Neither the “believer” who lives freely in sinfulness nor the legalist seeking to live as righteously as possible in their own strength for their own glory has understood the ugliness of sin.

Neither the “believer” who lives freely in sinfulness nor the legalist seeking to live as righteously as possible in their own strength and for their own glory has understood the sufficiency of the work of Christ and the grace of God given to us.

Neither the “believer” who lives freely in sinfulness nor the legalist seeking to live as righteously as possible in their own strength and for their own glory has understood their union with Christ and the internal transformation He has accomplished.

When it comes down to it probably most of us live life vacilating between and battling both of these tendencies. The answer to both is the message of the gospel. This is why we must preach it to ourselves every day.

The following was a quote that was posted by Charles Biggs on the Reformation Theology blog with regards to legalism. The quote is from Professor Dan Doriani. Know your sin. Know your tendencies. Cling to the gospel.

“Class-one legalists are auto-soterists; they declare what one must do in order to obtain God’s favor or salvation. The rich young ruler was a class-one legalist.

Class-two legalists declare what good deeds or spiritual disciplines one must perform to retain God’s favor and salvation.

Class-three legalists love the law so much they create new laws, laws not found in Scripture, and require submission to them. The Pharisees, who build fences around the law, were class-three legalists.

Class-four legalists avoid these gross errors, but they so accentuate obedience to the law of God that other ideas shrivel up. They reason, ‘God has redeemed us at the cost of his Son’s life. Now he demands our service in return. He has given us his Spirit and a new nature and has stated his will. With these resources, we obey his law in gratitude for our redemption. This is our duty to God.’ In an important way this is true, but class-four legalists dwell on the law of God until they forget the love of God. Worshiping, delighting in, communing with, and conforming to God are forgotten.

Class-four legalists can preach sermons in which every sentence is true, while the whole is oppressive. It is oppressive to proclaim Christ as the Lawgiver to whom we owe a vast debt, as if we must somehow repay him- - repay God! — for his gifts to us.

I count myself a member of the legion of recovering class-four legalists. We slide into a ‘Just Do It’ mentality occasionally, dispensing commands just because they are right.”

We have referenced the practice of family worship and some helpful ideas for beginning and practicing it here before. While it doesn’t have to be complicated it is a very practical and real way for us as fathers to instruct our families as Scripture calls us to.

Joe Thorn posted this last week on dangers to avoid as we as men lead dour families in family worship. I have included his introduction and main points. I would recommend going to his post to find the full article in which the points are filled out.

When you become convinced that family worship is something you want to practice in your home, and you start down that path, there are dangers to avoid. Dangers that many who do family worship tend to fall into. Here are six you should be careful to avoid. The first three are internal dangers the parents face personally, the latter 3 are external dangers that can develop in your practice of family worship.

1. A Proud Heart.

2. A Legalistic Approach.

3. A Hypocritical Life.

4. A Sterile Lecture.

5. A Rigid Format.

6. A Tiring Length.

Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds shared the following post today.

Ed Welch:

Apart from the giving of the law, God’s longest speech in the entire Bible is in the last four chapters of Job. It is a speech intended to cause Job to grow even more in knowing God’s greatness. If you read these chapters every day for a month you will find that they are a treatment for almost anything. Do you fear people? Are you suffering? Are you anxious? Depressed? Struggling with anger? Hard-hearted? listed to these questions from the mouth of God.

“Have you ever given orders to the morning?” (38:12)

“Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?” (38:17-18)

“Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are?’” (38:35)

The pace of God’s questions is relentless. They leave you speechless. But they are graciously delivered to a righteous man who prizes the fear of the Lord above all else.

Ed Welch, When People Are Big and God Is Small, pp. 115-116

By the way- the whole book is worth reading.

Mark Driscoll over at the Acts 29 blog posted the following comparison of man-made religion and the gospel this last week.

Religion says, if I obey, God will love me. Gospel says, because God loves me, I can obey.

Religion has good people & bad people. Gospel has only repentant and unrepentant people.

Religion values a birth family. Gospel values a new birth.

Religion depends on what I do. Gospel depends on what Jesus has done.

Religion claims that sanctification justifies me. Gospel claims that justification enables sanctification.

Religion has the goal to get from God. Gospel has the goal to get God.

Religion sees hardships as punishment for sin. Gospel sees hardship as sanctified affliction.

Religion is about me. Gospel is about Jesus.

Religion believes appearing as a good person is the key. Gospel believes that being honest is the key.

Religion has an uncertainty of standing before God. Gospel has certainty based upon Jesus’ work.

Religion sees Jesus as the means. Gospel sees Jesus as the end.

Religion ends in pride or despair. Gospel ends in humble joy.

Several days ago I had printed a sermon recommended by Monergism.com by Jonathan Edwards entitled “The Sole Consideration, that God is God, Sufficient to Still all Objections to His Sovereignty.”

Last night I read it and was amazed at how it echoed what I had read that morning in R.C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God.

The whole sermon is worth reading. The view of God that Edwards describes is awe-inspiring, humbling, and worship inducing. His text, Psalm 46:10, sums it up well- “Be still and know that I am God.”

Here is the section that especially hammered home the idea of holy justice that Sproul referenced.

It is from mean thoughts of God that you are not convinced that you have by your sins deserved his eternal wrath and curse. If you had any proper sense of the infinite majesty, greatness, and holiness of God, you would see, that to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, and there to have no rest day nor night, is not a punishment more than equal to the demerit of sin. — You would not have so good a thought of yourselves; you would not be so clean and pure in your own eyes; you would see that vile, unworthy, hell-deserving creatures you are. If you had not little thoughts of God, and were to consider how you have set yourselves against him — how you have slighted him, his commandments and threatenings, and despised his goodness and mercy, how often you have disobeyed, how obstinate you have been, how your whole lives have been filled up with sin against God — you would not wonder that God threatens to destroy you forever, but would wonder that he hath not actually done it before now.

Below are a couple of highlights. (more…)

I am currently reading through R.C. Sproul’s classic work, The Holiness of God. I came across some rich sections today in his chapter on the holy justice of God. Here are some highlights.

Sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the One to whom we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself. Have you ever considered the deeper implications of the slightest sin, of the most minute peccadillo? What are we saying to our Creator when we disobey Him at the slightest point? We are saying no to the righteousness of God. We are saying, ‘God, Your law is not good. My judgment is better than Yours. Your authority does not apply to me. I am above and beyond Your jurisdiction. I hav ethe right to do what I want to do, not what You command me to do.’ The slightest sin is an act of defiance against cosmic authority.

In two decades of teaching theology, I have had countless students ask me why God doesn’t save everybody. Only once did a student come to me and say, ‘There is something I just can’t figure out. Why did God redeem me?’

We are not really surprised that God has redeemed us. Somewhere deep inside, in the secret chambers of our hearts, we harbor the notion that God owes us His mercy. Heaven would not be quite the same if we were excluded from it. We know that we are sinners but we are surely not as bad as we could be. There are enough redeeming features to our personalities that if God is really just, He will include us in salvation. What amazes us is justice, not grace.

We have come to expect God to be merciful. From there the next step is easy: we demand it. When it is not forthcoming, our first response is anger against God, coupled with the protest: ‘It isn’t fair.’ We soon forget that with our fist sin we have forfeited all rights to the gift of life. That I am drawing breath this morning is an act of divine mercy. God owes me nothing. I owe Him everything. If He allows a tower to fall on my head this afternoon, I cannot claim injustice [Luke 13:1-5].

A few months ago I found out that a friend of mine whom I went to seminary with and worked with has cancer- specifically non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

As I’ve read his online journal I have been floored by the magnitude of what he is going through. It makes my trials look very insignificant.

I would strongly encourage you to read some of his journal entries. Will is honest, thoughtful, and serious about exalting Christ through this trial. The link above will take you to the welcome page where the latest entry is listed. From there you can go to the journal archives, photos, a guest book, and a short summary of his story.

I am hoping that I can gain some of the maturity that he is gaining through this trial as I read and keep up with his journey (James 1:2-4).

Below is Will’s latest journal entry. (more…)

How could we. We are needy every day for God’s grace and made unimaginably rich everyday by God’s grace. Yet we do forget grace.

In my reading this week I came across two passages this week in which Scripture makes it clear that while we may have the knowledge we need to be reminded of what we know (Romans 15:14-15 and 2 Peter 3:1-2). We are indeed forgetful people.  God is incredibly patient and gracious towards us in reminding us or His grace through His word, His providential hand, and through other people around us.

The following post from the IrishCalvinist was helpful in reminding me of Grace and giving me some practical ways to keep it on the forefront of our minds.

Sometimes I am forgetful. Perhaps you are too. I am one who loves the gospel, loves the Savior and loves the hope that comes by grace to believers. But sometimes I forget how great a Savior I have because I forget how bad I really am.

For instance, I sometimes will forget about depravity and grace. I can articulate total depravity in theological terms, however, oftentimes in my Christian life I begin to think in terms of ‘good’ things in my life as originating in me. As if to say that the works prior to conversion were bad because I was bad and now as a Christian what I do is good because I am good. What I in effect am saying is that I needed grace to save me from my self and my sin but now that I have that taken care of I can live independent of grace and rely on my own good works.

Now I would never articulate this in clear audible terms. However, I do say it clearly in my actions and attitude. When I sit and meditate on what I have done, am doing, or will do with an attitude of self-exaltation I find myself motivated and compelled by self-seeking. And when something does get done I find myself glorying in it.

For some reason (I know the reason) I have short-circuited my understanding of grace. If anything good happens to me or through me it is not because of me but because of the grace of God. A sure litmus test of this is when we are enjoying a season of prosperity or accomplishment. We find our thoughts (often times our fantasies) riveted upon these things. But how much mental and practical dependence upon the God of grace is exercised? How quick do we rush to prayer in dependence? And how fast do we run to thank God for his grace?

Too often I find myself taking grace for granted. I really hate this. I understand from the Scriptures that it is not only grace that justifies, but also sanctifies, and one day will present me glorified. I am wholly dependent upon divine grace for everything. And if there is anything that God is pleased to work within or though me it is stamped with a trademark of grace before it even comes to be.

I hate this spiritual short-circuit. I hate it because it undermines the power and perfection of Jesus’ work upon the cross; it undermines the totality of what he purchased for a sinner like me. How dare I stick out my chest (in thought or in deed) to think I have done anything of merit or value rather than by the kindness of God.

So how does this flesh out in life?

-Wake up each day recognizing that I am wholly dependent upon God’s grace for everything!

-Remind myself throughout the day that if it were not for grace I would turn away from God in a minute

-Remind myself that I am a needy man; every second of my life I am needy for grace

-Remind myself that I will never grow less dependent upon grace to do anything good

-Remind myself to continual search out my day for evidences of grace and then offer praise for it

-Remind myself that grace itself is a gift, something that I am unworthy of

-Remind myself of who I am apart from grace by reading Romans 3.9-18

-Remind others of the greatness of God’s grace in their lives and in the lives of the church

-Remind myself that there is a grand lineage of Christians who recognizes their neediness upon divine grace. I can do this by reading the word grace in the Bible not with unimpressed familiarity (like a family pet) but instead with affection stirring passion that recognizes its beauty (more like a bride).

There have been several times on this blog when I have referenced articles from the online magazine Boundless. The more articles I read from it the more I am impressed.

While it is aimed at 20 somethings it is full of thought-provoking articles. They deal with topics and questions that you might not normally think about and are filled with biblical truth and practical wisdom. I haven’t read everything and as always be sure to read with discernment. Here are some articles that I have found helpful.

The Fruit of Immaturity- by Alex Chediak- deals with common immaturities often seen in young men and calls them to responsibility and initiative in decision making.

Surviving a Hostile Professor- by Gene Edward Veith- how to deal with an academic world that is by and large hostile to Christianity.

10 Things Now to Stay at Home Later- by Heather Koerner- calls young women to pray, think, and plan ahead for what God has called them to do with their lives.

Humility that Attracts and Encourages-by Carolyn McCulley- addresses how single women can humbly respond to and help single men who are seeking to pursue them for a relationship.

Boundless Answer: True Beauty in Modesty- by Candice Z. Watters- answers a question about how to be feminine and modest in the way one dresses.

Brother, You’re Like a Six- by Scott Croft- discusses a right view of attraction in relationships.

Stop Test-Driving Your Girlfriend- by Michael Lawrence- calls young men to take initiative, love, and avoid unnecessary hesitation.

Like to Watch- by Joshua Harris- encourages us to be thoughtful and careful in our T.V. viewing.

Reflecting on “The Mystery of Marriage”- by Albert Mohler- discusses the marginalization of marriage, the rarity of true celibacy, the extension of adolescence, and the need for young men to take steps towards manhood.

For Guys Only: the Marks of Manhood- by Albert Mohler- describes a number of characteristics which he believes should be included in a description of manhood.

Men and Friendship- by Thabiti Anyabwile- encourages men towards openness and investment in each other.