HeadTheology

Timmy Brister over at P&P proposed a Puritan challenge this year to read 12 Puritan Paperbacks in 2008.  I’ve already read a few of these but hope to finish the challenge by reading the rest.  Though this year will be busy I hope to post my favorite quotes from each book during the month they being read.

Here’s the schedule:
January: The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes (128 pp)
February: The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel (221 pp)
March: The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson (252 pp)
April: Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks (253 pp)
May: Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan (225 pp)
June: The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (130 pp)
July: A Lifting Up for the Downcast by William Bridge (287 pp)
August: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs (228 pp)
September: The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton (224 pp)
October: The Christian’s Great Interest by William Guthrie (207 pp)
November: The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter (256 pp)
December: A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine (148 pp)

For more visit Timmy Brister at P&P.

“I call ‘piety’ that reverence joined with love of God which the knowledge of his benefits induces. For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him - they will never yield him willing service. Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him.” John Calvin in The Institutes of the Christian Religion, ch. 2:1

That last sentence reminds me that no matter what side of the theological fence a believer is on, Arminian or Reformed, the Christian life is less about choosing God than it is about desiring God. For if God is the source of all good then we will desire him since our goodness and happiness will be found in him.

Last night at our small meeting there was a small discussion which some thought was not beneficial to the group. It was a matter not of great theological significance but was Scriptural nonetheless. What sticks out to me is not the topic which was lightly debated but the lack of tenderness that I felt in hearing one of participants speak. He was completely right in what he said but he was not as clear as he could have been and did not seem very patient with those that were not up to speed with his theological education. It reminded me of a book I had to read for my first seminary class, called A Little Exercise for Young Theologians, by Helmut Thielicke. He says, …

“There is a hiatus between the arena of the young theologian’s actual spiritual growth and what he already knows intellectually about this arena.”

and “in us men truth and love are seldom combined.”

and “It can be sacred theology or diabolical theology. That depends upon the hands and hearts which further it. But which of the two it is cannot necessarily be seen by the fact that in one case it is orthodox and in the other heretical.”

I do not feel I have always grown beyond this but I have been convicted of using the Sword of the Spirit against those I love, congratulating myself that I have forced them into an intellectual corner. Whereas instead of using my Scriptural knowledge against others I needed to use it against my sin and my flesh.

So from one middle-aged armchair theologian to all young theologians, do not use your knowledge to win an argument and show off your intellectual prowess, which you probably ripped off of someone else. But use it to display the glory of God and the joy that he offers. Only set Scripture before people and allow them to wrestle with it and what it plainly means giving them as much grace as God has given you.

“I feel much more union of spirit with some Arminians than I could with some Calvinists; and if I thought a person feared sin, loved the word of God, and was seeking after Jesus, I would not walk the length of my study to proselyte him to the Calvinist doctrines. Not because I think them mere opinions, or of little importance to a believer - I think the contrary; but because I believe these doctrines will do no one any good till he is taught them of God. I believe a too hasty assent to Calvinistic principles, before a person is duly acquainted with the plague of his own heart, is one principal cause of that lightness of profession which so lamentably abounds in this day, a chief reason why many professors are rash, heady, high-minded, contentious about words, and sadly remiss as to the means of Divine Appointment.”

-‘But Now I See’: The Life of John Newton, by Josiah Bull p. 212

I’ve read four Puritan Paperbacks in my life and intend to read them all before my life is done Lord willing since they are such inspirations to holiness and having an abiding joy in God. So far The Doctrine of Repentance, by Thomas Watson, has to be my favorite, or maybe it convictingly spoke to me when I needed it at a time in my life. Nevertheless, whenever someone wants me to recommend a book to them this is usually one of the first ones I mention. Not only is it an easy read (at least much easier than reading John Owen) but the content is pure gold. I can’t see why Christians would want to feed their life with all of the fluff that overflows most Christian bookstores when they can have something so nourishing as The Doctrine of Repentance. This book goes well with Owen’s The Mortification of Sin since there can be no mortification of sin without repentance. Here are my favorite quotes from The Doctrine of Repentance.

“It is better to go with difficulty to heaven than with ease to hell” (8)

“A woman may as well expect to have a child without pangs as one can have repentance without sorrow. He that can believe without doubting, suspect his faith; and he that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance.” (19)

“We are to find as much bitterness in weeping for sin as ever we found sweetness in committing it.” (24)

“The Christian has arrived as a sufficient measure of sorrow when the love of sin is purged out.” (24)

“The more bitterness we taste in sin, the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ.” (27)

(more…)

I finally finished The Mortification of Sin by John Owen for the second time. I must say that it is a book that gets much richer the second time around. I can’t say though that of all the Puritans I have read it transformed my Christian walk like J. I. Packer’s, The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson holds that place. Nonetheless, The Mortification of Sin is a superb book well worth its arduous read and worth apply to one’s Christian sojourn.

One of the things that I wish more book reviews had in them were more quotes from the book. I know that pulling quotes out of context can be deadly but I’d rather those of you who have not read the book get the highlights from Owen himself. I want you to taste this work itself to inspire you to read it, not to tell you what it tastes like. So without further ado, here are my favorite quotes from The Mortification of Sin.

“the vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.” (p.24)

“Be killing sin, or it will be killing you” (p.26)

“When sin lets us alone, we may let it alone: but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be the 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.” (p.28)

“[Sin] is modest, as it were, in its first motions and proposals; but having once got footing in the heart by them, it constantly makes good its ground, and presseth on to some degrees in the same kind.” (p.31)

“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.” (p.32)

“Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness, who walks not over the neck of his lusts.” (p.34) (more…)

I find it appropriate, on Valentines Day, in asking the question, ‘can unbelievers truly love?’  I John 4:8 says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God.  God is love” and 4:15-16 says, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  So we have come to know and to believe that love that God has for us.  God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

I ask this since Col 1:19 says that in Jesus “the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”  So it would seem that those without Jesus as savior do not have love and therefore no one can give away something they do not possess.

But in asking this question the question of whether our acts of love are qualitatively different from unbelievers arises.  We may give chocolates and flowers but unless we continue to push those we care about toward Christ we are as loveless as the devil.

This is nothing but an indicment of myself and a thanks to the many who love me by pushing me toward and presenting Christ to me despite the fact that it may not come with chocolate,flowers, or a card.

——–
“To tell men that the cause is urgent, and that the kingdom of God is at
hand is the most charitable and merciful act we can perform, the most
joyous news we can bring.” -Bonhoeffer in ‘The Cost of Discipleship’, p211.

Blasphemychallenge.com is an atheistic site that will send people a DVD if they upload a video on YouTube with them stating that they deny the Holy Spirit. They are doing this in a way that seems call Jesus’ bluff (though it certainly isn’t a bluff) when he says in Mark 3:29, “but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal fire.” I guess they think that if there is no hell they can’t be sent there by God.

Whether those who post videos are actually blaspheming against the Holy Spirit can be debated later but I wanted to make people aware of this site (especially youth ministers) so that if someone says they have done this or know someone who has done this they have already investigate what blasphemy is for themselves and be prepared to give them some sort of a response to those who have a question concerning this.

Hopefully I can find a few minutes to spend time finding out exactly what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit entails. But this is disturbing to say the least. Perhaps God will bring some to repentance by his grace if they are not actually blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

A couple from my community group made a mix CD of Praise and Worship music for everyone this Christmas and I have been listening to ‘I Have To Believe’ by Rita Springer on it a lot. It’s a great song and I love singing it in church at Sojourn. But I’ve been thinking about some of the lyrics that say…

“He said that He can move mountains
And if He can move mountains
He can move my mountain
He can move Your mountain too”

Of course God can move mountains but what if instead of God moving mountains out of your way, God moves one in your path and you can’t get around it? How are we as believers supposed to respond when the providence of God seems to be against what we want to do or are working towards in any of the categories of life? Is it a test of patience and should we wait until the mountain is removed or should we look for another…well, whatever God is blocking you from?

I intended to write I think one should do in this situation but then I realized that sometimes we have to wait and sometimes we have to give up that dream.  So there is no formula to go by, all we can do is have confidence in God (Romans 8:28) and the seek out wise counselors he places in our life.  In thinking about this it reminded me of a C.S. Lewis quote which says, “We’re not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us, we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”

“Excess of passion in opposing evil, though not be justified, yet shows a better spirit than a calm temper where there is just cause of being moved.  It is better that the water run somewhat muddily than not run at all.”
-Richard Sibbes, from The Bruised Reed