Michael Horton: Law and Gospel

"While I believe that it’s generally true that those who are forgiven much love much and that those who are in view of God’s mercies will present their bodies as a living sacrifice, we have to recognize the deep depravity in our own hearts even as regenerate believers. Often I find myself reveling in the glories of the gospel for my own delight, oblivious to the “reasonable service” that it yields toward my neighbor. 

I can be writing a paragraph on the wonders of grace while I snap at my wife or children for interrupting me. We do need Christ to remind us, by his Spirit, through his law, that the gospel doesn’t stop at our own personal security and welfare, but drives us out to our neighbors in love and service.  A good Shepherd guides his sheep.  A good Father rebukes those whom he loves.  We need to hear the very specific and uncomfortable rebukes of the law as well as the tender comfort of the gospel.

We always need the gospel wind in our sails and the directional equipment on our dashboard.  Without the former, we’re dead in the water; without the latter, we’re blown all over the map." via JT

Christ Centered Preaching

“A message that merely advocates morality and compassion remains sub-Christian even if the preacher can prove that the Bible demands such behaviors. By ignoring the sinfulness of man that makes even our best works tainted before God and by neglecting the grace of God that make obedience possible and acceptable, such messages necessarily subvert the Christian message. 

Christian preachers often do not recognize this impact of their words because they are simply recounting a behavior clearly specified in the text in front of them. But a message that even inadvertently teaches others that their works win God’s acceptance inevitably leads people away from the gospel.

Moral maxims and advocacy of ethical conduct fall short of the requirements of biblical preaching…

A textually accurate discussion of biblical commands does not guarantee Christian orthodoxy. Exhortations for moral behavior apart from the work of the Savior degenerate into mere pharisaism even if preachers advocate the actions with biblical evidence and good intent.” -Bryan Chapell

But God, I Don't Feel Like Showing Grace...

I find it ironic that a day or two after my wife and I watched the Les Miserables video that I posted on Friday she was robbed.

The whole experience has been unsettling and difficult for us both (but especially for her). The thieves stole her purse, wallet, camera bag, and camera equipment....right after we had both sat down and watched that particular video. What are the odds?

I believe that God works everything out according to his purposes - even the nasty things. He is a big God. Nothing gets past him. Nothing surprises him.

God must be desiring to teach us something through this. Honestly, we do not yet know what that lesson is, but he is definitely up to something here.

May we, by God's grace, learn what we are supposed to learn through this challenge, and may God help me personally to live in light of the message of grace that I preach (even during the hard days when I don't feel like it).

The Only Way To Be Holy

“Just as we are justified by Christ’s righteousness worked out by Him and imputed to us, so we are sanctified by holiness accomplished in Christ, then imparted to us. 

As our corruption was produced in the first Adam, then passed on to us, so our holiness is first produced in Christ, then passed on to us. We don’t actually work with Christ in producing holiness, but we receive holiness from Christ. We put holiness into practice by using what we already received from Christ.… 

The only way to be holy is to receive a new nature out of the fullness of Christ, then practice holiness out of Christ’s holiness.” - Joel Beeke via OFI

Growth in Grace

Tullian Tchividjian writes:

"In Romans 6:1-4 the Apostle Paul answers antinomianism (lawlessness) not with law but with more gospel! I imagine it would have been tempting for Paul (as it often is with us when dealing with licentious people) to put the brakes on grace and give the law in this passage, but instead he gives more grace—grace upon grace. 

Paul knows that licentious people aren’t those who believe the gospel of God’s free grace too much, but too little... 

The only way licentious people start to obey is when they get a taste of God’s radical, unconditional acceptance of sinners. It was the kindness of the Lord that led you to repentance (Romans 2:4). What makes you think that same kindness which flows supremely from the gospel of free grace won’t lead others to repentance?

Here’s a great scene from Les Miserables illustrating how powerful the radical [nature] of grace is in melting hard, undeserving, law-breaking hearts." 

The Song of Grace

"In Greek mythology, the Sirens would sing enchanting songs drawing sailors irresistibly toward the rocks and certain shipwreck. Odysseeus filled his crew’s ears with wax and had them tie him to the mast. This is the approach of legalism. We bind ourselves up with laws and disciplines in a vain attempt to resist temptation.

Orpheus, on the other hand, played such beautiful music on his harp that his sailors ignored the seducitons of the Sirens’ song. This is the way of faith.

The grace of the gospel sings a far more glorious song than the enticements of sin, if only we have the faith to hear its music." – Tim Chester via OP

“Grace cannot prevail until law is dead, until moralizing is out of the game…, until our fatal love affair with the law is over — until, finally and for good, our lifelong certainty that someone is keeping score has run out of steam and collapsed.” - Robert Capone

Love that Surpasses Knowledge

"The gospel is the good news that the groom loves his bride. He loved her so much that he humbled himself, descended an infinite distance, became man, and suffered poverty and abuse for thirty-three years. Then, in the greatest display of love in history, he allowed himself to be tortured to death on a cross in his bride's place. The Son of God did all of this to serve his bride, to make peace where enmity reigned. What motivated him? Love that surpasses knowledge!" - William Farley

Of First Importance

One of these questions is not like the others. See if you can spot it.

1. Who did Cain murder?

2. What did Noah build?

3. What happened to Jonah when he ran from God?

4. Daniel was thrown into a pit with what species of animal?

5. How many plagues did God send to Egypt?

6. What is the name of the body of water that the children of Israel crossed as they exited Egypt?

7. Who was Jacob’s brother?

8. How many stones did David grab before he slew Goliath?

9. Name Samson’s girlfriend?

10. What happened to Job?

11. Name one of the twelve tribes of Israel?

12. What is the gospel?

Can you spot the one question that is of first importance? 
I’ll give you a hint: it’s towards the end of the list. 
Answer: Question #12 is the most important question on that list. Actually, it is the most important question on any list. 

May God have mercy on us as parents and leaders if our kids can answer any or all of questions 1 - 11, if they know all the details of certain Bible stories, but cannot answer question 12.

If we are teaching our kids anything - we should be teaching them the gospel.

I’m not saying that telling our kids those biblical stories is a bad thing, they are fantastic Spirit-inspired stories that should be shared (especially from a Christ-centered perspective - Luke 24:27); but if my son can tell me all about the animals found in Noah’s ark but can’t tell me what justification means, then I have failed as a disciple-making father.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… 1 Cor. 15:3-4

The Essence of Theology and Ethics

This has to be one of the most profound quotes that I have ever read. It speaks to what has been done (the gospel) and what we are to do (the law). G. C. Berkouwer writes:

"Grace is the essence of theology and gratitude is the essence of ethics." 

To me, that statement says it all. It's just perfect! May God help all of us center our theology on Christ and the gospel, and then work, strive, and "do" out of gratitude for what has already been done.

John Calvin on the Gospel

“Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; 

without the gospel we are not Christians; 

without the gospel all riches is poverty, 

all wisdom folly before God; 

strength is weakness, 

and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. 

But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, 

brothers of Jesus Christ, 

fellow townsmen with the saints, 

citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, 

heirs of God with Jesus Christ, 

by whom the poor are made rich, 

the weak strong,

the fools wise, 

the sinner justified, 

the desolate comforted, 

the doubting sure, 

and slaves free. 

It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe …

It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. 

For, he was sold, to buy us back; 

captive, to deliver us; 

condemned, to absolve us;

 he was made a curse for our blessing,

sin offering for our righteousness; 

marred that we may be made fair.

He died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united,ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal... 

Mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune...

This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father." - HT: JT

"Once we are reconciled to God, the estrangement is over, the hostilities have ended & the peace is sealed for eternity." -R.C. Sproul

Tim Keller: What is the Gospel?

He Stood Strong

“Because he never gave in, 

because he did not run away, 

because he never went where temptation would lead him, 

but stood strong until that moment of temptation was over, 

he endured the full power of temptation. 

Christ endured stress, pain, suffering, and sacrifice of an intensity that we will never face because he did not break. He stood strong against sin for us. He endured everything the world could throw at him.” 

- Paul David Tripp via OFI

The Story of Everything

HT: Z

“Christ wins our salvation through losing, achieves power through weakness and service, comes to wealth via giving all away. And those who receive his salvation are not the strong and accomplished but those who admit they are weak and lost.” - Tim Keller via OFI

The True Image of God

He is the image of the invisible God... Colossians 1:15

Throughout the Old Testament we see a strict prohibition of visible representations of God (i.e., idols). One of the primary reasons for this was that God intended to save his people for the real thing, the true image of God - Jesus Christ. 

If you read Exodus 32 you will see how the Israelites just could not wait any longer, they had to create a visible image to worship. They decided to bow their knee to a second-rate representation of God (a golden calf) while Moses was absent. 

God's chosen people had settled for a cheap imitation of the true God. They had a great desire to worship an "image" of God, but the time was not right for the true image to appear and walk among them. God willed that they wait for the "real deal"; but patience was not their strongest virtue.

It should be understood that all of history had been building up to the moment that the true image of God would appear to reconcile God and man. 

For thousands of years man waited. Then, one day, after four hundred years of prophetic silence, it happened... 

He came down to earth. 

God himself condescended to our level. 

The fullness of Yahweh dwelled in a baby born in a ghetto called Bethlehem.
This baby went on to both perfectly fulfill the Law and atone for sin by sacrificing himself as a spotless Lamb.

Jesus was not a sketch of God. 
He was not a god-like figure. 
He was not an angel. 
He was not a guru with a powerful connection to deity. 
He was the true manifestation of Yahweh. 
He was God himself.

Jesus boldly said, "If you have seen Me you have seen the Father." That statement is either outrageous blaspheme or it is absolute truth, there can be no middle ground. Paul is asserting here, as proven by His bodily resurrection, that the rumors are indeed true, this man named Jesus is fully God. He is saying that the almighty God of the Old Testament has walked among us.

Jesus was not created in God’s image (as we are), He is God's image.

Matt Chandler: De-churched

This is good! via Redeeming the Time