Brian McLaren

Here is an article written by Todd Friel of Way of the Master Radio that is worth reading.

Depravity Pt. 2

I thought I should share my thoughts on the quote I posted yesterday. Here's the question again:

"If God were off of his throne... and you were standing there and you knew that you could seize the throne of heaven and God could do nothing about it, would you do it?"

I heard the question in a 9Marks interview with Iain Murray which I linked to in yesterday's post. I really didn't think anything of it at the time, the fellas in the interview didn't spend much time on it and soon after it was said they went on to discussing what ails modern evangelicalism. As I was sitting on the bus later that day, the question came to my mind again. As I considered the situation I came to the realization very quickly that if it were not for the spirit of God that dwells in me I would most certainly take God's place! To have all the power, glory and honour that belongs to God for myself is very attractive, it seems to my flesh almost irresistible. What a disgusting, repugnant thought. I was awash in feelings of shame in that moment when I realized in greater measure than ever before the depth of my depravity. It seems to me that there are two major reasons why taking God's throne is horrendous.

One, I do not have the capacity, knowledge or moral perfection to rule over the universe as God does, it is a terrible thought to think of a sinful man ruling over the universe as its sovereign. Also, I do not deserve the praise and honour that is due to God, I am a sinner, one who does no good. I am infinitely unworthy of such adulation. I do not deserve to be in God's place.

Two, and worst of all I think: I would be denying God His rightful place as supreme ruler and sovereign Lord of the universe. By my taking His "position" I would be relegating God to secondary status, the one who is infinitely deserving of praise and worship. The One who upholds the universe by the word of His power, the One who always does right, the One who brought all things into being and accomplishes all things that His perfect will purposes to do. In my pride, greed and selfishness I would commit "cosmic treason" I would deny the Holy living God what He rightly deserves, the place of supreme importance in the universe.

Natural men are enemies to the dominion of God; and their nature shows their good-will to dethrone him if they could! Yea, they are enemies to the being of God, and would be glad if there was no God. And therefore it necessarily follows, that they would cause that there should be none, if they could. Psal. xiv. 1. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” This implies, not only an aptness to question the being of God; but, that he inclines it should be so. His heart says, i. e. his inclination says. The words in the original are, “The fool hath said in his heart, No God.” That is, I would have none, I do not desire any, I wish there was none; that would suit my inclination best. Let the world be emptied of a God, he stands in my way.

Jonathan Edwards. Men Naturally are God's Enemies. Works Volume II pg. 321

When I realize the depth of my depravity, I am that much more cognizant of the sweetness of divine grace, whereby God has redeemed me and reconciled me to Himself by the atoning work on the cross of His only son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Depravity

Here is a question that Mark Dever attributes to Jonathan Edwards. Edwards didn't actually phrase it as a question, he stated it in the affirmative in Men Naturally are God's Enemies in his Works, Volume II.

"If God were off of his throne... and you were standing there and you knew that you could seize the throne of heaven and God could do nothing about it, would you do it?"

 

 

 

Link

Living for Christ in a Postmodern World

Anyone free next weekend? On January 27th starting at 9:30am Grace Bible Church in Cambridge is having a one-day Young Adults conference called Living for Christ in a Postmodern World. The cost is $15 which includes lunch and dinner, and billeting (which I now know means a place to stay thanks to Todd) is available. 

Erika and I are planning to go to Cambridge on Friday sometime and will probably rent a car, so if anyone wants to ride with us, we will have room :) Drop me a comment if you're interested!

UPDATE: The scheduled speaker is Kirk Wellum.

The Authority of Personal Revelation vs. the Authority of the Bible

This is a topic I have been thinking a lot about lately, and I don't have my thoughts together enough to really write on it yet. However, I wanted to share a quote that has been going around the blogosphere lately from Jay Bakker (son of Jim and Tammy Faye) a church planter in the US. Here is an example of what can happen when we give ultimate authority to our own "personal revelations" from God.

"The more I follow grace, the more I'm drawn to him [God], the more I'm willing to stand up for people being persecuted," says Jay today. "This sounds so churchy, but I felt like God spoke to my heart and said '[homosexuality] is not a sin.'"

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV:

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

 

Link: Empire of the Son

What 1 Peter 3:1-6 Does Not Look Like

My wife pointed out a story in the Peterborough This Week newspaper from a few days ago to me, Why every woman deserves to Be a Goddess. It's about a United Way fundraiser called "Be a Goddess Night". Essentially, the women who attend this event pay to dress up fancy, be waited on, lust after men who are not their husbands, and feel justified in doing so. From the article:

...we deserve it. We work hard, whether we have jobs outside the home or if we stay home with our families. We budget and clean and do laundry, and make sure our spouses, kids and pets have what they need when they need it. Mostly, we put everyone else first. And that's the real reason we should have a night out to just have fun.

Do women work hard? Certainly they do. To the shame of my gender, many wives work much harder than their husbands in and out of the home. However there are two points of emphasis to consider in this article:

1. "Mostly, we put everyone else first". Well, no you don't and neither do I. We are selfish and self-centered creatures. Even in our best efforts, we are unable by ourselves to perform selfless acts. What may seem to everyone else to be an honourable, selfless, commendable action comes from the diseased root of sin and a bad tree does not bear good fruit (Luke 6:43-45). As Christians, those who have had our heart of stone removed and replaced with a heart of flesh, we should zealously pursue good works because of He "who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession" Titus 2:14
2. "...we deserve it...". Compare the author's attitude about her chores in the home (in the portion above and elsewhere in the article) and the fact that she (and other women) deserve a break from her duties to the attitude of 1 Peter 3:1-6 and especially Proverbs 31:10-31.

How should men and women fulfill their God-ordained duties? Not begrudgingly with one eye towards a night free from responsibility as a reward, but with delight in God's precepts and love for God Himself, the divine law-giver. 

Great Resource

Happy Friday everyone!
I just wanted to share a great resource with you folks: the IX Marks Ministries Interviews. Mark Dever and company have a bunch of good interviews with Godly men such as John Piper, R.C. Sproul, Iain Murray, John Macarthur and many many more.

Live in an Understanding Way

Tonight in the study on 1 Peter that meets in the home I share with my patient wife, the 1 Peter gang looked at chapter 3 verses 1-7. There is a lot there to study concerning God's instruction for wives to be submissive to their husbands and about whether a woman should be primarily concerned with cultivating a beautiful face or a beautiful spirit (to put it crudely).
Peter devotes 6 verses of instruction to wives and just one verse of instruction to husbands. Does that mean we get off easy fellas? Say it with me - by no means! Read Verse 7:

"Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." (ESV)

What does it mean for a man to live with his wife in an understanding way? Partly it seems, is to live as if you understand that she is the weaker vessel. How shall I show honour to my wife as the weaker vessel? I think it starts by thanking God for the fact that she is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), she was knit together by God in her mother's womb (Psalm 139:13) and that body is now a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). If i keep in mind that her body is crafted by God, I will be less likely to be frustrated when she is tired or sick or both. What does it look like to honour my wife as the weaker vessel?

1. I should be quick to do physical chores
2. I should be the one who sacrifices sleep if one of us has to
3. I should be aware of her schedule: when she has long days and lots to do I should seek to help out more around the apartment and make sure we get to bed in good time
4. *Any ideas from readers?*

Why does my wife deserve to be honoured by me? Since she is an heir with me of the grace of life. I don't think Peter is talking about God's common grace that goes to all people (as in Matthew 5:45) but about his special grace by which God draws sinners to Himself, takes out their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh. Erika is my wife, but she is also my sister in Christ, a fellow child of the Living God.

What else does it mean to live in an understanding way? I should understand that my duty and joy is to love my wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her! (Ephesians 5:25)

If I do not live with my wife in an understanding way and show honour to her as the weaker vessel, what will happen? My prayers will be hindered. Not treasuring my wife as i ought to leads to strife and discord, and this verse tells me that I will have trouble praying as a result. To be honest, I don't know why that is. I know what it feels like and I know that it happens (much more than I care to admit) but I don't quite understand the connection. *Any thoughts folks?*

Also, here is an interesting thought on 1 Peter 3:6 from Dan Phillips of the Pyromaniacs

A Blog Manifesto

Well first of all, after reading numerous definitions for the word manifesto, I'm still not sure that I have used it correctly.
Nevertheless, what I want to do is lay out for myself and for any readers who might visit here why I have decided to blog.

I find that my studies of God's Word are much more profitable when I write down what I am thinking at the time. Not only because I am able to go back to what I have written later on and reflect on it, but also because it aids me greatly in being able to sustain a particular thought. I found this to be so after hearing an exhortation (to pastors specifically) from John Piper in his short biography of Jonathan Edwards The Pastor as Theologian to do just that, to read with pen in hand.

I hope to also share thoughts from books I read and from experiences that I have and that in some way, some of it, any of it might be beneficial to folks who visit this blog.

I hope that in purposeful thinking and writing I can better conform to Philippians 4:8:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (ESV)