Justin Taylor introduces this excellent new resource, featuring the teaching ministry of one of the most important Christian scholars on the scene today:
Andy Naselli, Ben Peays, and Ryan James have performed a tremendous service to the church: they have uploaded to The Gospel Coalition website 443 MP3s of D. A. Carson's teaching. Many of these were previously available only for a price; others have never been available online. Some are even in French! They are all tagged for easy searching and organization: by title, Scripture text, series, topic, date.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Making Progress in Sanctification
Recent previous posts (and my sermon on Sunday) emphasized the Biblical teaching that a true conversion involves an unconditional surrender and whole-souled commitment to the Lordship of Christ (i.e., 'repentance'). This section on (progressive) sanctification reminds us, at the same time, that throughout our Christian life in this world, we face the struggle against indwelling sin. But it is a struggle where the power of the Spirit is stronger than the influence of the 'flesh.' (Cp. Gal.5:16ff.):
1. Those who are effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified—truly and personally—through the power of Christ's death and resurrection, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them.
The dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, its various lusts are more and more weakened and put to death, and those called and regenerated are more and more enlivened and strengthened in all saving graces, leading to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
2. This sanctification, although imperfect in this life, is effected in every part of man's nature. Some remnants of corruption still persist in every part, and so there arises a continual and irreconcilable war—the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
3. Although in this war the remaining corruption may strongly prevail for a time, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate nature overcomes, and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
-- Westminster Confession of Faith (1993 Modern Language edition)
1. Those who are effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified—truly and personally—through the power of Christ's death and resurrection, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them.
The dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, its various lusts are more and more weakened and put to death, and those called and regenerated are more and more enlivened and strengthened in all saving graces, leading to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
2. This sanctification, although imperfect in this life, is effected in every part of man's nature. Some remnants of corruption still persist in every part, and so there arises a continual and irreconcilable war—the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
3. Although in this war the remaining corruption may strongly prevail for a time, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate nature overcomes, and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
-- Westminster Confession of Faith (1993 Modern Language edition)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Calvin on the Pursuit of Holiness
"Until the day that we leave this world, there will always be spots and stains within us, and we will always be bent down with the burden of our sins and weaknesses. This is in order to humble us and to show that our life is to be a constant battle.
"Thus, though sin dwells within us, it must not have dominion, but the Spirit of God must conquer it. This can only happen if we flee to God with fervent zeal, and pray that he will remedy the evil that we cannot change. Also, that he would grant us more of the gifts of His Spirit so that we might overcome all that has weighed us down."
-- John Calvin, Sermons on Galatians, trans. Kathy Childress (1563; repr. Edinburgh: Ganner of Truth Trust, 1997), 530.
"Thus, though sin dwells within us, it must not have dominion, but the Spirit of God must conquer it. This can only happen if we flee to God with fervent zeal, and pray that he will remedy the evil that we cannot change. Also, that he would grant us more of the gifts of His Spirit so that we might overcome all that has weighed us down."
-- John Calvin, Sermons on Galatians, trans. Kathy Childress (1563; repr. Edinburgh: Ganner of Truth Trust, 1997), 530.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
"Authentic"? Zing!
Douglas Groothuis of Denver Seminary reviews two recent biographies of Francis Schaeffer. This reviews are valuable in their own right, but what caught my attention was his humorous aside as to the much overused description, "authentic."
As he puts it, "I fear that the younger generation of evangelicals do not know enough about the remarkable life and achievements of Francis Schaefer; instead they are opting for the trendy but intellectually barren hype of much of the emergent church movement-which claims to be 'authentic.' ('Authentic' often means little more than emotional, unconventional, and obsessively autobiographical.)"
As he puts it, "I fear that the younger generation of evangelicals do not know enough about the remarkable life and achievements of Francis Schaefer; instead they are opting for the trendy but intellectually barren hype of much of the emergent church movement-which claims to be 'authentic.' ('Authentic' often means little more than emotional, unconventional, and obsessively autobiographical.)"
Monday, January 12, 2009
The "grace of God" argument for the pursuit of holiness
“The gospel creates the only kind of grief over sin which is clean and which does not crush. It says: ‘Look at Jesus dying for you! He won’t leave you or abandon you–how then can you respond as you are? He suffered so you wouldn’t do this thing! You are not living as though you are loved! As his child! It is not because he will abandon you that you should be holy, but because this is the one who at inestimable cost to himself has said he won’t ever abandon you! How can you live in the very sin that he was ripped to pieces to deliver you from?’ See the GRACE of God argument? It is the only argument which cannot be answered.”
- Timothy Keller, Church Planter Manual
posted at "Of First Importance"
- Timothy Keller, Church Planter Manual
posted at "Of First Importance"
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sincere Repentance
A recent commenter to this blog provided another wise quote regarding repentance:
"No plea for forgiveness could be sincere, if there was no renunciation of the sin in the heart; no cry for cleansing could have any meaning, if there was still the purpose to renew the act that brought the stain; no prayer for communion could be genuinely expressed by a sacrifice, if there was no desire to walk in harmony with God's will." -- H.H. Rowley
"No plea for forgiveness could be sincere, if there was no renunciation of the sin in the heart; no cry for cleansing could have any meaning, if there was still the purpose to renew the act that brought the stain; no prayer for communion could be genuinely expressed by a sacrifice, if there was no desire to walk in harmony with God's will." -- H.H. Rowley
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Repentance from the Heart
“Repentance out of mere fear is really sorrow for the consequences of sin, sorrow over the danger of sin — it bends the will away from sin, but the heart still clings. But repentance out of conviction over mercy is really sorrow over sin, sorrow over the grievousness of sin — it melts the heart away from sin. It makes the sin itself disgusting to us, so it loses its attractive power over us. We say, ‘this disgusting thing is an affront to the one who died for me. I’m continuing to stab him with it!’” - Timothy Keller, Church Planter Manual posted at "Of First Importance"
In the words of C.H. Spurgeon, "I will not trifle with the sin that slew my best Friend; I must be holy for his sake."
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In the words of C.H. Spurgeon, "I will not trifle with the sin that slew my best Friend; I must be holy for his sake."
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Friday, January 9, 2009
Repent and Be Saved -- pt. 5
from a modern language edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith:
"Repentance" (from the Westminster Confession of Faith – Modern Language Edition)
1. Repentance unto life is a gospel grace, the doctrine of which is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, just as is the doctrine of faith in Christ.
2. By it a sinner—seeing and sensing not only the danger but also the filthiness and hatefulness of his sins, because they are contrary to God's holy nature and his righteous law—turns from all his sins to God in the realization that God promises mercy in Christ to those who repent, and so grieves for and hates his sins that he determines and endeavors to walk with God in all the ways that he commands.
3. Although repentance is not to be relied on as any payment of the penalty for sin, or any cause of the pardon of sin (which is God's act of free grace in Christ); yet repentance is so necessary for all sinners, that no one may expect pardon without it.
4. No sin is so small that it does not deserve damnation. Nor is any sin so great that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.
5. No one should be satisfied with a general repentance; rather, it is everyone's duty to endeavor to repent of each particular sin, particularly.
6. It is the duty of each one to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for pardon (and whoever confesses his sins, prays for forgiveness, and forsakes those sins shall find mercy). Similarly, anyone who has scandalized a brother, or the church of Christ, ought to be willing by private or public confession, and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended, who are then to be reconciled to him and receive him in love.
"Repentance" (from the Westminster Confession of Faith – Modern Language Edition)
1. Repentance unto life is a gospel grace, the doctrine of which is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, just as is the doctrine of faith in Christ.
2. By it a sinner—seeing and sensing not only the danger but also the filthiness and hatefulness of his sins, because they are contrary to God's holy nature and his righteous law—turns from all his sins to God in the realization that God promises mercy in Christ to those who repent, and so grieves for and hates his sins that he determines and endeavors to walk with God in all the ways that he commands.
3. Although repentance is not to be relied on as any payment of the penalty for sin, or any cause of the pardon of sin (which is God's act of free grace in Christ); yet repentance is so necessary for all sinners, that no one may expect pardon without it.
4. No sin is so small that it does not deserve damnation. Nor is any sin so great that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.
5. No one should be satisfied with a general repentance; rather, it is everyone's duty to endeavor to repent of each particular sin, particularly.
6. It is the duty of each one to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for pardon (and whoever confesses his sins, prays for forgiveness, and forsakes those sins shall find mercy). Similarly, anyone who has scandalized a brother, or the church of Christ, ought to be willing by private or public confession, and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended, who are then to be reconciled to him and receive him in love.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Jim Elliot
Justin Taylor has a convicting, inspiring post (and video) about Jim Elliot. 53 years ago today (Jan.8), Elliot and four other missionaries were killed in Ecuador seeking to meet and evangelize the Waodani people.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Preaching Christ
Wise words from Sinclair Fergson:
"We do not preach "the atonement" as such, or "salvation," "redemption," or "justification" as such, but Jesus Christ and him crucified. These blessings were accomplished by Christ and are available only in Christ, never abstracted from him.
"We must learn to avoid the contemporary plague of preaching the benefits of the gospel without proclaiming Christ himself as the Benefactor in the gospel.
"We do not offer people abstract blessings (peace, forgiveness, new life) as commodities. Rather we preach and offer Christ crucified and risen, in whom the blessings become ours and not otherwise. We preach the person in the work, never the work and its blessings apart from the Saviour himself."
-- "Preaching the Atonement" in The Glory of the Atonement (Hill & James, eds), p. 437
HT: Martin Downes
"We do not preach "the atonement" as such, or "salvation," "redemption," or "justification" as such, but Jesus Christ and him crucified. These blessings were accomplished by Christ and are available only in Christ, never abstracted from him.
"We must learn to avoid the contemporary plague of preaching the benefits of the gospel without proclaiming Christ himself as the Benefactor in the gospel.
"We do not offer people abstract blessings (peace, forgiveness, new life) as commodities. Rather we preach and offer Christ crucified and risen, in whom the blessings become ours and not otherwise. We preach the person in the work, never the work and its blessings apart from the Saviour himself."
-- "Preaching the Atonement" in The Glory of the Atonement (Hill & James, eds), p. 437
HT: Martin Downes
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Repent and Be Saved (pt. 4)
What is repentance? Here is the definition from a modern language edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith:
1. Repentance unto life is a gospel grace, the doctrine of which is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, just as is the doctrine of faith in Christ.
2. By it [that is, repentance] a sinner—seeing and sensing not only the danger but also the filthiness and hatefulness of his sins, because they are contrary to God's holy nature and his righteous law—turns from all his sins to God in the realization that God promises mercy in Christ to those who repent, and so grieves for and hates his sins that he determines and endeavors to walk with God in all the ways that he commands.
1. Repentance unto life is a gospel grace, the doctrine of which is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, just as is the doctrine of faith in Christ.
2. By it [that is, repentance] a sinner—seeing and sensing not only the danger but also the filthiness and hatefulness of his sins, because they are contrary to God's holy nature and his righteous law—turns from all his sins to God in the realization that God promises mercy in Christ to those who repent, and so grieves for and hates his sins that he determines and endeavors to walk with God in all the ways that he commands.
Monday, January 5, 2009
"Repent and Be Saved" (pt. 3)
(See previous posts -- pt. 1 and pt. 2)
The Bible teaches that we must repent and believe in order to be saved. But what does it mean to repent? In the previous posts, I've given two descriptions of repentance. Now, here is a third, this time from Charles Spurgeon...
“Another proof of the conquest of a soul for Christ will be found in a real change of life.
“If the man does not live differently from what he did before, both in private and in public, then his repentance needs to be repented of, and his conversion is a fiction.
“Not only action and language, but spirit and temper [attitude] must be changed….
“…Remaining under the power of any known sin is a mark of our being the servants of sin, for ‘you are servants of the one you obey’ [Rom.6].
“Idle are the boasts of a man who harbors within himself the love of any transgression. He may feel what he likes, and believe what he likes, but he is still in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity while a single sin rules his heart and life.
“True regeneration implants a hatred of all evil; and where one sin is delighted in, the evidence is fatal to a sound hope…..[that is, the hope that such a person is genuinely saved”].
The Bible teaches that we must repent and believe in order to be saved. But what does it mean to repent? In the previous posts, I've given two descriptions of repentance. Now, here is a third, this time from Charles Spurgeon...
“Another proof of the conquest of a soul for Christ will be found in a real change of life.
“If the man does not live differently from what he did before, both in private and in public, then his repentance needs to be repented of, and his conversion is a fiction.
“Not only action and language, but spirit and temper [attitude] must be changed….
“…Remaining under the power of any known sin is a mark of our being the servants of sin, for ‘you are servants of the one you obey’ [Rom.6].
“Idle are the boasts of a man who harbors within himself the love of any transgression. He may feel what he likes, and believe what he likes, but he is still in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity while a single sin rules his heart and life.
“True regeneration implants a hatred of all evil; and where one sin is delighted in, the evidence is fatal to a sound hope…..[that is, the hope that such a person is genuinely saved”].
Sunday, January 4, 2009
"Repent and be saved" (pt. 2)
(See previous post also.)
The Bible teaches that we must repent in order to be saved. So what does it mean to repent? In the previous post, I gave a description of repentance from evangelist Billy Graham. This time the definition comes from the "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament" (Kittel):
“…[Repentance means] radical conversion, a transformation of nature, a definitive turning from evil, a resolute turning to God in total obedience (Mk.1:15; Mt.4:17; 18:3)…. This conversion is once for all. There can be no going back, only advance in responsible movement along the way now taken. It affects the whole man, first and basically the center of personal life, then logically his conduct at all times and in all situation, his thoughts, words and acts (Mt. 12:33ff. par; 23:26; Mk.7:15 par.).
“The whole proclamation of Jesus…is a proclamation of unconditional turning to God, of unconditional turning from all that is against God, not merely that which is downright evil, but that which in a given case makes total turning to God impossible….
“It is addressed to all without distinction and presented with unmitigated severity in order to indicate the only way of salvation there is.
“Repentance calls for total surrender, total commitment to the will of God…. It embraces the whole walk of the new man who is claimed by the divine lordship. It carries with it the founding of a new personal relation of man to God…. It awakens joyous obedience for a life according to God’s will.”
The Bible teaches that we must repent in order to be saved. So what does it mean to repent? In the previous post, I gave a description of repentance from evangelist Billy Graham. This time the definition comes from the "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament" (Kittel):
“…[Repentance means] radical conversion, a transformation of nature, a definitive turning from evil, a resolute turning to God in total obedience (Mk.1:15; Mt.4:17; 18:3)…. This conversion is once for all. There can be no going back, only advance in responsible movement along the way now taken. It affects the whole man, first and basically the center of personal life, then logically his conduct at all times and in all situation, his thoughts, words and acts (Mt. 12:33ff. par; 23:26; Mk.7:15 par.).
“The whole proclamation of Jesus…is a proclamation of unconditional turning to God, of unconditional turning from all that is against God, not merely that which is downright evil, but that which in a given case makes total turning to God impossible….
“It is addressed to all without distinction and presented with unmitigated severity in order to indicate the only way of salvation there is.
“Repentance calls for total surrender, total commitment to the will of God…. It embraces the whole walk of the new man who is claimed by the divine lordship. It carries with it the founding of a new personal relation of man to God…. It awakens joyous obedience for a life according to God’s will.”
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Repent and Be Saved
The Bible makes it clear that a lost sinner must repent in order to be saved (Lk.13:5; Acts 2:38; 20:21 etc.). What, then, does it mean to repent? Here is how Billy Graham describes repentance in his classic book, "Peace with God.":
“If repentance could be described in one word, I would use the word renounce. ‘Renounce what?’ you ask. The answer can also be given in one word – ‘sin.’…
“Not only are we told that we must renounce the principle of sin but we are also to renounce sins – plural. We are to renounce the world, the flesh and the Devil. There can be no bargaining, compromise or hesitation. Christ demands absolute renunciation…..
“…repentance and faith go hand in hand. You cannot have genuine repentance without saving faith and you cannot have saving faith without repentance….
“…[To repent] means a great deal more than just regretting and feeling sorry about sin. The Biblical word repent means ‘to change, to turn.’ It is a word of power and action. It is a word that signifies a complete revolution in the individual.
“When the Bible calls upon us to repent of sin, it means that we should turn away from sin, that we should do an about-face and walk in the opposite direction from sin and all that it implies….
“….True repentance means ‘to change, to turn away from, to go in a new direction.’ To be sorry is not enough in repentance….
“….repentance cannot take place unless first there is a movement of the Holy Spirit in the heart and mind….”
“….There must be a determination to forsake sin – to change one’s attitudes toward self, toward sin, and God; to change one’s feelings; to change one’s will, disposition and purpose.
“Only the Spirit of God can give you the determination necessary for true repentance….
“There is not one verse of Scripture that indicates you can be a Christian and live any kind of a life you want to. When Christ enters into the human heart, He demands that He be Lord and Master. He demands complete surrender….
“…He must have first place in everything you do or think or say, for when you truly repent you turn toward God in everything.
“We have the warning of Christ that He will not receive us into His kingdom until we are ready to give up all, until we are ready to turn from all sin in our lives. Don’t try to do it part way. Don’t say, ‘I’ll give up some of my sins and hang on to some others. I’ll live part of my life for Jesus and part for my own desires.’”
“God demands a total change, a total surrender.”
--“Peace with God, pp. 100-107
If repentance is necessary for salvation, and this is what repentance really means, what does that say about so many professing Christians today?
“If repentance could be described in one word, I would use the word renounce. ‘Renounce what?’ you ask. The answer can also be given in one word – ‘sin.’…
“Not only are we told that we must renounce the principle of sin but we are also to renounce sins – plural. We are to renounce the world, the flesh and the Devil. There can be no bargaining, compromise or hesitation. Christ demands absolute renunciation…..
“…repentance and faith go hand in hand. You cannot have genuine repentance without saving faith and you cannot have saving faith without repentance….
“…[To repent] means a great deal more than just regretting and feeling sorry about sin. The Biblical word repent means ‘to change, to turn.’ It is a word of power and action. It is a word that signifies a complete revolution in the individual.
“When the Bible calls upon us to repent of sin, it means that we should turn away from sin, that we should do an about-face and walk in the opposite direction from sin and all that it implies….
“….True repentance means ‘to change, to turn away from, to go in a new direction.’ To be sorry is not enough in repentance….
“….repentance cannot take place unless first there is a movement of the Holy Spirit in the heart and mind….”
“….There must be a determination to forsake sin – to change one’s attitudes toward self, toward sin, and God; to change one’s feelings; to change one’s will, disposition and purpose.
“Only the Spirit of God can give you the determination necessary for true repentance….
“There is not one verse of Scripture that indicates you can be a Christian and live any kind of a life you want to. When Christ enters into the human heart, He demands that He be Lord and Master. He demands complete surrender….
“…He must have first place in everything you do or think or say, for when you truly repent you turn toward God in everything.
“We have the warning of Christ that He will not receive us into His kingdom until we are ready to give up all, until we are ready to turn from all sin in our lives. Don’t try to do it part way. Don’t say, ‘I’ll give up some of my sins and hang on to some others. I’ll live part of my life for Jesus and part for my own desires.’”
“God demands a total change, a total surrender.”
--“Peace with God, pp. 100-107
If repentance is necessary for salvation, and this is what repentance really means, what does that say about so many professing Christians today?
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