God is the Gospel

So, I haven't had much time lately to do much reading outside of preparing for my M.A. exams (ahh!! next week!!), but I have been able to listen to some sermons on the way to/from school. I thought I might start posting some excerpts of stuff that I hear. Right now, I'm starting from the beginning of the several-year series on Romans that my pastor is currently doing. Here's something he said during the second sermon:

"In Isaiah 48:11, God says:

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.

We're going to encounter some difficult doctrines as we go through the book of Romans: total depravity, election, predestination. But the glory of these difficult doctrines will begin to appear to you when you understand that God does everything for the sake of His name! The Gospel is not ultimately the gospel of salvation, it's the gospel of God. It's all about His glory among the nations... and He saves people in a way that maximizes the display of His splendor!"

Daily employing the Spirit and new nature

Not to be daily employing the Spirit and new nature for the mortifying of sin, is to neglect that excellent succour which God hath given us against our greatest enemy. If we neglect to make use of what we have received, God may justly hold his hand from giving us more. His graces, as well as his gifts, are bestowed on us to use, exercise and trade with. Not to be daily mortifying sin is to sin against the goodness, kindness, wisdom, grace and love of God, who hath furnished us with a principle of doing it.

-John Owen, from The Mortification of Sin

The still, deep waters of sin

Sin doth not only still abide in us, but is still acting, still labouring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh. When sin lets us alone, we may let sin alone: but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times, in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion.

-John Owen, from The Mortification of Sin

The Soul and Substance of All False Religion

The principal efficient cause of the performance of this duty is the Spirit mentioned (v. 11), the 'Spirit of Christ', the Spirit of God that dwells in us (v.9), that quickens us (v.11), the 'Spirit of adoption' (v.15), the Spirit that maketh intercession for us (v.26). All other ways of mortification are vain; all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit. Men, as the apostle intimates (Rom. 9:30-32), may attempt this work on other principles, by means and advantages administered on other accounts, as they always have done and do: but (saith he) this is the work of the Spirit; by him alone it is to be wrought, and by no other power is it to be brought about. Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world.

-John Owen, from The Mortification of Sin, on Romans 8:13

The Ultimate Christian Hedonist!

"Christian hedonism"?!

Sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, huh? The word hedonism certainly doesn't naturally bring to one's mind the word Christian... and most Christians I know are hardly ever accused of being hedonists!

Well, hang on with me here for a bit; let's break it down. American Heritage Dictionary gives the following definition for hedonism:

he·don·ism (hēd'n-ĭz'əm)
n.

1. Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
2. Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good.
3. Psychology The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.

And - at the risk of being labeled naive - let's assume that whoever is reading this has formed an appropriate definition for the word Christian*. So, then, what is this Christian hedonism?

The first question/response of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is as follows:

1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever.

This is what man was created for. Period. Nothing else will satisfy, nothing else will do. God created us that we might glorify Him, and experience our greatest enjoyment when we do so. Or, as John Piper puts it: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

So, then, hedonism, in this light, can be defined as the pursuit of pleasure, as it is ultimately found in the satisfaction of doing that which one is created for. If we believe that, as men and women who were created in the image of the holy Godhead, we were created for the glorification of our Creator, then Christian hedonism can further be defined as the pursuit of pleasure, as it is ultimately found in the glorification of Christ.

Christian hedonism. Wow. Yeah... that sits right with my soul.

What brought up the idea of posting on this was reading through Psalm 104 a couple of times tonight while in a bar, of all places (Psalm 104:15 is also pertinent here for Christian hedonism... but for different reasons! ;) ). Here are the verses that hit me:


This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. There the ships sail about; there is that Leviathan which You have made to play there.
-Psalm 104:25-26

I think I remember my pastor preaching on these verses sometime this summer, but I don't have my notes with me here in the bar, and I can't for the life of me remember exactly what he said off the top of my head (sorry, Mike!), so much of what I'm going to say about this passage may or may not be a repetition of what he already said. But hey... nothing new under the sun, right?

As far as I understand it, the Leviathan was a beast of unknown identity that was really, really big. And I don't think that it is mere coincidence that we don't know exactly what species of animal this creature was. In fact, it seems that those who lived during this time didn't even know exactly what the Leviathan was. There's a reason for this: God made it to play in the great and wide sea.

Do you see where I'm going with this? The Leviathan, one of the largest creatures recorded in the holy Scriptures, was unknown to man, and yet still gave God glory. How? How could this creature possibly glorify God if nobody was around to witness the glorification?! By playing in the sea; by simply doing that which it was created to do.

You see? God's own self-glorification is not all about us: we don't even have to be around for it to happen. God was glorifying Himself, His Son, and His Holy Spirit since before the creation of all known worlds! That we even get to participate in this glorification is, in itself, an act and manifestation of pure grace!

For the Leviathan, it's as if God was saying, "Go forth, my creation: play in the deep. No one will ever see you, yet you will glorify Me simply by being you, as you are meant to be, as I have created you."

For us, we have the same divine calling. However, our playground is not the depths of the sea, but the depths of Christ. When we swim in these depths, and find our deepest satisfaction therein, God is glorified in the highest way that we humans can possibly glorify Him!


*This word is often misrepresented/misused. All kidding aside, if you are unsure of what a "Christian" truly is, please shoot me an email... I would be more than happy to talk about it!

An old fresh perspective on money

"Jamais l'argent ne me parut une chose aussi présieuse qu'on la trouve. Bien plus, il ne m'a même jamais paru fort commode; il n'est bon à rien par lui-même, il faut le transformer pour en jouir."

"Money has never seemed to me as precious as people think it is. Moreover it has never even seemed very useful to me; for it has no value in itself and must be transformed to be enjoyed."

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Confessions, Book 1

Expository Notes: Psalm 2

What is the structure of this psalm?

-The nations rage against the Lord and His anointed (1-3)
-The Lord in heaven holds them in derision and wrath (4-6)
-The Son proclaims the decree of His anointing and inheritance (7-9)
-Advice is given to the kings to yield obedience to the Lord’s anointed (10-12)

1) The nations rage against the Lord and His anointed (1-3)

-Who is in opposition to God here?

-The nations, the people

-All kinds of people are against God

-The rulers of the people

-Those in power are often the most hard-hearted
-It is often not the great people who are chosen (1 Cor. 1:26-29)

-Why are they raging?

-They believe that bonds have been placed on them

-The freedom of Christ is as bondage to those who cannot see the kingdom of God (2 Cor. 1:22-25; Romans 9:32; John 3:3-5)

2) The Lord in heaven holds them in derision and wrath (4-6)

-What is God the Father’s response to man’s “vain thing”?

-He laughs!

-He doesn’t even bother to rise up against them in battle, for He knows the futility of their reaction against His holy Anointed One!

-He speaks!

-His words alone are completely effective, bringing distress even to those who do not trust in Him!

-He declares!

-What are the effective words that God speaks to the nations, words which bring distress to them? He has anointed His Son in Zion!
-“yet”

-The ways of man, rage and plotting, are no match for God’s providential power.
-“In spite of your plans, I have set My King on My holy hill!”

-Man’s plotting against God and His anointed is a vain thing (vs. 1)

3) The Son proclaims the decree of His anointing and inheritance (7-9)

-What is the Christ’s first decree to the rebellious nations?

-He is God’s Son!
-Jesus does not begin with the declaration of His inevitable victory over evil, but with a declaration which may be even more powerful: the One who has been sent by the LORD of the earth is His own Son, the only One begotten of YHWH!

-His mission shall certainly not fall short of its goal, for God sends Himself, His own divine nature, to fulfill His will of an atoning sacrifice.

-What is the power that Christ brings with Him, in the name of the Father?

-He needs but ask of the Father, and all will be given to Him.

-The power of God is in the very One who lives always to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25).

-This is a great encouragement to us, for we find therein our assurance.

-For the believer, even the times of our temporary rebellion are providentially ordained (Luke 22:31-32).
-Jesus has already prayed:

-that we might be part of the holy communion of the saints (John 17:20-23)
-that we might be sanctified (John 17:17, 19)
-that we might be protected from sin (John 17:15)
-that we might receive Christ’s glory (John 17:22)
-that we might give Christ glory in heaven (John 17:24)

-Why does Christ possess the Father’s anointing power in this way?

-Because, in Him, the Father is well pleased (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22)

-What is the inheritance that is given to Christ when He asks the Father?

-The nations, the ends of the earth

-Christ is not only given all glory, but all things, even the very enemy nations which rebel against His reign.

-What will Christ do with His eternal inheritance?

-For those who have been given to Christ by the Father (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24), it is sure that they will be called, justified, sanctified, and glorified (John 17; also Romans 8:30).
-For those who are against the Anontined One, they will be broken with a rod of iron, and dashed to pieces likes a potter’s vessel.

-Why are they to be broken?
-God’s wrath against sin must be displayed in order to show His glory in merciful salvation.

-“That He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.” (Romans 9:23)

4) Advice is given to the kings to yield obedience to the Lord’s anointed (10-12)

-How is the advice to be received?

-It is to be received as wisdom from God.

-It is wise to receive instruction and advice… especially when it leads to a soul’s salvation!

-When is the advice to be heeded?

-Now therefore, be wise! Not later!
-The chosen Messiah is no fool, and will not be taken for one. He will come on His own terms, in His own timing (Matt. 24:36-44). Waiting is not a reliable option for he who is still relying upon his own filthy rags of righteousness (Isaiah 64:6)! If you don't come to the Cross now... you might never come.

-What is the advice given by Christ?

-The earth is called to serve the Lord, and rejoice, with fear and trembling.
-For those who do serve God, they are called to rejoice!

-Contemplating our eternal destination is scary business, but for those who have been purchased by the blood of the Anointed Lamb, they have great reason to rejoice in their security!
-But we cannot forget the nature of the grace which has been given as a gift:

-“Fear, without joy, is torment; and joy, without holy fear, would be presumption.” (Charles Spurgeon)

-Why is the advice given?

-Be sure of this one thing: the wages of sin is surely death (Romans 6:23), and all those who will spend eternity apart from God receive a just sentence.

-Of anything that can strike fear and trembling into the heart of man, I can think of nothing greater than this truth.

-Who obeys this advice, and what will happen to them?

-Those who put their trust in Christ will have reason to rejoice!
-These will be blessed eternally!

-The true righteousness of the Son, imputed to us, is the greatest blessing that can ever be!