Peace for a weary soul

I didn't do much this weekend. Among the list of things I didn't do: sleep. The worst part is the fact that I have little to show for how I spent my time staying up. Sin was heavily at work in this part of my life. The devil has temporarily moved his fight out of lust into sloth. (How it is strange that one's sin and depravity often turns into a game of whack-a-mole.) I know this shift has happened but I have not been convicted of sloth yet. I will pray for such. Even without godly repentance and conviction, by God's grace I have been spared from the full effect of this deadly sin, spiritual apathy.

This weekened of sloth ended with me going to setup and church exhausted. (Awake for 24hours is not the best way to attend to church.) Luckily there is grace for the weary soul. It is a sweet grace. This grace is magnified when one's weariness is shown to be merely physical rather than spiritual. This grace is spiritual. (Otherwise, it would be called caffiene.) Today was one of those days that I was in a half awake state. Occationally, this state is surreal. It is close to a dream but very much rooted in reality. The feeling is a close cousin is contentment. Yet, the surreal feeling comes from the yearning and experiencing of comforts. How the discomforts are magnified when one is tired and the comforts are disproportionately the same. Yet, being tired sometitmes helps me to better relish these sparce comforts that I find along the way, especially those that come through faith.

Everyone knows what being exhausted and weary feels like but understand that God has appointed a time for sleep. It is for our good. Tired people easily yearn for the time at which they can retire. Yet, it is different that suffering for that time to arrive. I can be at peace without stress for I do not doubt that I will rest later. Likewise, God has ordained a spiritual rest for us all. Faith tells us this. I look forward to the sweet day on which I shall rest from my santification in the beams of heaven's light. I know that this time of rest shall is in the future. Let us get through peacfully wait through this last day without falling asleep so that we greet Christ from afar. Let us recognize that a little grace and Holy Spirit can go a long way.

Coffee and Tillich

I was stopping by a non-establishment coffee house to chill and relax. I sat down drinking a large french roast coffee. It was kinda tasty. My eyes began to wander as they finally came to rest on the bookshelf and then something written Paul Tillich. I had heard of him before somewhere. Yet, I was pretty certain he was not reformed (as in Calvinistic) before I picked the book up. I decided to take a read. It started off about religion being a function of man's spirit. Not necessarily belief/trust but religion itself in a broad sense. Jumping between different faculties like morality, art/myth, reason, and feelings before realizing that it could not be at home in any of these. It is the ultimate ground for all of those and outside of those things rather than a single one. I thought some of these examples really applied to only people who were 'religious' but not christian. It showed that religion finds its ultimate expression as something integral to life itself. It is interesting because it agrees with Reformed thought.


He continued to discuss the ontological arguement and cosmological arguments. I don't read much religious philosophy about these things. (I would rather understand doctrine in relation to the Word.) He discusses Western christianity's attempt to prove God by reason. I didn't spend time to understand it completely. (It would be a waste.) Yet, I have thought about the arguements for God before with different terms. Christianity is rational unlike a lot of religions but reasonings are self-consistent. That is to say that to God himself is the ground for that knowledge. To continue down a path to prove God, one must already believe Him. It is an impossiblity unless one is taught of God. It is impossible for those who aren't spiritual to spiritually discern the things of God.

Furthermore, the only places in nature that we can discern God in are the places he has interacted with nature. This means creation, Christ himself, and the actions of the Holy Spirit. We must show people Christ and him crucified if they are to know God, even in the use of reason. If Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is futile.

Sensuality and spirituality

These two things from afar seem very unrelated. On the contrary, they both are the desire to commune with another person on a deeper more intimate level. One is Godward. The other is particularly towards others. With this understanding, they do not seem as different as people believe. The bible warns about how fallen sensuality, or lust, will have dire spiritual consequences with one's relationship with God. And it does, as I know from personal experience. It is for this that God says sexual impurity aught not be named among the saints.

I could say like some in today's church that this problem is really just what it is to be human. Yes and no. The original desires were good but sin distorts them. This is no justification for the sin. Yet, we were created with good desires and there is always a proper outlit.

First, the correct expression of sensuality is marriage. In marriage, it relates to the pleasure of esteeming one's spouse, like Christ esteems the church, rather than oneself. Christ's death for the church is described in marriage terms. It is not hard to see why Marriage aught to be seen as a little church in a big church. The two flesh became one. One aught to cherish his spouse as much as he cherish his own flesh. In a way, spirituality is very much the twin of sensuality. Spirituality and sensuality also fell in the same way. Lust is similar to idolatry. They both make seek to make the wrong objects, the center of one's affections and devotions.

Singlehood is discussed by Paul in relation to ministry for this reason. Paul, being the chief among singles, considered that freedom from caring for a wife allowed him to be more devoted to God. It seems odd for today's ears to hear but this link between the two explains a lot. Sensuality and spirituality can step on each other's toes. He did not try to reconcile that it with the idea that they both can coexist in equally. Or explicitly state that they can feed off each other.

Now, the option of outworking of our innate desire of sensuality and sex is not available to singles. (In the single state) So, we must learn to be self controlled and content. Paul exalts this character trait even for couples by saying that marriage will be better if people are first self-controlled, for worldly difficulties are less likely to creep in. To what end is this self control? In marriage and in single life? In marriage it is helps put off one's own desires so that they can focus on another's. Sex is not the problem lust is.

In singlehood, this self control is not emotional frigidity. Merely suppressing these desires and being emotionally frigid does not solve the problem. The sin must be dealt with. One must redirect their attention and desires toward God. One must always return to the cross and make their stand on that hill. It is from recognizing his provision and his authority that we can say with Joseph to the Jailer's wife when tempted. "Why would I do such wickedness against my God." One must also be self controlled enough to confess their depravity and seek forgiveness and grace. Finally, spirituality also can affect sensuality. One cannot as easily lust after someone when they are praying for them. It is a strange curiousity but perhaps it is explained by a link between sensuality and spirituality. I am in no ways an expert but this seems to tie together some loose ends. These things are much harder to do in practice than to say. I am still very much a sinner in this area in need of grace.

Why does God love us?

Does God love us because of Christ's atonement or does He love us before it?
Even if Christ's death secures love. Should this be seen as a means to an end rather than its source? This question seems difficult to answer. It seems that people don't stop to consider God's love. They take it for granted.

I say with Ephesians that God loved His own before the foundations of the world. Yet, Christ appears to die much later. Only to complicate the matter is election. Let us cast our focus from it alone for this is resolved slightly by Revelations which says "The lamb slain before the foundations of the world." It also causes problems. It can appear unclear whether atonement or election in eternity past is the source of God's love. Why does God love us?

Let us look into: if Christ's death and intercession are effective at securing God's love.
Or did God already love the man whom Christ was sent to effectively redeemed?

Lets look at scriptures and specifically for what Christ asks for in his prayers. Since, it will show what Christ tries to secure by his efforts and his interecession now that he is in heaven.

First, His intercession is not necessarily for his believer's prayers, on their behalf. It is redundant for God loves them. Too many people have this mistaken idea of intercession. Lets clear it up John 16:26-27 "In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask my father on your behalf; for the father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God."

Second, this makes Christ's intercession much different than how it is often viewed. It is no longer based specifically on our wants and needs in prayer. It is rather based on what His wishes for those given Him, and for those who believe in His name. His intercession is for the outpouring of grace. Namely for granting: the Holy spirit, sanctification, glorification, and the salvation of souls.

When Christ prays for the Holy Spirit in John 14:16. There are other questions about how the Holy Spirit is communicated to us from the Love of the Son and the Father in Christ's heaven intercession. Let's skip those for now to focus on the overall act of His intercession. His intercession is essentially his continual office as high priest. Hebrews links Christ's intercession as a single act of atonement with his death. This part of his intercession appears to be necessary for salvation rather than outside of it. Yet, this does not mean it is the only thing necessary. For like the act of atonement, it is part of a god-given covenant over a chosen people. (The covenant of grace.) It may be in this that the source of God's love rests. He is part of a greater agreement that is worked out from eternity past. In this context of Christ's prayer in John 17 appears to me related to his current intercessory prayers in heaven. In this, Christ mention's that he is sent.

Does this interecession then ask for His love toward the church? As if to secure it? Or does it assume a pre-existing love for the church based on something pre-existant? (election)

John 17 "... I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours... I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. That they may all be one, just as we are one... so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.... I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them."

This particular love does not seem to be asked for. It seems to be pre-existent because it is based on God's sovereignty of those who were given to Christ. It is also based on those who believe. Yet, these same people were loved in eternity past in the same manner as God loved Christ. Yet, this love is assumed. It is not created or asked for by the prayer. He does not ask God to love them. For God does already. He does ask on our behalf based on that love, so that we may be filled with joy. It seems that election and God's hidden will play a small part in it all. I must hold that God loved the saints prior to their conversion in a way different than common love.

Now, this love must be hardy enough to exist beside God's holy wrath for the sinner. It must be an unconditional love. A love that reaches from hell and back. Christ died for men, while they were yet sinners. He must have also loved them while they were yet sinners. The end of this type of love is always salvation. This is the love portayed in the Bible. Yet, the Bible is clear that certain conditions will be meet in all saved, especially faith. So by necessity this unconditional love, worked out in election, causes or includes the actions leading up to one's faith in Christ.

Now merely allowing man to make these actions of faith is indistiguishable from being disinterested or even unloving, until faith. Like a seed, this love remains dead. I propose this type of love that cannot send christ or cause him to die for the joy set before Him.

Now, for the lamb slain before the foundations of the world. God's plan was complete. It was as good as real. It is in heaven that this intercession goes on. The sacrifice and its end of salvation were realized at the time of God's election. It was not plan B but always plan A. I shall not presume this statement is bound by the same linear constraints either. Yet, one would ask why give the linear narratives of the Bible that define God's covenants as such?

Im diggin' this song

Whatever my God ordains is right
In His love I am abiding
I will be still in all He does
And follow where He is guiding
He is my God, though dark my road
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all

Whatever my God ordains is right
He never will deceive me
He leads me by the proper path
I know He will not leave me
I take content, what He has sent
His hand can turn my griefs away
And patiently I wait His day

Whatever my God ordains is right
Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, or need, or death be mine
Yet I am not forsaken
My Father’s care circles me there
He holds me that I shall not fall
And so to Him I leave it all

Whatever my God ordains is right
Though now this cup in drinking
Bitter it seems to my faint heart
I take it all unshrinking
My God is true, each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart
And pain and sorrow shall depart

Original words by Samuel Rodigast, 1676
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1863
Alternate words by Mark Altrogge

The Silver Tongue

In response to my last blog. I wish to write about the opposite of Fire and Brimstone. It is a gospel in which one tries to entertain their audience and make them fell good about themselves. It is watered down truth at best. At worst, it is outright heresy spoken by false prophets. God is made a lion without claws. He is reduced to the status of a mere house cat that people can let into their lives at times and let out.

Many people can be entertained by the wonderful stories told by the brilliant storeteller. But always ask to what end? Is christ's sacrifice even mentioned? Is its direct rewards even mentioned? Is its alternative even mentioned? Can one get clothed when they scarely know they are naked? Can one get better if they scarely know that they are deadly ill. No, not just ill but dead. The Bible even talks about the people who listen to these evangelists (if they can be called that).

2 Timothy 4:3-4 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." NASB

If one wanted to be entertained, they would have been better off going to a theatre than a church! At least then, they would not be under the delusion that they were attending to the matters of their soul. This type of preaching cannot bred anything but false assurance. At least the sinner under fire and brimstone preaching knows he is a sinner. At least, that fire and brimstone preacher was faithful to present part of the truth. Even if it is not the good news.

This 'end time' seems as though people will entertain more and more of the myths like gnosticism/Tomb of Jesus/Da Vinci Code myths, even in churches. False assurance will be rampant. Sound Doctrine will be shunned by mainstream churches. The churches will preach in accordance with the desires of the World. (Health, wealth, and being a moral person.) They will wish to be entertained. They will come together in a fake kind of community based on nothing more than a group hug. Church is a mere social club.The world is not there yet. Although, I see the strands of this heresy encircling the church.

Oh, how people in the 1800s saw it begining to encircle the church. How almost every prediction of theirs has come true! We need a revival that includes the preaching of sound doctrine rather than trendy religious fads. Oh, how people need the whole gospel. They do not need the moralistic teachings of pharisees. They do not need the materialistic ambitions of the tax collectors. They do not need just the healing of the lame. They need their sins forgiven first. They need Jesus. They need the gospel. They don't need some sappy story. They don't even need a testimony about "How I feel all better with Jesus around.", like he is some friendly house cat.

No one dares to ask what Jesus? Or what God? He is not the God of our choosing. He is not the God that is naturally on everyone's mind. He is far greater than these. His truth is much more solid. His enjoyment is much more sublime. No one dares to tell anyone anymore that He is a lion. That he does as he pleases. That when crossing paths with Him, it is either life or death. It is a fearful thing to be in the hands of an living God. Yet, it is because of who he. First and foremost. God is the gospel.

Fire and Brimstone

I side with Spurgeon on Fire and Brimstone's use. I see problems with physicians who do more harm than good. The best physician's make the least amount of cuts. Yet, their cuts are in the right places. They do not go into an operation to excercise their skill with the scapel by slicing the victim in two. This makes me think of the problem with most open air preaching. It also makes me think of the attitude in which it is done.

Colossians 4:2-6 "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. 5Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."

It appears that one aught to evangelize with an attitude of thanksgiving and prayer toward God. That he might open a door and that the one might speak forth the mystery of Christ. Wisdom and discernment are needed to make the most of every opportunity. In all of this one's message should be seasoned with grace, so that we know how to respond to each person.

Having paraphrased what Paul has said. It is clearer that yelling out fire and brimestone without much grace, impersonally, is not the primary means that God has instituted in conveying His word. He will not likely bless means outside of what he has put in the Bible. Such open air preaching is easily done without thanksgiving, prayer, wisdom, grace, and leaves little room for responding to others. You are no longer their friend but their enemy for the sake of the cross. You cannot hate anyone over to Christ. I pray for Sal on campus occationally, for he is such a man that would rather love people over to Christ.

One can preach the gospel with much smoke and little warmth. You have a fire alright. It is quite ablaze. Yet, every passerbye will only find it obnoxious to their eyes. Let one rather provide a fire that gives off Light and warmth for those who can't see and are in need of being clothed in Christ. Now some believe that scaring people is the way that one teaches the fear of the Lord to others. They may quote 2 Corinthians 5 but this does not help.

2 Corinth 5:11 "Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience." ESV
The context is judgment before God. Some take it to be in response to his terror and wrath from judgment. But the context does not support only that assumption. It is a frightening thing to fall in the hands of an angry God. Yet, this is not the fear that Christians like Paul know about God. They know of the awe and holiness God. There is a reverence, awe, and respect (and usually distance) that God is due by his very nature. In this context, the fear of the Lord, is not scaring people. It is making him out to be as great as he is. In comparison, men are just like ants who God has called to account. This is just as scary as fire and brimstone could ever be. It is called the fear of God for a reason. Yet, it is not the same as the terror of the lord. This type of fear is seen in Psalms.

Psalms 130:3-4 "If You lord should mark iniquities, O Lord, Who would stand? But There is forgiveness with you, That you may be feared." NASB.

He is feared because he is great enough to forgive without injury to His great justice. He is a great God. He deserves His reverence, awe, and respect. At times he even deserves, His distance. Yet, he is never very far from each of us. No one is outside his power. No one is outside his Law. Yet, his arm is not to short that it cannot save. Let us drawn near to this God by the blood of Christ. Let us persuade others, knowing this fear of God. You will face opposition but this is not the purpose of evangelism. Let us tell others of the Good News. Let us not just dwell on the depravity of man.

Confession: Fearing God.

I have recently been convicted of something I have been failing to do. It is fearing God. It is not from some misbelief of who he is. Or a misbelief of what fearing God looks like. It is really from something in my heart. That is to say that it is a heart-issue. (I really don't like using that word. Maybe because it appears so cheese-ified.) I have not made it a practice to be aware of God's continual presense. Yet, I know it to be true. He exists everywhere and no-where. All things are sustained by the power of God. I also know in part, the feeling of awe and holiness of God and their relation to His presense. Yet, these are not brought to bear on everyday life. Self-sufficency and past enlightenment have served to make me act like an atheist. Past events and present circumstances don't help forward a relationship. They bring forth only the status quo.

Next, I have not made it a practice of seeking out and submitting to his authority and his care he would have for me throughout the day. Occationally, it is clear that this care consists of hearing and being feed by the gospel. Yet, this is a result of fearing God. I will work on it a little bit.

There is something interesting about the fear of God that I thought today. That is for the next post.

Lesser things, New music.

I like some modern christian music. Usually modernized hymns from Jars of Clay or Sovereign Grace but I don't discriminate heavily. I like diversity of music sources. I just haven't got into Shane and shane.

CCM is surprisingly more reformed than what I had thought. Reformed people are more vocal perhaps? This music lead to my own 'reformation' to a small degree. (Maybe some artists are experiential calvinists but don't know it yet.) I like songs only because of their words. This means that I can't stand Casting Crowns. I am sorry guys, not even if I listen to their big money instruments and great musical talent. The words are lacking.

I might as well make fun of my own self-identified 'denomination.' about modern music here. I use denomination loosely, only because I break denominational barriers all the time. Most traditional reformed baptists would have thought it blaphemous if Jesus was ever shown dancing to CCM. (or with anything but a KJV in his hand.) Needless to say, I am not a traditional reformed baptist unless you count my theology to be the same as that of Spurgeon or Bunyan on such 'worldly passions'. Well Heck, Spurgeon smoked a cigar for the Lord. Someone might as well sing and dance for the Lord if they are to do anything for the Lord.

It is inappropriate for church but not sinful in and of itself. The fear and legalism from reformed baptists at large is perhaps from an age old stigmatism of being called heretics like the quakers. From all that I have read these quakers were also quite the shakers. With this said, I am tired of modern dance in any church. It is a gross abuse of entertainment in the church. It is also fruity. All things should be content driven not fluff driven.

In closing, I find it is strange that Christians like those in CCM shift toward reformed spirituality at times when moved only by faith. It is not to surprising since Reformed Theology has the only explanations for some things in the Bible. I have yet to hear a good understanding of God being a faithful shepherd going after lost sheep and never losing them from an Arminian. Or about the effective intercession on behalf of all who Christ died for. (If Christ died for all universally why is he not interceding for them universally after he ascended? These two things are of the same event. They are both actions of Christ acting as high priest when he sacrificed himself on the cross/altar in heaven.

If you say these actions should be seen as seperate then it is in denial of Hebrews on the matter. If Christ intercedes effectually by virtue of his blood and God doesn't act. Then there is a breakdown of the trinity. The verses dealing with his death and intercession are both interrelated. Read Hebrews 10. Then Read what Christ prays for in John 17. Maybe we reformed folk are just more vocal at saying what the Bible actually says. Or maybe the Protestant Arminians are wanting to have their cake and eat it too.

Experiential christianity

First, Experiential christianity without established truth gets you nowhere. Illiteracy in the Bible and of orthodoxy is the problem of the church today. This lends itself to be problem to those who have no firm grounding of objective truth in Christianity. It ruins experimental christianity for it cannot exist without objective truth. Experimental christianity is not about natural theology and speculations. Its more about worshipping in spirit and truth. Most Modern Experiential christianity has an anti-intellectual/anti-truth strain that seek not its answers in the Bible but in experience. It seeks the spirit but shuns the truth. I am weirded out by those who cannot establish a firm distinction on truth from mere speculation. Or the one who rejects the more 'normal' operations of the spirit as being suffiecent. One cannot teach without being taught themselves. True experiential Christianity does not look for new truths but seeks to relive old ones. It establishes current convictions, like the Gospel. (This conviction is by far the best sign of maturity.) This is not a new conviction. It is power and motivation to that end. It does not seek to establish the mindset of "seeking spiritual gifts" above all else. It seeks to establish love toward God as response to His love and grace. In so far as Experimental christianity should a vital connection that centers around the fruits of the spirit being poured out in a soul, not the spiritual gifts. Its end is God-ward. This does not boost a man's abilities above the normal station of his life into something superhuman for it a time. It rather gets the Christian to use his gifs in reliance and in greater confidence on the Holy Spirit in aiding his weakness.

This idea of nothing new in experimental christianity is consistent with the teaching of the Word. It is complete. New stances aught not to be formed in our experiences alone. No matter how grand the experience is. These things really should only reinforced what is in the Word. There is no new doctrine in real Experimental Christianity on which a new stance could be built. It is from Satan that new doctrine and heresy arise. True experience is consistent to the Word. We know that the entire word of God is profitable for doctrine, teaching, reproof, and correction. (2 Timothy 3:16) It will not be contradicted. Our life must be lived by it rather than by vain imaginations.

This means that we do not look here or there for Christ to return. We do not adulterate the Bible because we think it to be in error. We do not fight with hard chapters like Romans 9, Ephesians 1 and 2, or James 2. Yet, we do not subject ourselves to earthly institutions that add an infallible cannon, ex cathedra either. While we accept the clearly laid out understandings of past orthodoxy like the Trinity. Not because of experience alone but because of the vast evidence in the Bible that confirms it. We trust not the speculative. Yet, we trust in faith. For Faith is far less speculative for God has clearly said and written extensively on its object.

It is true that many positions of the Bible can be reinforced from experience but this is not adopting something new. It does not lay its foundation or modify the current one. For christ is the only foundation. This ADD, gratification now generation must slow down. Be still and know that he is God. He is the one that lifts our hearts. He is the one who lifts our heads. He does not attack us with crazy fits of passion. He slowly fills us with grace until it overflows in our hearts.