I am thankful to God for the movement that this day commemorates.  Four hundred and ninety-two years ago, today, Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses On The Power And Efficacy Of Indulgences, on the door of Castle Church, located in Wittenberg, Germany.

The drive of the reformation movement, to which the posting of the Ninety-Five Theses represents, can be summarized well in point number sixty-two of the Luther’s Theses.

62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

This gospel treasure, preserved for us in the holy scriptures, is what the reformers desired to live and die for.  They derived from the scriptures the following five solas (Latin) of true Christian religion, to preserve and proclaim the gospel of Jesus as the supremely valuable treasure of the church:

Sola Scriptura – “Scripture Alone”

Sola Fide – “Faith Alone”

Sola Gratia – “Grace Alone”

Solus Christus – “Christ Alone”

Soli Deo Gloria – “Glory to God Alone”

You and I have benefited from the price that the reformers paid in returning to the doctrines of scripture.  They have much to teach us today, even beyond the five solas of the reformation.

The reformers used another Latin phrase, “semper reformanda,” which means be always reforming.  In other words, as sinful people, we need to be looking to the scriptures daily to listen carefully to the message of God in its pages, conforming our thought patterns and lifestyles to what is revealed to us therein.

But not only do our thoughts and actions need reformation, but also our affections.  Our affections are in need of continual purification so that God may increasingly become our all consuming passion, through Jesus Christ.  How are we to reform our affections?  Humans cannot change what they love.  Our only hope is to seek out the one true Reformer, the only one who can change our hearts.  In light of our need, let us ardently seek God together, casting ourselves at the feet of the only one who can rescue us from our passion for things that will destroy us.

God, you are the one true reformer of the minds and hearts of mankind.  Only you can salvage our deeply corrupted souls.  Only you can sanctify us, and set us on the path to true salvation, through Jesus Christ.  And oh God, you do it so well!  You are a good and mighty King!  It is amazing how you serve your church through broken and sinful men, bringing us to reformation around your word, and true faith in Christ!  Cause us to follow in these reformers footsteps as they follow you.

Here is a very recent comment (with minor corrections) that I made on the blog-post of a friend who is denying the inerrancy of Scripture.  He posits, that when we are faced with an apparent error or contradiction in the bible, we should trust our current judgment and assume that what we are seeing is indeed an error.

The bible has proven itself a trustworthy guide in so many ways, why would we presume, when faced with an apparent disparity, that it is wrong? Couldn’t a reasoned faith, which reinforces our belief in the fallibility of our mental capabilities and the infallibility of scripture, presume that it is ourselves, not the scriptures, that are unable to see clearly? We may very well make sense of these apparent disparities in this life, and we should continue to wrestle. Yet, in the meantime, it is good for us to trust the reliability of the text – not blindly, but because we have good reason to.

At least I have found very good reason to trust the them, though maybe you have not. If you have indeed not found good reason to trust the reliability of the scriptures in this way, then it would be foolish for you to blindly believe that they are wholly trustworthy.  Again, my experience has been otherwise.

Now I will concede to you this. The Scriptures are only accurate in what they seek to affirm. Meaning, the first two chapters of Genesis may not be seeking to affirm seven literal days of creation. If this is so, and the world was created in a different fashion, the bible would not be inaccurate in describing creation as a seven day process… precisely because it is seeking to impress an entirely different point upon the mind of its reader, having nothing to do with the time frame of creation.

However, you are going miles beyond what I am describing in your criticism of the biblical text.   You are going to a place that leaves you with very little, if any, rock to stand on. I am not saying you should grasp on to the trustworthiness of scripture simply because you need a consistent absolute. Rather, I am hoping and praying that at the end of all your tests and theories, you will find the scriptures to be a gloriously reasonable source of truth in all respects… so much so, that when faced with a disparity, your former experience with the solidness of this rock will be a means of faith amidst the present cloudiness.

Why is it so vital to worship God in both heart (spirit) and mind (truth) [reference to John 4:23-24]?  Answer: so that we can avoid the lethal dangers of idolatry and hypocrisy.

The Danger of Hypocrisy: worshiping in mind, but not in heart
If we think rightly about God, having all our doctrinal ducks in a row, but fail to respond to God with the appropriate passion, we are in danger of hypocrisy.  We honor God with our minds and our lips, giving the appearance of true Christianity, but in reality we love other things and feel nothing towards God. We hoot-n-holler when the Vikings win a football game, but we feel no passion when we worship, pray, and read our bibles. Our theology of justification by faith alone is finely tuned, but in reality we are seeking to be justified by our theology (maybe even our theology of justification).  We fail to truly lean on Christ as our all-sufficiency, so we fail to experience the awesome joy of forgiveness and satisfaction in God.

The Danger of Idolatry: worshiping in heart, but not in mind
If we feel great passion towards god, but our vision of god is so skewed that he only faintly resembles the true God of the bible, we are in danger of idolatry.  In this case our false doctrines and misuse of scriptures have created a false god and given him the name “Jesus”.  Though we worship this idol named “Jesus” with great passion and zeal, we are not worshipping the Jesus of the bible at all.  We are in this case, given to idolatry.

True Christianity: worshiping God in heart and mind
At the extreme end of both of these dangers, lies a religion entirely apart from true Christianity, entirely unable to save our souls.  However, if we are honest, all of us fall into both of these ditches to some degree.  None of us feel completely as we ought towards God, and none of us think entirely accurately about God.  Yet, if we have a saving Christian faith, we do envision God in a way that resembles the God of the bible, and we feel deep love towards this God for rescuing us from our sins… though we do both of these things imperfectly.

The Cure
In seeking a cure from both hypocrisy or idolatry, we should not try to balance the scale by decreasing either our desire for understanding in devotional study or our affectionate fervor in worship.  Rather, we should seek to increase both, filling our minds with knowledge of God and seeking to have our affections kindled by Him, to the fullness!

May God continue to clarify our vision of who He is, giving us a desire to seek Him in His word.  May God also open the eyes of our heart so that we respond to Him with the fervent affection He is worthy of.  Let us seek to know God by studying His Word with devout vehemence, and let us respond to the knowledge He imparts through this meditation with red-hot passion!

This past Thursday, Disney admitted that there is no easy way to parent your children.  They conceded the fact that setting children in front of Baby Einstein DVD’s is not the cure-all for exasperated and tired parents, who want a break without neglecting their children.

So now what?  What can a mommy (or daddy) of a little one do to take a break, kick up her (or his) feet, sit down with a nice book, and just enjoy life for a little while?  Or are full time parents doomed to years of joylessness, just sweating it out until their little munchkins are old enough to occupy themselves?

Herein lies the problem. The above questions state a false dilemma, and a dysfunctional way of thinking.  Why are we to think that leisure is the road to joy, and difficulty leads to the certain disquietude of soul?  There are many people who experienced things quite to the contrary.  These strange people saw difficulty as an aid in their quest for true joy.  What people am I referring to?

The people of the churches of Macedonia.

“…for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy…” 2 Corinthians 8:2

And the church of the Thessalonians.

“…with much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit…” 1 Thessalonians 1:6

And James.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” James 1:2

And Paul.

“In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.” 2 Corinthians 7:4

And Jesus himself.

“…for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:2

Parents, there can indeed be found much joy in difficulty, and child rearing is among the most difficult of tasks.  When your house is in pieces, your child’s heart is in disrepair, and you are fighting to stay alert in the midst of exhaustion because your littlest one could not sleep the night before… life is difficult.  I would go so far as to say that a person doesn’t know true exhaustion until they have children.  At times it can be downright exasperating.  But let us not think for a moment that this not a gift, to aid us in our quest for joy in God.

What is true joy?  True joy is Christ. Unless we know the justifying, sustaining, and sanctifying graces that the gospel of Jesus brings to our souls, we will not taste the sweetness of heavenly satisfaction.  Yet, in the midst of leisure, we are woefully forgetful to truly lean on Christ, which makes leisure a potential obstacle to our joy.   Difficulty, can be one of the greatest assets to our Christian survival, and parenting is a gift of great difficulty! We experience the sweet sustaining joys of unity with Christ as we learn to lean on Him in the midst of parental difficulty, as we come to the end of ourselves, recognizing our emptiness and His fullness.

Parenting is a gift, and not only in this way.  Oh, how much we learn of the Father in parenting.   How real to us certain things of the bible become!  God has given to you, all the trials of parenting, for your good.  Believe it, and embrace every modicum of exhaustion, letting it drive you to the feet of Jesus.  Because we have nothing, and He is everything!

Let us parent in a way that makes plain to the world that leisure is not our god, Christ is!

In an evangelistic interaction, Christian apologist Doug Wilson was telling a woman what he plans to say to God on judgment day, if God asks him the question: “On what basis do you believe you should be allowed to enter into the glory of my Kingdom?”

He would answer, “On the basis of Christ’s merits alone, for by my merits I would only inherit judgment.  I have leaned on the redemptive work of Christ, counting Him as sufficient for my redemption and salvation.”

As Doug Wilson wrapped up this pointed illustration of justification by faith, the woman was obviously moved.  Her response?  “Wow.  On judgment day I sure hope I can remember to say that.”

Our justification before God is not based on a right understanding of justification.  In other words, our justification before God is not based on our theology of “justification by faith”, or a thorough and correct understanding of God’s grace, no matter how compelling.  Rather, our justification before God is based on a true experience of grace, and a genuine leaning upon Jesus as the only means for our redemption.

I ask you, just as surely as I ask myself.  Christian, are you experiencing the reality of a life leaning on Jesus for your justification?  Or is justification by faith your theology, and justification by another means your reality?

(HT: John Piper, BCS Table Talk 10.22.2009)

Because yesterday was the one year anniversary of this blog, I have reassessed its purpose.  I have modified the aim of this blog to better reflect the ultimate aim in everything I do.  Here is the new aim for 2mites blog:

Why 2mites blog?  First, to glorify God by promoting the worship of Him in spirit (through seeking to increase the reader’s affections for God) and truth (through seeking to increase the reader’s vision of God).  Second, through both content and manner of writing, to make plain to the world that Christ is the one true infinitely satisfying treasure.

This blog is named after the widow in Mark 12 and Luke 21, who, through the way she cherished God as her supremely valuable treasure, compels our affections for God to be lifted.  May God give me, and all who read this blog, the grace to spend all we have for God’s glory.  May we, just like this widow, release our 2 mites for His purposes with great joy, and without reserve.

Here is a video that inspired this aim.

Thank you to all who participated in the drawing.  I had a cute little video of my daughters pulling the names out of the hat, but it didn’t turn out, so I have this less exciting picture of the three names that were drawn.

As you can see, the picture isn’t that great either.  So, for those who can’t make out the names, the winners are:

Robert Ivy

Mark Armstrong

Lydia Vonderluft

Congratulations, we’ll get the book out to you this week!  For the rest of you, stay tuned for more drawings around the corner.  Books by D.A. Carson, John Piper, and Gordon Fee are among the next giveaways.  In addition to this, there will be a special giveaway for The John Piper Manuscript Library in digital format, a $54.99 value and a wonderful resource.

In my Theology of Worship class today, we had a discussion about how common it is for Christians to say, “Wow, God really used me today…”  We discussed the danger in making this our meditation.  We should rejoice in the work of God, who is bringing people into a greater delight in Him through the gospel.  However, is this really why we say things like this?  Are we praising God because He did a wonderful thing and we are able to enjoy it?  Or are we glorying in our own role in what God has done?

Here is the litmus test: Would we be just as delighted if we were able to witness God accomplishing that same work through someone else?

It is still true that we should have joy in God using us.  In light of our personal acquaintance with the gravity of our own sin, we should be amazed and rejoice that God can use even us. All things considered, if we are rejoicing in the work of God, then it should be inconsequential who He chooses to use.  If we are rejoicing in ourselves, then we will have joy when we are used by God, and we will be prone to jealousy when God chooses to use others.

5 days left to enter the drawing for a free copy of Calvin’s Institutes!

Today is the 30 year anniversary of the day that John Piper sensed an irresistible call to pastoral ministry.  Justin Taylor puts together an incredible testimony of Piper’s journey to the pastorate.

This testimony served not only to give insight into the calling of John Piper, but also to answer the question:  what is a pastor?  Here are two excerpts from Justin Taylor’s blog post that inform us about true pastoral ministry.

1.  Bill Piper, John Piper’s dad and a long time itinerant evangelist, wrote a letter to his son concerning the call he was sensing.  In this excerpt, he paints a compelling picture of true pastoral ministry:

Now I want you to remember a few things about the pastorate. Being a pastor today involves more than merely teaching and preaching. You’ll be the comforter of the fatherless and the widow. You’ll counsel constantly with those whose homes and hearts are broken. You’ll have to handle divorce problems and a thousand marital situations. You’ll have to exhort and advise young people involved in sordid and illicit sex, with drugs and violence. You’ll have to visit the hospitals, the shut-ins, the elderly. A mountain of problems will be laid on your shoulders and at your doorstep.

And then there’s the heartache of ministering to a weak and carnal and worldly, apathetic group of professing Christians, very few of whom will be found trustworthy and dependable.

Then there a hundred administrative responsibilities as pastor. You’re the generator and sometimes the janitor. The church will look to you for guidance in building programs, church growth, youth activities, outreach, extra services, etc. You’ll be called upon to arbitrate all kinds of problems. At times you will feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. Many pastors have broken under the strain.

If the Lord has called you, these things will not deter nor dismay you. But I wanted you to know the whole picture. As in all of our Lord’s work there will be a thousand compensations. You’ll see that people trust Christ as Savior and Lord. You’ll see these grow in the knowledge of Christ and his Word. You’ll witness saints enabled by your preaching to face all manner of tests. You’ll see God at work in human lives, and there is no joy comparable to this. Just ask yourself, son, if you are prepared not only to preach and teach, but also to weep over men’s souls, to care for the sick and dying, and to bear the burdens carried today by the saints of God.

No matter what, I’ll back you all the way with my encouragement and prayers.

2.  In the closing of the first sermon he preached at Bethlehem, as a candidate, John Piper expresses his intentions as future pastor:

When I become a pastor, I am going to have one all-encompassing goal, a very simple goal, that in nothing I might be ashamed but that in everything I might magnify Christ whether by life or by death. To that end, I aim at three things.

1. I will aim to love Christ with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my strength. Because when I die in the midst of my ministry and say farewell to a beloved flock and a cherished family, I want to be able to believe that it is gain. And in my dying I want to be able to bear witness to a church that Christ is great indeed and worthy of all our trust.
2. While I live and minister, my goal is going to be to make the people glad in God. Woe to the pastor who uses his position to hammer year after year in chiseling out a hard sour people! He has forgotten his calling. “I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your advancement and your joy of faith.”
3. Since joy comes from faith, and faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God, it will have to be my main goal–my tremendously fulfilling and joyful goal–to feed that flock the Word of God every week, week in and week out. I will pray that Jesus’ words will become fulfilled in my words. The banner of every sermon I preach will be this: “My words I have spoken to you in order that my joy might be in you and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11).

6 days left to enter the drawing for a free copy of Calvin’s Institutes!

As long as I have been a Christian I have had trouble with the way many in the Church have framed the assurance of salvation.

Popular Christianity seems to have given the most attention to two particular views on this subject.  On the one hand, there are those who stress the doctrine of assurance in terms of eternal security.  These people will say, “If you believe, no matter what tempest of doubt or sin may overcome you tomorrow, you are still saved, now and forever.  Even if you walk away from God, He will never walk away from you, because He will never leave you nor forsake you.”  On the other hand, there are those Christians who place very little value, if any value at all, on assurance.  This camp will often describe salvation in terms of the present.  These people will say, “Indeed, today, if you believe, you are genuinely saved.  Yet tomorrow, if you rise from your bed without faith, you are lost, and are in danger of hell and in need of salvation once again.” As with many controversies, the pattern has been to preach fervently the Scriptures that support one view, and ignore the other Scriptures.

Yet, as we seek God in his Word, we see degrees of truth in both the above explanations, and also particulars in both explanations that are deeply troublesome.  In our final analysis, we find both of these explanations entirely unsatisfactory.

Yes, it is true that Jesus keeps those who have faith in Him (John 10:27-29, John 6:37-39).  Yes, it is true that once I am joined to the love of God, no created entity or thing can ever separate me (Romans 8:35-39).  Yes, it is true that God who has started the work in me will finish it (Philippians 1:6).  Yes, it is true that from the moment we believe we are given eternal life (John 5:24, Romans 10:9).  Yes, it is true that we are sealed until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 1:13-14).  But, we see that it is also true that there are those who think they have saving faith in Jesus, but are not saved (Matthew 7:21-23).  And it is also true that there are those in the visible church, who will fall away and not inherit eternal life (1 John 2:19).  And it is also true that Paul himself was given to regular self-examination as to his own salvation, lest he be disqualification from eternal life (1 Corinthians 9:27).  And it is also true that our salvation is contingent on continued belief (1 Corinthians 15:2).  And it is also true that, though we have once believed, we are to examine ourselves to see that our faith is genuine (2 Corinthians 13:5).

So we find another way… a third option that has received less attention in many Christian circles.  Perseverance of the saints.

The gift of salvation, by grace through faith, received at a point in time, is evidenced by a faith that perseveres to one’s dying breath. Though the true Christian will have severe times of struggle, his faith is rugged.  And though his faith, once a flaming fire, may during certain times of testing be reduced to a small flicker, it is a faith that is never extinguished.  We must continually recenter ourselves, holding on to the glorious assurance of God’s work of salvation accomplished in us the moment we believed, and encouraging ongoing personal examination of the evidences of true saving faith. Everyone who possesses true faith in Christ for the salvation of their sins is completely and entirely saved, forever.  More than this, we can be assured of whether we do or do not have this true faith… we can indeed know whether we are saved.

God gives us assurance by his Spirit, in his Word.

The Bible gives many great witnesses of what a true faith looks like, what a true faith feels like, and what a true faith does.  We can read the Bible and know whether we have been saved! Let us examine ourselves by immersing ourselves in the Word of God!  In the light of God’s Word let us make certain that He has indeed begun to do a gospel work in us, so that we can also be certain that He will complete it.  The Scriptures center us in this way.

So the answer to the assurance controversy?  The Bible.  The answer to our own assurance?  The Bible.

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