The Gospel and Children

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon wisely instructs christian parents on the importance of communicating our personal experience when sharing the gospel with our children.

Deuteronomy 6:20–21:
When your son asks you in time to come, "What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?" then you shall say to your son, "We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand."

Charles Spurgeon:

Fathers and mothers are the most natural agents for God to use in the salvation of their children. I am sure that, in my early youth, no teaching ever had such an impression upon my mind as the instruction of my mother; neither can I conceive that, to any child, there can be one who will have such influence over the young heart as the mother who has so tenderly cared for her offspring.

We should especially tell our children our own experience… Perhaps, my friend, there is no testimony that you can bear which will be so useful, so interesting and so striking, as the testimony of what you have, yourself, seen and handled of the Word of Life.

Tell the gospel as you find it in the Bible, but set it in the frame of your own experience of its preciousness! Tell your son how you sinned and how the Lord had mercy upon you. Tell him how he met with you, how you were brought to seek his face, how you were born again, how you received a new heart and a right spirit. He will think the more of this great change because it happened to his father, or to his mother, or to some kind friend. And, perhaps, if he is not himself converted as a child, in his later life he may think of what you told him or the remembrance of his mother’s God may rise before him when he is far away from the scenes of his youth and has spent many years in foolish vanities — and he may even then turn to God, beckoned back to the great Father’s House above by the memory of his godly father and mother here below.

Charles Spurgeon, "Brought Out to be Brought In."

(HT: Desiring God Blog)

Biblical Manhood

Few people can get in a man's face and challenge him to be the man God wants him to be like Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church. In this video he challenges christian men to invest their lives in a mission and warfare that truly matter. Warning: hard core video game players, proceed with caution.

Ryle on Parenting

I don't know much about J.C. Ryle, but I this weekend I came across a website of his quotes.  While looking around there a bit, I found this brief account of his family life:

Ryle suffered through the poor health of his first two wives. At age 29, he married Matilda Plumptre. After a few years, she died leaving him a baby daughter to care for. Then, death took his mother, older brother, and younger sister. He felt like Job undergoing God’s trials.

At age 33, he married longtime friend, Jessie Walker, and once again, joy and happiness filled his rural cottage. After 6 months of marriage, Jessie developed a lingering sickness from which she never recovered. Ryle nursed her for 10 years while managing their growing family (Jessie gave birth to four children). In addition to this stress, he managed his pastoral responsibilities.

During these years, Ryle began receiving speaking engagements. Because of his love for Jessie he often traveled 30 miles in an open carriage in the dead of winter rather than spend a night away from her. In Ryle’s 43rd year, Jessie died. For a second time he was widowed, with five children for which to care.

At age 45, he was transferred to the parish at Stradbroke. There he met Henrietta Clowes and married a third time. Unlike his previous wives, Henrietta enjoyed good health. This marriage proved long and fruitful. [Henrietta died in 1889, Ryle died 11 years later in 1900] (Quote from William P. Farley)

It is with this background in mind that the website shared five extended quotes from Ryle's 34-page booklet The Duties of Parents as he explained the following five tips for raising Godly children.  Instead of merely linking to the site, I decided to include the quotes here.

1. Training Your Child to Love God Depends on You

“We heavily depend on those who bring us up. We get from them a taste and a bias which clings to us most of the days of our lives. We learn the language of our mothers and fathers, and learn to speak it almost without thinking, and unquestionably we catch something of their manners, ways, and mind at the same time. Time will tell, how much we all owe to early impressions, and how many things in us may be traced back to the seeds sown in the days of our infancy, by those who were around us.

“And all this is one of God’s merciful arrangements. He gives your children a mind that will receive impressions like moist clay. He gives them a disposition at the starting-point of life to believe what you tell them, and to take for granted what you advise them, and to trust your word rather than a stranger’s. He gives you, in short, a golden opportunity of doing them good. See that you do not neglect such an opportunity. Once you let it slip, it is gone forever.

“I know that you cannot convert your child. I know that they who are born again are born, not of the will of man, but of God. But I also know that God specifically says, ‘Train a child in the way he should go,‘ and that He never gave a command to men and women which He would not give them the grace to perform. And I also know that our duty is not to stand still and dispute the command, but to go forward and obey it. It is only when we move out in obedience that God will meet us. The path of obedience is the way in which He gives the blessing. We only have to do as the servants were commanded at the marriage feast in Cana, to fill the water-pots with water, and we may safely leave it to the Lord to turn that water into wine.”

2. Training Your Child Means Watching Over Their Soul

“Precious, no doubt, are these little ones in your eyes; but if you truly love them, then often think about their souls. Nothing should concern you as greatly as their eternal destiny. No part of them should be so dear to you as that part which will never die.

“This is the thought that should be uppermost on your mind in all that you do for your children. In every step you take about them, in every plan, and scheme, and arrangement that concerns them, do not leave out that mighty question, ‘How will this affect their souls?’

“A true Christian must not be a slave to what’s currently ‘in-fashion,’ if he wants to train his child for heaven. He must not be content to teach them and instruct them in certain ways, merely because it is customary, or to allow them to read books of a questionable sort, merely because everybody else reads them, or to let them form bad habits, merely because they are the habits of the day. He must train with an eye to his children’s souls. He must not be ashamed to hear his training called odd and strange. What if it is? The time is short—the customs of this world are passing away. He that has trained his children for heaven, rather than for the earth—for God, rather than for man—he is the parent that will be called wise in the end.”

3. Training Your Child To Know The Bible

“You cannot make your children love the Bible, I admit. No one but the Holy Spirit can give us a heart to delight in the Word. But you can make sure that your children are acquainted with the Bible; and remember that they can never become acquainted with that blessed book too soon, or too well.

“See that your children read the Bible reverently. Train them to look upon it, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, written by the Holy Spirit Himself—all true, all profitable, and able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ.

“See that they read it regularly. Train them to regard it as their soul’s daily food—as something essential to their soul’s daily health. I well know that you cannot make this anything more than a form; but there is no telling the amount of sin which a mere form may indirectly restrain.

“See that they read it all. You need not shrink from bringing any doctrine before them. You need not assume that the leading doctrines of Christianity are things which children cannot understand. Children understand far more of the Bible than we are apt to suppose.

“Fill their minds with Scripture. Let the Word dwell in them richly. Give them the Bible, the whole Bible, even while they are young.”

4. Training Your Child to Have a Habit of Prayer

“Parents, if you love your children, do all that lies within your power to train them to have a habit of prayer. Show them how to begin. Tell them what to say. Encourage them to persevere. Remind them that if they become careless and slack about it. Let it not be your fault, if they never call on the name of the Lord.

“Remember, that this is the first step in religion which a child is able to take. Long before he can read, you can teach him to kneel by his mother’s side, and repeat the simple words of prayer and praise which she puts in his mouth. And as the first steps in any undertaking are always the most important, so is the manner in which your children’s prayers are prayed, a point which deserves your closest attention. Few seem to know how much depends on this. You must be careful that they don’t say their prayers in a hasty, careless, and irreverent manner.

“Oh, dear friend, if you love your children, I charge you, do not let the early impression of a habit of prayer slip by. If you train your children to do anything, train them, at least, to have a habit of prayer.”

5. Training Your Child to Love the Church and the Lord’s Supper

“Tell your children of the duty and privilege of going to Church, and joining in the prayers of the congregation. Tell them that wherever the Lord’s people are gathered together, there the Lord Jesus is present in a special way, and that those who are absent must expect, like the Apostle Thomas, to miss out on a blessing.

“Tell them of the importance of hearing the Word of God preached, and that it is God’s ordained way of converting, sanctifying, and building up the souls of men. Tell them how the Apostle Paul commands us not to “give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but to encourage one another—and all the more as we see the Day approaching.” [Hebrews 10:25]

“It is a sad sight in a church when nobody comes to the Lord’s Table but the older people, and the young men and the young women all turn away. But it is a sadder sight still when no children are to be seen in a church, except those who come to the Sunday School, and are often obliged to attend. Let none of this guilt lie at your doors. There are many boys and girls in every city, besides those who come to Sunday School, and you who are their parents and friends should see to it that they come with you to church.

“Do not allow them to grow up with a habit of making vain excuses for not coming. Make them clearly understand, that so long as they are under your roof, it is the rule of your house for every one in good health to honor the Lord on the Lord’s day, and that you believe that the healthy person who refuses to go to church on the Lord’s Day brings great harm to his soul.

“Do not be discouraged because your children do not see the full value of church and the Lord’s Supper now. Just train them to have a habit of regular attendance. Set it before their minds as a high, holy, and solemn duty, and believe me, the day will very likely come when they will bless you for your efforts.”

Helpful Acronyms

John Piper has a handful of acronyms he's developed that are full of Scripture and designed to help him fight for joy and seek God & His righteousness in his daily life.  The first three he shared are:

• I.O.U.S. - what to pray before reading Scripture
• A.P.T.A.T. - how to seek help from God for living the Christian life (see this video previously posted on the blog)
• A.N.T.H.E.M. - strategies for fighting lust (for men & women)

The latest one he developed is A.I.M.S. and is designed to help him maintain his Christ-consciousness throughout the day.  He explains:

Two times in his second letter Peter said he meant to stir us up "by way of reminder" (2 Peter 1:13; 3:1). This is what I need all day long. Reminders of massive truth.

If my mind is empty or worldly, my faith languishes. My joy in Christ weakens. I need truth. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

My mind needs glory: "Set your minds on things that are above" (Colossians 3:2). I need to think on excellent praiseworthy reality:. "If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).

But my mind drifts into banal and trivial things. And my soul shrivels.

What shall I do? I "will call to mind" amazing things about God (Lamentations 3:21). I will "remember" his all-gracious covenant (1 Chronicles 16:15). I will set my mind on "the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5). I will "consider his wondrous works" (Psalm 106:7).

How?

Among other ways, with A.I.M.S. Through the day I will pause and ask, What are you’re A.I.M.S. And I will answer:

A. I will call to mind the stupendous truth that Jesus is ALIVE. (Luke 24:5–6)

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."

I. I will remember the breathtaking reality that Jesus is IN me. (Romans 8:10).

"Christ is in you."

M. I will ponder the all-comforting fact that Jesus is MIGHTY. (Matthew 28:18).

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

S. And I will savor the sweetness that Jesus is SATISFYING. (John 6:35)

"Whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Key To Obedience

On my good mornings, I try to take a few minutes before leaving for work and read a daily excerpt from Elyse Fitzpatrick's outstanding book Comforts from the Cross - Celebrating the Gospel One Day at a Time. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.



I want to share a few highlights from a passage I read a few weeks ago. The book is made up of thirty-one 2-3 page writings that focus on the centrality of the gospel. The notes from the chapter I am going to highlight discuss John 14:15 - "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Fitzpatrick attempts to explain the key to a life lived in obedience to Christ. I will share a hodgepodge of her comments.

If love for God isn't present in our heart, then Godward obedience will be absent in our life.

Jesus is lovingly stating a fact (John 14:15), but he's also making a precious promise: love will motivate behavior...... But he also knows this: as our love for him grows, our obedience will grow, too.


The key to a godly life is not more and more self-generated effort. Instead, Jesus is saying "Love me and your obedience will flow naturally from that love". The secret to obedience isn't formulaic steps found in a self-help book. It is a relentless pursuit of love for him. How then do I cultivate the sincerity of love that motivates obedience? By focusing more intently on his love for me than on my love for him, more on his obedience than mine, more on his faithfulness than mine, more on his strengths than mine.


"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). The plain truth is that my love for God (and hence, my obedience) will grow as I cultivate my comprehension of his vast love for me. This is the wonderful promise of our Savior and the only sure method for true growth in godliness.


If we neglect this key by focusing too narrowly on ourselves, our success or failure, then we'll become mired down in guilt or pride, neither of which will stimulate loving obedience. If, on the other hand, we intently focus on how we've been loved, irrevocably, eternally, freely, and without merit, if we contemplate how our obedience (or lack of it) doesn't faze his love one whit, then we'll find within our hearts a growing desire to obey. Why? Because love like that changes people. It draws us toward him; it makes us want to be like him; it makes obedience attractive. Resting in the awareness of our perfect acceptance before him and in his intense desire to have us for his own will cause us to want to please him. It will make us love him, and love for him will always eventuate in godliness.


His love is fervent, eternal, uncompromising. Rest there, drink there, luxuriate in the warm sunshine of his smile; grow strong in his everlasting embrace. Confront your own sinfulness, yes, but only after you've remembered his love for you. Then love him and obey.

It Is Finished

I read part of an interview with Tullian Tchividjian tonight, and it made me think of our discussion of faith & works in James this morning:

So how did Christians become legalists about the whole idea of sanctification, where did we get it wrong do you think?


Tullian: I think since Genesis 3, we have all been prone towards works righteousness. Our heart is bent to do it on our own and that doesn’t go away after we become Christians. We still drift into what Jerry Bridges calls the “performance treadmill.”


For instance, none of us has a problem saying that our good works don’t get us in. We know our good works don’t get us in. Any good works are as filthy rags because we’re justified by grace alone through faith alone and the finished work of Christ alone. We acknowledge that.


But once God saves us it gets weird because we start thinking, OK, my good works do keep God’s favor. My good works may have not earned God’s favor, but it’s up to me to keep God’s favor. As a result, we become the hero of the story. We become the centerpiece of our own narrative, and Jesus is sitting on the sidelines and we’re on the field and he’s like, “Put me in, coach,” and we’re like, “No. We got it. Thanks for getting us on the field, but we’ll take it from here.” And we add all sorts of things.


...


The good news of the gospel is that my standing with God is not dependent on my obedience but Christ’s obedience for me. People will say, “Well, you can’t say that because then what impetus will you have to get people to do what they need to do?” and I simply go back and give them an illustration and say, “Listen: if I know that my wife loves me unconditionally—whether I’m being nice or whether I’m being a jerk—does that make me want to be more of a jerk?” [Laughing] It actually makes me want to be nicer. The thing that makes me want to love my wife more is when she loves me when I’m not being nice.


That’s the kindness of the Lord that Paul says leads to repentance. It’s the amazing grace of God, the unconditional favor of God given to us because of what Christ has done that transforms the human heart and turns us into the kind of people the Bible describes.

This was from part 3 of the interview.  You can also check out part 1 and part 2.

Good Parenting Reads

In full disclosure, I am addicted to blogs. I love reading them. I love the wisdom that they can share. I love the practical application that can be learned.

In the past few weeks, a couple of my favorite blogs have had some great stuff on parenting. Enjoy!

1o Ways to Love Your Kids

How do you discern the conversion of a child?

For Parents Who Have Failed

How Dad's Can Impact Their Daughter's Lives

James 2:1-13

Since we won't be having our regular lesson this Sunday in Life Group (don't forget to join us Sunday to hear Dr. Amon Kasambala, CEO of Focus on the Family Africa) I wanted to share some thoughts & notes along with some questions you would have received on the class handout.  Maybe we can have our class discussion here on the blog this week.

Here are some links to help you navigate this post:

• Text of James 2:1-13
• Lesson Introduction
• Opening Discussion Questions
• Explanation
• Command Against Favoritism
• An Example of Favoritism
• Three Reasons it’s Bad
• Reason 1: God has a special concern for the poor.
• Reason 2: A special esteem for the rich is misguided.
• Reason 3: Favoritism violates the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
• Application Questions

James 2:1-13 (ESV)

[2:1] My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. [2] For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, [3] and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” [4] have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? [5] Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? [6] But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? [7] Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
[8] If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. [9] But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. [10] For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. [11] For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. [12] So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. [13] For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Against Favoritism - Introduction

In chapter two James continues the theme of being doers of the Word by addressing the problem of favoritism. The big idea of this section is found in verse one where James commands fellow Christians not to show favoritism. The remaining verses explain this command further by offering an example and giving three reasons against treating people with partiality.

Discussion

Our culture has trained us to categorize people. What are some of the categories we use to define people? How do these categories influence how we approach or treat people?

Explanation

Command Against Favoritism (v. 1)

• Showing favoritism means making value judgments about a person based upon external appearances. It is judging others based on the world’s criteria.
• Showing favoritism/partiality is inconsistent with God’s character. (cf. Deuteronomy 10:17-18)
• Why does James refer to Jesus as the “Lord of glory”? We'll come back to this.

An Example of Favoritism (vv. 2 – 4)

• This example is just one hypothetical scenario demonstrating favoritism; however, based on v. 6 we can infer it is something that James’ readers were likely guilty of.
• The rich/poor difference is a perpetual source of showing favoritism. It is easy to show favoritism to the rich to try and get something for ourselves – some of their riches, a reputation, career opportunities, self-esteem, etc.
• When we do this, we're essentially judging the poor, saying they're of no value to us.

Three Reasons it’s Bad (vv. 5 – 13)

• 
  Reason 1: God has a special concern for the poor.
  • James points out that God chooses the poor (often financially, always spiritually) to become rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
  • At the end of chapter one, James spoke of the orphan and widow being the objects of affection by pure & undefiled religion. These people were representative of the poor & helpless in society.
  • Once again James points out something that God has promised to those who love Him. In 1:12, it was the crown of life, here it's His kingdom.
  • This idea of being heirs of the kingdom connects back to verse 1, with Christ being referred to as the Lord of glory. These truths stand in stark contrast to the gold ring and fine clothing of the man in James's hypothetical example.
  • Did Jesus wear a gold ring & fine clothing to attract us to Him? I think instead of the crown of thorns. I think of Isaiah's prophecy:

    “... his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind” (Isaiah 52:14)

    “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 52:2-5)

  • Jesus didn't have the glory of a rich man. Instead He offers the glory of being co-heirs of the Kingdom. Only He has the glory worth elevating and admiring. While the riches of man will pass away, Christ's glory will never fade.
  • “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
  • If Christ became poor in order that we could become heirs of the Kingdom, why would we be captivated by earthly treasure that that is fleeting?
• 
  Reason 2: A special esteem for the rich is misguided.
  • The rich are often the very people who are persecuting Christians. Why would you show them favoritism?
  • This comes across to me about as logical as trying to appease a bully and expecting them to no longer be a bully.
  • As James's rightful assertion that God chooses the poor in the world to be rich in faith, we can remember how Christ Himself spoke of how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom (Matthew 19:16-30) and how He taught us to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21)
• 
  Reason 3: Favoritism violates the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
  • Ultimately, we are called to be merciful, because we have received mercy. We are to be ready to show mercy to everyone who crosses our paths.
  • James's statement that “judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy” (v. 13) seems to be the flipside of Jesus's statement in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
  • Michael Lawrence rightly states: “At the cross of Jesus Christ, mercy triumphed over judgment.”
  • Lawrence sums up this portion of James like this:

    “Faith that is acceptable to God speaks & acts like one living under mercy. There is no room for pride, because mercy is fundamentally undeserved. There is no room for boasting, unless it is to boast in Christ alone. There is no room for favoritism or discrimination because faith understands that the privileges of this world, whether those be privileges of skin or wealth or gender or age are worthless in comparison to the privilege of being called a child of God. Faith demonstrates itself by being a display of mercy. It does not ignore obedience. Rather it obeys out of a different motive, a motive of love for the one who saved us.” (Listen to Lawrence's message in full here)

  • John Piper puts it this way:

    “A Christian is a person who has seen, tasted, and lives on the mercy of God in Christ. That's who you are. Let's be very clear here now. You do not get a saving relationship with Jesus by finding human willpower and techniques to become a merciful person and then say, 'Did I measure up? Will you take me now, Jesus?' That will never happen in a million years. Rather, Jesus comes to us as sinners. He folds us into His forgiveness and His justification by faith alone and we are so stunned, so awakened, so marveling at the mercy that we've been shown, that we are crushed to the ground in our pride, elevated in happy humble security and oozing mercy. Are you oozing mercy? If not, have you tasted mercy? Have you felt how horrible you are, how unworthy you are to be accepted, and then felt His arms absolutely undeserving around you saying, 'I will pay your debt. I will be your righteousness' and find yourself flying with gratitude and joy and peace?” (read or listen to Piper's message in full here)

Application

• James gives one example of showing favoritism. What are some more sophisticated or subtle ways that we tend to do this?
• Our selfish desires can influence the way we treat others. How does the gospel free us from the temptation to treat people with partiality?
• What are some practical ways to keep favoritism from creeping into our thinking and affecting the way in which we relate with people?

More on James 1:19-27

Reading through James 1:19-27, and thinking it through some more after class on Sunday, I found the following questions floating around my mind.  I thought it might be helpful (to me if nobody else) to try and work them out here.  Before I get to the questions, let me go ahead and post the text at hand:

[19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. [21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.


[22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. [25] But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.


[26] If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. [27] Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
(James 1:19-27 ESV)

Now, on to my questions:

1. Why does James seemingly start talking about speaking, listening, and anger out of nowhere?
2. Why would anybody think that man's anger produces the righteousness that God requires?
3. Why is there a "therefore" in verse 21?
4. How are speaking and anger (v.19) related to putting off filthiness and rampant wickedness (v.21)? (Assuming that being quick to hear is related to receiving the implanted word.)
5. How do you receive the "implanted" word?
6. How do you do the "word"? (James first calls it the "word of truth" in v.18, then the "implanted word" in v.21, then he goes on to exhort us to be doers of the word and not just hearers)
7. If James is talking about the gospel (i.e. "word of truth"/"implanted word"), why does he then talk about the law?  And why does he call it the law of "liberty"?

As opposed to my typical blog posts, which drag on & on, I'll attempt to be brief.  I think James introduces speaking and anger because that's often where we fall into temptation during trials.  When we face trials, such as losing a child or loved one, or being passed over for a promotion or losing a job, what do we tend to do by default?  How often do we lash out in anger, seeking to tear others down or justify ourselves?  We're attempting to declare, by our own (perceived) authority, that life isn't fair to us, or that we deserved to get the promotion or keep our job.  This attempt at self-justification, or self-righteousness, is ultimately a display of the filthiness and rampant wickedness in our hearts.  As Jesus said, out of the abundance, or overflow, of the heart, the mouth speaks.  (Matthew 12:34, Matthew 15:18, Luke 6:45)  That doesn't result in the righteousness that God requires.

So what does?  The "implanted word."  Rather than trying to attain this righteousness on our own, by our own standards or the standards or expectations of others, we receive the implanted word.  It is the gospel that reminds us that our standing does not depend on our own feeble attempts at righteousness.  For the righteousness that God requires is a much higher standard than we could ever set before ourselves - the standard of His holiness.  And the gospel reminds us that God has imputed this righteousness to us in Christ.  "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

How do you receive this implanted word?  How do you receive something you already have?  I'm thankful to John Piper for his illustration (found here) of this word as oxygen.  We have oxygen in our lungs, but none of us would say that we no longer need to breathe.  We need fresh oxygen to live.  Likewise, we need the word again & again to sustain the spiritual life that God brought forth in us.  The word of the gospel implanted in us drives us to the written word in the Bible.

As Christians, we stand on the gospel.  We are given new birth through the gospel, and are transformed by the gospel.  The good news of God's grace forgives us of our sins, and enables us to live lives of faith, to be "doers of the word" - the "obedience of faith" Paul talks about in the bookends of Romans (Romans 1:5; 16:26).  And when we fail once again, as we all do, God's grace remains, so that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).  That's why James can call the law the "law of liberty" - it is only a law of liberty when bound up in the gospel.  Apart from God's grace, the law leads to enslavement, sin, and death.  But thanks be to God that "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us..." (Galatians 3:13).

I pray that we would be people who breathe in deeply of the Word of God.  That He would continue to work in us by His Spirit and through His Word, so that we would be fruitful.  And that we might be blessed like the man in Psalm 1:

[1] Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
[2] but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
[3] He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.(Psalm 1:1-3 ESV)

So drink deeply from the Word.  Meditate on it. Consider the grace of God to free us from our slavery to sin and self.  Worship Him, be planted in Him, abide in Christ as the vine, and see the fruit that grows.  May we be able to say with the apostle Paul, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Gospel-Centered Discipleship

I wanted to share a couple of things from D.A. Carson (yep, more Carson, I can't help myself) that I read a couple of weeks ago and was reminded of this week with our study of James.  The first is a quote from Carson that I've tried to take to heart, and pray that my life & my teaching would be saturated to overflowing with the Gospel:

If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel.

If the gospel—even when you are orthodox—becomes something which you primarily assume, but what you are excited about is what you are doing in some sort of social reconstruction, you will be teaching the people that you influence that the gospel really isn’t all that important. You won’t be saying that—you won’t even mean that—but that’s what you will be teaching. And then you are only half a generation away from losing the gospel.

Make sure that in your own practice and excitement, what you talk about, what you think about, what you pray over, what you exude confidence over, joy over, what you are enthusiastic about is Jesus, the gospel, the cross. And out of that framework, by all means, let the transformed life flow.

And the other quote is a story from Carson's book From the Resurrection to His Return: Living Faithfully in the Last Days, talking about gospel-centered discipleship, and how older Christians should influence younger Christians:

As a chemistry undergraduate at McGill University, with another chap I started a Bible study for unbelievers. That fellow was godly but very quiet and a bit withdrawn.

I had the mouth, I fear, so by default it fell on me to lead the study. The two of us did not want to be outnumbered, so initially we invited only three people, hoping that not more than two would come. Unfortunately, the first night all three showed up, so we were outnumbered from the beginning.

By week five we had sixteen people attending, and still only the initial two of us were Christians. I soon found myself out of my depth in trying to work through John’s Gospel with this nest of students. On many occasions the participants asked questions I had no idea how to answer.

But in the grace of God there was a graduate student on campus called Dave Ward. He had been converted quite spectacularly as a young man. He was, I suppose, what you might call a rough jewel. He was slapdash, in your face, with no tact and little polish, but he was aggressively evangelistic, powerful in his apologetics, and winningly bold. He allowed people like me to bring people to him every once in a while so that he could answer their questions. Get them there and Dave would sort them out!

So it was that one night I brought two from my Bible study down to Dave. He bulldozed his way around the room, as he always did. He gave us instant coffee then, turning to the first student, asked, ‘Why have you come?’ The student replied, ‘Well, you know, I think that university is a great time for finding out about different points of view, including different religions. So I’ve been reading some material on Buddhism, I’ve got a Hindu friend I want to question, and I should also study some Islam. When this Bible study started I thought I’d get to know a little more about Christianity—that’s why I’ve come.’

Dave looked at him for a few moments and then said, ‘Sorry, but I don’t have time for you.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ said the student.

‘Look,’ Dave replied, ‘I’ll loan you some books on world religions; I can show you how I understand Christianity to fit into all this, and why I think biblical Christianity is true—but you’re just playing around. You’re a dilettante. You don’t really care about these things; you’re just goofing off. I’m a graduate student myself, and I don’t have time—I do not have the hours at my disposal to engage in endless discussions with people who are just playing around.’

He turned to the second student: ‘Why did you come?’

‘I come from a home that you people call liberal,’ he said. ‘We go to the United Church and we don’t believe in things like the literal resurrection of Jesus—I mean, give me a break. The deity of Christ, that’s a bit much. But my home is a good home. My parents love my sister and me, we are a really close family, we worship God, we do good in the community. What do you think you’ve got that we don’t have?’

For what seemed like two or three minutes, Dave looked at him.

Then he said, ‘Watch me.’

As it happened, this student’s name was also Dave. This Dave said, ‘I beg your pardon?’

Dave Ward repeated what he had just said, and then expanded: ‘Watch me. I’ve got an extra bed; move in with me, be my guest—I’ll pay for the food. You go to your classes, do whatever you have to do, but watch me. You watch me when I get up, when I interact with people, what I say, what moves me, what I live for, what I want in life. You watch me for the rest of the semester, and then you tell me at the end of it whether or not there’s a difference.’

Although this other Dave didn't actually move in with Dave Ward, he did pay attention to him whenever possible, watching how he lived, meeting with him, and seeing how the Gospel shaped him.  And today this Dave is a medical missionary.

Carson adds:

You who are older should be looking out for younger people and saying in effect, ‘Watch me.’

Come—I’ll show you how to have family devotions.

Come—I’ll show you how to do Bible study.

Come on—let me take you through some of the fundamentals of the faith.

Come—I’ll show you how to pray.

Let me show you how to be a Christian husband and father, or wife and mother.

At a certain point in life, that older mentor should be saying other things, such as: Let me show you how to die. Watch me.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Notes from James 1:19-27 - "Doers of the Word"

Here are some notes from this morning's study in James. We ran out of time to talk about the last section.

-Dakota

Introduction

• Does our culture see the gospel as practical? (see 1 Corinthians 1:18)
• This passage, like much of James, is counter-cultural. Our secular culture might disagree with or laugh at many of these directives. But the life of Christian action and purity will look significantly different from the world’s norms.

Living in Purity (verses 19-21)

Reflection questions:

• Which one of the three areas from verse 19 (quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger) is the biggest challenge for you personally?
• What do you think would be our culture’s reaction to these instructions?

Other notes:

• Regarding anger: It is possible to be angry without sin, but an angry lifestyle will not lead to righteousness; anger is contagious; see Psalm 4:4 and Proverbs 22:24-25
• The phrase for “get rid of” in verse 21 is generally applied to taking off a set of clothes. Another use in Scripture that gives a good parallel is Zechariah 3:3-4.
• Our role vs. God’s role in becoming pure: Both are necessary! We must put forth some effort as He works in us. See Hebrews 12:1 and 2 Corinthians 7:1.
• What do we need to put away or take off? What do we need to work, with God’s help, at removing from our lives so the Word can grow and bear fruit? Or, to put it another way, so that we can be clean and ready for Him to use as He needs?

Do! (verses 22-25)

Reflection questions:

• Why is it so easy to hear but not to follow through with action?
• What are some examples of how this tendency shows up in your life?
• How can we combat this tendency in ourselves?

Real Religion (verses 26-27)

• If we don’t have control of our tongues, we may again be deceiving ourselves about our relationship with God. James talks much more about the tongue later in the book.
• The Greek word for “religion” connotes outward acts of worship. James is hinting here at something we also see elsewhere in Scripture, like Romans 12:1 for one example—our act of worship is our obedience to God.
• When James talks about orphans and widows, he’s not saying that taking care of them is all we have to do. John Calvin put it this way: “he does not define generally what religion is, but reminds us that religion without the things he mentions is nothing.” Orphans and widows are symbols, even in the Old Testament, of those who are helpless. Helping the helpless is critical if we’re truly obeying God. It’s not all we need to do. But it’s important.

Application

• What are one or two specific areas in which God is leading you to make a change as a result of studying this passage?
• Prayerfully consider creating an action plan for how you will accomplish those changes.

"In Christ"

John Piper shares 13 magnificent truths related to our union with Christ here.

James 1:12-18 Persevering Through Trials

This week, we looked at James 1:12-18.  And since this post is going to be rather long, here are some links to allow you to skip around a bit:

• A couple of stories from D.A. Carson (this is what was sent out in an email on Friday)
• The text of James 1:12-18
• My teaching notes, including the following principles:
• #1 - When you are struggling under trial, remember the Christian's goals.
• #2 - When you confess God's sovereignty, do not misunderstand God's motives.
• #3 - When you feel abandoned & crushed, do not forget God's goodness.

In the interest of full disclosure, I learned a lot from Carson, taking both the two stories and the three principles from some messages of his that I listened to.  If you want to hear Carson's teaching (and hear his French Canadian [with maybe a hint of British] accent I mentioned this morning), you can go listen to or download the message from the Gospel Coalition's website.

Now, on to the stories:

I know an English chap, we'll call him George to protect the guilty, who some years ago felt called into the ministry in England, and he went to a Bible college.  He turned out to be quite gifted - he was an able speaker, good with people, with a certain ability to declare the gospel with boldness and fruitfulness.  Eventually he graduated, became pastor of a church, and the church began to grow and people were being converted.  And then he got caught out in adultery.  Of course he resigned.  He disappeared from the scene.

He showed up some time later in Canada.  In fact, that's where I met him.  I met him at the seminary where I was studying in Toronto.  We didn't know anything of his background, and he didn't let on.  We graduated from the seminary at the same time.  I became pastor of a church on the west coast of Canada, and he became pastor of a church somewhere in Ontario.  In due course, I went to Europe and was there for a number of years, but I heard through the perennial ecclesiastical grapevine that this chap had committed adultery.  And he was dismissed.  He disappeared from the scene.

Years went by; I went back to Vancouver.  More years went by, and then I moved down to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where I am now, in Chicago.  When I got there, I didn't know any of the churches in the area, but the seminary said, "You know Don, if you don't mind, where you end up in church is ultimately for you and your wife to decide, but in fact there's a Free church near here that has recently gone through some trauma.  They've had a minister who saw quite a lot of fruitfulness - people growing and being converted, the numbers multiplying.  But then the minister there was caught out in adultery, and there's a mess.  Would you mind serving there while you teach here for a while?"  You guessed it, your friend and mine, this same chap.  Round number 3.  Different country, different church, same pattern.

Well besides saying some things about how sometimes churches don't do enough background checks, this also brings me to the point of the story.  If you speak to George today - and the last time I heard of him, he was in Ohio selling computer parts, and mercifully he's not gumming up any more churches - but if you ask him, "Come on, what went wrong?  Three times; didn't you learn anything?"  The most he would say is, "The New Testament says God will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able.  I was tempted and I wasn't able to withstand it.  God is a liar."  Then he turns and walks away.

Now most of us would not put things quite as crassly as that, yet deep down when we're going through trials and temptations, we can begin to wonder if God's got it in for us.  In fact, when you face horrible bereavement, or you're diagnosed with a vicious melanoma and there's no outcome but death and you're 42 with 3 children, or you're crippled at the age of 26, or you lose an only son in a war, it's pretty easy to start wondering what God is doing.


On the other hand, there are plenty of fascinating accounts of Christians whose lives shine most brilliantly under suffering, aren't there?  When I went to England in 1972 for the first time, within a short while I got to know Sir Norman and Pat Anderson.  Norman & Pat Anderson had been in Cambridge University, and went out as missionaries to Egypt, before World War II, where he became fluent in Arabic.  In World War II, the British army conscripted Norman into service so he would be involved in counterintelligence work.

After the war, he went on with his education, and eventually became professor of Oriental Studies at London University.  He was knighted by the Queen for establishing a couple of magnificent institutions.  He wrote a couple of very important books on world religions from a Christian point of view.  His understanding of Islam was profound.  At the same time, though he was a layman, he was a very faithful university evangelist and became an astonishingly influential layman in the Church of England.

But not everybody knows that Sir Norman had three children.  The first was a woman who became a medical doctor herself, and then in the revolution that turned the Belgian Congo into the Congo, which became Zaire, and is now the Congo again, she was gang raped.  She was sent home and as she was recovering she went to California to do some further medical training preparatory to going back to Africa.  While she was there, she tripped and fell down some stairs and knocked herself out and drowned in her own spittle.  The second daughter died in circumstances almost as bizarre.  The third child was a son, Hugh.  And he was genuinely brilliant.  He went to Cambridge University and became president of what's called there, The Union.  Oxford and Cambridge have a certain tradition of debating unions, and a very high percentage of their future Prime Ministers come out of Oxford or Cambridge debating unions.  He was already politically very well connected.  However, he never graduated.  He died at the age of 21 of a brain tumor.  Six cabinet ministers attended his funeral.  And there were no more Anderson children left.

In their later years, Pat suffered from Alzheimer's.  Sir Norman worked with her and helped her and loved her until he finally died himself.  And in all the years that I knew Sir Norman and Pat Anderson, not once - not once - did I hear a single bitter word.  For two years after the death of Hugh, Pat couldn't talk about it.  But not once did I hear bitterness, not once did I hear resentment, not once did I hear a bubbling, seething anger, not once.  When he was a very old man, when Pat was incapacitated from Alzheimer's, Sir Norman was asked to speak to a large conference of university students in Wales.  He didn't speak anymore, he said.  His memory couldn't hold things together long enough, but he would be glad to try and answer some questions.  So for almost an hour, one of my friends asked him questions about his experience of God across more than eight decades.  And he testified to all of his experience of the goodness of God.  And there was scarcely a dry eye in the place amongst those two thousand cynical students.


Now, my question to you is this - do you want to be George, or do you want to be Norman?  Do not answer quickly.  It costs something to be Norman.  Now what makes the difference between these two kinds of people?  Those who blame God and those who become more spiritually minded under it all.  You may not suffer exactly like any one of them.  You may not face temptations exactly like any one of them.  But face temptations, you will; face trials, you will; and the longer you live, the more you're going to face.  What kind of person would you rather be?

James 1:12-18 gives us three exceedingly important principles to bear in mind when we confront trial and temptation.

James 1:12-18 (ESV)

[12] Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. [13] Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. [14] But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. [15] Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

[16] Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. [18] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.



Principle #1: When you are struggling under trial, remember the Christian's goals. (Verse 12)

• “remains steadfast under trial” - in verse 2 we read that trials produce steadfastness (or perseverance); here we see how steadfastness allows us to endure trials; similar to working out – strength training helps you develop strength, developing strength allows you to endure strength training
• In the ancient world, victorious athletes were rewarded with a laurel wreath, which symbolized glory and honor to the victor. (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:25)
• “crown of life” - life, eternal life, is the crown – Revelation 2:10 – crown of life is given to those who are faithful to death
• this crown of eternal life is promised to those who love God; this is not a reward that is in doubt, only if we remain steadfast under trial, but a motivation for remaining steadfast – we who love God have been promised the crown of life, therefore we can endure trials.
• Christ bore a crown of thorns so that we might receive the crown of life. (cf. Matthew 27:27-31)
• Discussion Questions: What is your reaction or response to this promise of a crown of life? In what ways does considering heavenly rewards spur you on toward perseverance?
• We must look at our sufferings with eternity's values in view.  No matter how much things hurt now, 50 billion years into eternity, things will look differently.  Our goal is not an easy life, but the crown of life, which has been promised us in Christ.

Principle #2 - When you confess God's sovereignty, do not misunderstand God's motives. (Verses 13-15)

• The idea of temptation here is different than a trial. A trial is an external difficulty. A temptation is an internal draw to sin.
• very interesting how we see the tension & interplay between the sovereignty of God and human responsibility.  God tests us, gives us opportunities to strengthen our faith, to trust him in trials.
• These tests from God are not temptations to sin.  God can’t be tempted because He is holy. There is nothing within Him for sin to appeal to.  If He has no desire for sin, how could He desire sin for His people?
• Our sinful nature turns trials into opportunities to feed our sinful desires.  Instead of running to God  and trusting Him, we run away from Him and into sin.
• Discussion Questions: What is the progression of sin in our lives? How does understanding this progression help you resist temptation?
• God's motive in bringing trials & tests into our lives is not to lead us into sin, but to purge us of sin and strengthen our faith & trust in Him.
• Though death is the end of sin, though death is the last enemy (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:26), it doesn't get the final word.

Principle #3 - When you feel abandoned & crushed, do not forget God's goodness. (Verses 16-18)

• “Do not be deceived” - these trials are not bad, and God is not leading us into sin.  As James says earlier, we can consider them joy. Why?
• Verse 17.  Because they are good gifts from God.  Every thing God gives His children is a good gift.  It is only because of our sinful nature that we turn God's good gifts into sinful ends.  As the Reformer John Calvin said, the human heart is an idol making factory.  Sure, we're too intellectually sophisticated to make statues of wood or metal and worship them.  Instead we take good things like money, marriage, spouses, work, sex, food, sports, children … you name it, and we turn them into ultimate things.  We were made to worship, but what are we worshiping?  Anything that takes our attention and our loyalty away from God is an idol.
• God is the Father of lights, does not vary or shadow – He does not change.  Have you ever noticed all the shadows in an auditorium when all the lights are on – how we have multiple shadows all over, no matter where we are?  Or how on a clear night out in the country that you still see shadows all around?  God has no shadow.  He is above all the lights He has created, and His glory outshines them all.  He is the unchanging, eternal Light of life.
• God's unchanging nature is good news because of the crown of life that He promised us, that we saw in our first verse today, verse 12.  And our last verse today, verse 18, speaks of how God brought about this crown of eternal life to His children.
• First, it was “by His own will” - another affirmation of God's sovereignty.  It was His call, His plan, His decision to do what follows
• And what did He do by His own will?  He “brought us forth” - As we saw earlier, sin gives birth to death, but God gives birth to life. – not just our physical life, although He did give us that, but here it's particularly our eternal life in Christ – the “crown of life” James mentioned before.  How do we know this?  Because of the means by which He brought us forth – the “word of truth”
• This phrase appears four other times in the New Testament:
• 2 Corinthians 6:7 (translated "truthful speech" in the ESV); Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15
• Every time, this phrase refers to the Gospel, the good news of the righteous life, substitutionary death, & resurrection of Jesus Christ, by which we are born again
• As D.A. Carson says, “The most outstanding demonstration of the sheer goodness of God is that He chose to give us new birth through the gospel”
• Discussion Question: How does understanding the character of God, in particularly in the Gospel, help you resist temptation?
• This “word of truth”, the Gospel, is important to remember all the time, and especially in this study of James. Consider next week when we get to James 1:22, where James encourages us to be doers of the word, and not just hearers.  We don't just carry around a list of rules to live by as Christians.  But the Gospel should come to bear on our lives in at least a couple of distinct ways:
• As Paul exhorts the Philippian Christians, we should live in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. (cf. Philippians 1:27)  The Gospel becomes the foundation & fuel for our living.  To sneak a peak ahead at some of the imperatives in James:
• Why should we be quick to listen? Because Christ is the Word, and faith comes by hearing.  The Gospel (the "good news") comes to us as we listen.
• Why should we take care of orphans?  Because God is Father to the fatherless, our Father who redeemed us from sin and adopted us into His family.
• Why shouldn't we look down on the poor?  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)  Compared to (and apart from) the riches of God's glory, we are all bankrupt sinners.  But He has made us co-heirs with Christ.
• When we fail to withstand temptation, when we fall into sin. Whatever list of rules you want to pull from the Bible, we fail to keep them.  But we do not lose heart because we have a Savior who perfectly fulfilled the Law – every jot & tittle – on our behalf.  When James says in verse 5 that God gives generously to all without reproach, he means that God doesn't make us clean up our act before He gives us good gifts.  His good gifts are what forgive us and clean up our act for us.  We live in light of the Gospel when we remember the grace of God and do not submit ourselves to a yoke of slavery to the law, but turn to Him in repentance and faith.  We go back to the cross again, and again, and again.
• God's goodness doesn't depend on our performance, and the ups & downs of our daily lives, but it ultimately depends on and was demonstrated on a small hill outside of Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago.

Back to the stories D.A. Carson shared at the beginning.  When you face trials & temptation, do you want to get bitter, like George, or do you want to get better, like Norman? Do you want your life to be characterized as the double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (as in verse 8)?  Or to be one who considers trials as joy, who grows in them by trusting God and standing firm in the truth of the Gospel?  Remember the three principles from along the way:

1. When you are struggling under trial, remember the Christian's goals.
2. When you confess God's sovereignty, do not misunderstand God's motives.
3. When you feel abandoned & crushed, do not forget God's goodness.

Sanctity of Life Sunday

This morning in Life Group we joined many churches across the country in honoring Sanctity of Life Sunday. This is a day to honor and celebrate that every life is precious because we are made in the image of God.

Here is a video by Focus On The Family. It does a very nice job of communicating what Sanctity of Life Sunday is about.