Lifted Veil

“To every toiling, heavy-laden sinner, Jesus says, ‘Come to me and rest’. But there are many toiling, heavy-laden believers, too. For them this same invitation is meant. Note well the words of Jesus, if you are heavy-laden with your service, and do not mistake it. It is not, ‘Go, labor on,’ as perhaps you imagine. On the contrary, it is stop, turn back, ‘Come to me and rest.’ Never, never did Christ send a heavy laden one to work; never, never did He send a hungry one, a weary one, a sick or sorrowing one, away on any service. For such the Bible only says, ‘Come, come, come.’ – James Hudson Taylor

“The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus.” - James Hudson Taylor

“I myself, for instance, am not especially gifted, and am shy by nature, but my gracious and merciful God and Father inclined Himself to me, and when I was weak in faith He strengthened me while I was still young. He taught me in my helplessness to rest on Him, and to pray even about little things in which another might have felt able to help himself.” - James Hudson Taylor

I showed this to my girls.  Melanie said, “Is that what the new world is going to be like? With everybody happy everywhere?” Encouraging insight.

Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

I like this quote. It reminds me that the Christian life is more about being consumed with Christ and less about being consumed with me and my struggles. Yes, I fight sin. Yet beyond the the mere realm of an individualistic personal fight I enjoy, wait paitiently for, hope in, rejoice in, and set my eyes upon Jesus.  I need to allow my struggles to carry through to a deeper treasuring of Jesus Christ and all the forgiveness, righteousness and restoration stored up in Him on my behalf. 

It is all about Jesus. I’m in Christ, and the life that I live, I live by faith in Christ.  Oh, come Lord Jesus!

“I was raised in a church group with abusive and cultic tendencies called The Assembly which was deeply influenced by Keswick “higher life” teachings and piety, including its famous hymnody. We were constantly told that we needed to “get out of Romans 7? (defeated and constantly struggling with sin) and “into Romans 8? (the higher Christian life) . . . I think Christ lets us struggle with sin because he doesn’t want to let us get to the point where we think we don’t need him any more. The goal is not sinless perfection, or even reducing our sin quota. The goal is the deepening of our faith in Christ, our love for him, our enjoyment of him, and deep-seated loyalty to him. I say “loyalty” because it is too easy to say “obedience.” You can do all the right behaviors and avoid all the bad behaviors and yet not be loyal to Christ. Conversely, you can struggle with sin and be loyal to Christ. There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 “righteous persons” who need no repentance (Lk 15:7).”

“It was a master stroke of the Devil when he got the church and the ministry so generally to lay aside the mighty weapon of prayer.  The Devil is perfectly willing that the church should multiply its organisations and its deftly-contrived machinery for the conquest of the world for Christ, if it will only give up praying.”
R.A. Torrey

“Hi Shane, I’m thankful that the Lord has given us many powerful motives in the form of doctrinal truths (indicatives) as reasons why we should obey Him. However, would you agree that the Bible uses an indicative to motivate only some imperatives? But, other imperatives are given with no motives, just sheer duty?Do you believe it’s OK to obey God out of duty, with no conscious motive? (No, that’s not Phariseeism or legalism. Christ rebuked the Pharisees for obeying from sinful motives, not NO motives.)  Can I suggest that much if not most of our obedience is without conscious motives? Every day we obey our Lord from disciplined habits of godliness. And, you know what? That’s not a sin.  Sure, I prefer to stop and think about why I should obey.  But, we often don’t have time to think.  And, God accepts our obedience in Christ, whether from conscious motives or no motives. . .”

This post is a continued response which started by making some general comments to clarify what I believe (last post).  In this post I will interact specifically with the above objection. Continue Reading »

“Hi Shane, I’m thankful that the Lord has given us many powerful motives in the form of doctrinal truths (indicatives) as reasons why we should obey Him.However, would you agree that the Bible uses an indicative to motivate only some imperatives? But, other imperatives are given with no motives, just sheer duty?

Do you believe it’s OK to obey God out of duty, with no conscious motive? (No, that’s not Phariseeism or legalism. Christ rebuked the Pharisees for obeying from sinful motives, not NO motives.)

Can I suggest that much if not most of our obedience is without conscious motives? Every day we obey our Lord from disciplined habits of godliness. And, you know what? That’s not a sin.

Sure, I prefer to stop and think about why I should obey. But, we often don’t have time to think. And, God accepts our obedience in Christ, whether from conscious motives or no motives. . .”

I’ll respond by making some general comments to clarify what I believe (this post) and then interact specifically with the above objection (next post).  Continue Reading »

Applying the truths of Gospel Sanctification to Repentance means maintaining a deeply sorrowful sense of indwelling personal sin while also rejoicing in the present reality of the full and free forgiveness in Jesus Christ, looking forward with expectation to the final delivery ‘from this body of death’.

“. . . God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.” Rom 2:4

A high view of our Holy God mixed with a sorrow over our own personal sin leads to a treasuring of Jesus Christ and complete surrender to His wondrous, gracious and extensive Gospel promises, and gift of Himself, as the only way to return us to the embrace of our loving heavenly Father.

Repentance therefore ought to be coupled with a relishing of the full & free gospel promises of love, forgiveness, acceptance, justification and of union with Christ Himself. Otherwise, repentance can become a defeated and mournful wallowing in the very slough we are being saved from rather than a turning from it and glorying in the eternal happy state we are being saved to. Thus even your repentance ought to be to the heart-felt praise and glory of God!
Although we are miserable creatures, of ourselves, we don’t wallow in defeat or remain self-focused but rather look to God, with thankful heart, for the provision of a solution in Jesus Christ.  True repentance leads to Christ-exultation:

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Rom 7:23-25

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” 1 Tim 1:15-17

Our repentance must not be characterised by wallowing or self-focus because, ” . . . whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.” Phil 4:8

When you are convicted over sin, don’t wallow in defeat, but simply confess your sin and weakness to God, thank Him that even in this Christ is sufficient to cover your sin and present you faultless before the throne of grace, and He is the one that will bring deliverance from the very sin you struggle with.  He loves you anyway and always - thank and praise him for it.  And in this you will glorify God in your repentance.

Is your repentance done to the heartfelt praise and glory of God? 

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Cor 10:31-32

At one point I came to understand the need for the ministry of grace to strengthen believers.  I struggled knowing exactly how or where the preaching of commandments came into things.  I was challenged by a legalist to explain why we can’t simply take an ‘imperative’ text and preach it, by which he meant rebuke believers for their lack of faithfulness and exhort them to obedience ( i.e. club believers with the commands). After all, it’s in the Bible, we need to hear it, and be exhorted to obey, right?  It took quite a while for me to figure out what was actually wrong with what he was saying (and doing).

I came to realise that an assumption was brought to the commands by the legalist that forgets that the indelible mark of a Christian is he “loves to keep God’s commandments because those commandments are no longer grievous” ( I John 5:1-3). 

The assumption implicit (and sometime explicit!) in legalistic preaching is that believers don’t want to obey and need to be dragged against their will to obedience.  Taken out of the equation is the new heart, the Spirit’s work, New Covenant realities, and ultimately Jesus Christ Himself.  

Legalists underestimate the power of a believer’s new heart feasting on the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.  So legalists turn their attention to subduing the flesh through rebuke and sharp exhortation.  Scripture teaches this doesn’t help bring about obedience but rather fuels the sinful nature by either leading to pride in those who feel successful or leading to despair in those that feel the burden of failure. 

In one illustration, Walter Marshall says that much preaching is like telling a man to take his weapons and go and enter a battle.  If the man is a soldier he will do it readily.  But we are more like sick men on our death beds without the strength to so much as pick up our weapon. The question that needs answering is: How can I, without any strength in myself, perform such an overwhelming task?

The strength to enliven us, and give us power to get out of our sick beds to face the battle, is the gospel alone - to be embraced afresh every day.  So our first duty is to believe on Christ and receive healing strength from the great physician who alone gets the glory. 

“1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4Did you suffer so many things in vain–if indeed it was in vain? 5Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith– 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?” Galatians 3:1-6.

Resting in grace-

Shane.

I was recently part of a great discussion that all started with this short video clip: 

http://www.desiringgod.org/media/video/vftp_promo05.mov

(Reference: Sound of Grace discussion Group April/May discussions: http://freegroups.net/groups/soundofgrace/)

Over the next few posts I’ll be explaining the importance of Gospel Sanctification, sharing some of the discussion details, and answering some of the questions raised - which were some of the very issues I have struggled with and perhaps some of you also struggle with.

Shane.

 By John Piper.

Let me tell you about a most wonderful experience I had early Monday morning, March 19, 2007, a little after six o’clock. God actually spoke to me. There is no doubt that it was God. I heard the words in my head just as clearly as when a memory of a conversation passes across your consciousness. The words were in English, but they had about them an absolutely self-authenticating ring of truth. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God still speaks today . . . . Read Entire Article.