There are times when the palpable presence of God in my life disappears. The void is heavy and the satisfaction of my soul is missing. It may be associated with some persistent sin in my life or related to a period of decreased seeking for him, but sometimes these episodes occur seemingly "out of the blue." There are atleast two good things that come out of these times from my perspective. (I am sure God has more). First, the absence of God contrasts greatly with the presence of him in my life, as a moonless night contrasts with the mid-day sun. I would not fully know the joy and satisfaction of being with him if I could not compare it with times when he is missing. Second, my faith usually arises from these periods strengthened and deepened. I believe God has his sovereign purpose for these times. He is omnipresent in nature and trancends time and space, and yet his person can withdraw and leave us momentarily "forsaken" (Psalm 22:1). John Owen has some insight into periods in life where God seemingly has disappeared.
From "The Glory of Christ: His Office and His Grace." by John Owen
I Sought Him, but I Found Him Not
"Sometimes it may be that he is withdrawn from us, so as that we cannot hear his voice, nor behold his countenance, nor obtain any sense of his love, though we seek him with diligence. In this state, all our thoughts and meditations concerning him will be barren and fruitless, bringing in no spiritual refreshment into our souls.....The Lord Christ is pleased sometimes to withdraw himself from the spiritual experience of believers, as to any refreshing sense of his love, or the fresh communications of consolatory graces."
"Our duty in this case, is to persevere in our inqiries after him, in prayer, meditation, mourning, reading and hearing of the Word, in all ordinances of divine worship, private and public, in diligent obedience, until we find him, or he return to us, as in former days."
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Fear God
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and keeps wrath for his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither;
the bloom of Lebanon withers.
The mountains quake before him;
the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
the world and all who dwell in it.
Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
The Lord is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
But with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,
and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
God's wrath against Nineveh, Nahum 1:2-8.
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and keeps wrath for his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither;
the bloom of Lebanon withers.
The mountains quake before him;
the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
the world and all who dwell in it.
Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
The Lord is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
But with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,
and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
God's wrath against Nineveh, Nahum 1:2-8.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
From Faith for Faith
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Ro 1:16-17
Looking at verse 17 and again gaining insite from John Piper's sermons on Romans, Paul says the righteousness of God is revealed in it (the gospel) from faith (our faith). The righteousness of God is credited to us by God resulting from God's grace to us in our faith in him. Righteousness is established in faith and this empowers our persistence in faith (ie from faith to faith). Paul quoting Habakkuk 2:4 finishes verse 17 with the words, "the righteous shall live by faith." There are two possible interpretations for this ending. Both I believe are true, but the latter makes the most sense in context. The first is that we will live our lives here on earth by faith. So, as Paul says in Galatians..."the life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20)" We are sustained and energized for life in faith. The second interpretaion is that the word "live" refers to eternal life in glory. We receive eternal life in heaven by faith. Piper discusses Romans 1:17 as being the verse that transformed Martin Luther as he realized the meaning and significance of Paul's words.
Observations:
1) The gospel reveals the crediting of righteousness to those who believe.
2) Faith is the "vehicle" through which righteousness is applied.
3) God is the power by which we receive righteousness.
4) Eternal life is the result of faith.
5) By inference, works are not necessary for imputed righteousness and eternal life.
Looking at verse 17 and again gaining insite from John Piper's sermons on Romans, Paul says the righteousness of God is revealed in it (the gospel) from faith (our faith). The righteousness of God is credited to us by God resulting from God's grace to us in our faith in him. Righteousness is established in faith and this empowers our persistence in faith (ie from faith to faith). Paul quoting Habakkuk 2:4 finishes verse 17 with the words, "the righteous shall live by faith." There are two possible interpretations for this ending. Both I believe are true, but the latter makes the most sense in context. The first is that we will live our lives here on earth by faith. So, as Paul says in Galatians..."the life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20)" We are sustained and energized for life in faith. The second interpretaion is that the word "live" refers to eternal life in glory. We receive eternal life in heaven by faith. Piper discusses Romans 1:17 as being the verse that transformed Martin Luther as he realized the meaning and significance of Paul's words.
Observations:
1) The gospel reveals the crediting of righteousness to those who believe.
2) Faith is the "vehicle" through which righteousness is applied.
3) God is the power by which we receive righteousness.
4) Eternal life is the result of faith.
5) By inference, works are not necessary for imputed righteousness and eternal life.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Gospel
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16
Again listening to John Piper's sermons on Romans. God spoke the gospel into place before the beginning of time. His word is efficacious in power to cause that which is spoken. The gospel is the good news for all who believe. It is the plan for salvation for christians but it is, being spoken into being by God, the power by which our salvation takes place. It does not fail. It is the sufficient power to overcome sin, death and damnation. The word salvation here refers to the completion of our deliverance into glory with Almighty God. God will not fail in the power of the gospel in this deliverance. The gospel is also the power by which we initially come to faith, but in this verse Paul speaks of the fulfillment of our salvation. Through faith in God and in his gospel and in our Lord Jesus Christ's death and resurrection in the power of the Spirit, we are saved. This verse sets out the only prerequisite to the application of God's saving power into our lives, namely faith. Everyone who believes will be saved. There is no work to be done. No sin excludes a person from salvation with the exception of unbelief. Praise be to the One who has saved us by his power...a power that cannot and will not fail.
Again listening to John Piper's sermons on Romans. God spoke the gospel into place before the beginning of time. His word is efficacious in power to cause that which is spoken. The gospel is the good news for all who believe. It is the plan for salvation for christians but it is, being spoken into being by God, the power by which our salvation takes place. It does not fail. It is the sufficient power to overcome sin, death and damnation. The word salvation here refers to the completion of our deliverance into glory with Almighty God. God will not fail in the power of the gospel in this deliverance. The gospel is also the power by which we initially come to faith, but in this verse Paul speaks of the fulfillment of our salvation. Through faith in God and in his gospel and in our Lord Jesus Christ's death and resurrection in the power of the Spirit, we are saved. This verse sets out the only prerequisite to the application of God's saving power into our lives, namely faith. Everyone who believes will be saved. There is no work to be done. No sin excludes a person from salvation with the exception of unbelief. Praise be to the One who has saved us by his power...a power that cannot and will not fail.
Ashamed
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16 NIV
Just listened to John Piper's preaching on this verse. Piper separates being ashamed and being shamed. He says the christian will be shamed by those who do not believe because of the gospel. Examples of this could range from a rolling of the eyes, or a subtle comment implying you are a fool, all the way to physical humiliation such as Christ suffered. The gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18). So we should not be surprised at shaming behavior directed toward us by those opposed to the good news. There are two possible options in response to shaming behavior directed toward us. The first is to avoid receiving the shame by watering down the gospel or altering are salty lives. The second is to respond as Jesus did. Christ suffered the ultimate humiliation in being stripped, beaten, mocked, spit upon and crucified. He endured this shaming by despising it (Heb 12:2). He looked to the glory to come and despised the shame. We also should look to the glory to come in response to shaming behavior. We should not hide the gospel --our testimonies and the salt of our lives-- in avoidance. We are to be shamed but not ashamed.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1998/1042_Not_Ashamed_of_the_Gospel/
Just listened to John Piper's preaching on this verse. Piper separates being ashamed and being shamed. He says the christian will be shamed by those who do not believe because of the gospel. Examples of this could range from a rolling of the eyes, or a subtle comment implying you are a fool, all the way to physical humiliation such as Christ suffered. The gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18). So we should not be surprised at shaming behavior directed toward us by those opposed to the good news. There are two possible options in response to shaming behavior directed toward us. The first is to avoid receiving the shame by watering down the gospel or altering are salty lives. The second is to respond as Jesus did. Christ suffered the ultimate humiliation in being stripped, beaten, mocked, spit upon and crucified. He endured this shaming by despising it (Heb 12:2). He looked to the glory to come and despised the shame. We also should look to the glory to come in response to shaming behavior. We should not hide the gospel --our testimonies and the salt of our lives-- in avoidance. We are to be shamed but not ashamed.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1998/1042_Not_Ashamed_of_the_Gospel/
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Fire For God.
God, I pray Thee,
Light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn out for Thee.
Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine.
I seek not a long life, but a full one.
Jim Elliot.
Light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn out for Thee.
Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine.
I seek not a long life, but a full one.
Jim Elliot.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Handling Adversity
Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin.
Jonathon Edwards, Resolution #57
June 9, and July 13 1723.
Lord, search my heart and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps 139:23,24
Amen
http://www.reformed.org/documents/Edwards/index.html?mainframe=/documents/Edwards/j_edwards_resolutions.html
Jonathon Edwards, Resolution #57
June 9, and July 13 1723.
Lord, search my heart and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps 139:23,24
Amen
http://www.reformed.org/documents/Edwards/index.html?mainframe=/documents/Edwards/j_edwards_resolutions.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)