“Some have but a partial faith, relishing Christ only for freedom from the wrath of God, and not also for freedom from the power of sin: this is evidence of a rotten heart; for true believers prize Christ, not only as a Surety, for paying their debt, but also as a Root, for feeding them with the sap of spiritual life, as a root feeds the branches; and they relish Christ, not only as one that appeases God’s wrath, but one that purifies the soul from sin.”
Ralph Erskine, “The Strength of Sin; And How The Law Is The Strength Thereof, Opened Up and Unfolded,” inThe Works of Ralph Erskine, vol. 5, p. 511).
As a father of a multiply-disabled child, I have consumed dozens of books, articles, and web sites on suffering, disability, and the sovereignty of God.
Both pain and pleasure are meant to point us to the same reality; namely, that Jesus Christ is infinitely beautiful and so much more than enough for our every need. Living for Him, even suffering for Him, is worth every moment of affliction! Why? Because Jesus shows you such beauty in pain, because He is there and He is carrying us through.
I’m reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring to my two older kids. Last night we read the passage in which Gandalf explains the history of the pathetic Gollum as well as story of the One Ring to Frodo. I thought the following description of Gollum’s wretched state as a slave to the ring was an apt description of what it’s like to be a slave to sin:
“All the ‘great secrets’ under the mountains had turned out to be just empty night: there was nothing more to find out, nothing worth doing, only nasty furtive eating and resentful remembering. He was altogether wretched. He hated the dark, and he hated light more: he hated everything ,and the Ring most of all.
“What do you mean?” said Frodo. “Surely the Ring was his precious and the only thing he cared for? But if he hated it, why didn’t he get rid of it, or go away and leave it?”
“You ought to begin to understand, Frodo, after all you have heard,” said Gandalf. “He hated it and loved it, as he hated and loved himself. He could not get rid of it. He had no will left in the matter.” (page 54)
Isn’t that what it’s like when you’re ruled by your sinful desires? (Eph. 2:1) All the promises of sin and illicit pleasure turn out to be “empty night” and the very things you once thought would satisfy you learn to despise. And yet you can’t turn away. You have a desire to be free, a desire to do what’s right, but lack “the ability to carry it out” (Rom. 7:18).
Without Jesus I am Gollum–calling what is killing me “my precious” and all the while hating myself. Praise be to God that Jesus Christ came to redeem sinners like me. He gave up his life on the cross so that I could be forgiven and freed to know and serve God forever.
“To preach the Gospel of the unconditional grace of God in that unconditional way is to set before people the astonishingly good news of what God has freely provided for us in the vicarious humanity of Jesus. To repent and believe in Jesus Christ and commit myself to him on that basis means that I do not need to look over my shoulder all the time to see whether I have really given myself personally to him, whether I really believe and trust him, whether my faith is at all adequate, for in faith it is not upon my faith, my believing or my personal commitment that I rely, but solely upon what Jesus Christ has done for me, in my place and on my behalf, and what he is and always will be as he stands in for me before the face of the Father. That means that I am completely liberated from all ulterior motives in believing or following Jesus Christ, for on the ground of his vicarious human response for me, I am free for spontaneous joyful response and worship and service as I could not otherwise be.”
It is by beholding the glory of Christ by faith that we are spiritually edified and built up in this world, for as we behold his glory, the life and power of faith grow stronger and stronger. It is by faith that we grow to love Christ. So if we desire strong faith and powerful love, which give us rest, peace and satisfaction, we must seek them by diligently beholding the glory of Christ by faith. In this duty I desire to live and to die. On Christ’s glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more and more crucified to this world. It will become to me like something dead and putrid, impossible for me to enjoy.
From Triumph Over Temptation by John Owen as edited by James M. Houston under the subtitle Sin Is Aversion of God:
“The actions and operations of sin are twofold: first by aversion and second by opposition.” (57)
“Sin is first of all aversion of God. Sin is indisposed to duty whereby communion with God is obtained. All weariness of duty, all carnality, and all formality in duty spring from this root…In other words, God is saying, “Do you have any spiritual duty to perform? Do you propose to seek communion with God? Look then to yourself, to take care of the inclinations of your heart, for they will wander and be deflected by aversion to what you propose.” ” (58)
On keeping the soul from sin’s aversion:
Have a disposition of heart fixed upon God. “It is utterly impossible to keep the heart in a holy frame in any one duty, unless it is also in all duties before God. If sin entangles us in one area of our life,it will ensnare every area our life.” (60)
Labor to prevent the beginnings of the workings of this aversion. “Let grace proceed before every duty.” (60)
Although sin does its work, never allow it to make a conquest. “What is difficult to do now will increase in difficulty, if we give way to it now. But if we stand fast now, God promises we shall prevail later.” (61)
Carry always with you as a constant, humbling sense of the aversion sin has within our nature to true spirituality. “If these things [gifts from Christ] are so, why then should we harbor a cursed dislike of Him and His ways in our foolish and wretched hearts? we should be ashamed of this aversion.” (62)
Finally, let us labor to possess this mind with the beauty and excellency of spiritual things. “Cherish these things as desirable and lovely to the soul. It is an innate principle that the soul will not continue worshiping God if it is not discovering the beauty and comeliness of such worship.” (62)
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38
“The fulfillment of . . . the promise could be testified by thousands of living Christians in the present day. They would say, if their evidence could be collected, that when they came to Christ by faith they found in him more than they expected. They have tasted peace and hope and comfort since they first believed, which, with all their doubts and fears, they would not exchange for anything in this world. They have found grace according to their need and strength according to their days. In themselves and their own hearts they have often been disappointed, but they have never been disappointed in Christ.”
J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John 1:1 through John 10:9, page 472.
Thomas Watson asks, “How may a Christian know that he is humble and consequently godly?” He gives ten answers. Here’s number eight:
A humble man is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God’s glory may be increased. He is content to be outshone by others in gifts and esteem, so that the crown of Christ may shine the brighter. This is the humble man’s motto: ‘Let me decrease; let Christ increase.’ It is his desire that Christ should be exalted, and if this is effected, whoever is the instrument, he rejoices. ‘Some preach Christ of envy’ (Phil. 1:15). They preached to take away some of Paul’s hearers. ‘Well,’ says he, ‘Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice’ (v. 18). A humble Christian is content to be laid aside if God has any other tools to work with which may bring him more glory.
Someday, at the coming of the Lord Jesus, all who are in Christ will be glorified.
Those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)
The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)
That is, we will be glorious.
The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13:43)
But our glory will not be our own but the glory of Christ who is the image of God. We will be glorified with his glory.
To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. (Isaiah 60:19)
The result of our being glorious with the glory of God is that in the end God will be glorified by our glorification.
Your people shall all be righteous . . . the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. (Isaiah 60:21)
Therefore, do not let your joy or your hope or your theology or your preaching rest finally on what you are or what you will be. Rejoice finally in this: that what you will be is a joyful reflection of the glory of God. And he will be all in all. Be glad that you are not the final point of it all, but a happy pointer.
Dedicated to proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ.
Contact Me
petercockrell@tiscali.co.uk
The Gospel
"The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. The essence of faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus”
- John Piper
Unreached People of the Day -
Please pray for the ...
Arab, Palestinian of West Bank / Gaza;
Population: 3,823,000;
Language: Arabic, South Levantine;
Religion: Islam;
Evangelical: 0.15%;
Status: Unreached
“Some have but a partial faith, relishing Christ only for freedom from the wrath of God, and not also for freedom from the power of sin: this is evidence of a rotten heart; for true believers prize Christ, not only as a Surety, for paying their debt, but also as a Root, for feeding them with the sap of spiritual life, as a root feeds the branches; and they relish Christ, not only as one that appeases God’s wrath, but one that purifies the soul from sin.”
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