Fourteen Marks of a True Believer

I have been nibbling this week at Thomas Watson's All Things For Good. Nibbling, because it is a short book, and I am trying to enjoy every paragraph. I read in Meet The Puritans that Thomas Watson was one of the easiest Puritans to read, and the authors' assessment is right on--Watson does not mince words or develop clever philosophical arguments. He doesn't need to.

Consider the following outline of chapter 5, "The Tests of Love to God":

1. The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. Those who love God think about Him often.

2. The next fruit of love is desire of communion. We long to meet him in prayer, His Word, his ordinances, and finally, in heaven.

3. Another fruit of love is grief. Grief for sins committed by us and others, because it injures God's glory, and tramples upon the opportunities and kindness He has extended us.

4. Another fruit of love is magnanimity. Christ's followers are not afraid to own Him or His Gospel: "He who is afraid to own Christ has but little love for Him."

5. The fifth fruit of love is sensitiveness. It brings us pain to see God's honor besmirched, His truth neglected, His laws violated.

6. The sixth fruit of love is hatred against sin. "He that loves God will have nothing to do with sin, unless to give battle to it. Sin strikes not only at God's honor, but His being. Does he love his prince that harbours him who is a traitor to the crown? Is he a friend to God who loves that which God hates?"

7. Another fruit of love is crucifixion. "He who is a lover of God is dead to the world" (Galatians 6:14).

8. The next fruit of love is fear. Fear of displeasing God, fear that God's presence would depart.

9. If we are lovers of God, we love what God loves. His Word, His day (the Sabbath), His Laws, and His people.

10. Another blessed sign of love is, to entertain good thoughts of God. To give God the benefit of the doubt in affliction (Job 13:15). "It is Satan that makes us have good thoughts of ourselves, and hard thoughts of God."

11. Another fruit of love is obedience. In things difficult and dangerous. If we love God, we set ourselves against sins in purpose and in practice.

12. He who loves God will endeavour to make Him appear glorious in the eyes of others.

13. Another fruit of love is to long for Christ's appearing.

14. Love will make us stoop to the meanest offices. Considering what Christ stooped to do as a servant (John 13:3-5), we realize no task is below us.

Boldness in a Culture of Political Correctness

I am a big fan of John Piper. Our cat is named after him. A lot of what he says goes over my head, but what I read this morning sure didn't.

Reading from A Godward Life, I came today to the essay "Very Calmly Say, 'Your Outrageous Opinions Are Not Based on Truth'", which is a reflection on Ephesians 5:11:

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."

So often believers (who are charged with a proclaiming message), myself included, are too timid to say what we know to be true. Perhaps this is for fear of censure or ridicule. Or perhaps it is cultural conditioning: there is no absolute truth, except this one: tolerance for other people's views--no matter how ridiculous--is a virtue. "Do not force your religion on me."

Enter Piper:

"Our job is to speak God's truth at every level. We may or may not change minds or laws. That is not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to speak with boldness and clarity what God would say. Don't be muzzled by the comment that you can't force your religion or morality on others. You are not forcing it; you are commending it for serious consideration. Declaring and persuading are not forcing. [...] Are your biblical convictions no less defensible than [their] incredibly unfounded moral pronouncements?"

Nice. May we all have the boldness and humility to speak the truth in love, for God's glory.

The Excellency of Christ

I have been slowly savoring a book of collected sermons of Jonathan Edwards for the past several months. This morning I finished "The Excellency of Christ," and though not an easy read, like most things in life, it is well worth the effort, just as filet mignon takes more effort to prepare than say, hot dogs. It is, however interesting, that in this case, bookstores seem to sell filet mignon in the discount section, and hot dogs are always at a premium.

This particular sermon is magnificent in its comparison of Christ's diverse and seemingly irreconcilable characteristics--his majesty and yet his humility; his dominion and yet his meekness; his judgment and yet his mercy. He compares and reconciles that Christ is both a Lion of Judah and yet a lamb. He receives poor sinners with all gentleness, then defends them as a roaring lion.

There is an interesting interplay between these diverse characteristics as they pertain to his crucifixion. The lamb is overcome by another lion who prowls about (Satan), and yet though Christ is consumed as it were, Satan is finally overcome. Edwards' presentation masterfully illuminates that this act is both a divine and bottomless mystery.

The apex of the sermon is in its application, both in compelling those who have not yet received Christ, as well as those who already count him Lord and Brother. The final pages, which detail his greatness, goodness, and warmness toward us are very moving, and through them one gains a glimpse into the blessed eternity that awaits those whom he has redeemed. Both the sermon and the Savior are highly recommended.

Spurgeon's 'Marks of True Conversion'

This is quite useful.  This summer our church's formal activities (home groups, children's ministry, choir, etc.) all spin down, and we have organized an informal "Puritan Book Club".  Our first selection, for the month of June, is Matthew Mead's The Almost Christian Discovered.  James Kubecki talks about it on his blog as well.

Do you ever have the feeling you are being watched?  That is the unsettling feeling you get when reading this book--you get the distinct sensation that the book is somehow reading you!  After reading this book, I found the following (from Charles Spurgeon) helpful:

"When the Word of God converts a man, 

    it takes away from him his despair,

      but it does not take from him his repentance.

True conversion gives a man pardon,

    but it does not make him presumptuous.

True conversion gives a man perfect rest,

    but it does not stop his progress.

True conversion gives a man security,

    but it does not allow him to leave off being watchful.

True conversion gives a man strength and holiness,

    but it never lets him boast.

True conversion gives harmony to all the duties of Christian life;

    it balances all duties, emotions, hopes, and enjoyments.

True conversion brings a man to live for God.

    He does everything for the glory of God,

       whether he eats, drinks, or whatsoever he does.

True conversion makes a man live before God;

    He desires to live as in God's sight at all times,

       and he is glad to be there.

And such a man now comes to live with God.

    He has blessed communion with him;

       He talks with him as a man talks with his friend."

 Why doesn't anyone write with this kind of 'studied plainness' today?

The Forgotten Spurgeon

Just finished reading Iain Murray's excellent tome, The Forgotten Spurgeon, and I can't recommend it heartily enough. It is not so much a biography as it is a focus on Spurgeon's not-so-happy years of conflict with those who were content to go with the flow of popular trends in the Church. Trends like hyper-Calvinism, Arminianism, Ecumenicalism, and bending the Gospel to conform to the whims of the culture du jour. Sound timely? George Santayana said something to the effect of, "Those who won't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Reading this book, I see three generations who haven't learned their lesson--ours looking back to Spurgeon's, and Spurgeon's looking back to the Puritans'.

Spurgeon stood almost alone for doctrinal purity out of a sense of pastoral care for his congregants, because he had a high regard for the Word of God, felt the ends didn't justify the means, wasn't afraid to take abuse from men for doing what he felt Scripture called him to do, and because he felt that the best way to maintain the unity of true believers was sometimes to do things that would make the tares up and leave.

Although outside the scope of this book, Spurgeon's life models a "kinder, gentler Calvinism" (as James McGuire calls it) that showcases grace and truth together. Bravo!