It is finished…but we still fight

Piper-How to approach God when I feel bad

This article(link above) reminded me that the Christian life is designed by the Designer to be a fight. He has set it up that way. When we expect it to be anything other than a fight, we’re not expecting what he has promised will happen. We will have to always be wrestling to enjoy, love and appreciate God in the way He deserves. The cool thing is that He gives us grace through his Spirit (the comforter) to endure-and more than endure the fight. Steve (a friend of mine) said something interesting to me the other day. He said that as Christians, when we are feeling weak, unworthy, insecure and lame, it is because we are probably more aware of our performance than Christ’s performance on our behalf. Over-focusing on our performance leads to feeling bleak, but focusing on his performance leads to gratitude and wonder and before we know it, the good stuff-worship from the heart, not just the lips. Spurgeon: ‘For every one look at ourselves we should take ten looks at Jesus!’

In our striving to be humble and repentant of sin (which we should do!), let’s not forget that that our righteousness is not our own. Let’s kill sin by trusting the promise of God, that He remembers our sins no more. I think this glorifies Jesus and His shout that it finished!

The cry of moravian mission

Constrained by the love of Christ

Do you get heart-burn when you preach?

“Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

I have had the privilege of preaching a few times and what I’ve experienced is that preaching is a great form of worship. I like to sing (although apparently I suck!), but it’s when I speak from God’s word, as his mouth piece, that I really feel heart-burn!

Despite my delight in preaching passionately (and seeing others do the same), I do think that there are times when our emotions are not appropriate for the wonder of the truth that we may be speaking. For example, we may be speaking of the power of the gospel, and yet our hearts are not at all in awe or reverence or gratitude or joy toward that truth. It’s not a cool space to be in, yet, from time to time, is probably applicable to all who preach.

Now the question that I’ve often asked is this: Is that OK? Is it fine to preach or teach or do anything without heart-burn for God? Should we be content in those times of relative numbness to glory? Does God not really care? Is the role of the preacher fulfilled by being theologically accurate and clear?

My gut answer to these questions is no! Surely when God gave the first command, he meant it to be fulfilled i.e. to love the Lord our God with all our being, including our emotions. By being at peace rather than at war with emotional indifference to truth, are we not honoring him with our lips while our hearts are far from him?

I agree with the Lloyd-Jones quote above, yet I know that I will never manage to always live up to it. Thank God that he provides for that which he demands. He will provide the passion for his demand for passion. Preaching with heart-burn brings glory to our God and shows unbelievers that this gospel is a reality and not just a doctrine.

Let’s pray for God’s grace. Both to repent from indifference and to provide for passion. I feel there is a call to be more like Jeremiah in our preaching and teaching and speaking about God. Check out his emotional interaction with the Word of God:

“If I say, I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name, there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.”

Jeremiah 20:9

That’s what I want!

Baptism in the Spirit, signs and wonders-Piper’s passionate defence

You Will Be Baptized with the Holy Spirit

How Signs and Wonders Helped Add Multitudes to the Lord

Another example of the bible’s teaching not fitting into the stereotyped reformed/charismatic boxes. I was really stirred by these sermons-not for the debate points but rather for the mission potential. The church was designed to operate through this power-we need more of His Spirit! Its well worth downloading the audio (from www.desiringgod.org) to get the sermon preached-can’t compare it to the reading.

Spurgeon’s “earnest appeals and exciting addresses”

I love Spurgeon’s “healthy biblical realism”. He really believed in the absolute sovereignty of God in all things. He fought tooth and nail to uphold this truth of God’s power and almighty control in our universe. He knew that he was chosen before the creation of the world by the God who works out all things according to His pleasure and will.

Yet, at the same time, Spurgeon believed that God expressed or worked out his sovereign plan through our acts of faith. This morning I was reading his response to the hypercalvinist critics who despised his passion to put his faith into action.

The fourth principle is that our earnest action in obedience to Christ is not contrary to our dependence upon Him, but it is necessary to our dependence upon Him. I will show you that in a moment. There are some Brothers, I know, who say, “Ha! You hold what you call ‘revival services’ and you try to arouse men by earnest appeals and exciting addresses. Do you not see that God will do His own work? These efforts are just your trying to take the work out of God’s hands. The proper way is to trust in Him and do nothing!” All right, Brother. We have your word for it—that you trust in Him and do nothing. I take the liberty not to be so very certain that you trust Him, for if I remember who you are and I think I have been to your house—you are about the most miserable, desponding, unbelieving person that I know! You do not even know whether you are saved, yourself, nine times out of ten!

As believers in the sovereign Lord, let’s stand strong on the truth that He does all the work of salvation. At the same time, let’s let Him work through us, through our thinking, speaking and doing, to see that salvation comes to those who He has chosen. Our steps of faith in sharing the gospel are part of His plan to bring in his sons and daughters.

What’s this blog about?

In essence this blog is an overflow. It’s an overflow of passion for the God of the bible, the sovereign and living creator who has revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus. I have a passion for this sovereign God and how he does all he pleases. This kind of view is often referred to as a reformed view of Christianity. I delight in its truths! Now one of the things that this sovereign God pleases to do is pour out his very Being, his Holy Spirit, into our souls. The passion he has for his own name now burns in us. The end result is that we powerfully, boldly, and unashamedly witness the gospel in word and deed! I love this “life of God in the soul of man”! This pursuit of being baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit is often referred to as a charismatic view of Christianity.

Sadly, these two views of Christianity have become polarized. You are either charismatic or reformed. All “bible” or all “spirit”. For so many a reformed charismatic is an oxymoron. Now I acknowledge that there are many reasons why people view these two issues as conflicting. To be honest though, I don’t think they are biblical reasons. I don’t think the traditional, stereotypical boxes of “reformed” and “charismatic” are big enough to hold the massive truth of God’s absolute sovereign power expressed in burning charismatic passion for his own glory (Piper influence, i’ll admit!).

This blog aims to look at the biblical teaching on reformed views (redefined) and charismatic views (redefined) and show that they are in a beautiful and essential harmony; a harmony that should not be disrupted. Ultimately the Goal is not to create new definitions but to see people empowered by the Spirit to enjoy and declare (through various means) the Gospel of the Sovereign God and his son Jesus!

God, use this site (and others like it) for your glory!