Suffering

A few thoughts/notes on suffering...

1. God’s will be done, for His Glory

a. As King and Creator, His Will is as good as done and His purpose will not be compromised; don’t forget God’s purpose in creating the world was to bring Glory to His Name

b. For those in Christ, God will do all things for your good

2. Produce fruit in one’s life

a. Endurance, character, hope (Romans 5:3-4) (James 1:3)

b. Purpose of Sanctification – transformation into His likeness

3. Evangelism

a. Display the nature of Christ’s suffering

b. If Christ’s suffering was the ultimate manifestation of the Glory of God’s Grace, then displaying the nature of Christ’s suffering in our suffering will point unbelievers to the ultimate act of mercy and wrath, Christ’s saving death (gospel = where mercy meets wrath)

c. How will unbelievers truly know where our VALUE lies, if it appears it lies in our comfortable and prosperous lifestyles

1. We are called to be stripped of things, so we may display in our suffering, our true inheritance is in Christ, not things

I have never been through terrible physical suffering. I feel as if I don't know the slightest thing about experiencing suffering. However, I am learning from scripture it is the natural result of being a Christian in this world. And because I also believe nothing lies outside the will of God, I wonder "what is God's purpose for suffering in our lives?" I am still unclear in many ways, but I think it's important we think about it, in preparation for the suffering we should anticipate, for the glory of Christ.

Return to Your Rest

"Return, O my soul,

to your rest;

for the LORD has dealt

bountifully with you"

Psalm 116:7

Something I need to remind myself every morning. Physically, our bodies arise from rest in the morning. We awake from our sleep. Yet, with this comes the anxiety, stress and forgetfulness of the day. I am bombarded with to-do lists, the assignments keep coming, not to mention I have work later in the day. So with the morning comes the fear, insecurity and restlessness. When my feet hit the floor, the battle begins. I instantly begin eating the bread of anxious toil (psalm 27). My thoughts are on everything but Jesus.

This verse has been a tremendous encouragement and reminder, that while I am waking from my physical rest, I must return to my spiritual rest. I must remember who I am in Christ. I must remember that God, not sparing His own Son, will sufficiently provide all my needs, whether physical, emotional or spiritual, for this day. I must remember that God has dealt bountifully with me. I must return to this rest.

The New Age

"The Messiah came to usher in the new age. But the new age meant the death of the old age. He came to achieve the restoration of Israel. But that could only come about after the fires of judgement and purging. As Jesus looked at his own society, he saw it heading for that terrifying judgement. So much of his preaching has that urgent note of warning and impending disaster. Like John, he saw a 'wrath to come'; the wrath of Rome as well as the wrath of God. But the deeper awareness of his own messiahship lay in this, that he believed himself called to take Israel's judgement on himself at another level. For the Messiah was a representative figure. He was Israel. Their destiny was therefore his, and his theirs. Yes, at one level, national and political Israel was heading for destruction. But at another level, Israel, in the Messiah, would suffer judgement and then the restoration that God planned."

Christopher Wright in 'Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament'

The Main Characteristic of a Preacher

From George Herbert's 'The Country Parson, his Character and Rule of Holy Life"

"His main characteristic is not that he is witty, learned or eloquent, but holy, and so earnest is he in his desire to communicate, that he even interrupts his own sermon with many apostrophes to God as, 'Oh Lord, bless my people, and teach them this point.'"

So It Was Thought

"Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,"

Luke 3:23

Who was Jesus? The second chapter of Matthew's Gospel ends with Jesus growing up in Nazareth. Nazareth was known as a town from which nothing good could come. In fact, the word 'Nazarene' may actually have been a nickname or slang meaning for something that was insignificant.

So what does Luke 3:23 tell us about who Jesus was/is. The phrase 'so it was thought' reveals that to human eyes, Jesus was the son of an unimportant carpenter from insignificant Nazareth. His human resume was not one to boast in. Yet, in reality, Jesus was the beloved Son of God, in whom the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

"This is my Son, whom I love, the one in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him" Colossians 1:19

In God's sight, Jesus was the Beloved Son. This was His true identity. In the same way, our human resume is nothing to boast about. There is nothing great about us. Our identity in ourselves is rather insignificant in the big picture. Yet, when we are in Christ, the reality of our identity is radically different. In God's sight, we are beloved children with whom He is well pleased. This is our true identity.

Husbands: Headship Means Taking the Lead in Reconciliation

Some great thoughts from John Piper on the Husband being the initiator in reconciliation

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ has loved the church and gave himself up for her"

Ephesians 5:25

In the Old Testament, God alludes to Israel as His wife. Here is just one example of God initiating reconciliation with His unfaithful people. In the same way, husbands, as leaders are called to love their wives. I pray God instills this kind of love in my heart.

"For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, ....for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved prostitutes wages on all threshing floors"

Hosea 8:14-9:1

"I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow"

Hosea 14: 4-5

Per Justin Taylor's blog on the Gospel Coalition:

John Piper:

Leadership means we must take the lead in reconciliation.

I don’t mean that wives should never say they are sorry.

But in the relation between Christ and his church, who took the initiative to make all things new?

Who left the comfort and security of his throne of justice to put mercy to work at Calvary?

Who came back to Peter first after three denials?

Who has returned to you again and again forgiving you and offering his fellowship afresh?

So husbands, your headship means: Go ahead. Take the lead. It does not matter if it is her fault. That didn’t stop Christ.

Who will break the icy silence first?

Who will choke out the words, “I’m sorry, I want it to be better”?

Or: “Can we talk? I’d like things to be better.”

She might beat you to it. That’s okay. But woe to you if you think that, since it’s her fault, she’s obliged to say the first reconciling word.

Headship is not easy. It is the hardest, most humbling work in the world.

Protect your family. Strive, as much as it lies within you, to make peace before the sun goes down.

Alienated Enemies

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in yours minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation"

Colossians 1:19-22

These verses reveal such a great deal about the Biblical story as a whole.

First, in verse 19, we get a glimpse of the cosmic scope of redemption. God is reconciling ALL things to himself, whether things on earth or in heaven. If we recall, God is the creator of all. He is sovereign over all. All of creation displays His glory and His greatness. In the beginning, God created the earth, the heavens, day and night, the land and sea, plants and animals. They were all good. Lastly, He created man. Although God loves His creation, and His creation was 'good', man had a special place in God's heart. To reflect His very presence on His created earth, God made man in His own image. How amazing is that? We were created in His likeness. We were created with a special capacity, to know and be intimate with our creator. We were created with a special capacity to reflect His glory, to love and be loved. We walked with God in harmony. We were created to be the caretakers of His creation, to mediate His presence. It was very good.

Secondly, these verses present the magnitude of the fall. While God's creation was good, and He so freely and lovingly made man in His own image, and graciously walked with man in utter harmony, Man rebelled. Man turned. But, the fall of man didn't just effect one man (Adam), it effected the entire creation. The Woman (Eve) would experience pain in child bearing. The ground was cursed, and Adam's work would bring him pain and toil. Harmony was broken between Man and God, between Man and Woman (relationships), between Man and earth (nature). That is why 'ALL' things are to be reconciled. Not just individual souls. The Gospel is about God bringing about a complete restoration or reconciliation to 'ALL' things. God redeeming a people for himself is the center of this complete restoration.

It is important to notice the words Paul uses to describe our previous fallen state. He says that we were 'alienated' and 'enemies'. When Paul says 'enemies' he isn't merely stating a passive disruptance between us and God. It is not 'God hated you', where we have passively received this conflict. Rather, we are actively enemies. The fall shows our rebellion. It is us turning our backs on God, not God turning His back on us. We are actively hostile towards God. It has been that way from the beginning. The Bible tells one story, where time after time, this theme of restoration is found. I'll probably make another quick post in a few days trying to show how, from since creation, to the fall, God through various covenants has been bringing about the restoration, or re-creation of His original good creation.

Thirdly, this passage shows the magnificent means by which peace is reestablished. Given that we have openly rebelled against God, and whether we think so or not, have declared in our hearts our autonomous hostility towards God, it is amazing to think that God would even try to win us back. But that is why the Gospel is so amazing. We play the part of the undeserving. The Bible tells time and time again, of God begging His people to turn back to him, to believe unto Him, to follow his guidelines. Yet, just like in the garden, when God told Adam not to eat the fruit, we repeatedly choose to disobey, we repeatedly choose to rebel. This is open hostility.

But, along the way, God promises us something unbelievable. He says,

³¹ "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, ³²not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. ³³ But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

God promises to make a way to re establish peace. It will come through a new and better covenant. Whereas before, God's people, Israel, repeatedly broke the covenant, God says in the new covenant, He will put His law on our hearts, and that they will truly be His people again. He will forgive their iniquity and forget their sins. This is the Gospel. From the beginning, God had a marvelous plan to restore His people once and for all. Jesus was the answer. The Son came to earth, and lived the perfect life, and died the death in order to forgive our sins. He died the only death that could possible bring peace. More so, God gives His Spirit to His people, so that they are continually transformed. The law of God no longer condemns us, but is written on our hearts. This is reason to praise God. Though I was in constant rebellion, constant hatred towards God, though I never upheld my end of the bargain, though I was unfaithful to my call to bear God's image, Jesus died to reconcile me. I was at war with Him, yet He crossed enemy lines and took the sting of death, so that there would be peace. Praise be to God!

Tenth Avenue North - Love Is Here

Walking in a Manner Pleasing to Him

"so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." Colossians 1:10-12

What does it mean to walk in a worthy manner of the Lord, in a way that is pleasing to him?

According to God's Word, it means.....

1) Bearing good fruit

2) Increasing in our knowledge of Him

3) Being strengthened by His power

4) Giving Thanks

Moreover, Paul writes that it is God who qualifies us. We bear good fruit because God's seed has been planted in us, and we are new creations. We now live by the indwelling Spirit, who produces good fruit in us. We Increase in knowledge according to what He lovingly reveals to His children. We are strengthened by His power according to His glorious might. We give thanks because of what He is doing in and through us.

Yet, we are to walk this way. We are called to act. We are to press on to live a life pleasing to God. But we do this by looking to God himself, as the source and qualifier of our faith, who, by His grace, will enable us to bear good fruit, increase in knowledge, be strengthened and give thanks.

Approach My Soul, Thy Mercy Seat

A hymn brought to my attention by Danny Hindman. These are some very powerful words written by John Newton.

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before His feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed,
By war without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my Shield and hiding Place,
That, sheltered by Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him Thou hast died!

O wondrous love! to bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead Thy gracious Name.

“Poor tempest-tossèd soul, be still;
My promised grace receive”;
’Tis Jesus speaks—I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.

Under A New Domain

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:12

Paul seems to make a pretty weighty statement here. Christians are not just brought from a state of darkness to a state of light. Rather, we have been delivered from a domain. Darkness is not just a state, it is a kingdom, it is a domain, it is a stronghold. When we are under the domain of darkness, we belong to this kingdom. Our citizenship belongs to darkness, to the Evil One and we are under his rule. Yet, God has delivered us. He has completely transferred us. Reality has completely changed. Our citizenship is no longer in the kingdom of darkness, but in the kingdom of Jesus. The new kingdom reverses the affect of darkness.

Whereas before, when I lived under the domain of the Evil One, under the kingdom of darkness, my life was defined by the one who ruled me. But now, having been delivered from the darkness, into the glorious kingdom of Christ, my life is defined by my New King. I am under His rule. My citizenship is in Heaven. I belong to Him. I am defined by what my New King has accomplished, which Paul states so plainly saying, 'in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.'

This verse encourages me to live under the reality of my new domain. I am no longer under the allegiance of sin because I have transferred kingdoms. My allegiance, my life, my everything is with Christ. What a glorious truth! I once was a slave, under the oppressive rule of darkness, but Jesus died to redeem me, to set me free from my bondage. Now I am free. And in my freedom, I gladly bow to my New King.

Give Me Jesus

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

When I am alone
When I am alone
When I am alone, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

When I come to die
When I come to die
When I come to die, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

....

What a wonderful, yet simple song. May this song be the melody of our hearts.

Union with Christ: A Crash Course

From Justin Taylor's blog: Union with Christ: A Crash Course

James S. Stewart wrote that “union with Christ, rather than justification or election or eschatology, or indeed any of the other great apostolic themes, is the real clue to an understanding of Paul’s thought and experience” (A Man in Christ [Harper & Bros., 1955], vii).

John Calvin said that union with Christ has “the highest degree of importance” if we are to understand justification correctly (Institutes 1:737).

John Murray wrote that “union with Christ is . . . the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation. . . . It is not simply a phase of the application of redemption; it underlies every aspect of redemption” (Redemption—Accomplished and Applied [Eerdmans, 1955], pp. 201, 205).

Lewis Smedes said that it was “at once the center and circumference of authentic human existence” (Union with Christ [Eerdmans, 1983], xii).

Anthony Hoekema wrote that “Once you have your eyes opened to this concept of union with Christ, you will find it almost everywhere in the New Testament” (Saved by Grace[Eerdmans, 1989], 64.

If you want an introduction to the doctrine of union with Christ, John Murray’s chapter inRedemption—Accomplished and Applied is helpeful, as is Anthony Hoekema’s chapter inSaved by Grace. Below are a few notes on the latter:

The New Testament uses two interchangeable expressions to describe union with Christ:

1. We are in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; John 15:4, 5, 7; 1 Cor. 15:22; 2 Cor. 12:2; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 1:4, 2:10; Phil. 3:9; 1 Thess. 4:16; 1 John 4:13).
2. Christ is in us (Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27; Rom. 8:10; 2 Cor. 13:5; Eph. 3:17).

Three passages (John 6:56; John 15:4; 1 John 4:13) explicitly combine both concepts.

Hoekema says that we should see union with Christ “extending all the way from eternity to eternity.” He outlines his material in this way:

1. The roots of union with Christ are in divine election (Eph. 1:3-4).
2. The basis of union with Christ is the redemptive work of Christ.
3. The actual union with Christ is established with God’s people in time.

Under the third point, he shows eight ways that salvation, from beginning to end, is in Christ:

1. We are initially united with Christ in regeneration (Eph. 2:4-5, 10)
2. We appropriate and continue to live out of this union through faith (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:16-17).
3. We are justified in union with Christ (1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8-9).
4. We are sanctified through union with Christ (1 Cor. 1:30; John 15:4-5; Eph. 4:16; 2 Cor. 5:17).
5. We persevere in the life of faith in union with Christ (John 10:27-28; Rom. 8:38-39).
6. We are even said to die in Christ (Rom. 14:8; 1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 14:13).
7. We shall be raised with Christ (Col. 3:1; 1 Cor. 15:22).
8. We shall be eternally glorified with Christ (Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 4:16-17).

And here’s a helpful quote from Sinclair Ferguson (in Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification [IVP, 1989], 58), explaining in a nutshell why union with Christ is the foundation for sanctification:

If we are united to Christ, then we are united to him at all points of his activity on our behalf.

We share

• in his death (we were baptized into his death),
• in his resurrection (we are resurrected with Christ),
• in his ascension (we have been raised with him),
• in his heavenly session (we sit with him in heavenly places, so that our life is hidden with Christ in God), and we will share
• in his promised return (when Christ, who is our life, appears, we also will appear with him in glory) (Rom. 6:14; Col. 2:11-12; 3:1-3).

This, then, is the foundation of sanctification in Reformed theology.

It is rooted, not in humanity and their achievement of holiness or sanctification, but in what God has done in Christ, and for us in union with him. Rather than view Christians first and foremost in the microcosmic context of their own progress, the Reformed doctrine first of all sets them in the macrocosm of God’s activity in redemptive history. It is seeing oneself in this context that enables the individual Christian to grow in true holiness.

Internal Battle

"For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
(Romans 7:22-25; Romans 8:1 ESV)

....

I have found how so much of every day is characterized by this internal battle between my flesh and the Spirit within me. It pains me. I so often choose my flesh, and would always choose things of my flesh if it wasn't for grace. I am overcome with joy when I remember, It is Finished. Jesus suffered in my place on the cross and made peace with God for me. We can rest in that. Period.

Jesus I My Cross Have Taken

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my All shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I've sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.

2. Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends may shun me;
Show Thy face, and all is bright.

3. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure!
Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure;
With Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee Abba, Father!
I have stayed my heart on Thee.
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather,
All must work for good to me.

4. Man may trouble and distress me,
'Twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, 'tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, 'twere not in joy to charm me
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

5. Take, my soul, thy full salvation;
Rise o'er sin and fear and care;
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
What a Father's smile is thine,
What a Savior died to win thee;
Child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

6. Haste, then, on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith and winged by prayer;
Heaven's eternal day's before thee,
God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close the earthly mission,
Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope soon change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

No More Shame

"Those who look to Him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed."

Psalm 34:5

Eradicate: 1. To remove or do away with completely 2. to pull up by the roots

At the Cross, Jesus eradicates all our sin and shame. Those who are in Him shine radiantly. There is no more shame. It has been completely removed by Christ.

The Light of the World (John 9:5) has stepped down to earth. He has come to those living in darkness. He has come to the lifeless, dirty, sin stained, and shameful and has shown His great light to them, that they may look to Him and be radiant, that they may have true life. In Him there is no darkness at all(1 John 1:5), and everything He touches, is made glorious. That's why when Jesus touches the heart of a sinner, they are forever changed. This glorious light changes everything. Reality (Truth) is seen for the first time. More so, the Light of the World carried all our darkness and dirt, all our shame on His back, so that we might be able to see the True Light. He became a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, taking the full burden of shame, so that those who look to Him would have NO MORE SHAME, but shine radiantly.

God's Sovereign Intention

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, ³²not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. ³³ But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Jeremiah 31:31-34

"Jeremiah depicts the new covenant as unilaterally or monergistically imposed. In this he shows that in the new covenant the emphasis falls upon God's sovereign intention to effect the goal of his redemptive plan. There is no talk here of Israel's covenant obligation, no mutuality. It is all a sovereign work."

'I will make...I will put...I will write....I will be their God....I will forgive...I will remember their sin no more"

Mike Williams, 'Far as the Curse is Found'

Luther on How to Study Scripture

A quick excerpt from a letter in which Martin Luther expounds advice to George Spalatin on how to read the Scriptures.

"In the first place, it is most certain that one cannot enter into the Scriptures by study or skill alone. Therefore, you should begin by praying that, if it pleases the Lord to accomplish something through you for his glory, and not for your own glory or that of any other man, he may grant you a true understanding of his words. For there is no master of the Scriptures other than Him who is their author. Hence it is written, 'They shall all be taught by God.' You must completely despair of your own industry and ability, therefore, and rely solely on the influx of the Spirit. Believe me, for I have experience in this matter.

Then, having achieved this despairing humility, read the Scriptures in order from beginning to end so as to et the substance of the story in your mind. "

Today is the Best Day of My Life (and Yours)

Dan Orr, a close friend, shared this today at It's A Beautiful Gospel...thanks Dan.

"It doesn’t matter if today brings stress, sadness, or any unpleasant circumstances. Today is the best day of my life.

I am one day closer to being WITH Jesus. Today is the closest I’ve ever been!

For those of you who are in Christ Jesus, you have never been closer to being WITH Jesus than right now… today.

WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BE FILLED WITH OPTIMISM AND DEEP-ROOTED JOY BECAUSE WE ARE AS CLOSE AS WE’VE EVER BEEN TO THE LOVER OF OUR SOULS…. AND TOMORROW WILL BE EVEN BETTER"