John Owen on Christian Liberty

"Slaves take liberty from duty; children have liberty in duty. There is not a greater mistake in the world than that the liberty of sons in the house of God consists in this: they can perform duties or take the freedom to omit them; they can serve in the family of God (that is, they think they may if they will), and they can choose whether they will or no. This is a liberty stolen by slaves, not a liberty given by the Spirit unto sons.

The liberty of sons is in the inward spiritual freedom of their hearts, naturally and kindly going out in all the ways and worship of God. When they find themselves straitened and shut up in them, they wrestle with God for enlargement and are never contented with the doing of a duty, unless it be done as in Christ, with free, genuine, and enlarged hearts. The liberty that servants have is from duty; the liberty given to sons is in duty…. Where love is in any duty, it is complete in Christ.
The liberty of sons is in the inward spiritual freedom of their hearts, naturally and kindly going out in all the ways and worship of God. When they find themselves straitened and shut up in them, they wrestle with God for enlargement and are never contented with the doing of a duty, unless it be done as in Christ, with free, genuine, and enlarged hearts. The liberty that servants have is from duty; the liberty given to sons is in duty…. Where love is in any duty, it is complete in Christ."

John Owen, Communion with God

The Dead who are Living

From a sermon by S. Lewis Johnson "His Power and Our Salvation". 

"Many years ago...I read a story by a Scottish expositor. And he said that there was a graveyard in Ayrshire, one the counties of Scotland, where once a stranger was buried. It greatly distressed the people of that particular parish, so much so that they put a notice on the outside of the graveyard to this effect, this is what it read: "This graveyard is reserved exclusively for the dead who are living in this parish."

Now, that is what we have in this parish of the whole wide world. We have dead people. They're alive, just like Adam was alive, physically, after he had sinned, but nevertheless, he was spiritually dead. We are living in the parish, but we are dead, as we are born into this human race. The Apostle says, "We are dead in trespasses and sins" that’s the relationship we have to the Creator."

Book Review: John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace

John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace.

by Jonathan Aitken 

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I'm found.

T'was blind, but now I see.

The life of John Newton is an amazing story and a testament to God's grace, mercy, providence, and sovereignty in a life full of sorry, sin, tragedy, that becomes one of hope, love, pardon, and forgiveness.

The book covers the whole scope of Newton's life and I came away with the sense that I got to know Newton as a man, not just a abstract figure of history. I appreciated Newton's love for others after his conversion. He had a great love for his wife, Polly. Their love story is, of its self, an amazing tale and I was blessed in reading of their love. His love for his people, his church, is one that can be and should be modeled by pastors. His love for the brethren, but helping and mentoring younger men of God. His love for truth and justice, by telling his testimony, not because it made him famous, but rather because it made both him and the slave trade infamous. 

I learned much in this book of the horrors of slavery. The slave trade was a horrible, viciousness and demonic evil. Men stealing is a bad enough sin, but the horrific ways in which the African slaves were treated was disgusting. I found it even when Newton was himself kidnapped and ill-treated.

A good biography will give the full picture of the man, good and bad and I was a little disappointed in his pragmatic view of the church and his decision to stay with the church of England, despite every effort to keep him out of the pulpit. Of course, as a Baptist, I was rooting for him to join the ranks of the nonconformist, but he had his reasons, as bad as I believe them to be. What I did appreciate was his love for Christ, across denominations, because he loved the gospel of Christ. It is possible to draw a line to which the only one you can fellowship with is yourself, and maybe your dog. But the other side of that coin is taking lightly the things of God.

As a writer, Newton moved beyond his small church in Oney, to have a very public and profitable ministry. He was a very talented writer, and used his gift in hymns, biography, history, sermons, and letters, though the book focused mostly on his authorship of his autobiography. 

As I finished this book, I thought about how many people have sung this song and have heard the gospel sang to them through Newton's words. How many tears have rolled down the cheeks of a penitent believers recounting "the hour I first believed". That hymn is a gift of God for the English speaking world, and I'm thankful for that; but I'm thankful for the God of John Newton, who saves wretched sinners by His amazing grace.

The Glorious Gospel

Tuesdays with Timothy  #7

I Timothy 1:11-12 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

The glorious gospel - the good news of salvation in Christ alone. Early in my spiritual life, I thought the gospel was something for lost people. I believed that the gospel was what you believed to get saved  and then you moved on to the deep stuff, you know, like whether or not a Christian can watch T.V. and if women can wear blue jeans. This lead me down a disastrous path because it did not lead me to Christ. We never grow out of the gospel. I say that a lot because I believe the point needs to be drilled into us - we need to hear and meditate on that glorious gospel every day. 

If the gospel is indeed glorious, then it needs to be preached and proclaimed. The gospel is the preeminent theme, the magnificent message, the majestic melody of effectual preaching. The more I preach and the more I hear preaching, the more I want to hear that glorious gospel and plum the depths of the riches of the grace of Christ. Does this mean there is no room for the imperatives of Christian duty? By no means. We were saved unto good works, and because we were saved by Christ, we love Him and want to know how to follow His ways. This is the lawful use of the law according to this glorious gospel. But don't give me rules for rules sake. 

The essential gospel message of the forgiveness of sins by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the message we preach - but that is a far cry from the whole of the gospel. The glorious gospel preached is a very simple message that can be received by a child. The depths of the glorious gospel and what it means to me, a child of God, will never be exhausted. I am happy in the trend of  evangelicals in the "gospel centered" movement, but I fear that it is becoming nothing more than a motto and the glorious gospel is not be preached in its depth and glory. Can we ever mine the depths of justification? Can we reach the end of the store house of God's love? Could we possibly ever get to the heart and the depth of the atonement? The gospel is simple in its essential message in order to receive and believe by faith - but so deep that we will spend eternity learning more and more of the depths of His love. 

This gospel was committed to Paul's trust. Paul had been given this trust by Christ while the false teachers desired of their own to teach the law. There are not two gospels. Paul's gospel came from Christ and was authorized to be preached by Christ. Any other gospel has a beginning that did not come from Jesus. Paul was thankful that God would use him, of all people, to preach this gospel. God "enabled" him, or in other words, he permitted him, or allowed him to preach and then supplied him with the power necessary to carry out the task. Paul was thankful that he was given the power and Christ put him in the position of ministry and charged him to proclaim the good news. Paul did not think he was great - in fact he was the least.

Monday Verse: The Calvinist

Today's poem is by John Piper called "The Calvinist". Enjoy!

The Calvinist from Desiring God on Vimeo.

See him on his knees,
Hear his constant pleas:
Heart of ev’ry aim:
“Hallowed be Your name.”

See him in the Word,
Helpless, cool, unstirred,
Heaping on the pyre
Heed until the fire.

See him with his books:
Tree beside the brooks,
Drinking at the root
Till the branch bear fruit.

See him with his pen:
Written line, and then,
Better thought preferred,
Deep from in the Word.

See him in the square,
Kept from subtle snare:
Unrelenting sleuth
On the scent of truth.

See him on the street,
Seeking to entreat,
Meek and treasuring:
“Do you know my King?”

See him in dispute,
Firm and resolute,
Driven by the fame
Of his Father’s name.

See him at his trade.
Done. The plan is made.
Men will have his skills,
If the Father wills.

See him at his meal,
Praying now to feel
Thanks and, be it graced,
God in ev’ry taste.

See him with his child:
Has he ever smiled
Such a smile before,
Playing on the floor?

See him with his wife,
Parable for life:
In this sacred scene
She is heaven’s queen.

See him stray. He groans.
“One is true,” he owns.
“What is left to me?
Fallibility.”

See him in lament
“Should I now repent?”
“Yes. And then proclaim:
All is for my fame.”

See him worshipping.
Watch the sinner sing,
Spared the burning flood
Only by the blood.

See him on the shore:
“Whence this ocean store?”
“From your God above,
Thimbleful of love.”

See him now asleep.
Watch the helpless reap,
But no credit take,
Just as when awake.

See him nearing death.
Listen to his breath,
Through the ebbing pain:
Final whisper: “Gain!”

Heavenly Thoughts and Christian Duty

Acts 1:9-11  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  (10)  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  (11)  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
 

Lindsay Thomas -- “There was work to be done for the Master; and although it is good to look upward, and mediate on Heavenly things, yet this must not interfere with the active duties of the Christian life. The disciples wished to linger on the Mount of Transfiguration, but the demoniac boy was waiting at the foot of the hill to be healed and Jesus made them descend. The women were invited to see the place where the Lord was laid, but they were also told to depart and tell the disciples and Peter that the Lord had risen. The question reminded them of the work to be done and the promise was to strengthen and encourage in working.”

Book Review: Why Johnny Can't Preach

Why Johnny Can't Preach
by: T. David Gordon

Preaching can be bad. Bad preaching can be the result of a lot of different things. A rough night's sleep, too much coffee, not enough coffee, bad listeners, or a thousand other mishaps. Sometimes though, bad preaching comes from the fact that a man doesn't know how to preach.

In the book Why Johnny Can't Preach, T. David Gordon suggests that some men can't preach, not because they don't love the Lord, or because they are not spiritual enough, but because they do not have the basic intellectual and educational foundation to preach a sermon. We can't read and we can't write, which means we can't think. If you can't do those things, you can't preach.

This is a very short book, but carries a lot of food for thought and a book that I think should be read and at least considered.  R.L. Dabney's "seven cardinal requisites of preaching" from his Lectures on Rhetoric provides a thread through which the book examines and condemns a lot of what is called preaching today. Preachers must be readers, but not just readers for information, but readers of texts.

Is the book perfect? By no means, and I had some areas of disagreement. Because preaching is a spiritual endeavor, the suggestion of an annual review of the preachers sermons is probably not the best idea. I doubt Paul would have had very many good reviews at Corinth or Galatia. This would also focus the preacher on getting better reviews, not necessarily preacher more truth.

I also had issue with his description of Christ-centered preaching. All roads lead to Christ, the Bible is about Jesus, but not all messages explicitly about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

All in all, this is a good book and I learned a good deal. If you preach, you need to read this book and think about it for a while.

Lawful Law

Tuesdays with Timothy  #6

1Timothy 1:8-17 

In the effort to not miss the Smoky Mountains for the white oak before us, we are going to take a gander at the broader context and then might circle back around and check out the gray hue of the bark.

Paul had given the charge, to which I believe is the charge to gospel fidelity. He had just said the unfaithful preacher desires to be a preacher of the law, but doesn't really know what he is talking about.

So that Timothy not misunderstand, we see the clarification - the law is not the problem if you know what you are talking about. If you use the law in the right way, if you understand both what the law is saying and what the law is for -- have at it. If you understand the purpose and the uses of the law, you are following the charge of gospel fidelity. So we can see now that the context shows us there are two different "laws" or "commands" going on in this introduction. The command to Timothy to preach true doctrine, and commands of the law of God. The law (of God) is OK to preach if it is preached lawfully (according to Paul's gospel charge). 

How is the law used with gospel fidelity? It is used to bring the sinner to Christ. The law is to show the lawless, disobedient, the ungodly, the sinner and any other thing that is opposed to sound doctrine; that they are not, in fact, righteousness but worse than they imagine.  Sound doctrine is both law and grace. The law to show the sinner they need a savior which is in accordance to the glorious gospel (vs. 10-11).  The law is not the problem. The preaching of the law is not the problem.  The problem is using the law as an alternative to the gospel. Sound doctrine and a sound gospel is in accordance with a sound teaching of the law. 

Paul isn't making all this up as he goes along and he isn't being a stickler for his own particular brand and style of preaching. Paul charged Timothy - he commanded him and any other man who preaches the Word, because Paul was also given a command. The Lord Jesus Christ put the gospel in his trust. He called him to preach, gave him the message, committed its truth to him and gave him the power to preach it.  His entire life was an illustration of the truths that he preached, the doctrine he loved, and the Saviour he served. The law is for the wicked men he enumerated with all their ungodly deeds (vs. 9-10) and they had nothing on him. The men Paul preaches to are small time compared to him. And God saved him. Jesus showed mercy to the chief of sinners and this is a saying that you can take to the bank, Jesus Christ saves sinners. The whole reason Christ saved Paul was so Jesus could show that he is a great Saviour of great sinners and that anyone who thinks they are beyond salvation need just took at Paul and follow the pattern set before them (set before you, dear reader) - repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Praise the eternal, immortal invisible, wise God with honor and glory forever - TRUTH!

Monday Verse

Good Monday morning! Welcome to Discussions. A new name for the blog and a new direction. I hope to be posting with more regularity and on a broader range of topics. We'll see. The name is based on the collection of essays on Vario's topics by theologian, proffesor, author, preacher, and Chaplin for General Stonewall Jackson, R.L.Dabney.

Instead of a poem, today I wasn't to share and article about poetry and it's benifits.

Keeping the Doctrinal Bus Between the Ditches

Tuesdays with Timothy  #5

I Timothy 1: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

 The goal of a faithful gospel ministry has been charged to Timothy, the men he would ordain in the church, and all of God’s men through the ages. But as long as there have been prophets, there have been false prophets and teachers who do not rightly handle the Word.  False teachers are not very good drivers. These men drive the doctrinal bus down the wrong road then eventually off the road. Instead of driving down Straight Street, they missed the exit and are barreling down Vain Jangling Blvd at a high rate of speed.  Instead of handling the gospel truth, which is the power of God unto salvation and a faithful saying (I Tim. 1:12-15) they are involved in "empty talk." There is no value in their preaching, there is no worth in there sermons. What a tragedy, that a man can be commissioned to declare a message of unimaginable value, inestimable worth, that reaps eternal reward and glory and give it up for a bunch of hot air. 

They desire to be teachers of the law, which is a good thing. It is a good thing to desire to lead others in truth. It is a noble thing to want to stand up, put yourself on the line and boldly declare God's Word. However, these men don't understand what they are supposed to be telling others about and don't understand what it is they say they affirm. 

Sadly, I believe that too many men are allowed free range behind a pulpit without proper training. Men say "they Lord has called me to preach" and then the church says "have at it" is not operating with much wisdom. It is a good thing to desire to be a bishop (I Timothy 3:1) and that is a signal of the call into ministry, but that is not the final say in the matter. If a man desires to be a teacher of the law, then he first has to understand the law himself and this takes time and this takes the care of the church.

If a man feels "called" to preach – great; now let's get to work. The church should help with opportunity to demonstrate their skills, but also with the accumulation of workman tools (books) and the skills necessary to rightly divide the Word of truth. The pastor needs to help these men with their learning and develop their skills. If a man, who desires to drive the bus, doesn’t know the road, where he is going, or why he is going there, the passengers are in danger. When these men are given authority in the church and free range to preach - you get false teachers and you get false doctrine. 

Monday Verse: Young Kentucky

Jesse Stuart lived and wrote in Greenup County, Kentucky - the place where I was raised and lived for the first 30 years of my life. From the time I was a young elementary school student and learned about him, I wanted to be a writer. I’ll write more about Jesse Stuart one day, but I was thinking about the poetry and stories of the hills when I was at the Buffalo Valley Baptist Church Bible Conference last week. I had a great time, the church and her pastor did a great job hosting (as usual). I was blessed to preach twice and enjoyed hearing the preaching of the Word.

So first, a portion of a poem by Jesse Stuart, then some pictures of wild and wonderful West Virginia.

Young Kentucky

by Jesse Stuart

The winter birds are roosting in the fodder,

I hear them twitter when I pass at night;

I hear September winds in low-lipped laughter

Combing the gray corn-stalks in white moonlight.

I see old stubble fields and fresh green weeds

Beneath old ferns and leaves and blades of fodder.

I see the timid rabbit coming out to feed

And then I see his playful mate come after.

I hear the long notes of the hunter's horn

Sound over silent hills in white moonlight -

It is not music like the wind in corn,

The notes are coarser than the warring fife.

And I have picked a solitary star

Above the pine-cone fire where the hunters are.

I hate to leave springtime among the hills

Of dark Kentucky and her solitudes

I love her blood-root and her daffodils,

I love fern-shaded water in beech woods,

And midnight singing of the whippoorwill,

And thin-piped music from the leave swamp-frogs.

I love dark silence on a wooded hill

And mushrooms grown on old rotted logs.

Preachers at the conference

Elk River

Long way up to Buffalo "Valley"

Gauley Bridge, WV