The past 8 or 9 years have found me in a significant period of transition regarding my understanding of the Scriptures. Although theological transitions will hopefully continue throughout my life, the current transition has radically altered my thinking regarding the Scriptures.

Perhaps it is best if I review my past thinking, teaching, and preaching. My perspective of the Scriptures was based on a very legalistic, moralistic approach where the proclamation was primarily focused on how God told us to live. The result was that I and my listeners would come away understanding what God expected of us but would know little regarding God the Father and Jesus Christ. This was most pronounced in my studies of the Old Testament although would regularly be evidenced in the New Testament studies as well.

My transition began when I was studying the Gospels and came to Jesus on the road to Emmaus. There Jesus declared that people were fools if they did not believe all that the prophets had spoken. All my life I thought I believed all the prophets had spoken. However, this time I saw what the Scriptures said next. Jesus proceeded to show them how all the Old Testament talked about Him. I shuddered to a stop and asked myself if I really believed that and if I could actually look at the various passages in the OT and see Christ. I know the classic prophetic passages that point to Him but what about Samson, Cain and Able, the Proverbs, etc.? I was not so sure.

So, the past years have been one of new exploration. How is Christ seen in all the Scriptures? And when I began to look I also noticed that I had settled far to short of Christ. I was satisfied with moralisms and legalisms. I was satisfied merely with knowing what I should be and do and did not understand that those things I was doing and being were not for God’s glory but mine.

That is bad enough but I was also teaching, preaching, and counseling these same perspectives. I was not focusing on Christ but on getting people to “look” more Christian. In effect I was helping people to be able to stand before God and say “but did we not do all these things in your name” only to hear Him say “depart from me, I never knew you.”

Ultimately, who really cares is I preach, teach, and counsel how to do better and be better (read, live more consistent with the Scriptures) if the result is that the listeners do not know and love Jesus more. Jesus came seeking worshippers, not merely people who do the right thing and act the right way.

It is because of this that I want to repent of how I have ministered to many of you over the years. My prayer for you is that, in spite of my failures, the Holy Spirit captured your hearts for God and caused you to love Jesus more than you love anyone and caused you to know Jesus more than you know anyone.

Let us not be fools and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken.

“A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession!’ Jesus did not answer her a word!” Matthew 15:22

We are apt to forget that the aim of God with us, is . . .
not to flood us with tenderness all the time,
not to keep our path always strewn with flowers,
not to continually give us everything we want,
not to save us from all manner of suffering.

No! God’s aim with us, is . . .
to make something of us,
to build up strong and noble character in us,
to mature qualities of grace and beauty in us,
to make us more like Christ!
To do this–He must ofttimes deny us what we ask for, and must seem indifferent to our cries. “Jesus did not answer her a word!“

There are ’sentimental ideas of God’ prevalent, which are dishonoring to Him. There are those who imagine that God’s love means tenderness that cannot cause pain. They think that He cannot look a moment on suffering, without relieving it; that He must instantly hear and answer every cry for the removal of trouble.

Not such a God–is the God of the Bible! When suffering is the best thing for us–He is not too sympathetic to let us suffer–until the work of suffering is accomplished in us. He is not too kind to be silent to our prayers–when it is better that He should be silent for a time, to allow . . .
faith to grow strong,
self-confidence to be swept away, and
the evil in us–to be burned out in the furnace of pain!

There is a danger with all of us–our tenderness lacks strength. We cannot tolerate to see people suffer, and so we hasten to give relief–before the ministry of suffering is accomplished. We think of our mission to others, as being only ‘to make life easier for them’. We are continually lifting away burdens, which it were better to have left resting longer on our friend’s shoulder! We are eager to make life easy for our children–when it were better if it had been left hard.

We must learn that God does not deal with us in this ’sentimental’ way. He is not too tender to see us suffer–if more suffering is needed to work in us the discipline that will make us like Christ!

Here we have the key of many of the ‘mysteries of Providence‘. Life is not easy for us–and God does not intend it to be easy!

Suppose for a moment, that God immediately gave us everything we ask for–and immediately removed every little pain, trouble, difficulty, and hardness that we seek to have removed; what would be the result on us? How selfish it would make us! We would become weak, unable to endure suffering, to bear trial, to carry burdens, or to struggle. We would be only children always–and would never rise into manly strength. God’s over-kindness to us–would pamper in us all the worst elements of our nature, and would make us only poor driveling creatures!

On the other hand, however, God’s wise and firm treatment of us, teaches us the great lessons which make us strong with the strength of Christ Himself.
He teaches us to yield our own will to Him.
He develops in us–patience, faith, love, hope and peace.
He trains us to endure hardness–that we may grow heroic, courageous and strong.

It is well for us to make careful note of this–that in all God’s delays when we pray–His aim is some good in us.

Perhaps we are willful, asking only for our own way–and must learn to say, “May Your will be done.”

Perhaps we are weak, unable to bear pain or to endure adversity or loss–and we must be trained and disciplined into strength.

Perhaps our desires are only for earthly good, not for heavenly blessings–and we must be taught the transitory character of all worldly things, and led to desire things which are eternal.

Perhaps we are impatient–and must be taught to wait for God. We are like children in our eager restlessness–and need to learn self-restraint.

At the least, we may always know that silence is not refusal–that God hears and cares, and that when our faith has learned its lessons–He will answer in blessing!

“The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:6

“God disciplines us for our good–that we may share in His holiness.” Hebrews 12:10

 J. R. Miller

Life is nothing but death’s hallway; and our pilgrimage on earth is but a journey to the grave. The pulse that preserves our being beats our death march, and the blood which circulates our life is floating it forward to the deeps of death. Today we see our friends in health, tomorrow we hear of their death. Only yesterday, we shook hands with the strong man, and today we close his eyes. We rode in a chariot of comfort only an hour ago, and in a few more hours the black hearse must carry us to the home of the living. Oh, how closely allied is death to life! The little lamb that plays in the field must soon feel the knife. The cow that lows in the pasture is fattening itself for the slaughter. Trees only grow to be cut down. Yes, and greater things than these feel death. Empires rise and flourish; they flourish only to fall into decay, they rise to fall. How often do we take up a history book, and read of the rise and fall of empires. We hear of the coronation and the death of kings. Death is the black servant who rides behind the chariot of life. See life and death is close behind it. Death reaches far throughout this world, and has stamped all terrestrial things with an arrow pointing to the grave. Stars die; it is said that large and destructive fires have been seen in outer space, and astronomers have marked the funerals of planets-the decay of those mighty spheres, that we had imagined set forever in sockets of silver, to glisten as the lamps of eternity.

But blessed be God, there is one place where death is not life’s brother-where life reigns alone; “to live” is not the first syllable which is to be followed by the next, “to die.” There is a land where the death bells are never tolled, where grave clothes are never put on, where graves are never dug. Blessed land beyond the skies! To reach it, we must die.

Charles Spurgeon

Christ does not put happiness upon knowing—but upon doing. It is not knowledge of the points of religion—but practice, which renders a man truly happy and blessed.

Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?” It is not the mere knowledge and acceptance of the most glorious Gospel truths—which will bring a man to heaven. If a man could fluently discourse on all Scriptural truths, if his head were a treasury of wisdom, an ocean of learning—yet this could not entitle him to happiness. His knowledge might make him admired by men—but not blessed by God. If a man knew and believed all the doctrines of Scripture—this would not crown him with happiness.

Knowledge is a fair garland to look upon—but it is like Rachael. Though she was beautiful—yet being barren she said, “Give me children or I die!” Just so, if knowledge does not bring forth the child of obedience—it will die and come to nothing.

I would by no means disparage knowledge. Knowledge is the pilot to guide us in our obedience. Yet, knowledge must usher in obedience. Knowledge may put us into the way of happiness, but it is only practice which brings us there! Knowledge alone, cannot make a man eternally happy and blessed.

Knowledge alone, does not make a man better; therefore, it cannot make him happy and blessed. Bare knowledge has no influence; it does not leave a spiritual tincture of holiness behind. Knowledge informs—not transforms. Knowledge, of itself, has no power upon the heart to make it more holy. Bare knowledge is like weak medicine, which does not work. It does not warm the affections nor purge the conscience; it does not fetch virtue from Christ to dry up the bloody issue of sin.

A man may receive the light of the truth—yet not love the truth, “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10. The Apostle calls it “a form of knowledge,” Romans 2:20. Knowledge alone, is but a dead form, having nothing to animate it. He who has knowledge alone—is a spiritual stillborn! He looks like a Christian—but has neither appetite nor motion.

Knowledge alone, makes men monsters in religion! They are all head—but no feet! They do not walk in Christ, Colossians 2:6. A man may have Scriptural knowledge—and still be profane! He may have a clear head—and a foul heart! The understanding may be illumined—when the foot treads in unholy paths. If knowledge is divorced from practice, and does not make a man better—then it
cannot make a man eternally happy and blessed.

If bare knowledge will save, then all who have knowledge shall be saved. But that is not true—for then Judas would be saved, for he had knowledge enough. Then the devil would be saved! A man may have right knowledge, and be no better than a devil! Hell is full of learned heads!

Knowledge alone, makes a man’s case worse! Knowledge takes away all excuse. Knowledge adds to a man’s torment. “Woe to you! I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!” It will be better with heathen—than with professing Christians living in a contradiction to their knowledge. Luke 12:47, “The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it!”

Knowledge without practice, serves only as a torch to light men to hell—the brighter the light, the hotter the fire!
- Thomas Watson, “The Good Practitioner”

Our view of reality is determined by what we believe about truth. It is my firm belief that there is no truth apart from what God has breathed to man and preserved in the pages of His Word; God’s Word is called truth (John 17:17). Truth can only be known by faith, the faith that begins with the Living Word, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). The Word of God is sufficient for all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). These three principles form the foundation for my ministry and the approach that I take in making disciples.

It is the responsibility of every Christian to make disciples, baptizing them (evangelism) and teaching them to observe the commands of the Word. The goal of my instruction and interaction with those whom God has created in His image is not a modification of behavior. Too often outward change is accomplished when the Law is applied without teaching its purpose – to drive the sinner to the cross (Galatians 3:19-25). We are driven by what we value. God’s patient and loving discipline and the sword of His Word divide the thoughts and intents of the heart, exposing values which are idolatrous, providing opportunity for change through faith.

As a minister of God’s grace it is my responsibility to always and in every way manifest Jesus Christ to every man’s conscience. It is the cross of Christ and its promises that are the hope for change for those who have been born out of death into life and are being pressed into the image of Christ. It is the covenant in His blood that interprets life; the responsibility, therefore, of His ministers to explain how the cross applies to every situation that a person encounters.

The dilemma that man faces is not his environment, nor his genetics, etc., but rather his sin. The solution to man’s dilemma can only be had when he repents, acknowledging his helplessness and inability to be right with God, and trusting in the promises and provision of the cross. Repentance is an event that punctuates the life of the believer, initially unto salvation, and continually in his sanctification. Though repentance is an event that begins the process of change, change is accomplished over time. Following admonition, the minister’s responsibility in helping the repentant to change is to encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:14, 2 Timothy 2:24-26), knowing that it is God who will cause the growth in His time (1 Corinthians 5:3-9, Galatians 6:9).

It is through the afflictions of life that God humbles and teaches His children what it means to fear Him (Psalm 119:67, 2 Timothy 3:12). The sufferings of the physical life have the eternal purpose of storing up for the afflicted an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). The minister of God’s grace is commanded to comfort those who are afflicted with the promises that God has made through His Son (2 Corinthians 1:3-8). Comforting those who are afflicted and encouraging their obedience provides opportunity for them to show forth in a very clear and present way the sufferings and obedience of Christ (the Gospel) illustrating what is lacking in our present understanding of the sufferings of Christ (Colossians 1:24). The glory of God shines most clearly though a redeemed but broken vessel (2 Corinthians 4:7); it is the charge of the minister of God’s grace to communicate this truth in action and in deed to those whom God providentially brings his way.

 Then, to complete the hopelessness, David then effectively allows the reader to understand the result of living this way. It is as if the reader is left as a starving man looking through a window into a banquet hall and seeing the monstrous turkey all golden brown and the mountain of mashed potatoes with butter cascading down the sides along with the endless pile of hot dinner roles, etc. And to top it all off the exhaust fan is on and focused right on the spot where he is standing and the wonderful smell is overwhelming. Yet, he is left standing there without a possibility of entering.

That is what we find in verses 5, 6. Why is it so important that we ascend? We will receive a blessing. And what is that blessing? Righteousness! From the God of his salvation. What is David trying to do? It is as if he is saying “here are the requirements to be able to receive righteousness. And yet you can’t attain it without righteousness. Therefore, you have no hope.” Exactly. That is what he is doing. We are hopeless. We can not do it. We are excluded from climbing the hill. We are excluded from righteousness. We are excluded from blessing. We are excluded from salvation.

And yet, The Psalm does not end there. One would expect that the conclusion of the Psalm would speak of how the Lord is done with His people because of their rebellion and sinfulness. However, the next declaration is quite the opposite. Rather than being hopeless, the call is for the gates of the city to be lifted up. The reference is symbolically of the gates of Jerusalem. But the idea is for those of the city (who were just told of their hopelessness) to be lifted up. In other words, the call is to not be discouraged  with the reality that you can not measure up. Why? Because the king is coming!

But who is this king? The text tells us. Verse 8 and 10 gives an excellent explanation. He is strong and mighty in battle. And then He is described as the Lord of Hosts and the king of glory. Clearly, the Lord Himself is being described. The one on the holy hill is coming! That is, the one we have no hope of going to is coming to us! Which, of course, begs the question, why is He coming? These two verses give the first clues. He is called the Lord of hosts in verse 10. This description refers to the reality that this Lord is the Lord of armies. And combining this with verse 8 in becomes clear that He is coming to do war!

So, first we find out that we have so fallen short that we have no hope of ascending the holy hill and receiving the blessing of righteousness from the God of salvation and then we find out that He is coming to us. But He is coming with His army. From hopelessness to utter hopelessness. But wait. We need to go back to verse 7 and 9. The call is to lift up your heads. Why? So that the King of glory may come in! He is coming to do what we could never do! And He is bringing His army. But armies destroy don’t they? Yes. The only issue is what they come to destroy. Here, David declares that the King of glory is coming with His army not to destroy the people but to destroy the dirty hands, the impure hearts, the souls that are full of falsehood, the hearts that have sworn deceitfully. But that’s not all. Once those are destroyed then we are qualified to receive the blessing from the Lord. Righteousness from the God of salvation is ours.

How is this possible? Because the Lord of hosts has come in the person of Jesus Christ! And he has destroyed sin and death. If you have acknowledged your utter helplessness and desperation and need of a savior and have received the salvation of Jesus Christ because of His finished work on the cross you are able to ascend the holy hill of the Lord!

If you have not, I pray that you will acknowledge your hopelessness and need for a savior, Jesus Christ. Cry out to Him today. Ask Him for forgiveness of your sin against the Holy God and your need for Him do what you can not do. Receive Him as your savior.

If you have been captured by the Lord of Hosts, been forgiven of your sins, ask yourself, “am I ascending the holy hill?” That is, am I experiencing a growing enjoyment of having my sins forgiven, being made to be able to stand in the presence of the Lord, a growing desire to have the experience of clean hands, pure heart, no falsehood, and not deceitfulness? Am I in pursuit of living out what is real? Or am I still living as if I have no hope?

A Psalm of David.

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,

The world, and those who dwell in it.

2 For He has founded it upon the seas

And established it upon the rivers.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?

And who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood

And has not sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of those who seek Him,

Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates,

And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

That the King of glory may come in!

8 Who is the King of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty,

The Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O gates,

And lift them up, O ancient doors,

That the King of glory may come in!

10 Who is this King of glory?

The Lord of hosts,

He is the King of glory. Selah.

This is part 1 of two parts. Visit again for part 2 in a few days

It seems to me that we do not really understand the reality of our condition. We vaguely understand we need a savior because we vaguely understand we are sinners. This often demonstrates itself in several ways.

The way we approach worship is quite telling. Ask yourself this question: “how much time to spend in heart preparation for gathering in corporate worship?” Or how about: “how often to I acknowledge that the activities and events that happen between the bookends we call “church” are inherently worship?” Isn’t it interesting how we cling to a vague acknowledgment of the truth that all is worship and yet when we are in the events we often do not even acknowledge Christ’s existence?

Or consider our perspective of eternity. There is no question that the Scriptures tell us that it is normal and appropriate for Christians to have a heavenly focus. Richard Baxter said: “some are so earthly minded that they are no heavenly good.” Today we turn that 180 degrees the other direction and actually speak against those who have a strong heavenly focus. So, ask yourself these questions: “What do I know of heaven?” “What is the big deal?” And most important for self evaluation: “how strongly do I feel the pull to be with my savior?” Without a strong pull to be with Christ and away from this fallen world there is no motivation to glorify God and certainly no enjoying of Christ.

All this brings us to Psalm 24. David begins this great Psalm by making a declaration in the first two verses. Notice that his overarching statement is a proclamation of His immense power and sovereignty. Everything is His. Why? Because He created it. He has ownership. The title is His. But also notice He not only owns the world, He also owns the contents. That includes what you own and what you do. But most important, it includes you. The ramifications of this are stupendous. Of importance is the question of what He does with what He owns. Which leads us to verses 3-6.

If it true all is owned by God, the question is who can be in His presence. Of course, the over arching teaching in the Scriptures is that Man is in desperate straits. Because of sin he is left with no hope, which makes the questions of verse 3 utterly important. What difference does it make if one may be able to “ascend the holy hill of the Lord?” Because the alternative is to be rejected. That is, it is to be destroyed in hell. So, the questions are of amazing importance. Who among all that God owns may actually enjoy His blessing? Who may have the privilege of living in the place of ultimate enjoyment, peace, blessing, and joy?

The hoped for answer would probably be one of two possibilities. One would probably be everyone can come. He is the owner isn’t He? So, why can’t he just let everyone come? Of course this answer comes out of a rejection of the complete fall of man into sin and the utter holiness of God.

The other probable answer to the question is “just tell me what I can do to gain entrance.” And this is exactly what David tells the reader. However, rather than explaining requirements that are attainable, his fourfold description of what is required leaves us utterly hopeless. No one is able to measure up. No one is able to ascend into the hill of the Lord. Clean hands? A pure heart? No falsehood? No deceitfulness?

We must not miss the point David is driving at here. Who has clean hands? That is, who has never sinned with his body? Who has lived in such a way that he has never demonstrated sin in his physical body? And just when we realize the stark reality of our answer he brings up the second requirement. A pure heart. That is, one who would be allowed in the presence of the Lord is one who has not sinned in his heart. Who has not thought thoughts of hatred, bitterness, anger? Or what about lust, or coveting?

And yet, the answer is not over yet. The one who has the privilege of being in the presence of the Lord is one who has never practiced falsehood. In other words, the one who is allowed to ascend is the one who has never set up idols in his heart. That is, he has never placed other things, people, or activities in greater prominence than God. Nothing has captured his attention, focus, and desire other than God. Who has not found themselves repeatedly being drawn to other things? And worse than that, who has not found themselves completely given over to those other things?

Part two will be posted in a few days.

John Owen

Overcoming Sin and Temptation page 55

Jonathan Edwards

This statement by Jesus is used in the New Testament three times. In all three cases (Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8) the context is completely committed to pointing out the evil of self-centeredness and selfishness. Jesus statements are never used to explain how one is to love themselves. Quite to the contrary, it is always used to explain how one is to love his neighbor.

So, what exactly does Jesus mean when He says one is to “Love your neighbor as yourself?” In the Matthew and Mark passages there is very explanation of its meaning so the student will have to look elsewhere. That Jesus quoted from Leviticus 19:18 is without doubt and so should be the first place for investigation. In examining the text itself we discover that there is nothing more to shed on the subject. However, when looking at the context it becomes evident in the verses that precede that God has something specific He wants to teach. The preceding verses are a long laundry list of “thou shalt not’s” and concludes with how one must live. It is important to notice that the entire list of “not’s” is about how to treat others. It is the natural reading of the text to understand that the concluding remark would also be others oriented. This pattern has already been seen above in the other three passages.

So, the teaching of Jesus must not be seen as teaching one must love themselves as that is missing in the teaching as well as the extra uses of the statement. To the contrary, when one understands the greater teaching found throughout the Scripture the teaching becomes evident. One of the great themes running throughout the Scriptures is that man has a “hard wired” desire for himself. Pursuit of self pleasure, pursuit of happiness, pursuit of fulfillment, pursuit of contentment, pursuit of purpose, etc. The problem is not in these by themselves. The problem is in the pursuit of these apart from God. That is, by it’s very definition, a love of self. Yet the question must be asked; do the Scriptures teach this?

The answer is resoundingly yes.

 (more in upcoming installments)