Simplicity in our search for God

“If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity. Now as always God discovers himself to ‘babes’ and hides himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to him. We must strip down to essentials, and they will be found to be blessedly few. We must put away all effort to impress and come with the guileless candor of childhood.”

A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (London, 1961), page 18.

The Irrationality of Our Sinful Autonomy

"Paul tells us in Romans 1:18-32 that human beings know God clearly from his revelation to them in creation, but that nevertheless they choose to repress this knowledge and exchange it for a lie. How could anyone imagine that contradicting the Master of the universe could be a wise decision?"

-- John Frame, "The Doctrine of the Word of God" (P&R), p. 16

"It is finished!"

"Completely Done" by Sovereign Grace Music

"We are not yet what we shall be..."

"This life, therefore,
is not righteousness but growth in righteousness,
not health but healing,
not being but becoming,
not rest but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished, but it is going on.
This is not the end but it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified."

-- Martin Luther, “Defense and Explanation of All the Articles,” Second Article (1521).

Two Heartening Songs to End the Lord's Day

"On and On/Beloved" by Tenth Avenue North.

"The Christmas Story" (for children)

The Christmas Story from the "Jesus Storybook Bible"

Luther: "we are to be 'little Christs' to our neighbors"

"As Christ demonstrated his kingship and power by death on the cross, so the believer does so by giving himself or herself unconditionally to the aid of others. We are to be, as Luther puts it, 'little Christs' to our neighbors, for in so doing we find our true identity as children of God."

-- Carl Trueman

Authentic Spiritual Warfare

Justin Taylor's intro to his helpful post focusing on the teaching of David Powlison...

Several years ago I read David Powlison’s book, Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare. (Sadly, no longer in print—though I believe a second edition may be forthcoming.) I found it extremely helpful and persuasive. I took notes, and thought it might be worth posting them....

You can read the rest here.

Conversion is no small matter...

“Conversion is another kind of work than most are aware of. It is not a small matter to bring an earthly mind to heaven and to show man the amiable excellencies of God, to be taken up in such love to him that can never be quenched; to make him flee for refuge to Christ and thankfully embrace him as the life of his soul; to have the very drift and bent of his life change so that a man renounces that which he took for happiness, and places his happiness where he never did before.”

– Richard Baxter( Puritan Evangelism; A Biblical Approach; p. 48)

Three Things Are True of Someone Truly Saved

Kevin DeYoung reflects on a key insight of J.C. Ryle...

J.C. Ryle:

There are three things which, according to the Bible, are absolutely necessary to the salvation of every man and woman in Christendom.

Ok, don’t read on yet. What do you think the three things are? Keep in mind he doesn’t say three “grounds” for salvation or that we are saved on the basis of each one. But Ryle believes every true Christian will have these three things. What are the three?

These three are justification, regeneration, and sanctification. All three meet in ever child of God: he is both born again, and justified, and sanctified. He that lacks any one of these three things is not a true Christian in the sight of God, and, dying in that condition, will not be found in heaven and glorified in the last day.

If Ryle is right, we would do well to have these three things as three of the great themes in our churches. How are we doing?

Amazing Savior...Amazing Grace

"How astonishing is it that a person who is blessed forever and is infinitely and essentially happy should endure the greatest sufferings that ever were endured on earth! That a person who is the supreme Lord and Judge of the world should be arraigned and should stand at the judgment seat of mortal worms and then be condemned. That a person who is the living God and the fountain of life should be put to death. That a person who created the world and gives life to all his creatures should be put to death by his own creatures. That a person of infinite majesty and glory, and so the object of the love, praises and adoration of angels, should be mocked and spit upon by the vilest of men. That a person infinitely good and who is love itself should suffer the greatest cruelty. That person who is infinitely beloved of the Father should be put to inexpressible anguish under his own Father’s wrath. That he who is the King of heaven, who has heaven for his throne and earth for his footstool, should be buried in the prison of the grave. How wonderful is this! And yet this is the way that God’s wisdom has fixed upon as the way of sinners’ salvation, as neither unsuitable nor dishonorable to Christ.”

-- Jonathan Edwards, “The Wisdom of God Displayed in the Way of Salvation,” in Works (Edinburgh, 1979), II:144.

HT: Ray Ortlund, Jr.

"What we owe the poor..."

In this CT Online interview, Tim Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, says seeking justice is not optional for the person saved by grace.

Justification and Sanctification Always Go Together

“If we say we have faith, but no works follow, that is clear evidence that our faith is not genuine. True faith always produces real conformity to Christ. If justification happens to us, then sanctification will surely follow. If there is no sanctification, it means that there never was any justification.” – R.C. Sproul (The Holiness of God, p.166, 2nd Rev.)

Another excellent (free) online resource....

The audio/video to D.A. Carson's teaching: "The God Who Is There"

Trusting God Alone

“Pseudo-faith always arranges a way out to serve in case God fails it. Real faith knows only one way and gladly allows itself to be stripped of any second way or makeshift substitutes. For true faith, it is either God or total collapse. And not since Adam first stood up on the earth has God failed a single man or woman who trusted him.”

A. W. Tozer, “True Faith Brings Committal,” In The Root of the Righteous (Harrisburg, 1955), pages 49-50.

What are you doing, in obedience to the Word of God, that positions you for either God or total collapse?

-- from Ray Ortlund