History and The Glory of God

I recently finished a biography of Jonathan Edwards and I learned not only about a man but I also learned quite a bit about the time the man lived in. I'm not sure who told me this but I have found it to be true, biography is a great way to learn history. As I read about Edwards' life one of the things that was consistent throughout his life was his Biblical worldview on history and the happenings of his own time. Edwards lived in pre-Revolutionary America and so was well acquainted with French and Indian battles with Britain and was not far from the English civil war of the seventeenth century. All of the battles and changes in the political and economic landscapes he saw as God working out his sovereign plan. He was not without bias but was so convinced of his positions that he never wavered from his Biblical worldview. Defeats for his side were seen as God's judgment or reproof; victories were God's blessing and all glory was given back to Him. This is motivating in itself for me to see all that is happening around through the lens of God's sovereign and good plan for his creation. But it made me want to look back throughout history to see the fingerprints of God's past out workings of his plan.

I am starting this endeavor where I have left off. Edwards was born October 5, 1703 and died March 1758. I mean to pick up just after that time with the biography of John Adams. From here I intend to stagger my biographies and work my way up to as close to present day as I can and try and gain an understanding of America and see if I cannot search out the sovereign hand of the Lord in our own brief history. I would also encourage anyone reading this to be acquainted with history for several reasons. 1) It gives you insight into who you are. We are all shaped by our culture and our culture was shaped by those who came before us. So if Christians want to impact the culture we would do well to understand it as best we can. 2) History helps us to see God's personal involvement in human lives. Seeing great men and women of the past encounter the Lord inspires and motivates us to seek after the Lord if only to know him half as well. And in political history we can see him "turn the heart of the Kings wherever he will" for his purposes. 3) It is immensely entertaining and interesting and makes us smarter. Who doesn't want to be smarter? 4) Finally I think it gives God great glory and pleasure when his people steward well the knowledge and information he has supplied for us. We have more at our disposal than any other time with books, and podcasts and blogs and college courses. We are without excuse when we live in ignorance. Plus to see God throughout the ages, what a privilege.

To get started find something in history you are interested in. Men there were many wars, start with some great battle and work out from there, World War 2 is a great place to start. Ladies, I;m sure the European royalty will be of endless intrigue. It was like a 24/7 soap opera. Start with eighteenth century Europe and lead up to the French Revolution; plenty of scandal during that time period. Or for more sanctified history, find a biography on a great saint of the past. Edwards, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Muller, Taylor, Moody, Graham, one of the puritans, Whitefield, any of those men's wives, just pick one and you will be greatly blessed. What is the worst that happens; you find you don't like that person or that time and you move on. But don't neglect to at least try. That you may regret.

Sovereignty

I find the sovereignty of God a warm blanket. That God is all powerful and eternally sovereign and all good at the same time is comforting to me. Recently Rebekah and I had a big decision before us. It was not a decision between a bad thing and a good thing but between two good things. However this decision was not solely dependent on us just choosing, there were other factors that went a long way towards determining what we would do. The outcome was disappointing and we felt a little bit of a letdown but just before all of this happened I was listening to a podcast of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. He was talking about God’s purposes and his sovereignty and he used as an example his trip to England and how they had a schedule and there were pretty tight on keeping up with it. He said that they seemed to just catch the last train right before it rolled out, or they arrived just minutes before they needed to at the restaurant to meet friends for dinner. His point was all of these little details fall under the jurisdiction of God’s sovereign purposes. He also coupled that with the great truth for believers that everything that happens is his grace. So even though Rebekah and I were disappointed by this situation we found ourselves in, we can rest in God’s purposes, knowing that he is working out his plan. This really frees us up to be obedient and not anxious about our lives as if they were totally dependent on us. I can avoid anxiety knowing that God is in complete control and never acts apart from his goodness. I can be thankful and praise him even in disappointment. He is still God even when I don’t get what I want and that is why I praise him, because of who he is, not what he gives me. I pray that you would find rest in and trust the all-good, sovereign creator of the universe to work out the details of your life and there find peace.

Voting

Every two years around election time Christians stir up old debates about voting (except our Catholic brothers and sisters) and what requirements we should have for if we vote or not and who we vote for. It seems to me that there is an increasing view that has followed on the heels of this Reformed Theology resurgence we are going through in America that says God is sovereign and therefore I won’t worry about voting because He will establish the government of his choosing. This I find to be particularly dishonoring on a couple of levels.

1) It seems to me to be dishonoring to God and his glory. To say, “I will not vote because God is sovereign in setting up the government,” implies that you know how the sovereignty of God works. One of the biggest disagreements I have heard regarding Reformed Theology is that people think because one believes that God is sovereign over the salvation of sinners that evangelism will be neglected if not completely done away with. This is a false accusation against the Doctrines of Grace. In fact it is precisely because God is sovereign that one should engage in evangelism. A God who is in complete control can save anyone he wills, so why we would not bring the gospel to all we can? And we learn from Romans 10 that the primary means by which he rescues sinners from death is through preaching of men. It seems to me to follow that if God exercises his sovereignty over the salvation of sinners through human agents, why would something like the setting up of governments be any different? To assume we have no part in bringing the will of God to bear on earth is, in my mind arrogant and does harm to the glory of God.

2) Using God’s sovereignty as a reason to not act dishonors you. You are trying to excuse your own ignorance and laziness under to guise of depending wholly on the sovereignty of God. This is really the same point as above but from the other point of view. God’s sovereignty is not a means by which we can absolve ourselves of the responsibility of our actions or inactions. And to try and use God’s sovereignty in this manner does harm not only to God’s glory but to your honor in trying to follow him. To make my point, imagine there is a proposition on the ballot about Hate Speech (in the not too distant future we may see such a proposition and we have already seen such laws be created in the UK and be used to silence those who would proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ). So you don’t go vote against such a proposition and it passes. Did you do all you could for the glory of God, the body of believers in this country, or those who need to hear the message of repentance and forgiveness? And do you think your ignorance of such a proposition would excuse you? We have an obligation to seek the best for our country and the people who live there (Jer. 29).

Now all that being said, do I think not voting is a sin? Probably not; however the enemy does use many means to try and derail the advance of the Kingdom of God including plausible arguments. Watching TV is not sinful innately but how many of us have allowed too much TV inhibit our pursuit of God and holiness and justified it as not sinful? And when in the past has self-justification worked out well for us?

Think. That is my big point. Think about what God would have you to do. Pursue him and he will let you know what you should do. And please do not use God’s sovereignty to try and excuse your irresponsibility.

Hell

This morning I woke up thinking about Hell, it was Monday after all. But in all seriousness I was thinking about Hell this morning, and the occasion for my thoughts turning to that dreadful reality were two sermons I have listened to recently. One titled “Did Jesus believe in Hell?” by Kevin DeYoung, and the other this week’s (Oct.31st) sermon by the pastor at my home church. During the sermon at Providence this weekend Hell was referred to several times as separation from God. While I do not deny that in Hell there will be separation from God and this is punishment in itself, what I do doubt is that separation from God is the only or worst punishment in Hell. As I was thinking through this topic this morning my thoughts turned to people who have received 3+ degree burns on their bodies. Those people must be put into a coma basically to be able to withstand the pain and agony of their flesh being burned that badly. From scripture we can determine that Hell is place of consciousness and physical existence. That is how Jesus refers to Hell. And the word Jesus uses is gehenna referring to a valley to the south of Jerusalem that in Jesus’ day was basically a trash heap that burned continually. Before that this particular valley was the valley where the Israelites who were caught up in idol worship would sacrifice their babies by placing them in the hands of a giant idol to be burned alive. This is what is in the mind of our Lord when he speaks of “outer darkness” or Hell, this is where is saying are those where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. To be sure, as in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, separation from God is a huge part of the torment of Hell, I think it is insufficient. If separation from God were all the punishment man could expect from Hell then why did Jesus suffer so on the cross?

So why am I thinking about this? 1) If Hell is merely separation from God and not more, then what effect will it have on those Christians wish to see come the Christ? Plenty of people live perfectly normal, “happy” lives who are separated from God and they don’t feel any punishment. Granted separation from God will be different once people see him face to face and KNOW what they would be missing out on. However I think Christians do a disservice to the people they wish to see converted if they speak of Hell only as separation from God as this is the state they are in presently, most without any remorse. 2) That Hell is a place of everlasting, conscience torment in the form of burning, weeping, gnashing of teeth, should motivate the believer to be more urgently “preach” the gospel. One thing about living in America is that we are isolated from much suffering, and especially the type of suffering that most of the rest of world sees daily. As this is the case we often don’t know how to handle witnessing such suffering and in fact we avoid it as much as possible. This weakens our understanding of what those who don’t know Christ are headed for. Knowing then what Hell will be like should stir the believer’s compassion for the lost in such a way that we are compelled to share the gospel. 3) Just because Hell is a reality doesn’t mean anyone should be resigned to going there. If Jesus is God, and is thus all-good, and all-powerful, who then is out of the reach of his grace? Jesus is a victorious Savior. He has overcome sin and death. Are you living in that victory, not your own victory over besetting sin, but the victory of Jesus? And are you speaking of Jesus in this way to those who are lost? Believer’s experience this victory through humility and helplessness. The refrain should be, “God did for me what I could not do for myself and he can do it for you too.” Do you care for the lost around you? Then why are you not telling them of the rescue they have from an eternity of torment? Why are you afraid to tell them of Jesus who is the only way to eternity with God? The loving thing to do would be to tell them of their fate as it stands apart from Jesus and then live out the fate of those who know and love this victorious Messiah.

I am done but I would encourage you to listen to the song I have linked here by Billy and Cindy Foote. Make it your prayer. And if you don’t know this victorious Jesus, ask me or someone you know who is a Christian if they will tell you the story of his victory over sin and death.

For our Joy

Community

This week in Home Group we start tell out stories. Most of the Bible was written in narrative. God chose to reveal himself through the stories of his called people. Jesus told his disciples that if they wanted to see the Father they need only look to him. So we also, if we would see the Father, his character, his commandments, his power and purpose, we need only look at Jesus. And where is Jesus seen more clearly than in the 4 narrative books that open the New Testament.

So there is something about stories that are revelatory. That I married my wife on October 18th, 2008 is a fact. You can check that in some marriage record database and verify it, I'm sure. But that fact alone doesn't give you any clue as to how beautiful my bride was, or how nervous and excited I was reciting my vows. Those details of the story of my wedding are the things that let you in, give you a glimpse into who my wife and I are.

"Why would we want people to know our stories?" you may ask. "What difference does it make where I grew up, or what my dad was like?" Or some of you may think you story isn't very exciting or dramatic or wouldn't be useful for anyone else to know. The reality is, God gave you the story you have, not for your glory, or so that you could feel important, but so that Jesus would be made much of. Your story is meant to be shared to the glory of the author. And you don't have to worry about how it will impact anyone, he will work that part out. Our stories not only reveal us to the world, they also reveal Jesus to the world. Our lives, in a way, are just a continuation of the scriptures. This is why in home group we will be telling out stories, for the glory of the author.

Grace

At weekend services this week at my church we sang a new song called All I have is Christ. In it there is a line that reads, "You bore the wrath reserved for me, Now all I know is grace." That stuck in my head and it got me to thinking, is that how I view the cross? Is that how most Christians view it.

See if this sounds familiar. My boss and I are talking one day and some how church was brought up. She then asked me a question that struck me as odd. She told me how some Sunday mornings she will take her two girls up to church and drop them off with their aunt and then go back home to do yard work or house work, and how her grandmother told her and her sister when they were kids that God would "get" them for such things. She asked me if I thought God would get her. I didn't know how to respond then, and I said I hoped not because I don't go to church every weekend. I know this is silly but the point is, do we know that God is not out to get us anymore (we being those who are in Christ)? The line from that song is the best explanation I have seen of what the cross of Christ accomplished for us, what Romans 8:1 means, that there is now no condemnation for those in Christ.

Consider this quote from John Piper during a sermon on Romans 8:1:"What Paul is saying is that all of God's condemning wrath and all of his omnipotent opposition to us in our sin has been replaced by almighty mercy and omnipotent assistance. In other words, if you are in Christ Jesus all of God's action toward you is almighty mercy and omnipotent assistance. It is not mixed. It is not as though some days he is against you with wrath - and those days are bad days - while other days he is for you with love - and those days are good days."

Now All we know is Grace. Nothing you receive from God is punishment or wrath. It may well be discipline but that is the love and mercy of God (Hebrews 12:6). Even the natural consequences of our sin are not the wrath of God, but the reproof of a father who wants to know that in him only there is joy. It is like a parent who has told their child over and over again that the stove is hot. Sometimes the kid just has to get burned to learn that lesson. This is not the wrath of the parents but something they deem necessary for the kid to get it.But what practical implications does this have for us? That is too big a question for me to tackle, other than to say I want to build my life on this truth. To say all of God's actions toward us are mercy and grace makes things like cancer and death and divorce and wayward children hard to explain, but are they any easier to explain as God's punishment to the believer? Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 tells us how he knew the hard realities of God's grace through suffering. He says, "...there was given me a thorn in the flesh...Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" My grace is sufficient God says. Isn't that the purpose behind suffering, to make us depend on Jesus for our strength? That surely is grace.

Work

I have a good job. I like the people I work with and my boss is a great boss. I get paid well for what I do and my benefits are perfect for my needs. That being said I want out. But to do what?

Having recently graduated I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do when I grow up. I know what I would like to do, but who is going to pay me for that? So do I just work somewhere to make money and then do what I really want to do on the side? But then how come all of these other people get paid to do what they really want to do? After all of these thoughts and more run through my head I am too emotionally drained to fill out applications and work on my resume.

Underneath all of the specifics of my situation are foundational questions such as, what should we expect from work? Solomon said that toiling is basically vanity. Some people have a God given ability to thrive at and enjoy their work, reap the benefits of their toil. Others just don't have that ability, they work and work hard and never enjoy it. In the end death comes to both and after they are gone no one will remember them or their work. At this Solomon says the most we can hope for is to eat, drink and be merry in our toil.

Paul paints a similar picture of work for us. He tells the readers of his letters that they should work hard and quietly. Christians are to be productive so that they can live peaceful dignified lives in this world. I think it is funny how today we see Paul as a first century itenerate evangelist/church planter. Paul was a tent maker for Jesus. He tells the Theselonians that he wanted to work with his hands so as not to burden them. Yes he was primarily a planter of churches but that was not his profession. He worked at sharing and spreading the gospel as a tent maker.

I think the real question we should ask regarding work is what do I spread the gospel as?

Joy

The more and more I think about life, my life, the way things are in my day to day tasks, the more I believe that what should make me happy actually makes me miserable. I work at a job that is so boring. I work with people who freak out and are stressed by the smallest most insignificant things, and they are loud about it. At the end of the day I am exhausted, emotionally and mentally. So all I want to do when I get home is nothing. That is what will make me happy. But then when it is 11:00 and time for me to go to bed this wave of guilt and shame crashes down on me as I realize that I did exactly what should have made me happy, nothing. Now after the same kind of draining day at work I go home, but instead of doing nothing I clean the kitchen or read a book that causes me to think, or I go see a friend, guess what 11:00 feels like? I feel full, and satisfied and great, most of the time I am not tired but ready to do more of the same types of things I did when I got home. Who in their right mind would think that going home to clean after a draining day of work would energize them? This works with just about anything in our lives. Food for example. If you eat the food you want, that looks really appetizing, most of the time afterward you feel fat and lethargic.

So it is with our spiritual lives. For an example of how this looks spiritually I will ask a question about marriage. In your marriage when are you the most satisfied with your spouse? When do you have true joy in your relationship with your spouse? Is it when they are making much of you, or when you are making much of them? Ladies, think about when you get to brag on you man. What does that do in you? You look at him differently and are full of love and respect for him. When you are proud of your husband it spills over into all aspects of your marriage, and thus you find joy. Yes when he does sweet things for you that causes joy. But greater joy than that comes when you talk about that sweet thing with your friends or family. Does that make sense? Guys, it is the same for us. When we get to talk about our wives as God’s grace in our lives, that’s when we are truly happy in marriage. Of course it feels great when they speak well of us but that just makes us think, “boy do I have her fooled.” Yet when we get to see her shine and sparkle, whether at home or in the world, what joy we have in our marriage. That is when we are overwhelmingly attracted to our wives. I know that’s how it works in my life. But if we, husband or wife, only seek being made much of, bitterness sets in and disappointment marks our life because our spouse cannot possible make as much of us as we desire. Isn’t that odd? It is as if God were trying to show us something. Now in your relationship with God, what brings you the most joy? For me it was when I was walking with my friend Chris as he was being lead out of Mormonism. On a weekly basis I had the privilege of trying, feebly I might add, to make God look so good that Chris would find Mormonism unsatisfying. That had nothing to do with me. God through me was revealing himself to Chris. Through ME?!? And God became more glorious to me during that time too. But, when I at home group or in a men’s bible study try to make much of my intellect or the only reason I say something is trying to lead one of you to tell me how amazing I am, I go away empty and ashamed. Yet when I simply hold forth Jesus, and my desire is to have him made much of, O the joy that stirs up in me, and O the glory Jesus gets from that. His glory is our good, just like making much of our spouse brings us happiness in marriage. What would a church look like, a marriage look like, if the people involved lived this out?



Jesus help us to forget ourselves. Prove yourself to be exceedingly great and desirable above all things. It is glory for you and joy and peace for us.