Favorite Blogs

Occasionally, I am going to post links to websites and other blogs that I like. The first one is my friend Kevin DeYoung blog's entitled "DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed" it is one of the best blogs that I have seen. The topics are typically on topics of interest to thoughful evangelicals. Kevin's thoughts are insightful and always on target. The link to Kevin's blog is http://www.revkevindeyoung.com/

Actually on of my favorite links that I found out about through Kevin's blog is http://www.revkevindeyoung.com/search/label/Statistics.

Thought Experiment: Einstein on Worship

While Albert Einstein was certainly not a Christian, I recently ran across a passage written by a physicist (named Charles Misner) which contemplates what Albert Einstein's opinion might have been about worship. I have taken the liberty to convert Misner's comments to the first person as a sort of "thought experiment" about what Einstein might have said.

Albert Einstein – "The design of the universe is very magnificent and shouldn't be taken for granted. This is why I have so little use for organized religion. I hear what preachers say about God and think they are blaspheming. I have seen more majesty than they ever could have imagined. The preachers I have run across do not have the proper respect for the author of the universe."

I am again indebted to John Piper's commentary on this matter. "The charge of blaspheme is loaded. The point packs a wallop behind the charge that in our worship services God simply does not come through for who he is. He is unwittingly belittled. For those who are stunned by the indescribable magnitude of what God has made, not to mention the infinite greatness of the One who made it, the steady diet on Sunday morning of practical how-to's and psychological soothing and relational therapy and tactical planning seem dramatically out of touch with Reality - the God of overwhelming greatness. (reference, Nations be Glad, pp. 12-13).

God’s Righteous Jealousy for his Own Glory

The Bible is replete with evidence that God's primary concern is for the furtherance of his own glory. Is it any wonder that Jonathan Edwards declared – "The great end of God's works, which is so variously expressed in scripture, is indeed ONE; and this one end is most properly and comprehensively called, THE GLORY OF GOD." Consider the following and the overwhelming evidence is that Edwards was right.

• God created us .. for his own glory (Isaiah 43:6-7)
  
• God chose his people … for his own glory (Eph 1:4-6, 12, 14)
  
• God called Israel … for his own glory (Jeremiah 13:11)
  
• God rescued Israel from Egypt … for his own glory (Psalms 106:7-8)
  
• God raised Pharaoh to show his power … glorify his own name. (Romans 9:17)
  
• God spared Israel in the Wilderness … for the sake of his own name. (Ez 20:14)
  
• God gave Israel victory in Canaan … for the glory of his name. (2 Sam 7:23)
  
• God does not cast off his people … for the glory of his name. (1 Sam 12:20-22)
  
• God saved Jerusalem from attack … for the glory of his name. (2 Kings 19:34)
  
• God restored Israel from exile … for the glory of his name. (Ez 36:22-23)
  
• Jesus sought in all that he did … the glory of the Father. (John 7:18)
  
• Jesus taught to do good works … for the glory of the Father (Matt 5:16)
  
• Jesus taught that in order to believe one needed to … seek the glory of God. (John 5:44)
  
• Jesus answers prayers to that … God will receive the glory. (John 14:13
  
• Jesus endured suffering of the cross … in order to give glory to God. (John12: 27-28, 17:1)
  
• God forgives our sins … for his own sake. (Isaiah 43:25, Psalms 25:11)
  
• Our fellowship with Jesus and each other … for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7)
  
• Purpose of the Holy Spirit is to … glorify the Son of God. (John 16:14)
  
• We are to serve each other so that in everything … God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:11)
  
• Jesus prays that we will exhibit the fruits of righteousness … to the praise and glory of God. (Philippians 1:11)
  
• We are fools and under judgment for … dishonoring God's glory. (Romans 1:23, Romans 3:23
  
• Herod was struck dead … for not giving glory to God. (Acts 12:23)
  
• Jesus is coming again … for the glory of God. (2 Thes. 1:9-10)
  
• Jesus' goal is for us to … behold his glory. (John 17:24)
  
• The purpose of God's wrath is to make known … the riches of his glory. (Romans 9:23)
  
• God's ultimate plan … to fill the earth with his glory. (Habakkuk 2:14)
  
• The light of the New Jerusalem will be the … glory of God. (Rev. 21:23)
  

John Piper has written the chief end of God is to glorify himself and enjoy himself forever. Often the unasked question - "Is God selfish and self absorbed?"

The best answer I have seen to this question is by Piper as well. "God is righteous. This means he recognizes, welcomes, loves, and upholds with infinite jealousy and energy what is infinitely valuable, namely the worth of God. God's righteous passion and delight is to display and uphold his infinitely valuable glory." (John Piper, Nations Be Glad, pp. 17).

God’s Jealousy & Redemption

This post picks up on the question about how can we worship a jealous God? In order to explore this further we need carefully define what we mean by jealousy, perhaps not the garden variety, but the kind God possesses.

According to J.I. Packer, we see two sorts of jealousy among humans and only one is a vice. The one sense of jealousy which is perhaps most common is expressed in the attitude "I want what you have and I hate you because I haven't got it." This is essentially covetousness and is a violation of the 10^th commandment. Clearly God does not exhibit jealousy in this way. Yet, according to Packer there is another kind of jealousy which he defines as "zeal to protect a love relationship or avenge it when broken." A helpful example of this is the passion a husband exhibits for his wife in order to preserve the faithfulness of this relationship in the midst of a depraved and adulterous world. This is a relationship that is by rights his and he jealousy guards this by taking actions in order to protect it.

Is it any wonder throughout the scriptures God often describes himself as the faithful husband pursuing a love relationship with his wife (i.e., the people of God). Unfortunately, God's people are not always faithful, but our covenant keeping Lord is always faithful. How does scripture describe those that fall into idolatry? They are accused of adultery – the ultimate in unfaithfulness – recall the story of Hosea and Gomer. In Ezekiel, God declares to Israel that because of their liaisons with the idols of Canaan, Egypt, and Assyria - "I will judge you as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the wrath of blood and jealousy." (Ezekiel 16:38).

What is it about God's people that make them so valuable and worthy of the Lord's affections? The bible is clear – nothing. "The LORD did not set his affection and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples…" (Deut 7:7). Rather we receive the affections of our kind and loving Lord not because of our record of accomplishment – but because of an oath sworn to himself that he would bestow blessings to Abraham and his children (i.e., Abrahamic covenant). Remarkably, it is on this basis that God delivered his people out of slavery and redeemed them as a people for himself. Therefore, the scriptures command worship…

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love for a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments." (Deut. 7:9)

"He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name." Psalms 111:9

Let us worship with our whole heart this holy, loving, faithfully jealous, covenant keeping God!

Why worship a jealous God?

In our modern "seeker friendly" church settings we often avoid the more controversial aspects of the Bible. I have never heard of anyone encourage another to worship our jealous God. However, even a cursory reading of the scriptures makes it abundantly clear that the Lord our God is a jealous God. In fact, it is one of the first things that God taught the children of Israel about himself. Consider the very words penned by the finger of God - the 10 commandments.

Exodus 20:1-5 "And God spoke all these words: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other Gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them: for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…"

I do not think if it were left up to us we would have dreamed up a God who was jealous. Clearly God is not ashamed to describe himself in this way, nor should we. Perhaps, this idea sounds so alien because the conventional wisdom among "evangelicals" has drifted far from its biblical moorings. It is worth an excursion to carefully think through what is meant to attribute jealousy to our completely righteous God. I hope contemplating such a dangerous and weighty subject will result in ascribing to him greater glory than we previously have imagined!

What is Worship?

Recently, I have been thinking about the idea of worship mostly because that is the topic I am teaching the 11th and 12th grade Sunday School class at church. Worship, in one sense is not a natural topic for me, particularly given my strikingly poor musical abilities. Recently, my daughter whispered to me during church that I should not sing quite so loud that morning because something was wrong with my voice. Unfortunately, I felt totally fine and thought I was singingly normally. While musical abilities are not always natural for people, the act of worship is the natural response of all Christians as they reflect on who God is and what He has done.

Worship is defined as "the work of acknowledging the greatness of our covenant Lord" (reference John Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth). This definition has three key aspects to the definition of worship: this includes the concepts of action, adoration, and covenant.

First, worship involves work or "action" of those engaged in worship. Unfortunately, so much of what goes on in our churches, under the guise of worship, is nothing but entertainment. The misguided goal of many is to do whatever it takes to draw a crowd. In the most extreme cases, cars are given away, coupons for free gas, magic shows, are all done in an overt effort to draw a crowd. Many evangelicals evaluate their worship "experience" by merely appraising the performance of others. However, true worship is, by the best definition of the word, "congregational."

Next, what is the content of this work? The work of worship involves the "adoration" of God. We become engaged in worship when we reflect on God and then rightfully adore Him for who He is (i.e., Father-Son-Holy Spirit, perfectly holy, totally righteous, all-powerful, all-good, all-knowing, completely righteous, …) and for what He has done (i.e., creation and redemption). He is truly great in every dimension we can imagine, and even beyond our imagination.

Finally, worship is fundamentally covenantal in that it takes place within the special covenantal relationship that God has cut with his people. It harkens back to the Lord's ancient pledge that "He will be their God and they will be his people." This unshakable relationship that God has entered into with his people involves not just God's promises, which are sufficient, but the astounding realization that God has bound up his promises within an oath.

"Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what has been said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of what was promised he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged." Hebrews 6: 16-18

It is on this sure foundation (i.e., oath bound promise) that we have hope which is a firm and a secure anchor for our soul. Thus sinful as we are - yet, clothed in the alien righteousness of Christ - can boldly enter into the holiest of all places before God. This reality entreats us to worship: an active, engaged adoration of our great covenant keeping Lord!

Sundays are for Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon, the English Baptist preacher of the 19th century, made the following comment when dealing with one of the numerous crises of apostacy that he faced during his ministry. It seems as if in our country we are facing a similar crises and, in fact, are in danger of sliding into a post-Christian era. We must "gird ourselves" and prepare for the battle that most surely will come. It is in this vein that Spurgeon's words calling us to courageously engage the enemy with truth on our side seem most appropriate.

“We shall soon have to handle truth, not with kid gloves, but with gauntlets, – the gauntlets of holy courage and integrity. Go on, ye warriors of the cross, for the King is at the head of you.” Charles Haddeon Spurgeon

However, I am sure that Spurgeon would not want to conclude this thought using his words, but would rather point us to the word of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. .... . Stand firm then with your belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace. In addition to all this take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flamming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-18

Empty Hand of Faith

Recently, I stumbled on one of the best illustrations of saving faith. This illustration is found in James White's book The God Who Justifies. The Apostle Paul states in Romans 4:4-5 "Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but to obligation. But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness." White makes the following comment on this important passage which deals with the doctrine of justification.

"The believing of which Paul speaks is, by the contrast he draws here, a belief that creates no debt, that brings no plea, that makes no offer or bargain. It is the empty hand of faith. It hides no bribe, makes no effort at earning or coercing anything from God. It knows its bankruptcy and does not conceal it. All acts of obedience to a law performed as to gain a right standing with God in any way, shape, or form violate the definition of the faith that brings justification presented here. ... The faith that saves is a faith that clings in helpless dependence on another: the God who justifies." James White