Piper on our Fixation with Personal Comfort

These words from John Piper, written shortly after 9/11/01, are worthy of significant consideration:

There is a mindset in the prosperous West that we deserve pain-free, trouble-free existence. When life deals us the opposite, we have a right not only to blame somebody or some system and to feel sorry for ourselves, but also to devote most of our time to coping, so that we have no time or energy left over for serving others.

This mind-set gives a trajectory to life that is almost universal - namely, away from stress and toward comfort and safety and relief. Then within that very natural trajectory some people begin to think of ministry and find ways of serving God inside the boundaries set by the aims of self-protection. Then churches grow up in this mindset, and it never occurs to anyone in such a community of believers that choosing discomfort, stress, and danger might be the right thing - even the normal, biblical thing - to do. 

-- John Piper, The Roots of Endurance, 18

There is enough in those two paragraphs to chew on for days. It cuts right to the heart of many hot-button political and societal issues. But more to the point, it calls us to ask some tough questions about how we as believers and as churches live in the world.

Soul Mates or Sole Mates

Just read an absolutely outstanding article by Gary Thomas called "Soul Mates or Sole Mates." I'd say it is suggested reading for every unmarried Christian over age 16 or so.

The gist:

The search for “the one” is often an idolatrous pursuit. As Christians, we must believe that our primary meaning comes from our relationship with God: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33) Thus, a Christian should not consider any marital union that would not feed this primary relationship with God...

Can I suggest a more biblical pattern? Instead of following Plato in a wild pursuit of our soul mate, we should seek to find a biblical “sole mate.” A sole mate is someone who willingly does the shoe-leather application of living out biblical love.  

Again, I think the entire article is good and very important. I commend it to you highly

Satan's game plan vs. God's game plan

"If Satan's basic game plan is pride, seeking to draw us into his life of arrogance, then God's basic game plan is humility, drawing us into the life of his Son. The Father can't think of anything better to give us than his Son."

-- Paul Miller, The Praying Life, 236

Praying for Endurance

In writing about the pervasive theme of endurance throughout the Scriptures, John Piper comments on how regularly various biblical writers pray for it in some form or fashion. He cites four such examples in the Psalms that neatly form the acrostic pattern IOU'S:

Incline my ear to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain. (Psalm 119:36)

Open my eyes that I might behold wondrous things in your law. (Psalm 119:18)

Unite my heart to fear your name (Psalm 86:11 - as in unite it from all of the various allegiances and distractions that threaten to distract and divide it).

Satisfy me in the morning with you steadfast love. (Psalm 90:14)

This strikes me as a very practical and useful structure for prayer, which I suppose is why I'm summarizing it here.

(John Piper, "The Roots of Endurance," page 24)

Do we need the atonement?

"People are not concerned about an atonement. They are basically convinced they have no need for it... If anything has been lost from our culture, it is the idea that human beings are privately, personally, individually, ultimately, inexorably accountable to God for their lives... If people understood that there is a holy God and that sin is an offense against that holy God, they would break down the doors of our churches and ask, 'What must I do to be saved?'"

-- RC Sproul, The Truth of the Cross, 8-9

Wisdom for Prayer from Ecclesiastes

 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.  Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

(Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 ESV)

This passage really begins to challenge how we think about prayer. Is prayer too often a one way street - marked by constant talk to God about things great and small rather than a desire to listen? Do I come to God to persuade Him to see my side of things or to be persuaded by His will? Does I suffer from a sort of verbal diarrhea in prayer - blabbering on about things without reflection or thought regarding to whom and about what I'm speaking? Is God a cosmic Santa Claus or vending machine? You get the idea.

The writer here seems to be arguing that what pleases God most is to be desired for Himself. Think about it. Are you more honored by someone who comes to talk to you about themselves or by someone who seeks your input, your counsel, your view of things? By someone making demands or by someone submitting to you?

There's a strong admonition here. "Guard your steps" means "Be careful," implying there's potential danger here. We must take care to approach the God of the universe appropriately, not cavalierly. The Teacher seems to be saying that to go into God's presence to prattle on without regard for who He is and who you are, is literally to do evil without realizing it!

Surely we may approach God boldly because of Christ, but we must balance that with a proper view of His character and holiness. We must not tread lightly.

Offensive vs. Defensive Parenting

William Farley writes about the difference between offensive and defensive parenting:

"Either we focus on preparing our children to enter the world and conquer it, or we can concentrate on protecting our children from the world. A  defensive mindset worries about the evil influences of Halloween, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or non-Christians on the Little League team. Although parenting always involves some protection, this should not be the main focus for biblical parents"

He compares "fear based parenting" with a football team that plays an infamous "prevent defense" that is more concerned with not losing (not giving up the big play) than it is with winning. In many instances, such an approach is rooted in legalism.

- William Farley, Gospel-Powered Parenting, 23

The Second Adam

"Had he been 'in Adam', however, under that first head, he would have been norn a sinner as all other children of Adam are, in a state of enmity towards God. He would have been unfit for any atoning substitution. But because of his personal pre-existence, he did not depend totally on Adam, he did not owe his individual existence to Adam, and so he was not in Adam. He did not fall under Adam's headship. his birth could mark a new beginning in the life of humankind. He could become a new head, a second and final Adam (1 Cor. 15:45ff). Knowing no sin and yet truly joined to Adam's posterity, he could freely take upon himself the communal guilt of his fellow humans.

"Jesus Christ accomplished the work of redemption as the new Adam, as the head for the body, as the pioneer, the path opener whom the others follow and who, as their leader, can freely take responsibility for those who belong to him. This was brought to light on the 'the first day of the week', that is, the eighth day of craetion, the day the new creation dawned. he rose again as the pioneer of life, the firstfruits of his own conquest over sin and death, the Adam of the new creation... The same structure which was effecti e in Adam's case still operates, but  for salvation, and this is why we enjoy the freuit of his death and resurrection only when we are members of his body."

Henri Blocher, Original Sin, 132-133

Everyday Talk Chapter 1

"What kinds of thoughts live long enough in your heart to take up residence there?"

"Talking about God isn't hard or complicated, but it does require some time and preparation. if you don't spend time thinking about God, you won't have much to say about God."

Jesus' Perspective on the Cross

"So then, although he knew he must die, it was not because he was the helpless victim either of evil forces arrayed against him or of any inflexible fate decreed for him, but because he freely embraced the purpose of his Father for the salvation of sinners, as it had been revealed in Scripture. This was the perspective of Jesus on his death."

-- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, 37

Packer on the Old Gospel vs. the New Gospel

According to J.I. Packer, "one of the most urgent tasks facing evangelical Christendom today [is] the recovery of the gospel." He explains this statement, saying, "Without realizing it, we have during the past century bartered [the biblical gospel] for a substitute product which, though it looks similar enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly different thing." He then provides a helpful, if devastating critique of what he means, some of which is quoted below. The amazing thing is that he was writing nearly 50 years ago. If it was true then, it is probably more true now.

His chief critique of the "new gospel" of our age is that it

"fails to make men God-centered in their thoughts and God-fearing in their hearts because this is not primarily what it is trying to do... it is too exclusively concerned to be 'helpful' to man -- to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction -- and too little concerned to glorify God. The old gospel... was always and essentially a proclamation of divine sovereignty in mercy and judgment, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its center of reference was unambigulously God. But in the new gospel the center of reference is man."

In practice, the new gospel results in flawed evangelism, a diminished view of God, and an elevated view of the part we plan in our redemption. Packer writes:

"Thus, we appeal to men as if they all had the ability to receive Christ at any time; we speak of his redeeming work as if he had done no more by dying than make it possible for us to save ourselves by believing; we speak of God's love as if it were no more than a general willingness to receive any who will turn and trust; and we depict the Father and the Son, not as sovereignly active in drawing sinners to themselves, but as waiting in quiet impotence 'at the door of our hearts' for us to let them in."

Packer was arguing, fifty years ago, that the answer to what ails evangelicalism, is a return to the biblical, God-centered gospel in preaching and practice. This is true for evangelicalism as a whole, but also for individual Christians and churches.

Quotes from JI Packer, In My Place Condemned He Stood, 114-115 (This book is a compendium of several previously published writings.)

Matt Cassel

On November 24th, 1999, Chatsworth High School met Palisades High in a high school playoff game in Los Angeles. The winning quarterback threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns. The losing quarterback, a kid named Matt Cassel, was 3 for 11 for 46 yards, but reportedly made a big impact as a defensive back. It was the last time Cassel would be a starting quarterback for a long time.

Despite the inauspicious numbers in that last game, Cassel was a highly regarded quarterback and played college football at Southern Cal. If you haven't heard, they have a pretty big football program at USC and they recruit pretty well. After red-shirting his freshman year, Cassel served as the backup to Carson Palmer, his roommate, who won the Heisman Trophy and became the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Then it was Cassel's turn to take the wheel at USC. Or not. Matt Leinart beat him out for the starting job. At that point, Cassel would be excused for transferring somewhere where he could play. But he stuck it out for the Trojans. He played a little on special teams and at wide receiver. He even started a game at tight end. He played a little quarterback in mop-up duty.

But he persevered. He practiced. He was ready. He worked hard day in and day out when nobody noticed. That persistence paid off when the New England Patriots selected him in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. The guy who backed up two Heisman Trophy winners now backed up All-Pro Tom Brady. Again, Cassel practiced, persevered, and waited for three more years.

When Tom Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury in the first game of the season, Cassel's moment finally arrived. Last Sunday, nearly nine years after starting for Chatsworth High, Matt Cassel was finally the starting quarterback.

I like Cassel's story because it provides a compelling picture of perseverance, patience, and discipline. He worked hard in practice and in the off-season, and he waited. His opportunities to get in the game were few and far between, and they were largely meaningless. Many would have slacked off or even quit.

Matt Cassel's story challenges me to persevere in quiet discipline regardless of what role I'm called to play (or not). Discipline bears fruit and there is a reward for perseverance. That's true in football, and Scripture makes clear that it is true in God's Kingdom as well.

Paul called the Corinthian believers to be steadfast in the face of all circumstances because their labor for the Lord was not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). Scripture abounds with calls to persevere as we look backward to the cross and forward to a sure reward that is ours by grace. Paul himself used sporting analogies more than once, as when he reminded the Corinthians to run the race to get a crown that will last forever (1 Cor. 9:24). So I think he would also like the story of Matt Cassel. The reward of our perseverance, patience, and discipline, however, is not a victory over the New York Jets, but an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (1 Peter 1:4). So let's press on.

Bridges on Grace

Jerry Bridges, in writing about the misconceptions that people have about grace, says: "The statement that 'God's approval does not have to be earned but is simply there' is not true. God's approval does have to be earned. But the gospel tells us that His approval was earned for us by Jesus Christ in His sinless life and sin-bearing death. It is true that God's favor does not have to be earned by us. In fact, it cannot be earned by us. But it comes to us without earning because Jesus paid for it in our place as our substitute."

Bridges then provides a very good and succinct definition of grace:

"Grace is God's favor through Christ to people who deserve His disfavor."

Jerry Bridges, Growing Your Faith, 18-19

1 Peter Wordl

Click the graphic to enlarge it. (From the website: "Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.")

A Believer's Perspective

"[Believers] are encouraged to persevere, knowing that a great reward will be theirs on the day of salvation. Such perseverance is exhibited by living a godly life, living as good citizens, model slaves, gentle wives, and understanding husbands. When believers live in such a way, they indicate that they are placing their hope in God rather than in the joys and comforts of this world… those who hope and trust in God and in his future reward will have the strength to endure whatever comes their way in the present. When believers set their hope on the future, they reveal that their salvation comes from the cross of Christ."

-- Thomas Schreiner's commentary on 1 Peter, p 45

(I found this to be a helpful guide to understanding 1 Peter 3:8-12, which is a summary of the section beginning at 2:12).

Life Together Is a Foretaste of Eternal Blessing

"So between the death of Christ and the Last Day it is only by a gracious anticipation of the last things that Christians are privileged to live in visible fellowship with other Christians."

-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, 18

The Centrality of the Gospel

"Everything in Scripture is either preparation for the gospel, presentation of the gospel, or participation in the gospel....

"By the gospel we understand that, although saved, we remain sinners. Through the gospel we receive power to resist sin. Accurately understanding and continually applying the gospel is the Christian life."

-- Dave Harvey, When Sinners Say "I Do," 24-25

American Suffering

A challenging quote included in the Sunday sermon on 1 Peter:

“Your call may not involve literally hanging on a cross, being jailed or being burned at the stake here in America. But there is a fight that is much more subtle and much more insidious in America because we live in a society where pride and materialism and recreation and prosperity and fitting in has slowly taken away the sharp edge in most professing Christian’s lives. We look around and we rarely see anyone denying themselves, taking up their Cross and following Jesus. Now don’t you find that odd, since in Luke 9:32, Jesus literally said that unless you did so, you are not a follower of His at all. But the reality is that we’re in a culture that is built on free will instead of God’s will and that is why we must be the freaks. And while that may not mean being called to martyr our lives, we must martyr our way of life. In other words, we are called, particularly here in the United States to put the selfish, self-centered, materialism and recreation-oriented ways of life to death and march to a different beat altogether”
-Quote From Jesus Freak a.k.a. Martyrs video

The Glory of the Incarnation

“Jesus had no need to come to earth. He might have retained all the joy and splendor of heaven. But he left it. And when he came to earth there was no necessity for him to live in poverty and rejection. But he did it. And when he came to the end of his life he was not compelled to die the painful and shameful death of the cross. But he did. Could anything be more glorious? … It is in this way that grace becomes a reality for mankind.

-- Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, 25

The Miracle of the Incarnation

Wayne Grudem concludes his discussion of the incarnation of Christ with the following:

“It is by far the most amazing miracle of the entire Bible – far more amazing than the resurrection and more amazing even than the creation of the universe. The fact that the infinite, omnipotent, eternal Son of God could become man and join himself to a human nature forever, so that infinite God became one person with finite man, will remain for eternity the most profound miracle and the most profound mystery in all the universe.”

Bible Doctrine, 246