A deep grasp of the sovereign grace of God…

And, finally for tonight…I think you’ll find John Piper’s excellent “Challenge to Women” from the archives of Desiring God to be very thought-provoking, if not terribly politically correct. You can find all fifteen challenge points here.

The one that resonated with me is Number 6:

That you be women who have a deep grasp of the sovereign grace of God undergirding all these spiritual processes, that you be deep thinkers about the doctrines of grace, and even deeper lovers and believers of these things.

I know I believe and assent to God’s sovereign grace, but a “deep grasp”? I read, and try to think deeply about the doctrines of grace, but I’m aftraid I’m a lot like the great philosopher Winnie-the-Pooh…”I try to remember, then, when I remember, I forget…”

To the best of my understanding, thinking deeply about the doctrines of grace is what “Semper Reformanda” (Always Reforming) is all about!

And I am sure, that the deeper grasp and the deeper thinking will lead to the deeper love and belief.

Lord, help me to…

…deeply grasp your sovereign grace…

…deeply think about your doctrines of grace…

…deeply love and believe those truths…and live like it!

Indicative and Imperative

Catchy title, huh? Nice for us grammar geeks, but what about everyone else?

It is a hugely important distinction, and it affects everything about my Christian life.

Here’s what it means: In Scripture, the Indicative tells us who we are, and the Imperative tells us what we must do. The Indicative truth of Scripture tells me who I am in Christ...for example, from Ephesians: chosen before the foundation of the world, holy and blameless, redeemed, forgiven, lavished with riches, beloved of God, made alive with Christ, raised and seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Of course, Paul is careful to make sure I also know what I was before God saved me…dead, dead, dead (repeated over and over), and totally unable to save myself.

Okay, this is not news for most Christians. But, the key is this: the Imperative flows from the Indicative and not the other way around. In other words, what I am to do (Imperative) is simply be who I am (Indicative). My tendency has been to get this backwards and upside down…if I “do” the commands of Scripture…particularly the New Testament commands concerning the Christian life…then I will be accepted by God, or in “right relationship”. (I did already understand that my “legal standing” with God was secure as a Christian, regardless of whether I did the Imperative or not.)

Instead, what God has been teaching me through my pastor and other faithful preacher/teachers, is that “doing” the Imperative of Scripture is simply living like I am who I am (sing Popeye theme now…I yam what I yam…)

In Galatians, who I am is expressed in terms of a son or a slave. I am a son (daughter) of the king…now LIVE like it! Not to gain favor, approval, or blessing …Scripture says I already have those things…but just because it is who I am. Of course, because I am still clothed in sinful flesh, I can’t do it perfectly (that gets into the Already and the Not Yet…another post on some other day). If (when) I fail, I am simply to repent, look to Christ’s finished work instead of my feeble works, and go on…I am not to wallow in despair or agonize over my inability to live the “victorious” Christian life. That would be looking to myself and my works to gain approval, instead of looking to Christ’s finished work that has already brought me God’s approval and blessing, remembering that there is nothing I can do…or NOT do…that will change that one little bit.

Since Scripture tells me I am united with Christ, one of my goals for my Bible reading and study this year is to learn all I can about Christ throughout the Scriptures, so I can better understand who I am.

Most of this came from my pastor, Charles Biggs, as he preached through the book of Galatians for the last few months of 2006. (You can download his sermons here.) I heartily and enthusiastically recommend that you listen…they are life-changing…sounds very cliché, I know, but it is true. And he says it all so much better than I can in this rambling post.

Semper reformanda!!

A Resolution for 2007…and an excuse for 2006

I do hereby resolve to post more regularly this year for my reader (s?).

The Girltalkers are discussing how to keep resolutions, so I’ll be following that thread! I am the conusummate resolution breaker. Other than reading my bible through in a year once or twice (I mean…really finishing…every word), I think most of my resolutions are broken by Jan 2.

The things that I have been reading and studying this past year have been so obviously sovereignly directed by God, and the thoughts and emotions have been overwhelming at times. It has been a season of really sitting at the feet of Christ, and learning the marvelous truths of the gospel over…and in some ways, for the first time, even though I have been a Christian for 20+ years.

In the midst of all this, I think I have been like Mary, pondering these things in my heart…hence the infrequent posting. (Of course, there are other factors…a husband, 6 kids, homeschooling, writing books…but I digress…)

So, to make up for it, I have two other posts to make tonight. J

Need Counseling?

For those of you who can't afford or don't want to pay for private counseling, here is a freebie from Bob Newhart.

May the Mind of Christ My Savior

This sweet hymn was written by Kate B. Wilkinson in the early 1900's. You can listen to the tune here.

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

A little lesson from Pilgrim's Progress

This morning we read in Pilgrim’s Progress about Pilgrim’s conversation at the Palace Beautiful with Prudence. The little bit below really impressed me, especially with the current scandal raging around Ted Haggard and his confession. Tim Challies, in his thought-provoking piece on the scandal, made the point that all Christians should be saddened and horrified, because, knowing our true Adamic nature, we should know that “there but for the grace of God go I.” Yes, there is much more to consider here for such a public figure with such questionable theology, but Tim's reminder definitely caught my attention. Shouldn't our understanding of our total depravity make us all the more anxious to "watch our life and doctrine" carefully? I think that is what Bunyan was getting at in the part we read this morning.

Here’s my little retelling (all my Classical Writing readers will know what I mean :)

Prudence asks Christian whether he does not till think some about his former home, the City of Destruction. Christian acknowledges that he does, indeed, to his shame, remember his life there, but that his desire now is for a better city (Hebrews 11:15-16).

Next Prudence inquires if Christian still thinks of some of the things he left behind in the City of Destruction. Sadly, Christian agrees that he does sometimes think about those things that formerly delighted him and his companions in that doomed city. Now, however, these thoughts bring him grief, and he wishes that he would never think on them. He echoes St. Paul (Romans 7:15, 21) “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”

So Prudence asks him if he can remember what it is that makes those loathsome thoughts disappear at times. Christian knows exactly what they are:

~ “when I think what I saw at the cross, that will do it”

~ “when I look upon my broidered coat, that will do it”

~ “when I look into the roll that I carry in my bosom, that will do it”

~ “when my thoughts wax warm about whither I am going, that will do it”

These are the thoughts that will deliver me from the futile and vain imaginations and desires that assail me daily (hourly!): Christ’s death to take the penalty, the curse, of the law for me; Christ’s clothing me with His righteousness instead of the old filthy rags of my sin; the Word of God which always points to Christ; and the hope I have of a heavenly Mt. Zion, where:

“I hope to see Him alive that did hang dead on the cross; and there I hope to be rid of all those things that to this day are in me an annoyance to me: there they say there is no death (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4) and there I shall dwell with such company as I like best. For, to tell you the truth, I love Him because I was by Him eased of my burden; and I am weary of my inward sickness. I would fain be where I shall die no more, and with the company that shall continually cry, Holy, holy, holy.”

My prayer today for myself, and for all who find this Pilgrim’s Way difficult:

Almighty God, You alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners. Grant Your people grace to love what you command and desire what You promise: that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found: through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, ~ Collect for the Fifth Sunday after Lent)

Beating the gospel into our heads...

According the Martin Luther, we "leak" the gospel, and it needs to be beat into our heads. Every day. Over and over. My pastor has been teaching throught Galatians, and has quoted Luther on justification (which IS the gospel) and our need to understand it, hear it, and preach it to ourselves constantly.

Justin Taylor over at Between Two Worlds had a link to this article by Jerry Bridges, which says the same thing...

So I learned that 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. I began to see that 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." For me that means I keep going back to Scriptures such as Isaiah 53:6, Galatians 2:20, and Romans 8:1. It means I frequently repeat the words from an old hymn, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."

I urge you to read Bridges' article in its entirety...I was recently talking to a friend, trying to explain why this Galatians series has been so liberating, and found myself totally unable to articulate what I meant. I think this article says what I was fumbling to say.

Not What My Hands Have Done

by Horatius Bonar

(Click here for the tune)

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;
And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt; I bury in His tomb
Each thought of unbelief and fear, each lingering shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;
He calls me His, I call Him mine, My God, my joy and light.
’Tis He Who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;
I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives.

If God be for us, who can indeed be against us?

Read this extremely encouraging tidbit from my pastor’s (Charles Biggs) exposition on Romans. You can read the whole thing here; scroll down to Favorites/Special Editions. It is the one titled "The Christ of Romans".

Paul wants us to understand the story of our lives from the perspective of being in Christ even when we suffer and find circumstances difficult to bear- -when we most feel like quitting and giving up in the Christian life! Paul says that the tribulation has purpose (Rom. 5:3-5), and it has meaning in Christ, because we suffer in Christ as God’s children in this world of sin and misery.

So don’t be moved by difficult circumstances, but look to Christ the exalted Lord! As God did not leave Jesus in the tomb, so he will not leave us or forsake us! Rather, he will raise our bodies and we will physically be resurrected to take part in a glorious body like Christ’s (Rom. 8:22-25; 1 Cor. 40-58).

What a grand and gracious story that has meaning and makes sense of our lives! Whatever comes our way, however we groan with the creation in this present age (Rom. 8:22), we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus! Nothing spiritual or material, holy or demonic, can ever take away God’s love and purpose for us “in Christ”.

If God be for us, who can indeed be against us?

I have been using Charles' teaching (you can find his audio sermons on Romans here) and outline as a guide as my kids and I read through Romans, and we are currently memorizing Romans 8:31-39. I told my kids that if they remember nothing else specifically of what we study in Romans, this is the thing I want indelibly etched on their brains.

If God be for us, who can indeed be against us?

The Church's One Foundation

We sang this yesterday at Caleb's church in Grove City, Rocky Springs Presbyterian (PCA). Sweet little church, wonderful sermon, and a fun lunch following with Caleb, Erin, and Ben. A lovely visit!

The church's one Foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation
By water and the Word:
From heav'n he came and sought her
To be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her,
And for her life he died.

Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food.
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.

The church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain and cherish
Is with her to the end;
Though there be those that hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against or foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

'Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace for evermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With the God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with thee.

for Geni...football and movies

Wow, the Redskins won on Sunday. Amazing, huh? (not that I actually watched the game or anything...) And so did the Broncos. Wow.

And, we saw an amazing movie last weekend (really, Geni...a real live movie!). Our pastor does this film night thing, where he invites people from the community to watch a classic movie, and then there's a discussion following. The movie we watched was "Night of the Hunter" with Robert Mitchum...very intense, but a very strong message of redemption. It's not normally the kind of movie I would watch (okay, Geni, most there aren't many movies I ever watch!), but I really loved it, and especially the discussion afterwards. If you haven't seen it, do! But I will warn you, the song "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" will always remind you of this film...but it ends up being one of the coolest things about the movie. It is truly unbelievable that the gospel could be presented so accurately by a man who was trying to discredit the church with this movie.

Love you, dear friend Geni!

Three Quotes from Schaff

This from the series that Joshua & I are reading for our Church History class. I love the way this man uses words...

“For the Holy Spirit does not supersede the gifts and peculiarities of nature, which are ordained by God; He sanctifies them to the service of His kingdom.” (p. 514)

“John’s spirit and style may be compared to a calm, clear mountain-lake which reflects the image of the sun, moon, and stars, while Paul resembles the mountain-torrent that rushes over precipices and carries everything before it; yet there are trumpets of war in John, and anthems of peace in Paul.” (p. 550)

“Plain fishermen of Galilee could not have drawn such a portrait of Jesus if He had not sat for it. It would take more than a Jesus to invent Jesus. They did not create the divine original, but they faithfully preserved and reproduced it.” (p. 581)

~History of the Christian Church, Volume I, by Philip Schaff, 1858

Fall Term 2006 at Libertas Academy

I was inspired by Cindy at Dominion Family to post our family's plans for this fall. So...here you go...

ARTIST: Pieter Breugel the Elder
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (c.1554-55)
Children's Games (1560) Details and info.
Tower of Babel (1563)
Landscape with the Parable of the Sower (1557) also here.
Hunters in the Snow (1565)
Peasant Wedding (c. 1568)

COMPOSER: Ludwig von Beethoven ~ music files downloaded from eclassical.
Symphony 5 or 6
Piano Sonata 14 (Moonlight, Opus 27) OR 8 (Pathetique, Opus 13)
Razumovsky String Quartets Opus 59, no 1-3 OR Septet in E-flat Opus 20
Piano Concerto 5 (Emperor, Opus 73)
Symphony 7 OR 9 (Opus 125)
Fidelio

BIBLE:
The Book of Life Volume 8 “Paul, Life &Letters”
Psalms & Proverbs

SCRIPTURE MEMORY
Hebrews 11
Nicene Creed

SCRIPTURE REVIEW:
Psalm 91
Books of the Bible
Ten Commandments, The Shema (Deut. 6:4-5),
Jesus’ Summary of the Law (Matthew 22:36-40),
Apostle’s Creed, Gloria Patri, Doxology

HYMNS
Come Thou Fount
Immortal, Invisible
Lift High the Cross

HYMNS REVIEW:
All Glory, Laud & Honor
I Sing the Mighty Power
The King of Love
I Sing a Song of the Saints of God

POETRY READING:
Book of 1000 Poems

POETRY MEMORY:
The Builders by Longfellow
Crossing the Bar by Tennyson

POETRY REVIEW:
I Never Saw a Moor, A Book, Autumn by Dickinson
Pirate Story, The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson
October’s Party by George Cooper
November by Margaret Rose
First Thanksgiving by Nancy Byrd Turner

READING ALOUD:
The Story of the Middle Ages (H.A. Guerber, edited by Christine Miller)
Famous Men of the Middle Ages (Memoria Press Edition)
Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula
King Arthur and His Knights by Sir James Knowles
Twelve Bright Trumpets by Margaret Leighten
Burgess Animal Book for Children
Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells by Opal Wheeler
Fifty Famous Stories by James Baldwin
Beatrix Potter Treasury

Why Latin? Indeed...

Excellent post from Cindy at Dominion Family about the reasons for teaching Latin to our kids.

The Reason for Rote

This is a little scrap of conversation from The Daisy Chain, by Charlotte Yonge, a truly delightful book, full of gems and thoughts on church tradition and classical education.

Shocked and saddened by the “Ladies’ Committee” decision to “leave off reading the Prayer-book prayers morning and evening!” at the neighborhood school, Ethel, the awkward but deep-thinking heroine, laments:

“And it is much to be expected that next they will attack all learning by heart…If they don’t learn them (the Psalms – the Gospels – these ties—these links to the church) by rote when they have strong memories…they will not know them well enough to understand them when they are old enough!…memory and association come before comprehension, so that one ought to know all good things…with familiarity before one can understand, because understanding does not make one love. Oh! One does that before, and when the first little gleam, little bit of a sparklet of the meaning does come, then it is so valuable and so delightful.”

Her wise and theologically astute older brother, Richard, agrees with her,

“…these lessons and holy words were to be impressed on us here from infancy on earth, that we might be always unraveling their meaning, and learn it fully at last…”

I can only say…Amen!