Calvin on the Christian Life

Simply brilliant. Have been reading Book 3 Chapter 7 of Calvin's Institutes. You must read at least the first two sections. See here. Battle's translation is better if you have it.

So much that is flawed with Christians is self-centredness, pride and seeking their own way of doing things, whether in the Church or in their personal and family lives. Calvin slays these pernicious weeds!

Oh that Christians were utterly God-centred, but they too frequently seek their own way. We are not our own, Calvin says again and again, and he repeats again and again we are God's, we are God's.

What one of us does not need to be constantly reminded and constantly fighting for utter devotion to God and His will, and dying to oneself in every area of our living?

Abba: God's Fatherly Love

This is from a discussion I had with some brethren that I thought might be helpful:

We have an intimate bond with our adoptive Father which is precious and wonderful, and we need to live in the light of it.

One emphasis in Calvin's Institutes which I found helpful was the importance of believing in God's fatherly love:

'By piety I mean that union of reverence and love to God which the knowledge of his benefits inspires. For, until men feel that they owe everything to God, that they are cherished by his paternal care, and that he is the author of all their blessings, so that nought is to be looked for away from him, they will never submit to him in voluntary obedience; nay, unless they place their entire happiness in him, they will never yield up their whole selves to him in truth and sincerity.' (Institutes Book 1 Ch. 2 Sect. 1)

This is not to the exclusion of a godly fear. God is not our "buddy", nor do I believe a father should be. My children love me greatly and like to hug me, but they still fear me, without being in terror of me. Thus in fallibly seeking to be a Biblical Father, my children understand how one can fear God and yet love Him as Father. As men, this is one of our God-given duties.

Do we believe in the depths of our being that God is a loving Father? Do we feel it? Do we trust Him? Do we believe at all times He is looking after us, providing for us and doing what is best for us?

Do we treat Him as a judge or even capricious? We are justified and our guilt is taken away. Is our faith in our justification and adoption and the spiritual and emotional impact this ought to have what it should be? We are once-justified in Christ. We are no longer under condemnation. When we sin, we seek the forgiveness of a Father who chastises us by His Spirit; we are not seeking clemency from our Judge, Jailer and Executioner. This is the whole point of Romans 8 after the inward struggle of Romans 7:

'For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”... And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose...

'What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...

'For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

Wisdom from Lord of the Rings in Dark Times

Our Pastor was preaching on Esther 4, where she is confronted with her responsibility to use the position that God has put her in to save the Jews. Esther knows that she could die if she approaches the King without asking, but Mordecai says to Esther, "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Often we are not happy with the circumstances in which we find ourselves, esp. as the ungodly are increasingly attacking the people of God. So we are prone to become paralysed, asking ourselves, why do we have to live in this age of declension and opposition, and not in a time of revival?

I find the following from The Lord of the Rings helpful as reflective of Biblical thinking (I couldn't find where this is in the book, but this exchange happens in the Mines of Moria in the film):

Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in the world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.

Troubled by the Silence of the Dead?

WSC Q. 37 What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united in Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection.

I was talking to a saint this day who was troubled by the following texts and others like them:

The dead do not praise the LORD, nor any who go down into silence. (Psalm 115:17)

Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? (Psalm 88:10-12)

This saint was troubled by the thought that they might fall into a place of darkness and silence, an almost limbo-like state at death.

Let us always remember some of the basic rules of interpretation: to interpret individual Scriptures in the light of the whole of Scripture and in the light of God's infallible truth and non-contradiction, and to interpret the harder passages in the light of the clearer.

The following passages make clear what is the destination of God's saints after death (see also Rev. 20:4):

...to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect... (Hebrews 12:23)

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord... We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6,8)

For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Philippians 1:23)

Clearly the believer's soul passes immediately into the glory of heaven and the immediate presence of Christ, so the original passages cannot be speaking of the soul passing into a limbo or soul-sleep (let alone purgatory).

How shall we understand these Scriptures? Is there a contradiction? No, there is an easy explanation as to how to understand the original passages. They are speaking from the perspective of the earthly plane only, and are not meant to be an absolute statement (as Calvin is wont to say).

If we look at Psalm 115, we can see that the psalm is speaking about God blessing His people on the earth and preserving them alive as a people, so that there is a continuity of witness by the covenant community throughout the history of the earth to the very end. The dead cannot praise God on the earth. When we look on their corpses, they lie in silence. The Church of God will never die, but 'will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore'.

Again Psalm 88 can legitimately be understood on its own as an appeal to God by the Psalmist as he 'draws near to the grave' that he may be preserved alive to glorify God on the earth, whereas the dead cannot do this. When one considers it in the light of the other passages, this is the only legitimate interpretation of the passage.

Let us not be troubled by these things, but let us gird ourselves about with the belt of truth, taking up the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith to defend ourselves from the Devil's assaults upon the peace of our souls.

Let us consider how short our lives are on this earth: we are but dust and like a short-lived wild flower of the field. Let us use our brief moments on this earth for God's glory and the advancement of Christ's Kingdom, for the dead cannot do this.

During the Covenanter period, a compromising minister once commented, "What needs all of this ado? We will get heaven and they will get no more." When Donald Cargill heard it, he replied, "Yes, we will get more; we will get God glorified on earth, which is more than heaven." God grant us the spirit of Cargill in living our lives. Continued...

Scripture on the Death of God's Saints

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. (Psa. 116:15)

The LORD is my shepherd… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psa. 23:1,6)

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:13-18)

…so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain… For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Phil. 1:20,21,23)

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3)

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:1-8)

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. (Heb. 12:22-24)

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (Rev. 21:3,4)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25,26)

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep…
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive…
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:14,20,22,54-57)

Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psa. 73:23-26) Click here

Anger

Through the wonders of OCR, I'd like to share with you this chapter from "Life as a Vapor" by John Piper. Although expensive, it's a really good wee book. (Okay it was expensive for me, but you can get it for a lot cheaper at Amazon.) Although not rocket science, the much-maligned Mr Piper has contributed greatly to the area of practical religion.

The title is no comment on my own marriage! The general sinful behaviour, however, is present to some degree in all our lives, so this topic is relevant to all of us.

Kill Anger Before It Kills You or Your Marriage

In marriage, anger rivals lust as a killer. My guess is that anger is a worse enemy than lust. It also destroys other kinds of camaraderie. Some people have more anger than they think, because it has disguises. When willpower hinders rage, anger smoulders beneath the surface, and the teeth of the soul grind with frustration.

It can come out in tears that look more like hurt. But the heart has learned that this may be the only way to hurt back. It may come out as silence because we have resolved not to fight. It may show up in picky criticism and relentless correction. It may strike out at persons that have nothing to do with its origin. It will often feel warranted by how wrongly it has been treated. After all, Jesus got angry (Mark 3:5), and Paul says, "Be angry and do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26).
However, good anger among fallen people is rare. That's why James says, "Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires" (James 1:19-20). And Paul says, "Men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarrelling" (l Timothy 2:8). "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you" (Ephesians 4:31).

Therefore, one of the greatest battles of life is the battle to "put away anger," not just control its expressions. I invite you to join me in this battle by adding these nine biblical weapons to your arsenal.

1. Ponder the right of Christ to be angry, but how He endured the cross, as an example of long-suffering. "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps" (l Peter 2:21).

2. Ponder how much you have been forgiven, and how much mercy you have been shown. "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you' (Ephesians 4:32).

3. Ponder your own sinfulness and take the beam out of your own eye. "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3-5).

4. Ponder how harboured anger gives place to the devil. You do not want to make room for him or invite him into your life. "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil" (Ephesians 4:26-27).

5. Ponder the folly of your own self-immolation, that is, the numerous detrimental effects of anger to the one who is angry – some spiritual some mental some physical and some relational. "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:7-8).

6. Confess your sin of anger to some trusted friend, and, if possible, to the offender. This is a great healing act. "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5: 16).

7. Let your anger be the key to unlock the dungeons of pride and self-pity in your heart and replace them with love. "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (l Corinthians 13:4-7).

8. Remember that God is going to work all your frustrating circumstances for your good as you trust in His future grace. Your offender is even doing you good, if you will respond with love. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).

9. Remember that God will vindicate your just cause and settle all accounts better than you could. Either your offender will pay in hell, or Christ has paid for him. Your payback would be either double jeopardy or an offence to the cross. "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord'" (Romans 12:19). "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting [his cause] to him who judges justly" (l Peter 2:23).

Father, I love Your patience toward me.
I love it when You describe Yourself as slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Oh, to be more like You!
Have mercy on my easily angered heart!
Forgive my many peeves and murmuring.
Grant that I would be saturated with grace, and let me show it to others as
I desperately need it for myself because of Jesus,
Amen.

Read article.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

The creator of Dilbert, Scott Adams, has been partially dumb for the past 18 months due to a condition called Spasmodic Dysphonia, which means that he could only speak under certain circumstances. In his case, he could speak in public, but virtually not at all in private.

He recently seems to have been able to re-map his brain by stimulating it through reciting rhymes, so that he has had an almost complete recovery in the short-term.

To read more about the fascinating phenomenon, click here.

His Heart is Steadfast, Trusting in the Lord

Yesterday, we heard the shocking and unexpected news that there were to be more redundancies at work and the affected staff would be informed today. They said that there would be less than 5, but still we all were asking the question, "Is it going to be me?"

Despite the logic that told me that it was unlikely to be me, I still had this nagging doubt that it could still possibly be me. It was hard to get rid of that shocked, heavy, drained feeling at the possibility of redundancy, even with prayer.

What really helped was to sing Psalm 112B from the new RPCI Psalter to the tune Ellers.

We give thanks to God that I was spared today.

Psalm 112 B Ellers (alt. Eventide)

			PRAISE to the LORD! The man is blessed indeed
			who makes the LORD's commands his great delight.
		2	His children will be mighty in the earth;
			descendants of the upright will be blessed.
		3	Abundant riches are within his house;
			his righteousness endures forevermore.
		4	The darkness of the just will turn to light,
			for all his ways are gracious, kind and fair.
		5	That man is good who gives and freely lends,
			and who with justice governs his affairs.
		6	The righteous man will never be removed,
			and ever will his memory endure.
		7	At evil tidings he is not afraid;
			his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
		8	His heart is steady; he will never fear;
			he comes at last to look upon his foes.
		9	With open hand he offers to the poor;
			his good endures; his head is lifted high.
		10	The wicked sees and grinds his teeth in rage,
			for he despairs; his cherished hope must die.

Click here for Psalm 112B.