Grace in Adversity

This article is an excerpt from the "Adversity" chapter of a book called, "When Grace Comes Home" by Terry Johnson. What a difference from the 'Why God?' responses we generally express when something tragic or adverse happen in our lives. We ask "Why God?" because we know that God is in control, He has all power, He is a good God hating evil - but then we limit Him because we falsely hold a belief that somehow God could not stop the tragedy.

I've always believed that God MUST have a reason but stopped there. I realize that I fail to trust Him and rest in His Sovereignty. This article challenges us to consider not only the fact that God is All-Powerful and Sovereign, but that we can fully trust and rest in His Good and Wise Purposes for us who believe and love Him.

If you have time, read this excerpt.

When Grace Comes Home

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How to Help a Grieving Friend - the Pipers

This is from the Pipers' blog.

How to Help Your Grieving Friend

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Reverent Handling of Scripture

Consider these quotes from the introduction to Ryle's Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of John.

We live in a day of abounding vagueness and indistinctness on doctrinal subjects in religion.

I hold not only that the Bible contains the Word of God, but that every jot of it was written, or brought together, by Divine inspiration, and is the Word of God.

I must be allowed to add, that in interpreting Scripture, I "call no man master or father." I abhor the idea of wresting and warping God's Word in order to make it support party views.

I am content to remember that all inspiration is a miraculous operation of the Holy Ghost, and, like every operation of the Holy Ghost, must needs be mysterious.

I believe that the whole Bible, as it came originally from the hands of the inspired writers, was verbally perfect and without flaw. I believe that the inspired writers were infallibly guided by the Holy Ghost, both in their selection of matter and their choice of words. I believe that even now, when we cannot explain alleged difficulties in Holy Scripture, the wisest course is to blame the interpreter and not the text, to suspect our own ignorance to be in fault, and not any defect in God's Word.

I believe that the want of our age is not more "free" handling of the Bible, but more "reverent" handling, more humility, more patient study, and more prayer.

AMEN brother!

Thoughts on John 1

I've started re-reading the gospel of John and paying special attention to it from a fresh new perspective. I am noticing things in it that I've never seen before and want to show how clearly the doctrines of grace are spread through out this book.

The first few verses that really caught my eye were v: 11-13

It says that the Lord Jesus, "came to His own", He is God the Creator from whom all things "came into being" and He came in the flesh among His creation. However, "those who were His own did not receive Him". His own, mankind and the nation of Israel, did not recognize Him nor did they receive Him as Messiah as a whole.

"But as many as received Him", those who did "believe in His name" were given "the right to become children of God". Some DID believe in Him - notice the word 'many' which will come later in Mark's gospel rendition - "He came to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mk 10:45) These 'many' have believed and received Him.

Notice also that those who became the children of God, were not born:
1) "of blood" - not through family, nor of physical inheritance, not because the parents were believers, not because they belonged to the chosen people of God

2) "nor of the will of the flesh" - not because of anything in us that desired Him nor because we wanted to believe in Him, for "those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh" (Rom 8:5) and "those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8:8)

3) "nor of the will of man" - can it be more clear that it's not due to the 'free will' of man, that man has anything within his will that would freely and completely choose Him? Without God's intervention, our wills are incapable of choosing Him.

BUT OF GOD:
Man cannot and will not believe in God without a work of the Holy Spirit in his heart. Belief in Him, receiving Him, becoming a child of God - all are bestowed by God, by His grace alone and not because of anything found in man.

Praise Him for His marvelous grace!

Theology

We need to be reminded that studying theology is not about obtaining vast amounts of intellectual knowledge in order to puff oneself up. We don't study theology because we love it (we do!) or because we are captivated by it (we are) and because it's thrilling (it is) to study it. I love this quote by Sinclair B. Ferguson:

"The goal of theology is the worship of God. The posture of theology is on one's knees. The mode of theology is repentance."