in order to make as few demands as possible on the person in the pew. After all, they don’t want the “unchurched” to be intimidated by appeals for personal involvement in ministry. That’s the very opposite of “seeker sensitivity.”
Such thinking is spiritually deadly. Christianity is not a spectator sport. Practically the worst thing any churchgoer can do is be a hearer but not a doer (James 1:22-25). Christ himself pronounced doom on religious people who want to be mere bystanders (Matthew 7:26-27).
Something is seriously wrong in a church where the staff does all the “ministry” and people are made to feel comfortable as mere observers. One of the pastor’s main duties is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). Every believer is called to be a minister of some sort, with each of us using the unique gifts given us by God for the edification of the whole church (Rom. 12:6-8).
That’s why Scripture portrays the church as a body—an organism with many organs (1 Corinthians 12:14), where each member has a unique role (vv. 15-25), and all contribute something important to the life of the body. “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (v. 26).
I can’t read that verse without thinking of Dizzy Dean. He was a Hall-of-Fame baseball pitcher, whose career peaked in the 1930s. His 1934 season has never been excelled by any pitcher in history. Dean won thirty games that year, a feat that hasn’t been repeated since (though Dizzy himself came close, winning 28 games the following year). But in the 1937 All-Star game, he took a hard line drive off his toe, and the toe was broken. It should not have been a career-ending injury, but Dean was rushed back into the lineup before the fracture was completely healed, and he pitched several games favoring the sore toe. That led to an unnatural delivery that seriously injured his pitching arm. The arm never fully recovered. Dizzy Dean’s major-league career was essentially over in four years.
Something similar happens in any church where there are non-functioning members. The active members of the body become overextended, and the effectiveness of the whole body suffers greatly. Even the most insignificant member, like a toe, is designed to play a vital role.
That truth has been one of the main foundations of my approach to ministry for many years. When I first became pastor of Grace Community Church in 1969, I taught a series on Ephesians, and we spent a great deal of time studying the principle of Ephesians 4:11—that the pastor’s duty is to equip the saints, and it is their duty to shoulder the work of the ministry.
Our people quickly embraced that simple idea, and it transformed our church in a remarkable way. For one thing, we began to see dramatic growth. Within a matter of months, attendance on Sundays had ballooned to almost 1,000. About that same time, a well-known evangelical magazine asked a reporter to write an article about the growth of our church. He visited our services for several weeks, carefully observed how the ministry functioned, interviewed scores of people, and then wrote an article titled “The Church with 900 Ministers.”
That title perfectly summarized what has made Grace Church unique for all these years. Nowadays we have several thousand ministers, but the principle is still the same. Everyone is expected and encouraged to be involved in active ministry. Almost no one in our church would ever view ministry as the exclusive domain of professional clergy. If you want to be comfortable as a mere spectator, Grace Church is not the church for you.
I am not making a case for egalitarianism. Much less would I argue against the need for full-time vocational pastors who devote their whole lives to prayer, the study of the Word of God, and the training and equipping of the saints (cf. Acts 6:4; 1 Timothy 4:14-15; 5:17). The church needs leaders, and God has specifically called men to leadership and set them in places of authority in the church (cf. Hebrews 13:7, 17).
But the New Testament pattern is clear and inescapable: Every Christian is gifted and called to ministry. The spiritual gifts we are given are not for our own sake, but for the benefit of the whole body (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:6, emphasis added).
In my experience, it is not difficult to motivate gifted people to minister. The gift of mercy, for example, might practically be defined as the desire combined with the ability to show mercy. A person truly gifted to teach wants to teach. All the average person needs is encouragement and opportunities to employ his or her gifts. If faithful leaders properly train, equip, and guide people to the right ministry opportunities, the church will flourish.
If you are a church leader, I hope you have embraced your duty to equip people for ministry. It is, after all, one of your main duties—if not the single most important task for leaders in today’s church.
If you’re a lay person, I hope you’ll find a place where you can use your gift in the work of the ministry. Maybe you’ll be used by the Lord to start an epidemic of lay ministry in your congregation.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

A Request

Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message . . . . Colossians 4:3


Paul’s request here is no mere formality. It expresses his conviction of the absolute necessity of prayer.
Now, we might wonder: “Paul, do you really think that if you prayed alone for an open door, it would be less likely to occur? Do you think there is strength in numbers? Your desire is so God-honoring—why would prayer even be necessary?”
Paul doesn’t deal with such questions. He assumes our total dependence on God both for opportunities and for the power to use them. Paul takes for granted that we will always pray for an open door in our families, at our work, and in our church and city.
Perhaps our problem is not that we lack open doors but that we are less than alert to their presence. Suppose everyone in church today prayed that God would make us alert to opportunities he gives us to share Christ.
It’s been said that what we set ourselves to be alert to not only reveals our personality but also shapes it. For example, writers on economics speak of “entrepreneurial alertness,” being ready to notice and seize upon new and profitable opportunities. Creative people too are on the alert for new projects, elements, techniques, or materials they can use in their work. Likewise, as Christians, we are to be alert at all times to the opportunities God provides to make Christ known in word or deed.

PRAYER
Lord God, may we be alert to opportunities to show and tell of your marvelous goodness. May our conversations be always full of grace and seasoned with salt. In your name, Amen.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Facing the Reality of Evil


R. Albert Mohler Jr.
President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary—the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world. The “On Faith” panelist is a theologian and ordained minister and has served as pastor and staff minister of several Southern Baptist churches. He holds a Master of Divinity degree and the Doctor of Philosophy (in systematic and historical theology) from Southern Seminary. He did additional study at the St. Meinrad School of Theology and research at Oxford University. He became seminary president after serving as editor of The Christian Index, the oldest of the state papers serving the Southern Baptist Convention. Called "an articulate voice for conservative Christianity at large" by the Chicago Tribune, Mohler's mission is to address contemporary issues from a consistent and explicit Christian worldview. He hosts a daily radio program for the Salem Radio Network and blogs on moral, cultural and theological issues. He also has contributed chapters to several books including Hell Under Fire, Whatever Happened to Truth, Here We Stand: A Call From Confessing Evangelicals and The Coming Evangelical Crisis. He served as General Editor of The Gods of the Age or the God of the Ages: Essays by Carl F. H. Henry. Close.

R. Albert Mohler Jr.
President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Facing the Reality of Evil
The unspeakable evil of the killings at Virginia Tech bring us once again face to face with the reality of human evil. Christianity faces this challenge honestly, and acknowledges the horror of moral evil and its consequences. The Bible never flinches from assigning responsibility for moral evil. Human beings are capable of committing horrible acts of violence, malevolence, cruelty, and killing.
The Bible locates the problem of moral evil in the human heart. As the prophet Jeremiah reflected: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"[Jeremiah 17:9]
In taking moral evil seriously, the Bible affirms that we are responsible creatures. Our Creator will hold us fully accountable for our actions. All are sinners. Some sinners embrace evil with virtual abandon -- leading to horrors such as these killings on a university campus. We dare not attempt to minimize this moral responsibility.
Then, as C. S. Lewis so powerfully reminded us, we must trust that God's perfect justice will destroy evil and reset the moral equilibrium of the universe.
A central tenet of the Christian faith is the claim that, on the cross, Jesus Christ willingly suffered the full force of evil, even unto death -- and that in raising Christ from the dead, the Father vindicated Christ's victory over sin, death, and evil.
The Virginia Tech horror reminds us all what human beings can do to each other. The cross of Christ reminds us of what Jesus did for sinners in bearing the full punishment for this evil.
Christianity does not deny the reality of evil or try to hide from its true horror. Christians dare not minimize evil nor take refuge in euphemisms. Beyond this, we cannot accept that evil will have the last word. The last word will be the perfect fulfillment of the grace and justice of God.
In the meantime, we are witnesses to the true nature of moral catastrophes such as the killings at Virginia Tech. We mourn with those who mourn, and weep with those who weep.
Who could calculate the pain and suffering of these victims and their families? Even as I pray for those who grieve and suffer such excruciating loss, I place my confidence in the assurance that God will bring all things to the perfect conclusion of his judgment. Without this confidence, how could I make sense of what surely appears to be senseless evil and violence?

Nathan Williams speaks on Virgina Tech.

Having been raised in Central Virginia, only about an hour and a half from Virginia Tech, I’ve been watching the news coverage closely of the tragedy at the campus. Several of my friends went to school there and the influence of the campus is felt throughout Central Virginia. I’ve felt a variety of emotions as I’ve been watching the coverage and have been thinking about the incident often. After something like this happens that grabs national media attention, I am always interested to see exactly what Christians say and do in response. I’ve found numerous helpful responses, and some not so helpful. At the risk of giving you information you have already read, I thought I would compile a list of articles relating to the shootings from a variety of Christians with an assortment of reactions.
Oneplace.com is featuring a special sermon by John MacArthur on the tragic events.
The On Faith website has a number of responses, but be sure to read Dr. Mohler’s.

Boice Memorial to Be Unveiled Sunday, April 22

Boice Memorial to Be Unveiled Sunday, April 22
A memorial placque honoring God for the life of Dr. James M. Boice, Senior Minister at Tenth from 1968 until his death in 2000, will be installed in our sanctuary April 11. It will be unveiled after the 11:00 service on April 22.

Prayer

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

To be devoted to something means to continue steadfastly and to persist in it. It’s worth noting that in the New Testament it is about prayer more than anything else that we are told to persevere, to be tenacious.
In his book The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg says prayer is learned behavior; no one is born an expert or ever masters it. We’re always just beginners.
How, then, is prayer learned? I don’t think it happens by mastering a set of techniques, though techniques may be helpful. Prayer is learned as we are mastered by the resurrection. Prayer operates in a resurrection atmosphere. It requires a commanding sense of God’s presence, of being a citizen of the kingdom of God. John Piper writes that prayer is not a hotel intercom that we use occasionally for room service; it’s a walkie-talkie that keeps us at all times in touch with headquarters.
Pray and be watchful, says Paul, using the imagery of guard duty and keeping alert. We are engaged in a spiritual war. The world seeks to squeeze us into its mold; the routine of ordinary life lulls us into complacency, blinds us to the great mystery of our place in Christ’s kingdom. Be watchful.
And be thankful. We are watchful not in a spirit of fear but with confidence that our resources in Christ are greater than whatever the opposition can throw at us.


PRAYER
Almighty God, enable us through your Spirit to keep the lines of communication open with you, that we may be watchful, wise, and effective in the way we act toward others. Amen.

Friday, April 20, 2007

FROM R C SPROUL AND LIGONER MINISTRIES

As we mourn with the students and families directly impacted by the tragic killings at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute on April 16, 2007, we who are believers in the one, true God turn to His promises for comfort (Psalm 119:50). With the hope that we might assist those struggling with the questions and feelings raised by this horrific event, Ligonier Ministries humbly offers for your reading the feature articles and columns from the April 2007 issue of Tabletalk magazine, which, in God’s providence, discusses the subject of grief. We pray that these resources, in some small way, will help you find comfort in the arms of our sovereign God and will help you look for the day when He will “wipe away every tear” from the eyes of His people who rest assured in the finished work of Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:4).April 2007 Tabletalk Articles:
Sin, Death, and Grief by Burk Parsons
A Grief Observed by R.C. Sproul
From Grief to Glory by Jim Coffield
Mourn with Those Who Mourn by Archie Parrish
Good Grief? by Anthony Carter
True Shepherding by Joel R. Beeke
Hope by R.C. Sproul Jr.
A Tale of Two Funerals by Gene Edward Veith

Dreams

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom . . . . Col. 3:16

According to one survey, most people dream the same dreams. All people dream of wealth, power, fame, sex, and exciting recreational opportunities.
I recall the story of a visitor to a poor, inner-city church. The service lasted nearly three hours. After the service, the visitor told the pastor that he had found the service powerful but too long. The pastor replied, “All week long my people are being told, in a thousand subtle and not so subtle ways, that they are inferior, not wanted, a drag on good folk. I need at least three hours to reshape their world and show them that they are ‘God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.’”
I wonder how long our worship services would have to be to convince us that the good life does not consist of wealth, power, fame, sex, and exciting recreation. All week long we hear that it does. We’re easily taken in; we crave for more, always more. Perhaps our worship services are not nearly long enough. After all, it is in worship that we see ourselves as we truly are.
Since we are under constant pressure to dream the world’s dream, we must let the word of Christ dwell in us richly so that it becomes the lens through which we engage the world. Through the word of Christ we can see ourselves as belonging, body and soul, in life and in death, to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, may we be mindful of your presence so that whatever we do, we do it in your name with thanksgiving, wisdom, and peace bound together with love. Amen.

NOTHING SAFE ABOUT " SECRET " SIN By John MacArthur


Jesus’ exposition of the law is a devastating blow against the lie that image is everything.
Our Lord taught repeatedly that sin bottled up on the inside, concealed from everyone else’s view, carries the very same guilt as sin that manifests itself in the worst forms of ungodly behavior. Those who hate others are as guilty as those who act out their hatred; and those who indulge in private lusts are as culpable as wanton adulterers (Matt. 5:21-30).
So Christians are not to think of secret sins as somehow less serious and more respectable than the sins everyone sees. Here are three reasons secret sin is especially abhorrent:
1. Because God sees the heart.
Scripture tells us “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). No sin—not even a whispered curse or a fleeting evil thought—is hidden from the view of God. In fact, if we realized that God himself is the only audience for such secret sins, we might be less inclined to write them off so lightly.
The Bible declares that God will one day judge the secrets of every heart (Rom. 2:16). He “will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Eccl. 12:14).
Not only that, secret sins will not remain secret. “The Lord [will] bring to light the things hidden in the darkness” (1 Cor. 4:5). Jesus said, “There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3). Those who think they can evade shame by sinning in secret will discover one day that open disclosure of their secrets before the very throne of God is the worst shame of all.
It is folly to think we can mitigate our sin by keeping it secret. It is double folly to tell ourselves that we are better than others because we sin in private rather than in public. And it is the very height of folly to convince ourselves that we can get away with sin by covering it up. “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper” (Prov. 28:13).
All sin is an assault against our holy God, whether it is done in public or in secret. And God, who beholds even the innermost secrets of the heart, sees our sin clearly, no matter how well we think we have covered it.
2. Because sin in the mind is a fruit of the same moral defect that produces deeds of sin.
When Jesus said hatred carries the same kind of guilt as murder, and lust is the very essence of adultery, He was not suggesting that there is no difference in degree between sin that takes place in the mind and sin that is acted out. Scripture does not teach that all sins are of equal enormity.
That some sins are worse than others is both patently obvious and thoroughly biblical. Scripture plainly teaches this, for example, when it tells us the sin of Judas was greater than the sin of Pilate (John 19:11).
But in His Sermon on the Mount Jesus was pointing out that anger arises from the same moral defect as murder; and the one who lusts suffers from the same character flaw as the adulterer. Furthermore, those who engage in thought-sins are guilty of violating the same moral precepts as those who commit acts of murder and adultery.
In other words, secret sins of the heart are morally tantamount to the worst kind of evil deeds—even if they are sins of a lesser degree. The lustful person has no right to feel morally superior to a wanton fornicator. The fact that she indulges in lust is proof she is capable of immoral acts as well. The fact that he hates his brother shows that he has murder lurking in his heart.
Christ was teaching us to view our own secret sins with the same moral revulsion we feel for wanton acts of public sin.
3. Because hidden sin involves the compounding sin of hypocrisy.
Those who sin secretly actually intensify their guilt, because they add the sin of hypocrisy to their offense. Hypocrisy is a grave sin in its own right. It also produces an especially debilitating kind of guilt, because by definition hypocrisy entails the concealing of sin. And the only remedy for any kind of sin involves uncovering our guilt through sincere confession.
Hypocrisy therefore permeates the soul with a predisposition against genuine repentance. That is why Jesus referred to hypocrisy as “the leaven of the Pharisees” (Luke 12:1).
Hypocrisy also works directly against the conscience. There’s no way to be hypocritical without searing the conscience. So hypocrisy inevitably makes way for the most vile, soul-coloring, character-damaging secret sins. Thus hypocrisy compounds itself, just like leaven.
Beware that sort of leaven.
No matter who suggests to you that appearances are everything, don’t buy that lie.
As a matter of fact, your secret life is the real litmus test of your character: “As he thinks within himself, so he is” (Prov. 23:7). Do you want to know who you really are? Take a hard look at your private life—especially your innermost thoughts. Gaze into the mirror of God’s Word, and allow it to disclose and correct the real thoughts and motives of your heart.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Tim Keller on Richard Bauckham's "Jesus and the Eyewitnesses"

Ligon Duncan says
Tim Keller's very helpful review of Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (Eerdmans, 2006) is now available in the April Redeemer Report and online here. Don't miss it.

PERFORMING ARTS CONCERT AT TENTH CHURCH

City Center Academy and Spruce Hill Christian School present a performing arts concert Friday night beginning at 7:00 in the Sanctuary. There will also be an arts show at 6:00.

THE LOVE YOU DON' T NEED By John MacArthur


“All you need is love.”
So said the Beatles. If they’d been singing about God’s love, the statement would have a grain of truth in it.
But what usually goes by the name love in popular culture is not authentic love at all; it’s a deadly fraud.
Far from being “all you need,” it’s something you desperately need to avoid.
The apostle Paul makes that very point in Ephesians 5:1-3. He writes, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.”
The simple command of verse 2 (”walk in love, as Christ loved us”) sums up the whole moral obligation of the Christian. After all, God’s love is the single, central principle that defines the Christian’s entire duty.
This kind of love is really “all you need.” Romans 13:8-10 says, “The one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments . . . are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Galatians 5:14 echoes that selfsame truth: “The whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jesus likewise taught that all the law and the prophets hang on two simple principles about love—the First and Second Great Commandments (Matt. 22:38-40). In other words, “love . . . is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14, NKJV).
When Paul commands us to walk in love, the context reveals that in positive terms, he is talking about being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to one another (Ephesians 4:32). The model for such selfless love is Christ, who gave His life to save His people from their sins. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And “if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).
In other words, true love is always sacrificial, self-giving, merciful, compassionate, sympathetic, kind, generous, and patient. These and many other positive, benevolent qualities (cf 1 Cor. 13:4-8) are what Scripture associates with divine love.
When Love Is Bad
But notice the negative side as well, also seen in the context of Ephesians 5. The person who truly loves others as Christ loves us must refuse every kind of counterfeit love. The apostle Paul names some of these satanic forgeries. They include immorality, impurity, and covetousness. The passage continues:
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous ( that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not associate with them. (vv. 4-7)
Immorality is perhaps our generation’s favorite substitute for love. Paul uses the Greek word porneia, which includes every kind of sexual sin. Popular culture desperately tries to blur the line between genuine love and immoral passion. But all such immorality is a total perversion of genuine love, because it seeks self-gratification rather than the good of others.
Impurity is another devilish perversion of love. Here Paul employs the Greek term akatharsia, which refers to every kind of filth and impurity. Specifically, Paul has in mind “filthiness,” “foolish talk,” and “crude joking,” which are the peculiar characteristics of evil companionship. That kind of camaraderie has nothing to do with true love, and the apostle plainly says it has no place in the Christian’s walk.
Covetousness is yet another corruption of love that stems from a narcissistic desire for self-gratification. It’s the exact opposite of the example Christ set when He “gave Himself up for us” (v. 2). In verse 5, Paul equates covetousness with idolatry. Again, this has no place in the Christian walk, and according to verse 5, the person who is guilty of it “has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
Such sins, Paul says, “must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (v. 3). Of those who practice such things, he tells us, “Do not associate with them” (v. 7).
In other words, we are not showing authentic love unless we are intolerant of all the popular perversions of love.
Most of the talk about love these days ignores this principle. “Love” has been redefined as a broad tolerance that overlooks sin and embraces good and evil alike. That’s not love; it’s apathy.
God’s love is not at all like that. Remember, the supreme manifestation of God’s love is the cross, where Christ “loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (v. 2). Thus Scripture explains the love of God in terms of sacrifice, atonement for sin, and propitiation: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). In other words Christ made Himself a sacrifice to turn away the wrath of an offended deity. Far from dismissing our sins with a benign tolerance, God gave His Son as an offering for sin, to satisfy His own wrath and justice in the salvation of sinners.
That is the very heart of the gospel. God manifest his love in a way that upheld His holiness, justice, and righteousness without compromise. True love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6).
That’s the kind of love we are called to walk in. It’s a love that is “first pure, then peaceable” (cf. James 3:17).

A Grief Observed

Right Now Counts Forever by R.C. Sproul

When we speak of the reality of grief, we are talking about pain. It is a pain that penetrates the skin of a person and plunges to the deepest recesses of the person’s being. It is a pain that grips the soul with a vise-like pincer that brings with the pain an excruciating sense of mourning. We use the term grief to describe pain that assaults the deepest level of our being. We often use the metaphor of the broken heart. The broken heart really describes a weeping soul, a soul that is cloaked in the darkest night.When we speak of grief, we speak about an emotion of which the Scriptures are profoundly aware. We speak of an emotion that was most poignantly manifested in the life and the experience of our Lord Himself. Jesus was described as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. His acquaintanceship with grief was not merely a sympathetic or empathetic awareness of other people’s pain. Rather, His experience of grief was a pain that He felt within Himself. To be sure, His pain was the result of His perception, not of His own shortcomings, but of the great evils that plague this world. On the other hand, when we experience grief, our grief is usually wrapped up with some kind of personal loss. In my own experience, when I think of grief, there are only a few personal recollections that force their way into my mind. The first and most painful was the grief associated with the death of my father when I was seventeen years old. This was the man who, humanly speaking, was the anchor of my soul, the rock of stability in our home and in my life. When he was reduced to frailty and became incapacitated by multiple strokes, and wasted away finally to death itself, I was driven to despair. The loss of this man, who was my greatest earthly hero, left a scar on my soul that remains even to this day. I also think personally of my sense of loss when my dear friend Jim Boice was taken home to glory in 2000. It was not simply the loss of a friend, but a loss of a comrade in an ongoing battle that left me with such sorrow. The pangs of that sorrow were multiplied by my sense of loss, not only to me, but to the church of our time. Beyond those personal losses, the loss of friends, the loss of comrades, always bring to me a certain measure of grief. In my own heart, however, I know that nothing grieves me more than to see the Gospel compromised in the church. It’s not the wickedness of the pagan that breaks my heart. It’s the compromise of the Christian that grieves my soul. Finally, when I look at grief, as I experience it in my life and read of it in Scriptures, I know that with it always comes the clear and present danger of an emotion that can turn sour. Yet the emotion itself is perfectly legitimate. If we fail to deal with our grief, if our mourning goes beyond sorrow into bitterness, then we have allowed pain to abscess and become poison. We must examine the griefs we experience and take care that they never become the occasion for sin. They never did that to Jesus. We pray they won’t do it to us.

Without Excuse

Proverbs 21:7The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,because they refuse to do what is just.

As we have learned in other proverbs, the wicked bring on themselves their own destruction. They suffer the consequences of their own violence. It is easy enough to see how they create trouble for themselves, but the consequence is that they place themselves under the judgment of God who will not be mocked and will see that justice is carried out.Note here the real problem of the wicked. It is not that they do not know what is just, but that they refuse to do what is just. Compare this proverb to Romans 1:18: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."Before we apply this proverb to our neighbor, let us look at ourselves. Romans goes on to say that such persons are without excuse because what can be known about God is made plain through natural revelation. But we have the special revelation of Scripture, and we have within us the Holy Spirit to open our minds to the truth. Will God excuse our sin because we did not know better? Will he accept that we ever act in ignorance?Give praise to God that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for our sin would not only be held against us, but our guilt would weigh upon even more heavily because of our lack of excuse. Every day we are living testimonies of the unfathomable mercy of God and of the inestimable power of Christ's work on the cross.Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,your faithfulness to the clouds.Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;your judgments are like the great deep;man and beast you save, O Lord (Psalm 36:5-6).

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

PRAYERS FOR KENNY THOMPSON


Kenny Thompson is the one with the hand over his head. The son of Tom and Leslie Thompson who are members of Tenth Church, he is staying on the Virginia Tech campus and would appreciate prayers as he reaches out to his fellow students.

Grace Covenant PCA and Virginia Tech

A note from TE Chris Hutcheson, pastor of Grace Covenant PCA in Blacksburg, Va., on the ministry taking place as a result of the shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on April 16, 2007.We continue to receive e-mails and phone calls from all over the country of people expressing their support in prayer, and asking how they may help. We are grateful for all of this love shown to us in this hour, and trust that God will use their prayers to help us as a church reach out with the gospel. We are posting these updates and prayer requests to our website so that you can refer people there.Please pray for Faythe Rittenhouse, who works in Norris and for Haiyan Cheng, (a graduate teaching assistant who was teaching a computer science class at Norris 205 classroom during the shooting on Monday morning) recovering from the trauma of a close call. She and her family were baptized just last year at Grace Covenant. We praise God for this mercy in the midst of such sorrow. Her account may be viewed here.A photo of a prayer meeting at Grace Covenant PCA (click to read the article).Here is a story from WORLD magazine which includes information about what one of Grace Covenant's members, Haiyan Cheng, went through.

INTIMACY WITH CHRIST.......By John MacArthur

The apostle Paul perfectly expresses the most earnest desire of every true follower of Christ: “That I may know him” (Phil. 3:10).

“Knowing Christ,” in the Pauline sense is not the sort of mystical relationship many people imagine. Paul wasn’t longing for some secret knowledge of Christ beyond what is revealed in Scripture. He wasn’t asking that private messages from Christ be whispered into his ear.

In fact, the knowledge of Christ Paul sought was anything but mystical. What he longed to know was the power of Christ’s resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and conformity to His death.

We err greatly if we think of intimacy with Christ as some lofty level of mysterious, feelings-based communion with the Divine—as if it involved some knowledge of God that goes beyond what Scripture has revealed. That idea is the very heart of the gnostic heresy. It has nothing in common with true Christianity.

Just what do we mean, then, when we speak of intimacy with Christ? How can we pursue knowing Christ the way Paul had in mind in Philippians 3:10? Scripture suggests at least five aspects of true intimacy with Christ:

The Intimacy of Faith

Notice what prompts Paul’s comment about knowing Christ in Philippians 3:10. He had already spent several verses describing his life before Christ (4-6). He cited all the spiritual advantages he enjoyed as a Pharisaic Jew. But then he declared that he had discarded all those spiritual advantages for Christ’s sake: “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (vv. 7-8).

As a Pharisee, Paul had sought to earn God’s favor by legal obedience. But he came to realize that the law sets a standard he could never meet. And so he scrapped all his own works of righteousness as if they were filthy rags (cf. Isa. 64:6). This does not mean that he ceased doing good works, of course, but that he gave up trusting in those works for his salvation. Instead, he put all his faith in Christ—and was clothed in Christ’s perfect righteousness instead of his own imperfect works.

This is the doctrine known as justification by faith. Scripture teaches that our sins were imputed to Christ, and He paid the full penalty for them in His death. Now Christ’s own righteousness is imputed to us, and we receive the full merit of it. Without this reality we could enjoy no relationship whatsoever with a holy God.

Moreover, justification by faith—because it means we are clothed in Christ’s own righteousness—establishes the most intimate imaginable relationship between the believer and his Lord. It is an inviolable spiritual union. That’s why Paul often described believers as those who are “in Christ.”

In other words, all true intimacy with Christ has its basis in faith. In fact, no relationship with Him whatsoever is possible apart from faith (Heb. 1:1). As the apostle Peter points out, we love Him by faith, even though we have not seen Him (1 Pet. 1:8).

The Intimacy of True Worship

In Hosea 6:6 the Lord says, “I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

That verse means we should not imagine that worship consists of rote acts of religious ritual—like sacrifices, burnt offerings, and other ceremonies. Instead, we need to realize that real worship is grounded in the true knowledge of God.

If we want God to delight in our worship, we must think rightly about Him. The very essence of idolatry consists in wrong thoughts about God. And conversely, true knowledge of God means knowing Him as He is revealed in Scripture.

To put it another way, sound doctrine, not liturgy and ritual, is the litmus test of whether our worship is acceptable.

Right thinking about God is therefore essential to true intimacy with Him. Anyone who would know Him intimately must know what He has revealed about Himself. And again, this does not mean we should seek some mystical knowledge about God. All we can know with any certainty about God is what is revealed in Scripture. Those who would know the true God in the true way must therefore seek to be thoroughly familiar with His Word.

The Intimacy of Prayer

Jesus himself taught us to seek intimacy with God through private prayer. Prayer is where the worshiper pours out his heart to God. And Jesus Himself stressed the importance of private prayer: “when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret” (Matt. 6:6).

He was confronting the practice of the Pharisees, who loved to pray publicly, for show. Jesus was not teaching that prayers should never be offered publicly, for there are obviously times when Scripture calls us to corporate prayer.

But the true Christian seeking intimacy with God will pray most often, and most fervently, in private. The true audience of all our prayers is God Himself. And if we understood what an incomprehensible privilege it is to be invited to come boldly before His throne of grace, we would surely spend more time there, pouring out our most intimate thoughts, fears, desires, and expressions of love to Him.

The Intimacy of Obedience

Jesus said to the disciples, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (Jn. 15:14). Thus Christ Himself made obedience to Him an absolute requirement for true spiritual intimacy.

Let no one claim intimacy with Christ whose life is marked by disobedience rather than submission to Him. Those who refuse to obey Christ as Lord cannot claim to know Him as a friend. Scripture plainly declares that He is Lord of all (Acts 10:36), and He is therefore entitled to demand our allegiance to His Lordship.

As a matter of fact, those who withhold that allegiance are His enemies, not His intimates (cf. Jas. 4:4). That’s why true intimacy with Him is utterly impossible without unconditional surrender to His divine authority.

Again, this takes the matter of intimacy with Christ out of the realm of the mystical and defines it in terms that are intensely practical.

The Intimacy of Suffering

Returning to Philippians 3:10, we note once again what kind of intimacy with Christ Paul was seeking: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

Of course, we easily understand why Paul wanted a share in the power of Christ’s resurrection. But why did the apostle desire to know the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings and be conformed to His death?

We can be certain that Paul had no perverse love of pain and suffering. Elsewhere he testified how he repeatedly besought the Lord to deliver him from a “messenger of Satan” that was like a thorn under his skin (2 Cor. 12:7).

In the midst of that experience Paul discovered that God’s grace is sufficient to see us through all our sufferings. Moreover, God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (v. 9).

God gives a special measure of grace to those whom He calls to endure suffering. In a familiar passage in the Beatitudes, Jesus said this about suffering:

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Matt. 5:10-12).

There is a special blessedness known only to those who suffer for Christ’s sake. Those who would desire true intimacy with Him must be willing to endure what He endured.

Add all those things together to get the full picture: True intimacy with Christ involves suffering, obedience, much prayer, a good knowledge of God’s Word, and a life of faith.

Notice that those are not advanced skills for second-level Christians. They are the most elementary issues of the Christian life. That underscores the truth that intimacy with Christ is not some sort of mystical secret. It is the whole point of our life in Christ. Indeed, it is the chief end for which we were created: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.