The Transfer of Love

Christ was all anguish that I may be all joy,

cast off that I might be brought in,

trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,

surrendered to hell's worst  that I might attain heaven's best,

stripped that I might be clothed,

wounded that I might be healed, 

athirst that I might drink,

tormented that I might be comforted,

made a shame that I might inherit glory,

entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,

groaned that I might have endless song,

endured all pain that I might have unfading health,

bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,

bowed his head that I might uplift mine,

experienced reproached that I might receive welcome,

closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,

expired that I might live forever.

O Father, who spared not your only Son to spare me,

all this transfer your love designed and accomplished;

Help me to adore you by both lips and life.

O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise.

-Adapted from Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers

Putting the Gospel on the Shelf

“The gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history. Yet we allow thousands of professing Christians to live their entire lives without clearly understanding it and experiencing the joy of living in it.”

“I believe part of our problem is our tendency to give an unbeliever just enough of the gospel to get him or her to pray a prayer to receive Christ. Then we immediately put the gospel on the shelf, so to speak, and go on to the duties of discipleship. 

As a result, Christians are not instructed in the gospel. And because they do not fully understand the riches and glory of the gospel, they cannot preach it to themselves, nor live by it in their daily lives.” -Jerry Bridges

On Parenting: Give Them Grace

We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather we should ask, "What has happened to salt and light?" -John Stott

Jerry Bridges: Christians Need the Gospel Too

"Christians need to hear the gospel all of their lives because it is the gospel that continues to remind us that our day-to-day acceptance with the Father is not based on what we do for God but upon what Christ did for us in his sinless life and sin-bearing death... 

We stand before God today as righteous as we ever will be, even in heaven, because he has clothed us with the righteousness of his Son. Therefore, I don't have to perform to be accepted by God. 

Now I am free to obey him and serve him because I am already accepted in Christ (see Rom. 8:1). My driving motivation now is not guilt but gratitude.

Yet even when we understand that our acceptance with God is based on Christ's work, we still naturally tend to drift back into a performance mindset. Consequently, we must continually return to the gospel. To use an expression of the late Jack Miller, we must preach the gospel to ourselves every day."

Read the entire article here (it's a good one).

The Book About Christ

"If you understand the Bible, you understand that it is the Book about Christ, the Book about the Lord Jesus. 

In the Old Testament there is the preparation for Jesus coming. 

In the Gospels there is the presentation of Christ; He is come. 

In the Acts there is the proclamation; the message of salvation in Christ is announced. 

In the Epistles we study the personification, that is, for to me to live is Christ, or how Christ, who has died and risen from the grave, returns to live in His people, 

and in Revelation there is the predomination, or the Christ on the Throne, the reign of the King, the Lamb on the throne." -MacArthur

The Precious Blood

Blessed Lord Jesus,

Before your cross I kneel and see the heinousness of my sin,

my iniquity that caused you to be 'made a curse,'

the evil that excites the severity of divine wrath.

Show me the enormity of my guilt by the crown of thorns,

the pierced hands and feet,

the bruised body,

the dying cries.

Your blood is the blood of incarnate God,

its worth is infinite, its value beyond thought.

Infinite must be the evil and guilt that demands such a price...

Sinner that I am, why should the sun give me light,

the air supply breath,

the earth bear my tread,

its creatures subserve my ends?

Yet your compassions yearn over me,

your heart hastens to my rescue,

your love endured my curse,

your mercy bore my deserved stripes.

-Adapted from Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers

The Good News

"The good news is not that God has provided an overwhelming picture of his love to induce us to repentance. It is not that thinking about the cross will help us do better in the future. 

It is that God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves: The righteousness that God requires has been given to us as a gift because Jesus Christ has lived a perfect life in our place, died for our sins, and then been raised for our justification (see Rom. 4:25). The good news is not that God offers us a clean slate and a fresh start-although he does. The good news is far greater than that! It is nothing less than the blessedness about which Paul speaks in Romans 4: "And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness" (v. 5). 

If you are a criminal, it is easy to trust a judge who acquits criminals. But God does not acquit criminals. He justifies them. 

He does not pardon them even though he still considers them guilty; he declares them righteous, so that, as far as justice is concerned, they have perfectly satisfied all requirements of the law. 

This is not (as some say) a "legal fiction," because Christ has perfectly kept the law for us and his righteousness is truly credited to us as if we had done it ourselves. But God only justifies the wicked. He justifies the wicked as wicked. He does not leave them in their wickedness, but he does justify them while they are still wicked on no other basis than the life, death, and resurrection of his own Son." -Michael Horton

Martin Luther: The Great Exchange

“This is that mystery which is rich in divine grace to sinners: wherein by a wonderful exchange our sins are no longer ours but Christ’s, and the righteousness of Christ not Christ’s but ours. He has emptied himself of his righteousness that he might clothe us with it and fill us with it; and he has taken our evils upon himself that he might deliver us from them.” 

Are You Right with God?

I must have heard the admonishment to "get right with God" over a hundred times growing up. It seems like only yesterday as I recall countless fundamentalist preachers thundering that particular phrase from their lofty pulpits.

I remember saying to myself: "well who doesn't want to be right right God? I know that I do... So I better read my Bible, pray, not drink, not chew, and not hang out with those who do." 

"If I can do all of that, if I can meet that standard then I can be "right with God." Then I can be righteous."

Paul the apostle had the same idea. Check out Philippians 3:2-11. He shares his testimony and reveals how he had everything going for him in regards to being "right with God." He came from the right tribe, had a religious family, studied under the best Jewish scholar in the world, and kept the rules down to the smallest detail - but eventually, on the road to Damascus, God opened his eyes to show him that all of those self-righteous deeds were rubbish.

Paul writes: "For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things (good deeds / acts of self-righteousness) and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith... (Phil. 3:8-9)."

Wanna be righteous? Would you like to be "right with God"?

Well, Paul learned that the only way to become "right with God" is to quit trying to be "right with God." You and I don't have the goods. We can't meet the standard - it's too high (Matthew 5:48 provides a great example of the kind of standard God demands that we meet in order to be righteous).

Every good deed that we present to God is stained by sin; therefore we have no hope in ourselves (See here and here).

Our only hope is to put our faith in Christ and his righteousness. 

He alone is the key.

We can become "right with God" through Christ alone.

Run to him.

Rest in him.

Take delight in what he has accomplished for you.

Dwell on this man who loved you enough to die for you.

Take a calming, stress-reducing bath in his intoxicating grace.

Immerse yourself in his goodness.

Then, pour yourself a beverage, and drink to the unwarranted favor that he has shown to you.

Wanna be right with God? If you are a true Christian, you already are.

Open Eyes

"Although they walked at Jesus' side for three years, the disciples did not understand his person or work until he opened their eyes, proclaiming himself from all the Scriptures...

Both for our finitude and for our sinfulness, our reconciliation with God requires revelation in the form of divine initiative and condescension." - Michael Horton

Our Greatest Need

"If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist.

If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist.

If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician.

If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. 

But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior." -D.A. Carson via OFI

Preaching the Gospel to Yourself

"Dear Self,

The reality is that you only love God because he loved you first.

He loved you before you were born and chose you for himself. His love for you secured your salvation, and because you have experienced his life redeeming love you love him in return.

But for love to continue to grow and for you to love the unloveable, it is important that you meditate on the gospel. Get this - you only know what love is by looking to your Savior...

You must learn, relearn, and remember your Savior's sacrifice for the wicked, rebellious, blackhearted - for people like you. And when you see the Holy One's sacrificial love for you, you not only see what love looks like, but also you find strength and power to love like him." -Joe Thorn

Grace is the "Why"

I just finished reading a book about evangelism that troubled me. The author forcefully promoted the idea that Christians should share their faith because 1) it is their duty, 2) it is what God commands, and 3) they likely aren’t true Christians if they don’t.

Reading this book took me back to my younger years growing up in a legalistic, guilt-based, grace-less church environment. 

Using guilt and fear to urge people to do things, even good things, is not a good idea - nor is it  the biblical, gospel-centered model. 

The author failed to understand that we serve a God who concerns himself with motives of the heart. Why Christians do things is as important, if not more important, than what Christians do. Jerry Bridges states, “the motivation for commitment, discipline, and obedience is important to God, perhaps even more so than our performance.” I'm not saying that the author is wrong regarding his three points, I just don't believe those three points should fall under the "why" category. 

Believers are not to serve out of legalistic duty, but out of love. Because of what Christ has done for us (e.g., the gospel), we are to worship him by joyfully serving, loving others, giving, and sharing our faith.

The gospel is what should propel and motivate us to action, not guilt. 

It is unfortunate that some believers may get the feeling after reading this particular book that they are not yet good enough in God’s sight, or that God would love them more if they would evangelize.

Thankfully, that is not the case. God’s love for his children is not based on their performance; it is based on the work of Jesus Christ. 

May that be our motivation and inspiration for joyful service; not guilt and fear.

John Piper: Irresistible Grace

This is a helpful clarification by John Piper.

Who is Jesus Christ?

He is the image of the invisible God, 

the firstborn of all creation. 

For by him all things were created, 

in heaven and on earth, 

visible and invisible, 

whether thrones or dominions 

or rulers or authorities—

all things were created through him and for him. 

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

And he is the head of the body, the church. 

He is the beginning, 

the firstborn from the dead, 

that in everything he might be preeminent. 

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 

and through him to reconcile to himself all things, 

whether on earth or in heaven, 

making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:14-20 ESV

More Loved Than We Ever Dared Hope

"The gospel of justifying faith means that while Christians are, in themselves still sinful and sinning, yet in Christ, in God’s sight, they are accepted and righteous. 

So we can say that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope — at the very same time. 

This creates a radical new dynamic for personal growth. It means that the more you see your own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying, and amazing God’s grace appears to you. 

But on the other hand, the more aware you are of God’s grace and acceptance in Christ, the more able you are to drop your denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions and character of your sin." -Tim Keller

"Christians do not work to get grace. They work because they have received grace. Christians do not earn God's favor. They serve because God has already showed them favor. Christians do not work to merit salvation. They joyfully serve God because he has already given them salvation." -William P. Farley

"The religion of the natural man is always a religion of self-righteousness."     -Iain Murray

Matt Chandler: Nobody Dies Early

HT: Chosen For Grace

The Gift

Herein is the wonder of wonders:

He came below to raise me above,

He was born like me that I might become like him.

Herein is love:

When I cannot rise to him he draws near on wings of grace

to raise me to himself...

Herein is wisdom:

When I was undone with no will to return to him,

and no intellect to devise recovery,

He came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,

as man to die my death,

to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,

to work out a perfect righteousness for me...

[Father], in him you have given me so much

that heaven can give no more.

-Adapted from Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers

The Law Prepares Us for the Gospel

“In exposing our own corruption, the law of God leaves us guilty and points us to our need for redemption. 

We are lawbreakers and need forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration. In this sense the law serves as a guide in leading us to the gospel. It fits us for it, prepares us for it. The law, while being ‘holy and righteous and good,’ is itself not good news. It is the bad news that makes the good news of the gospel so relevant. In this way, the law prepares us for the gospel by showing us our need for it.” - Joe Thorn via OFI

Wrecked By Grace

Tullian Tchividjian writes: 

What the Pharisee, the prostitute, and everyone in-between need to remember every day is that Christ offers forgiveness full and free from both our self-righteous goodness and our unrighteous badness. This is the hardest thing for us to believe as Christians. We think it’s a mark of spiritual maturity to hang on to our guilt and shame. We’ve sickly concluded that the worse we feel, the better we actually are. The declaration of Psalm 103:12 is the most difficult for us to grasp and embrace: “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Or, as Corrie ten Boom once said, “God takes our sins—the past, present, and future—and dumps them in the sea and puts up a sign that says ‘No Fishing Allowed.’” This seems too good to be true…it can’t be that simple, that easy, that real!

It is true! No strings attached. No but’s. No conditions. No need for balance. If you are a Christian, you are right now under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ. Your pardon is full and final. In Christ, you’re forgiven. You’re clean. It is finished.

Read the rest here. HT Z.

I Am Astonished

O Lord, I am astonished at the difference

between my receivings and my deservings,

between the state that I am now in and my past gracelessness,

between the heaven I am bound for and the hell I merit.

Who made me to differ but you?

For I was no more ready to receive Christ than were others;

I could not have begun to love you had you not first loved me,

or been willing unless you had first made me so.

O that such a crown should fit the head of such a sinner!

such high advancement for such an unfruitful person!

such joys for so vile a rebel!

...Let your love draw me nearer to you,

wean me from sin, mortify me to this world,

and make me ready for my departure.

Secure me your grace as I sail across this stormy sea.

-Adapted from Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers

Was Christ's Atonement Limited or Universal?

Since the days of the Reformation, the extent of Christ’s atonement has been a fiercely debated topic within the Church. The question of whether Christ died for all men, or only for those who would believe in him has intrigued both laymen and scholars alike.

To say that particular redemption is a controversial doctrine is an understatement. Many believers today, even some who adhere to the Calvinist doctrines of total depravity, unconditional election, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints, have a hard time accepting the notion that Christ’s atonement applied only to his elect. There are many four-points Calvinist scattered throughout the Reformed community, and, unsurprisingly, nearly all of the believers within the Arminian and Pelagian camps reject the doctrine of particular redemption.

Limitless Forgiveness

“He who has fled for refuge to a Savior’s wounds looks out from his high watch-tower, and limitless forgiveness spreads before him.

This grace proceeds alone from God. All His acts are steeped in heavenly infinity. When then He forgives, He forgives like a God — fully, without measure, without restraining boundary.

Let it be granted that sins overtop the heights of heaven; forgiveness soars unspeakably above their summit. Let sins exceed the sea’s innumerable sands; forgiveness outnumbers the total mass.”

- Henry Law via OFI

Ocean Sky

These videos are great. I found this one via Challies.

C.J. Mahaney: A Testimony of God's Grace

Oh man do I appreciate this testimony by C.J.
I love hearing stories of God's irresistible grace. 
I love hearing of Christ saving his sheep from both hell and themselves. 
To God alone belongs all the glory!

The Gospel vs. Religion

The Gospel Is...

"The gospel is not simply the entry point into the Christian life but that it is also the foundation and force that shapes all we do as followers of Jesus both in our daily lives and in our experience as the corporate body of Christ. 

The gospel is the gloriously great good news of what God has done in the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to satisfy his own wrath and to secure the forgiveness of sins and perfect righteousness for all who trust in him by faith alone. 

Therefore, the gospel is not what God requires. The gospel is what God provides! 

The gospel is not an imperative, demanding things you must do. The gospel is an indicative, declaring things that God has done. 

The gospel is not about human action. The gospel is about divine achievement. 

The gospel is not a moralistic Do! The gospel is a merciful Done!" -Sam Storms via ANY