Sunday Leftovers (4/27/08)

As I mentioned in my message, I have long been struck by the repeated emphasis on the necessity of Christ's death.

He had to go to the cross. It was not optional.

Why is it important to stress the necessity of the cross? Because there is a connection between what we believe about the cross and the way we live. And if we preach the necessity of the cross as, well — necessary, then we will be dependent on Christ for everything.

But if we do not recognize His necessary death, then we will be prone to two different kinds of temptations: 1) the assumption that we are satisfactory in our spiritual state and not dependent on God. He is good and helpful, but we do not need Him or His work. And, 2) in opposition to that idea, we might be subject to legalism as a means of spiritual life, with the resultant joylessness of a life that is completely dependent on our own work and merit, knowing that in no way do we measure up to the divine standard of holiness.

Interestingly, as I was preparing for this sermon on Sunday evening, I did a little surfing on the internet and found a series of five sermons on the necessity of Christ's death, preached by S. Lewis Johnson. His concluding statement to the series reflects what I have just noted: "Come to Christ, trust him, and rest on what he’s done. And know, by virtue of the fact, that he’s paid that penalty in full. Your debts paid. You’re free. Enjoy your forgiveness of sins."

Christ had to go to the cross. And now we live in liberty!

Sunday Leftovers (4/20/08)

Since Sunday morning, I've been thinking more about my message and the implications of sin and salvation on our spiritual life. I've even listened to the sermon again myself. Did I say what I wanted to say, the way I wanted to say it?

I was intentional in attempting to front-load the sermon with a number of Scriptures to demonstrate the weight of our sin. It is no small thing to say we are sinners. It is to acknowledge we are dead. In every way we are helpless before God (which is the point of Jesus in the initial Beatitudes).

I have always appreciated the distinction which I mentioned Sunday morning that no one is as bad as he could be (even the worst sinner can always sin in even more heinous ways); however, every person is affected in every part of his being by sin. That is, there is nothing in him that is perfectly righteous. Everything is tainted by his sin nature. He can do nothing good (read Romans 3). The unsaved man cannot please God in anyway because He cannot do anything for God's glory (1 Cor. 10:31), because He does not love God.

Our problem is that we tend (even as believers in Christ) to minimize both the extent and the effect of sin. Because of our propensity to compare ourselves favorably with others — and believing that God grades on a scale and that there are acceptable scores that fall short of perfection — we do not believe that our sin merits the wrath of God. We do not think that the short flash of anger in our eyes at another driver, a derogatory word mumbled under our breath at our co-worker, a bitter complaint about a late newspaper or slow internet connection, a fleeting lustful glance at a woman in the store, or a covetous glance through the Sunday sale papers is enough to merit hell. They are enough. They fall short of the glory of God. Each one of them is enough to condemn us eternally. We must feel that weight.

[Aside: since Sunday I have listened to several of the sermons from the Together for the Gospel conference held last week. Each of the messages have been outstanding, but the ones by John MacArthur ("The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing: The Doctrine of Absolute Inability") and R. C. Sproul ("The Curse Motif of the Atonement") both related well to this very topic; together they painted a picture of our complete inability to save ourselves and God's righteous wrath to judge those who cannot save themselves.]

But we must likewise feel the weight of Matthew 1:21 — Jesus ("God Saves") came to rescue us from that very condemnation and hell. That is the wonder of the advent of Christ and the cross. God saves means that though we deserve every power that God can exert through His wrath, we get none of it if we trust Christ. God saves means He saves entirely and fully. Previously there was nothing within us that was righteous and for His glory. Now, having trusted Christ, we have His full righteousness and nothing that can condemn us. The transformation is remarkable.

And that transformation means that while we do well to examine our hearts, the foundation of our life and the focus of our life is to live each day grateful and trusting that what He has done is sufficient and He no longer harbors any animosity towards us and that He offers His grace and love with joy, not begrudgingly.

How glorious and significant that brief sentence, "He shall save His people from their sins is!"

Sabbatical Reflections

I have a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and I always have considered it a good thing to have a little newspaper ink on my hands each day. Yet I have also long had the conviction that newspapers are often a poor source for evaluating the relative importance of any given story or event because of the lack of time available for reflection and assessment before the morning edition must go to print. [And that is all the more true for television news and internet pundits.]

Only with time are we able to discern with greater clarity and accuracy what is important and what the significant factors in an event were. And because of that state of immediacy I am still in the process of attempting to evaluate my recently concluded sabbatical. I’m still “sorting through” my activities during that time and trying to discern all the spiritual benefits I accrued during that time. My suspicion is that in six months or a year, I will evaluate some of those benefits somewhat differently than now.

Nevertheless, I have seen God working in my heart in a number of areas, and desire to maintain a number of changes that I began during the sabbatical. Here are some things (in no particular order) that have increased in significance because of my time away:

• a commitment to reading books more than the internet. I spent more time reading than I had initially planned (I read somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 books and journals). I kept the email off during the day, and checked it and my internet RSS feeds only sporadically.

There were at least two benefits to that change in practice: 1) I began controlling my email (and time!) more effectively, and 2) I was able to read things that were significant, instead of urgent. There is a reason that good books stay in print for hundreds of years and internet pages are regularly changed or removed. One is enduring; the other is not. I want to pursue the most valuable treasures.

So, in renewing my regular schedule this month, I have made a concerted effort to check email no more than once a day (hence, I will likely be responding more slowly than previously!). Email and the internet are tools that can be used for much good and benefit, and I want to make sure they are tools that are used to stimulate me to accomplish the best things, not distract me from those things. [Aside: you may think reading a book a daunting task, but reading only 5-7 pages each day will allow you to read an average-length book every month!]

• a commitment to journal regularly. In one of his books, Don Whitney advocates spending one minute meditating on Scripture for every two minutes spent reading. That can be hard to do without a plan.

One means by which I have accomplished that in the past weeks is to spend some time journaling about what I have read that morning and how I desire that to change me. My thoughts are generally focused around two kinds of questions: 1) what have I learned about God and His Word? and 2) how should that change me?

The benefit of that plan became quickly obvious to me. I am not only thinking more deeply about Scripture at the time I am reading it, but I am also thinking about it more often during the day, and using it as a stimulant for my prayers. Journaling is not the only means by which one can stimulate meditation on the word of God, but it is a means God has been using in my life, and I am grateful.

• an increasing satisfaction prayer. Three things are contributing to this, I believe: 1) my time journaling (and meditating) about God’s Word is preparing my heart to pray as well as informing my prayers — giving me guidance in the content of my prayers; 2) reading good books (including good books about prayer) is giving me instruction and discipleship from other godly men about my devotional life; and 3) initiating a more detailed plan for my personal prayer time has given me more to pray about and is stimulating more prayer throughout the day as well.

• a renewed passion for the cross. It was my intention to spend a significant time thinking about the cross and justification during my sabbatical. And it proved to not only be a great refreshment to me, but also a stimulant to a sermon series that was not even in my mind when the sabbatical began.

The cross is the foundation of our life in Christ. Remove the cross or misunderstand its import and your spiritual life will inevitably suffer. The church is the guardian of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15), and we likewise have been made guardians of the gospel (1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:14). I not only want to be faithful to those callings, but yearn to have its power known increasingly in my life, and see that power evidenced in the life of our church body and the unbelieving community around us. It is the cross that is the power and wisdom of God for righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1-2). So it is the cross which we must cling to, protect, and proclaim.

• a continued encouragement about the priority of the local church. Apart from all the things I observed in the way church ministry is being done in the various churches I visited, being away from this church made me all the more grateful for you and made me recognize afresh the significance of the local church.

For all the benefit of observing other ministries and being fed spiritually by other pastors, I was not in regular fellowship with my church family, which was a significant detriment to me spiritually. It is not spiritually healthy to be disconnected from church involvement for an extended period of time. God has created us to be in dependent fellowship with each other. And being away from each other removes one of the instruments of God’s grace to stimulate us to sanctification (“love and good deeds,” Heb. 10:24 calls it). That’s not good. And that means I’m glad to be back home at Grace!

• an increased awareness of the impact of time spent with family. I had happily anticipated that I would spend more time with Raye Jeanne and Elizabeth and Emily. What I did not recognize was the impact that would have on them. While I do all I can to minister to them and serve their needs, a work schedule will always place some restrictions on our ability to serve our families. Being much more available to them these two months was a real means of grace for them, which in turn gave me much joy and satisfaction.

I am so very grateful for this church. The people of Grace Bible Church have been a great instrument of God’s grace in my life. I have received so very much from you, and the opportunity to be away from the daily aspect of church ministry for these two months has been another means of grace from you to me, and additionally, a great means of refreshment to my heart.