Marriage Retreat…for the Glory of God (1)

This past weekend, Kimberly and I had the privilege of attending a marriage retreat hosted by our church in Orange Beach, AL. Our speaker was Jason Allen, who is the Executive Assistant to Al Mohler at Southern Seminary and also is the interim pastor of a small church in Louisville. It was a joy to hear from him and his wife, Karen, rejoice in the things of God and His goodness that He has displayed towards them in their uncommon union. I was impressed with his ability to communicate biblical truth in a real, practical way and to seek to see the glory of God in all things. I was doubly impressed when I discovered that he dwells at the tender age of thirty.

Probably for my own posterity and the need to continue to reflect upon the truths that we discussed, I decided that I would provide a basic outline of each of his sessions based upon the notes that I took. I’m sure that I will not do his Christ-exalting preaching justice, but the attempt will be made nonetheless. The session headings were not given by Mr. Allen himself, but are also my attempts at summation. Here goes…

1st Session: The Sovereignty of God in Marriage
Jason chose as his text Romans 8:28-30 to begin our retreat and I found this remarkable to say the least:

Rom 8 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.

Jason chose this text because, in his own words, “This is a touchstone passage for the entire Bible, paradigmatic for all of Christianity.” It is from this passage that we learn that God indeed has a plan even when life seems to be falling apart. When life simply can not be calculated we rest in the knowledge that God’s nature is good and that His plan is also good. As stated previously, I considered this to be a remarkable foundation from which to build a marriage retreat, for it is from this same foundation that Christianity finds its base.

If God is not 100% sovereign then He is not sovereign at all. He can not be 99.99% sovereign for this would indicate that there is some realm of nature (even the most minute) that does not operate under his control. For philosophers, this is where the Law of Non-contradiction comes in to play. In brief, the Law of Non-Contradiction says that something (whether or a person, place, thing, object, idea, etc) can not “be” and “not be” at the same time. That is to say a “table” can not “be a table” and “not be a table” at the same time. True, the table may function in different manners at different points in time, however, the table is still the table. In the same way, God can not “be sovereign” and “not be sovereign” at the same time, He is either one or the other, not both. Therefore, and moving all of the logic aside since Scripture teaches that God is sovereign over all of His creation, then we must also affirm that He is sovereign over all of creation.

Jason adds: “God, in His absolute sovereignty, absolute power, and absolute control, has a specific plan for this universe, His Church, and for my life.” This thusly includes (but is not limited to) my family, my job, my daily routines, my church fellowship, my suffering, and my marriage. I had a friend who once said that everything is “Father filtered,” meaning that nothing comes into our lives without first being ordained and approved by God. (The question is then begged as to the concept of evil and the fallen nature of humanity. This will have to wait for another post, if I wish to not clog the blogosphere. I will come back to this at a near point in the future, however, as this is also one of the “problems of philosophy” that I have been wrestling with from a Christian worldview perspective.)

Mr. Allen then included that a few points to take away from God’s plan is that it provides “assurance, confidence, sobriety, focus, and joy.” Assurance because we might rest knowing that the world is not dependent on man and his fallen ways, but on a God who is perfectly holy, perfectly just, and perfectly true in all His ways. Indeed, even the angels in Heaven who are predetermined to carry the bowls of God’s wrath gather around the holy throne and

“sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev 15:3-4 ESV)

Our confidence is therefore found in knowing that “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). God’s plan also provides sobriety as we remember that there is indeed a coming judgment, and even before that, there is a day that has been appointed for every living creature to die. None of us will die one half-second before it was intended before the foundations of the world were established when the plan existed only in the mind of God.

This then, should lead us to focus as we understand that our days are but few, and that as image bearers of God, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and in submission to His Spirit we ought to seek to live each day for the fullness of God’s glory and for the praise of His name.

All this leads to what might be known as our everlasting joy. When a life is lived for God’s glory, the life will experience joy triumphant and interminable. We can live with the confidence of knowing that God’s plan is intended to result in my greatest joy, that is, the endless joy of knowing Him, the One who created us and saved us by bringing us – who were once far off – into an eternal covenant through His provision which accomplished our redemption.

“Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise You with the lyre, O God, my God.” (Psa 43:3-4)

He is to be our eternal, everlasting, ever-increasing joy as we understand the unfolding nature of His plan.

Allen then sums up the goal of God’s sovereign plan with this purpose: God’s sovereign plan exists for “the greater glory of God and the holiness of His people.” Too often, I attempt to separate this statement into two parts. The first part, “the greater glory of God” I affirm because I understand that all things exist for God’s glory. God is glorified when sinners come to Him in repentance seeking to trust in Him alone for salvation. God is glorified when His children repent of their known sin as well in hopes of purifying their relationship and growing to be more like Christ. God is even glorified, dare say I, when non-believers continue in their sin, for their sin will always stand in stark contrast to His holiness and ultimately His glory will be revealed (here on earth or at the day of judgment and beyond, but it will one day be revealed). However, the second part, “the holiness of His people” I tend to shrug. Yes, this may be awfully unspiritual of me to confess, but I too often do not truly seek to be sanctified by the washing of the word. I do so in theory, of course, but how often do I truly submit myself to the sovereignty of God’s lordship so that I might be intentionally made holy. The only way in which a sinful man such as myself might be made holy is through the cleansing of the sin which so easily entangles. Thus, I must be made aware of my sin and truly repent of it if I am to be conformed to His likeness. My sinful nature rebels against this process, but I admit, that once on the other side of the fires of sanctification I am thankful yet convinced that I have still yet to arrive.

Up to this point, on might have supposed that he had arrived at the wrong conference. This was to be a “marriage conference” right? Yes, it was, and that is precisely the point. Although this was the first marriage gig that my excellent of wife of two years and I have attended, I can only presume that most marriage conferences begin with “Communication 101”, “Roles of the Husband/Wife”, or “What to Do When Your Children Leave Home”, or the like. To be sure, all of these are important issues to discuss and items that need to be addressed sooner or later. However, if we do not have the bedrock of God’s sovereignty then we have missed the point altogether for not only our marriage, but our entire Christian life. As mentioned above, God can not be 99.99% sovereign if He is to be truly sovereign. But when we come to grips with the awesome reality that God is indeed 1,000,000,000,000% sovereign then we can be illumined to the biblical truths that:

I. God’s plan is for my good.
II. God’s plan is for my holiness.
III. God’s plan is for His glory

Jason gave these three truths and then wonderfully brought the idea of God’s sovereignty into the context of our marriages.

I. God’s plan is for my good.
“…all things work together for good.”

Because God is sovereign, I can trust that He is working His plan for my ultimate good. I may not agree with what that “good” is because my sinful natures prevents me from fully grasping the concept of God’s goodness, however, this does not negate God’s goodness nor the goodness of His plan. “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psa 136:1). Jason then follows that this means “that although my wife or my husband is not perfect, she or he is perfect for me.” What a marvelous thought! True, Kimberly is not perfect and neither am I. (I am a lot “less perfect” than she – that’s for sure!) However, we do trust that God’s plan is perfect and that we have not been brought together by a cosmic accident of time plus chance. I trust fully, because the Scriptures affirm this, that God, in His sovereign plan, before the foundations of the world were established, knew my name, knew when I would come into being, knew the path that I would take, and knew who my wife would be long before I had the concept of “girls.” This is not to say that God saw the choices that I would make and then chose to operate His plan in accordance with my choices. Rather, in His sovereignty He gave me the freedom to freely choose the choices that I did make all the while in accordance with His plan that caused me to be in position with exactly where He wanted me to be. And He did the same for Kimberly. Therefore, we are not permitted to ever entertain the idea “maybe I should have chose differently” or “we should have never been married” or “since this isn’t working out we should just divorce.” NO NO NO! To do so would be to deny the goodness of God and the goodness of His plan! This sin must be avoided at all costs.

II. God’s plan is for my holiness.
“…to be conformed to the image of His Son…”

Because God is sovereign, I can trust that His plan is for my holiness. As stated previously, my sinful nature tends to attempt to buck this truth and kick against the goads when it comes to my holiness. However, rest assured, no matter how much I buck or how much I kick, God’s truth abideth still. It is important to note here, that even in our post-modern society, truth is still truth whether we adhere to it or not. Truth is still truth whether we agree with it as truth or not. Truth, real truth, is fully independent of any human validation. It is along this line that we read in the truth of Scripture that His children were intended to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Thusly, we can note that everything that comes into our life has been “Father filtered” for the purpose of conforming us to his image. More specifically, my job, my marriage, my finances, my children (if the Lord chooses to bless us with them), my possessions, my achievements, my _________(fill in the blank) is intended to conform me into the image if Jesus Christ. Moreover, in light of God’s sovereignty, this proverbial argument that we are having is intended to produce an opportunity for Kimberly and I to glorify God, serve others, and grow to be like Christ (to steal from Ken Sande’s The Peacemaker. Even more specifically, my wife is one of God’s chosen agents of sanctification in my life. Again, oftentimes the agent receives the brunt of what is an individual who does not wish to be sanctified. But I am increasingly thankful for the ministry that the Lord has given to Kimberly to point out faults in my character or areas where I am not living in a Christ-like manner. Notice I did not say that I am always immediately thankful, but prayerfully, I am moving towards that direction. She has the ability, the authority, and the responsibility of no other individual on the face of this earth to carry out this ministry, and I do in kind for her. Dennis Rainey wrote in his book The Christian Husband that I should be more concerned with my wife’s holiness than her happiness. I believe this to be true and the vice-versa applies to her as well.

III. God’s plan is for His glory
“…in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Because God is sovereign, I can trust that He works all things not only for my good and my holiness, but ultimately for His glory. This is the reason that all things exist anyway – for His glory. For, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”(Ps 19:1) and even we as individuals should consider “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17). Jason exhorted each of us to “live life in such a way that Jesus Christ gains first place in everything.” He is to have preeminence in every aspect of our lives. Our jobs, our marriages, our finances, our _______(fill in the blank). He is to have first place everywhere! This is especially true in our marriages. For, if at ANY time I seek to usurp His position and desire that I be first place in our marriage, we are destined for a sinful situation. When I believe that all of my needs are to be considered before Kimberly’s I am obviously putting myself before not only her, but before the One who sovereignly brought us together in the first place. It is He who foreknew, He who predestined, He who conforms, He who calls, He who justifies, and He who will one day glorify. Sure, man is responsible for the sinfulness of his own actions, but none of us come to God on our own terms. He sets the stage and draws us to Him. This is a part of His sovereign grace to conform us to His image for His ultimate glory. He does this so that He might be the firstborn and preeminent among all. Come to terms with this truth, and all of life will seem to coincide.

This first session was indeed incredible and set the stage for each session that would follow. What an incredible place to start! God is sovereign and we are not, a truth which also must be understood before our marriages are to be successful for His glory. Failure is not an option, so we seek to rest and trust in the truth of His sovereign grace that plans and redeems from eternity past until eternity future. What a mighty God we serve!

Pride, Prejudice, and Prayerlessness

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart…And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”” (Luke 18:1, 6-8)

Do I really long for God? I have often quoted the famous Psalms that mention an intense longing and yearning after the Spirit of God and for His very presence to be made manifest. “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps 63:1). “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Ps 42:1-2). As much as I desire for this to be a true, honest prayer of my life it simply is not. I want to want to love Jesus. I want to want to spend time at His feet basking in His glory and rejoicing in Who He Is. But I don’t. Why? To put it in terms of generality, it is because of my sinfulness and my depravity. But if I get specific, which I don’t want to do for that would cause me truly examine my heart and my motives, I have to confess that it is pride that prevents me from coming to Him for my every need.

See, on one level, I don’t approach the throne of grace with confidence (Heb 4:16) because I know that my own wicked, sinfulness is deplorable in His sight. Yes, I recognize – or at least give lip service to – the fact that my righteousness comes from Jesus Christ alone and He has granted me privileged access to the Father and to Himself by His Spirit. This is indeed “right theology”, but it does not always lead to right living. It should, but for me, many times it doesn’t. I allow the enemy to feed me the lie that I’m not good enough, holy enough, and worthy enough for the Lord of this universe to be pleased with me and desire to spend time with me. And the fact of the matter is – he’s right. But for some glorious reason, He who knew no sin has chosen to identify me with Him and remove my transgressions as far as the east is from the west (2 Cor 5:21; Ps 103:12) thus granting me access. But I tend to give the enemy more credit than he rightfully deserves. The true enemy – at least in this circumstance – lies within. I prevent myself from coming because of the wicked pride that resides inside my soul. I say, “I don’t need You; I can do this on my own.” OK, I don’t actually say this verbally, but my actions lend full credence to this truth.

Jesus told His disciples the above parable in Luke 18:1-8 “to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (18:1). He then proceeds to divulge the life of a widow who continually asked for an unrighteous judges’ protection against her adversary. The judge desired nothing to do with the situation and he put her off and put her off and put her off some more. Finally, as a result of much persistence, he says “I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming” (18:4). To this Christ adds, “And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?” (18:7). In essence, Christ affirms that there is something to be said about a continued, persistent, repeated, consistent approach to His throne of grace seeking the Lord in all His glory. No, He is not some cosmic vending machine waiting at our beckon call to fix our problems. But, He is longing for us to see Him in all His truth and in the glory of His majestic holiness. He longs for us to see Him with unveiled faces and to behold the glory of the Lord, “to be transformed into the image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18). Yahweh’s prescribed proving ground for this transformation comes through our prayer meetings with Him. Where else can He grab our attention so intently when we are pouring out our hearts before Him? Whether we are seeking guidance in life’s “big decisions”, deliverance form strongholds, or simply sending up a knee-mail just to say “hi”, what better arena has God provided to reveal much of His glory to us than in personal worship? I am not diminishing the need for corporate worship and the gathering with the assembly of the saints. These are imperative to the growing Christian’s life. But I will say that the corporate worship experience will be directly effected by one’s personal worship – or the lack thereof.

In his book, Humility: the forgotten virtue, Wayne Mack addresses this issue and sends a searing arrow through the heart of the man too good for God. “Humility is manifested before God [by] continually seeking [Him] in prayer. Hardly anything is more an evidence of pride than prayerlessness” (Philipsburg, PA: P&R Publishing, 2005. p 48). This pill is tough to swallow and the medicine may be good, but my pride will fight this tooth and nail. Because of my lack of prayerlessness, my pride is most revealed although I may be seemingly humble in all other areas. By my prayerlessness, I say to the Lord of the universe, “I don’t need You; I can do this on my own.” Forget about the eye talking to the ear, or the hand speaking to the foot, for they are all part of one body. This is the pot saying to the Potter, I know better how to fashion myself. Oh how wrong I am…and that I might desire to know not only the depths of this wrong, but the right that is revealed through communion with Jesus Christ!

I have a few minutes before I need to be in a meeting, and because I am afforded the luxury, I think I might do well to take heed of the words of Christ and acknowledge His promise that “He will give justice to them speedily” (Luke 18:8a). At the end of this parable, the Divine Word asks this question, “[When] the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (18:8b). Were it entirely dependent upon me, I’m not so sure…

"I Give It All" – Devotional Thoughts on 1 Chronicles 21

To set the stage, King David had just acted foolishly by calling for a census of the people Israel. This census was not called for by God or one of the priest or prophets who spoke for Him, but by David himself and this in itself was sinful (cf. Num 1:2ff; 4:21ff; Ex 30:11ff). It would appear from the context given in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 that this census was driven militarily. David commanded Joab, the commander of his army, to conduct the numbering process (as opposed to one of his secretaries) and coupled with Joab’s report of “men who drew the sword” (1 Chr 21:5) this inclination is most likely true. By virtue of the Law that was given to Moses long before the establishment of the monarchy in Israel, a future king would have been required to physically write out a copy of the Book of the Law for himself:

“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.” (Deut 17:18-20)

Joab also must have been aware of the dangers of calling for a census when the people were not ritually prepared (Ex 30:11-16) as he pleaded of David “Why should [the census] be a cause of guilt for Israel?” (1 Chr 21:3d). But David rebelled against the command of the Lord and thus fell victim to the gracious discipline of the Lord.

After the Lord had relented from the calamity that he was bringing upon the people of Israel and even stayed the hand of the Angel of the Lord from destroying Jerusalem, He sent a message to Gad who spoke to David with authority from on high. We pick up the narrative here:

1Chr 21 18 Now the angel of the LORD had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at Gad’s word, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD. 20 Now Ornan was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out from the threshing floor and paid homage to David with his face to the ground. 22 And David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the LORD-give it to me at its full price-that the plague may be averted from the people.” 23 Then Ornan said to David, “Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for the wood and the wheat for a grain offering; I give it all.”

When asked for his threshing floor, the instrument that was used to procure his livelihood, Ornan says “I give it all.” David had only asked for the site of the threshing floor which we later see was the site of Solomon’s temple (1 Chr 22:1) but Ornan says “I give it all.” He offers his oxen as an offering, the wood of the threshing sledges to be used as kindling for the burnt offering and even the wheat to be used as a grain offering. “I give it all.” Ornan clings to nothing, rather, he dedicates all to the Lord and for His purpose.

The attitude of Ornan stands in sharp contrast to that of King David. David, by calling for the census to take inventory of the king’s wealth and military prowess he was concerned with his own priorities. David, measuring the weight of silver and gold and other precious stones and counting the number of men who would willingly lay down their lives for the king, only sought to serve himself. Ornan said “I give it all” while David was saying “I want it all.” David neglected the great truth that it was the Lord who gave him the victories over other nations (1 Chr 18:6, 13). David forgot that it was the Lord who brought Israel into the land in the first place (Josh 1:1-9). David disregarded the reality “that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s” (1 Sam 17:47). David lost sight of the fact that the true treasure of Israel was to be found in the certainty they were a people who were chosen, not on behalf of their own righteousness but because of God’s great mercy (Deut 9:5; Dan 9:18-19) who had the privilege of being called by His name (1 Chr 17:21).

David said, “I want it all” and thus brought pestilence and judgment on the nation of Israel. Ornan said “I give it all” and found himself in the great delight of the Lord. It must be stated that the Lord will discipline those whom He loves (Pro 12:1; Heb 12:6) and therefore, the discipline that David found himself in should be seen as act of God’s mercy and grace even though it came in the form of destruction. It could have been worse. The Lord will discipline for the purposes of His glory those whom He has chosen to take great delight in, but this is not a cause for licentiousness so that grace may abound all the more (Rom 6:1ff). He will gain glory either way, for His ultimate purpose will always be achieved, but our heart’s cry should be to glorify God in our obedience to His revealed will prior to His gaining glory as a result of our sinfulness.

I want to be like Ornan. I want to say “Lord, I give it all. Take all that I have and all that I am for the purposes of Your glory so that ‘in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life’ (1 Tim 1:16).” But, the truth is that my depravity leads me so far away from this reality. I cling to so many things. I embrace so much of this world and what it appears to offer as a satisfaction for my soul. I have often sung the words “I surrender all, all to Thee my Blessed Saviour, I surrender all” and have never been able to say with absolute conviction that I indeed live this way. I want to, but thus far have been unable to do so.

Father, thank You for calling me unto Yourself and for uniting me with a peculiar people who are called by Your name. Please grant me the desire to want nothing other than for Your glory, Your name, and Your renown to be spread among the nations (Is 26:8). Please grant me the desire to say “I give it all” and to trust that You will be all that I ever need. I know that this is only possible when I come to the truth that I have been crucified with You so that it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me (Gal 2:20). Make this the true cry of my heart. Cause me to willingly sing of Your grace that calls me to surrender. Let me not boast in the accomplishment of my surrender, but only in the cross of Jesus Christ that enables such a surrender to be possible. It is for the sake of Christ’s name I pray, Amen and Amen.

I Surrender All by J.W. Van Deventer

1. All to Jesus I surrender;
all to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him,
in his presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender;
humbly at his feet I bow,
worldly pleasures all forsaken;
take me, Jesus, take me now.
(Refrain)

3. All to Jesus I surrender;
make me, Savior, wholly thine;
fill me with thy love and power;
truly know that thou art mine.
(Refrain)

4. All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to thee;
fill me with thy love and power;
let thy blessing fall on me.
(Refrain)

5. All to Jesus I surrender;
now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to his name!
(Refrain)

I Can’t Get No…Satisfaction

“…you eat but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill…” (Haggai 1:6 ESV)

You do not have to be overweight or obese to say that you struggle with you. You do not have to anorexic to say that food is a stumbling block for you. I believe that I am in fairly decent health (weight-wise) and I do not think that I need to gain or lose any poundage. (My distribution, however, is another story…) ANYWAY, if I am honest with myself, however, I still have to admit that I try to medicate myself with food or drink (non-alcoholic, for the record – usually coffee). When I am sad, I love to eat. Chocolate, brownies, cookies, even yogurt-covered granola bars – which are now my wife and doctor approved snack (only 2g of sat fat!!). However “healthy” they may be for me, however, they cans till be a vice. I like to eat to medicate my problems. I may not be addicted to heroin, but the draw can be just as severe. I eat, but I never have enough. I lie to myself that this one bite of _____ or just one sip of _____ or if I just had _____ then my life would finally achieve total satisfaction. That one perfected cup of coffee that is rightly blended and sweetened that allows me to wade in into the delights of pleasure. But that java never jives. Why? Because I have not looked hard enough, blended with enough coffee shops, or attempted enough espresso on the expressways of life? Hardly. This lasting pleasure never comes but it will never come. The only One who can provide such satisfaction is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He says, “Taste and see that [I am] good! Blesses is the man who takes refuge in [me]!” (Psalm 34:8). He desires that I would take refuge in Him, not my refrigerator.

OK, as a Christian I “know” this truth because I know that He is only way to eternal peace. But why then, do I still attempt to satiate my desires with thins other than Him? Why do I run after petty things of this world all the while thinking consciously in my own mind “This will never satisfy…this will never satisfy…this will never satisfy…never satisfy.” I think that the only answer that I can muster is that somewhere within me, I really don’t trust that He is able to satisfy my every need. I still think that He somehow can not give me what I really want. In actuality, this is problem true, for what I think that I “really” want is probably sinful and He will never give me that which is contrary to the goodness and holiness of His character. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things [“the Holy Spirit” in Luke 11:13] to those who ask Him” (Matt 7:11).

So, the question is this: Why do I not desire God the way that He wants me to? The ONLY answer to this can be because of my own sinfulness and the depravity of not only the entire human condition, but of my human condition specifically. It can never be because He lacks a measure of goodness or that He has ever actually proved Himself to be unfaithful – He is ALWAYS faithful (Rom 3:3; 2 Tim 2:13)! It can ONLY be because my sinfulness prevents me from seeing Him as He longs for me to see Him – as an all-satisfying Father who desires for me to know Him intimately. “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Therefore, I must come to terms as the apostle Paul did and echo his hearts cry: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Ad the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Further,

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3:8-11).

Father, please cause me to know You and seek the fullness of my satisfaction in You. May I not seek to find refuge and medication in anything but You. Not food, drink, earthly relationships, wealth, work, or other things that will not withstands the fires of time. Urn within me a passion so fierce and so hot that I may not rest until I find the fullness of my everlasting rest in You. Glorify Your name in all the earth and begin with me for the sake of Jesus’ name. Amen.

More Joy

“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”
(Psalm 4:7 ESV)

Wow. What a statement! Kimberly and I read this last night while we were stretching and this verse jumped out at me. However, it is quite discouraging that even though I know this truth, I still long for the lifestyles of them whose “grain and wine abound.” I desire the lifestyle of those who are comfortable – those who have money and land and houses and the other accoutrements of this world. Yet it is still difficult for me to think about who I was even when I was seeking after these things. For, there was a time when I sought after the party lifestyle – promiscuity, strong drink, and whatever else made me feel good at the time. I thank the Lord that He chose to reveal to me that the way of this life ends in death and that there is a better way: the Way of the Master. Yet even acknowledging this truth, I also acknowledge that I am still tempted to leave this life of mine in hopes of something “easier,” less stringent, and more “freedom.” Yet I also know that this so-called “freedom” is really bondage to sin.

“When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regards to righteousness.
But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are
now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have
been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to
sanctification, and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans
6:20-23)

But the truth is that God, through His gift of Christ Jesus and the deposit of the Holy Spirit guaranteeing things to come, has “put more joy in my heart” than any thing, any person, any relationship, any toy, any house, any car, or any thing else in all creation has ever been able, or will be able to give me. He has given me the epitome of joy – Christ Jesus Himself in who’s “presence there is fullness of joy” (Ps 16:11). He is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), the radiance of His glory (Heb 1:3), and the One who has shone His light “in our hearts to give the lights of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). He has given me the greatest Joy the world has never known. The greatest Joy above all other joys. Just as He is King of kings and Lord of lords, He is also the Joy of joys. May I now “go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy” (Psalm 43:3).

Lord Jesus, please make this a true desire of my heart and may I truly see You as Joy eternal and Joy inexhaustible. May You alone satisfy this longing for Joy. In Your name I come to the altar of my God, my exceeding joy. Amen.

Consider Your Ways: Thoughts on Haggai 1

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” (Haggai 1:2-7)

Our priorities reveal where our hearts are. How many times do I feel like I am simply “spinning my wheels” because I am caught in a rut of self-despair? Not to sound overly dramatic, but inwardly I do feel like I am at a point of self-despair many times. These times often come as a result of my “trying” to do the right thing rather than focusing on the heart issues that drive me to make right and wrong decisions. This method of pursuit will ALWAYS lead to either self-despair or self-reliance and often both. Self-despair births depression and loafing and causes me to neglect the One who has redeemed me from all despair, for “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). Self-reliance stems from an incorrect understanding of who is actually Sovereign in the universe. Self-reliance says that I am in charge, I am in control, and will cause me to be among the number of “some [who] trust in chariots and some in horses” (Psalm 20:7a) even though my Biblical response as a Christian should be to “trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7b). Self-reliance will eventually lead to self-despair because I will always realize the limitations of my being and find myself quickly disappointed.

The people of Haggai’s day, “in the second year of Darius the king” (Hag 1:1), found themselves in a period of blind self reliance. Either simply unaware or deliberately choosing to ignore their own sinfulness, they found themselves working tirelessly yet yielding little. Trying but failing, reaping and not sowing, eating and drinking but never finding their fill. I can only imagine that discouragement had set in throughout the camp but no one could understand why. Then the Lord speaks with a simple statement, “Consider your ways…” (1:5) and all of a sudden things become clear. The people of Israel had neglected the temple of God. They had focused their attention on their own well-being, establishing their own communities, businesses, and personal affairs. All the while, they had neglected the most important thing about them: their identity as children and worshipers of God. Because of their neglect of the their relationship with God, and their subsequently misplaced priorities they were left with not finding satisfaction in their labors or even in their physical comforts and nourishment. When our relationship with God is neglected, it affects every aspect of our lives.

The Lord later reveals that the heavens “have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce” (Hag 1:10). The people of Israel had limited their receipt of the Lord’s blessings. How often I take for granted the very dew falling to the ground and accomplishing its purpose of watering the earth. How often I take for granted the earth yielding its fruit that finds itself in abundant supply at my neighborhood grocer. Without the Lord’s sovereign hand permitting this action, the earth would be dry, cracked, and dead. Were the Lord to choose to remove His spirit from me, my being would also be dry, cracked, and dead. Thankfully He will not do so, for “if we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim 2:13).

If I am to be sure that my priorites are always in line, I need to understand what God’s priorities are. Better said, what is God’s priority, for there is one thing that reigns supreme above all others. According to Haggai 1:8 He says that “that I may be glorified.” This grand truth runs marathon throughout the entire counsel of God. In all things, we are to live so that He may be glorified. His glory is of supreme importance to Him and should be for His children as well.

So when I find myself at a point of self-despair, how then should I live? I should first, “Consider [my] ways” (1:5). Is my relationship with Christ and His church right in His sight? Have I been neglecting my duty and delight of worship? Am I spending adequate time worshiping through prayer and study and the communion of the saints? Have I properly resisted the temptation of reducing Him to an object of being studied and seen Him properly as the only One worthy of worship and Who rightfully declares, “I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no god” (Isaiah 44:6)? Do I need to repent of my own self-reliance and supposed self-sufficiency? “For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,’ not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17)

The second thing that I should do is to “[obey] the voice of the LORD” (Hag 1:12). This should be obedience without delay, negotiation, caveat, or blurred interpretation. This may be the most difficult struggle of all . Complete obedience is costly yet rewarding. It will cost me my entire life, but I will gain real life through the process. “ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36).

And now I must ask what promise there is for me if I am to biblically “consider [my] ways” and then “[obey] the voice of the LORD”? The answer is the greatest blessing of all, the promise above all promises. I will get God Himself. Not an angel, messenger, or other lesser vice-president. I will get Him Himself in His fullness, in His glory, and in His majesty, for He directly promises “I am with you, declares the LORD” (Hag 1:13).

Oh that You would be with me! That I would recognize my freedom from self-reliance and surrender myself completely to Your sovereign care! Would it be a great day when I could know You and see not just victory over sin, but the victor Himself (Tit 2:11-14)! Make Your priorities to be mine. Oh that I would be empowered to delight myself in You and have You give me the desires of Your heart (Psalm 37:4). Change my life, my direction, and my purpose to conform to You and Your purposes. That You may take pleasure in it and be glorified (Hag 1:8). O Lord, and may I not harden my heart if I hear Your voice today (Psalm 95:7-8). May today be that day.

**Apparently this is a reoccuring theme in my life (much to my chagrin). See an earlier article here.

Greatness

“For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people…” 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6a ESV

I desire to be great. I desire to be recognized. I desire to be published, quoted, requested to visit, speak, confer, and be consulted. I desire glory. Although these words may not find themselves expressed in their purest forms, the thoughts and attitudes that cause their utterances are almost always present. An unseen and unspoken war of the words transcribes that I dare not speak of lest I succumb to its forces. This imaginary force will not destroy me per se, but it might just destroy my reputation, my image, and my external appearance of humble piety. And thus the “me” of the internal never greets the “me” of the external for the outward perception is of utmost importance if my desire for greatness is to be achieved. Consequently, what is real is not what is seen and my existence is reduced to a moving picture of sorts – a life not mine, but an escape from authenticity that leaves me, well, reeling.

Honesty is the greatness of titanic extremes. As I plunge the depths of my soul and the inner caverns of my own heart, I must readily acknowledge with brutal honesty the reality of the seen and the unseen. A physician would be of no benefit to me if he were to diagnose my common cold and fail to reveal to me that the cause of my cold is a weakened immune system caused by a certain class of cancer. Cough drops or chemotherapy? There is hardly a justification for limiting the physician’s honesty of the examination. Therefore, in diagnosing a spiritual condition, I need not trivialize the assessment, but to invite and welcome its findings as a means of greater maturity; for to be great, I must first be honest.

All this held, one need not consult an expert in exegesis to understand the Biblical ramifications of pride in the heart of man. “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6). “Pride goes before destruction” (Pro 16:18). And was it not pride that caused the tempter to be cast from the glories of Heaven (Is 14:14-15) to a place where his simple statement “you will be like God” (Gen 3:5) invoked such a prideful desire that sin then entered the entirety of the human race for all generations to come before Christ comes again? And so, can I agree with Holy writ that my prideful desire for greatness based on my own merit is indeed sinful and wretched? Indeed. Can I observe from sacred Scripture that even those closest to the Lord Himself struggled with the improper desire for greatness to which the Lord responded, “whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45)? I must also concur with a resounding yes. And therefore, I trust that there is hope for me nonetheless.

The struggle with greatness is not altogether new, but each time it presents itself in cleaner clothes and with greater subtleties. This most recent occurrence came at a time with an opportunity to participate in the spreading of the Gospel of Christ and to truly affect His kingdom for His glory. Yet my heart was not in tune with the symphony of Scripture and my desire for greatness eclipsed my desire to see Him increase and me decrease. Under this conviction, I approached this passage in Paul’s letter to which I was required to respond with the honest sinfulness of my heart. Had I engaged in the opportunity I would not have done so to “please God who tests [my] heart” (1 Thess 2:4), but I would have done so in an effort to please man and to seek glory from people. It was not until I encountered this passage of Scripture that I was willing to openly admit my fault, yet my response was not proper. Rather than be honest with the organizer concerning the condition of my heart, I simply did not show up. Sin #1: Pride that led to the desire to be recognized as great. Sin #2: Pride that led to not honoring my commitment. Sin #3: Pride that led to my inability to be honest for fear that the true me might become exposed.

God in His grace that leads to conviction granted me the repentance to confess my fault before Him and He also graciously provided the opportunity to confess my wrongs to the two organizers. I ignored the command to “let my yes be yes” and honor my commitments despite the pain I may have to endure to reveal the darkness of my heart.

I can have greatness by the world’s standards, but it will come at the cost of honesty. If true honesty leads to greatness, may the Lord continue to guide me along that path. And, prayerfully, may my next appeal spring not from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but from a desire to please God, not man, for He is the One who tests my heart. May I seek His glory and His approval only, that I may be entrusted with the Gospel – the greatest gift of honest good news.

Brief History of Man

Driven to Psalm 106 this morning after my wife mentioned that she read it, we find:

A brief history of man’s sinfulness…

“Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the LORD, or can show forth His praise?…” (Psalm 106:1-2 NASB)

“We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders…” (106:6-7)

“Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, that He might make His power known…” (106:8)

“They quickly forgot His works…” (106:13)

“…they became envious…” (106:16)

“…they exchanged their glory for them image of an ox that eats grass” (106:20)

“They forgot God their Savior…” (106:21)

“…they did not believe in His word…” (106:24)

“…and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.” (106:28)

“They also provoked Him to wrath…” (106:32)

“…they mingled with the nations and learned their practices and served their idols, which became a snare for them…” (106:35-36)

“Thus they became unclean in their practices, and played the harlot in their deeds.” (106:39)

“Nevertheless He looked upon their distress when He heard their cry; and He remembered His covenant for their sake…” (106:44-45)

Fast forward to the time of Christ. Once He came, died for the sin of His people, sin left the earth and there was never a problem again, right? Not exactly. From the time of the garden to the time of Christ until the present day, all mankind has had a sin problem. We have “sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly” (106:6) and we start the cycle all over again: forget His works, forget our Savior, do not believe His word…etc. Our sin is no different than the sin of generations past. Although today it may have a different face or a different method to which the temptation is delivered, sin is still sin and it still leads to death. And as sin is the same as generations ago, God’s method of salvation is the same as generations ago – once by grace, still by grace, always by grace. It was, is, and will be His sovereign pleasure to redeem a people unto Himself as He will always remember His covenant of grace.

Therefore, we pray today, as the psalmist prayed then: “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!” (106:47-48)

Yes, let the people say “Amen.” Praise the Lord. So let it be.

"But You, O LORD"

“O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah. But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the LORD, and He answered me from His holy hill. Selah.” Psalm 3:1-4 ESV

King David was quite familiar with what it meant to have enemies. He had seen the effects of sin in his life and others and how it has the ability to destroy relationships, even those of familial ties. The third psalm is a result of this in-depth, personal knowledge and when there lies the absence of forgiveness leading to reconciliation, an enemy emerges.

(See 2 Samuel 13-15) In short, David’s daughter, Tamar, was raped by her half brother, Amnon. Tamar’s biological brother, Absalom, was none too happy regarding the situation and conveniently had Amnon murdered. David was eventually forced to flee Jerusalem in fear of his son Absalom as Absalom sought to overthrow the kingdom. When left to our own devices, sin will make decisions that have consequences far beyond the ephemeral pleasure that it provides. Lust led to rape; rage led to murder; mutiny led to separation; and sin will always lead to death for that is the only wages that it works for.

David’s life is being pursued and the desired outcome is that he would be without it; and in the midst of this, David makes a startling discovery. More accurately, God reveals Himself in a powerful way to David who has the privilege of eternalizing this revelation, and he does so in a simple phrase, “But You, O LORD…”

In essence David says, “LORD, I have left my kingdom, the kingdom that You gave me and entrusted into my care, because my son is so angry that he desires to kill me. My daughter has been raped and my son murdered, and I have long passed my emotional limit. Life seems to be utterly hopeless…but You, LORD. You. You, are the only One who can save me. You are the only One who hears me and knows my situation more fully than I do myself. You have not moved one inch away from me, but I have moved from You. You are the One who is all powerful, all knowing, and all wise. You are the One who spoke the earth into its existence and You are the One who breathed life into me. You are the One is the sustainer of all things for it is in You that all things hold together. You are the Sovereign LORD. You are my provider. You are my healer. You are my refuge and strength, and ever present help in time of need. Regardless of whatever outward or inward circumstances that appear to have an entanglement upon me – even the threat of murder, You, O LORD, are shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

David declares God to be his shield. There were a few different types of shields used in battle. One was a smaller shield that was fastened to the forearm to be used in close combat situations. Another was a much larger shield that could be used to hide behind when facing enemy arrows, the grenade of the day. At times this larger shield had a shield-bearer whose task was to simply hold the shield. Regardless of the shield size, a shield’s specific purpose is for protection. If you were to set a shield up and then walk a hundred feet away from it, the shield offered no protection. You must remain within close proximity to the shield in order for its protection to be worthy. So David, says, “You, O LORD, are a shield about me.” His proximity to the LORD was such that he could trust in his eternal protection. Despite the impending danger, David could trust that his defense was impenetrable.

Next, David asserts that God is his glory. God is the One who determines David’s identity. God is the One to whom all must be measured against. David’s desire is not for his own glory, but for the glory of the Father who has chosen David from a list of shepherd boys to be crowned King of Israel. But still, David’s identity is not found in his kingdom, his kingship, his power or prestige, his children, his wives (topic for another time), or anything that is earthly. His identity is found in God alone. God is his glory.

Finally, David affirms that it is God who is “the lifter of his head.” Notice the passive verb tense here. God is the lifter. David is powerless to lift his own head, not in the physical sense, but in the spiritual sense – to turn his gaze towards the heavens, to seek the Lord, to be reminded that the Lord is his shield and his glory. God is the One who acted upon David, not David finally choosing to seek God. This is a display of the glorious grace of God acting upon one of His children even though his child is in the wilderness as a result of sin. For those who are His, He will always cause them to seek Him.

So David, after being reminded that the Lord is his shield, his glory, and the One who has acted upon him to turn his thoughts heavenward, David reaffirms the relationship with his Maker. And in turn, “[cries] aloud to the Lord” and it should be no surprise that the Lord of hosts affirms this relationship as well and “answered [David] from His holy hill.”

The Lord is in the business of restoring relationships and reaffirming His role in our lives. I’m quite thankful for this for if it were entirely my choice, I would never choose Him apart from Him first choosing me. Grace is a powerful force. Grace is what moves us towards reconciliation, grace is what enables a prodigal to return to his loving father, and grace is where our protection lies, our identity is found, and our eyes become fixed. For without grace, all we have is everything else. And upon further examination, this “everything” is simply nothing, but through the wonderful majesty of grace, we are given the ability to proclaim, “But You, O LORD…”

Be Diligent to Show Yourself Approved

Written to me by my beloved brother, Rev. Francois Verschelden, Pastor Living Rock Baptist Church, St-Felix de Valois, Quebec, Canada on October 21, 2002 [I have not edited so that you might receive his “tiny” little French accent]:

“To ‘Happy Memories’ add the study of the Word of God. Combine two together and you will always be able to know that you are still in God’s plan for your life and make a difference in the life of other.

2 Ti 2:15
Love you. Your Friend forever”

Francois wrote this to me during our first trip and subsequent first good-bye (of two that trip) to Montreal and the surrounding areas. At the time, I was a little miffed by what he wrote. Honestly, I was shocked that he would write to me – me of all people! – and tell me that I need to study more and that I should “be diligent to present [myself] approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” Although I did not know this at the time, Francois hit me dead on, but his message fell on a hard heart. I thought that I was studying and reading “enough.” I had my quiet times, my accountability group, my Bible study group, my various ministries that I was a part of, etc, etc. But Franco (as I affectionately call him) knew that I needed to be encouraged to study more and to not be satisfied with minute niblets of the truth. He exhorted me to feast upon the Bread of Life and to get fat from it.

I recalled this admonition from my past as it has thankfully haunted me ever since. I come to realize that as one who likes to study and will make a lifetime of doing so; I have the opportunity of becoming calloused to any passage of Scripture because I have “read that one before.” Dr. Howard Hendricks reminds us,

“The genius of the Word of God is that it has staying power; it can stand up to repeated exposure. In fact, that’s why it is unlike any other book. You may be an expert in a given field. If you read a book in that field two or three times, you’ve got it. You can put it on the shelf and move on to something else. But that’s never true of the Bible. Read it over and over again, and you’ll still see thing that you’ve never seen before” (1).

It is quite simple to get caught up in thinking that a particular passage has already been mastered, or at least thoroughly examined. The only thing true about that statement is that it has been mastered, but only by the author – never the reader. I would probably even venture to say that the human authors who were “moved by the Holy Spirit [who] spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21) did not completely comprehend the message that the Lord was giving each of them to proclaim but only the source of the message – The Trinity – could understand. Peter spoke of Paul’s writings in such a way to indicate that he may have wrestled with them as well: “Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand” (2 Peter 3 15-16). I am thankful for this statement of truth to affirm that in the times when I do not fully understand Scripture’s intent, that I am not a blundering idiot immediately cast out of the Presence of the Lord.

All this as an introduction to say, if there ever was one who was diligent to show himself approved, his name was Martin Luther, the Augustinian Monk from Erfurt, Germany (2). In regards to Luther’s diligence to pursue the truth behind Romans 1:17 (“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’”) which brought about the face of the Reformation and much of the Protestant Church as we know it today, he says, “I beat importunately upon Paul at that place, most ardently desiring to know what St. Paul wanted” (3). His passion for the truth and his utmost desire to truly divide the Word down to its marrow and to drink deeply from the riches of its well was his driving force, and thankfully, he was not content to allow his studies to be consumed with the commentaries of his contemporaries.

“It is a sin and shame not to know our own book or to understand the speech and words of our God; it is still a greater sin and loss that we do not study languages, especially in these days when God is offering and giving us men and books and every facility and inducement to this study, and desires his Bible to be an open book. O how happy the dear fathers would have been if they had our opportunity to study the languages and come thus prepared to the Holy Scriptures! What great toil and effort it cost them to gather up a few crumbs, while we with half the labor – yes, almost without any labor at all – can acquire the whole loaf! O how their effort puts our indolence to shame!” (4)

As Luther penned these words in the 1500’s, John Piper adds “With computer programs for instruction and use of the languages, how much more true is this today than when it was written!” (5)

Luther’s charge to any student of the word, and probably more ardently toward the teacher:

“The call is: watch, study, attend to reading. In truth you cannot read too much in Scripture; and what you read you cannot read too carefully, and what you read carefully you cannot understand too well, and what you understand well you cannot teach too well, and what you teach well you cannot live too well” (6).

And concerning his understanding of the laborious work of the student of the Word:

“Ask…a preacher…how much work it is to speak and preach…The pen is very light, that is true…[In other types of work] the person can sing happily or make jokes freely which a sermon writer cannot do. Three fingers do it all…but the whole body and soul have to work at it” (7).

A true teacher, who understands the power, the weight, and his accountability before the Father, will do his due diligence to make sure that he accurately handles the word of truth. For one who is fully submitted to the Biblical text and has submerged himself into it, the proclamation of this timeless truth demands the totality of his being; his mind, his heart, his tongue, his hands, his eyes, his ears, and the rest of his members. The true teacher does not achieve this thirty minutes before he is to preach or even one hour prior. As A.W. Tozer comments, “It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the kingdom, to see God’s children starving while actually seated at the Father’s table” (8). The true teacher understands this and is haunted by this very reality and therefore, makes it his aim to faithfully study so that he might declare the excellencies of his Maker.

Dr. Albert Mohler, one who believes fully in the centrality of preaching as worship says

“The church has never been faithful when it has lacked fidelity in the pulpit…Those who are called to preach bear a heavy duty. As Martin Luther confessed “If I could come down with a good conscience, I would rather be stretched out on a wheel and carry stones than preach one sermon”…True preaching is not an exhibition of the brilliance or intellect of the preacher, but an exposition of the wisdom and power of God…This occasion itself represents the divine initiative, for it is God Himself, and not the preacher, who controls His Word” (9).

If you teach, study to show yourself approved. If you are a hearer, pray for your pastor, your teacher, your Bible study leader, whoever is responsible to faithfully declare what God has already revealed. As with the Gospel, the duty comes with great reward but at great sacrifice.

1 Howard Hendricks. Living By The Book. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1991. 81.
2 John Piper. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God’s Trumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000. 84.
3 John Dillenberger, ed. Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Co., 1961. xvii. As quoted by John Piper. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God’s Trumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000. 91.
4 Fred W. Meuser. Luther the Preacher. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1983. 39. As quoted by John Piper ibid. 99-100.
5 ibid. 100.
6 Meuser ibid 40-41. Piper ibid 101.
7 ibid 44-45. ibid 101-102
8 A.W. Tozer. The Pursuit of God. reprinted, Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, INC, 1993. 8. (originally written in 1948)
9 Albert Mohler. “Why Do We Preach? A Foundation for Christian Preachin, Part One” click here for article

** UPDATED 2/13/06 **:
Another much more learned scholar than I, J. Ligon Duncan, has commented on the need for maturing Christians to study. He quotes C.H. Spurgeon who is commenting on 2 Tim 4:13, “[Paul] is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books!…The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. YOU need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible. We are quite persuaded that the best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying.” Read Duncan’s article, posted on the Together For the Gospel Blog here.