The Pilgrim and Condemnation

Last week I read through The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. I noted down a view passages that particularly struck me and I thought I would share one today. At this point Apollyon is trying to make Christian turn back on the basis that he has sinned against his Prince at several points, even after starting his journey to the Celestial City.

APOLLYON: Thou didst faint at first setting out, when thou wast almost choked in the gulf of Despond. Thou didst attempt wrong ways to be rid of thy burden, whereas thou shouldst have stayed till thy Prince had taken it off. Thou didst sinfully sleep, and lose thy choice things. Thou wast almost persuaded also to go back at the sight of the lions. And when thou talkest of thy journey, and of what thou hast seen and heard, thou art inwardly desirous of vainglory in all that thou sayest or doest.

CHRISTIAN: All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out; but the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful, and ready to forgive. But besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy country, for there I sucked them in, and I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and have obtained pardon of my Prince.

When I struggle with falling into an old pattern of sin yet again, my response to the condemnation brought by Satan and the flesh should be as Christian relates here. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and it is actually worse than it seems. But then I point to the cross and my Savior, my Lord who is rich in mercy and who has pardoned all my sins by taking them upon himself at the cross. I am forgiven. And I rejoice that by God's grace, though I still struggle with these things, now I can only find my ultimate joy in God himself. As time goes on, my attraction to the things of this world will grow duller while the desire for Christ shines ever more brightly in my heart.

Books Are For Reading

Tim Challies has a great post today with a quote from Mortimer Adler, author of How to Read a Book. A great reminder that what matters is to come to grips with the knowledge in the book and to know it well. With my temptation to buy many books, it's important to remember that books are for reading and not for displaying on my shelf.

A great reminder that I need to go back and finish reading Adler's book and also that its ok to mark up and dogear a book in the pursuit of gaining knowledge from it.

HT: Tim Challies

Final Thoughts - The Great Divorce

I've been meaning to read this for awhile, but had not actually got around to purchasing it myself. However on Monday night, while over for dinner at Alex and Dana's house, I noted that they had a copy and asked to borrow it. I've got a ton of stuff I want to read, so I was not expecting to get through it anytime soon but I started flipping through it yesterday and ended up reading the whole thing last night. It helps that the book is relatively short, the font is fairly large and it is C.S. Lewis with his typically engaging fiction.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and it provides some interesting food for thought regarding heaven and hell. The basic plot follows the narrator as he and several others take a bus from a dreary town (hell) to a vibrant new landscape (heaven). The majority of the book is spent with the narrator observing the conversations between his fellow Ghosts and the Spirits who try to convince them to stay in this new land. Many of the Ghosts end up returning to the bus to go back to the town instead of continuing on.

I found the book to be convicting as I read the different reasons that the Ghosts gave up on pursuing the newfound beauty and embracing the joy that was set before them. There were those that turned back because the journey was hard and they did not believe even when the Spirits told them that help would be provided. One rejects heaven based upon his view that he merited being there and some of those who were already there did not. Another left because he would not submit ultimately to accepting one real truth. In another case, an obsessive mother is resistant because she demands that she see her son immediately and is unwilling to see that her ultimate treasure should not be her son, but God.

One thing that really stuck out from this reading of the book is the opportunity we have to prepare ourselves in this life for the next life. I understand that Lewis is using an allegory to provoke thought, so obviously, as he admits, heaven will not be exactly like he describes. However, we do know that in heaven, our ultimate joy will be in God himself. We can live our lives now in anticipation of that and seeking the joy in fellowship with God that Christ restored when he died on the cross for our sins. By God’s grace, we can seek to avoid the idols that trapped so many of these Ghosts.

Overall, I recommend this fairly quick and thought provoking read. There are definitely many more aspects that I didn’t take the time to dig into.

Reading A Book For All It's Worth

There is a great post today over at The Blazing Center. After identifying himself as a fellow "book freak", Stephen Altrogge goes on to share some advice from CJ Mahaney regarding how we approach reading. CJ basically advocates getting to know a small list of great books extremely well over trying to read massive amounts of books and not getting as much out of it. Stephen's post has some good tips on what this might look like.

I know my tendency can be to get so excited about getting new books and reading the next book on my list that I may fail to get as much out of the book I am reading as is possible. Anyone who knows me can attest to the eagerness I have to talk about books and how I get excited when I hear about a cool new (or old) book coming out. I need to remember that the primary goal is not to read the most books or accumulate the most knowledge but to be conformed to the image of Christ and to grow in godliness.

Hopefully this blog will continue to be a help to me as I strive to more deeply understand what I am reading and to apply it. Also, when you see me, please ask me about what I am reading. I'd love to talk about it and to hear about what you are reading and how God is using that to create change in your own life.

HT: The Blazing Center

Final Thoughts - Realms of Gold

I recently finished the book Realms of Gold by Leland Ryken. My interest in the title came out of recent desires to expand my reading from being centered solely on theology and practical application to recreation in exploring some of the classics of literature. Not necessarily to diminish my current reading time and topics, but to replace some areas of recreation (like watching videos or playing video games) with what I deemed might be a more profitable and ultimately more enjoyable use of my time.

In each chapter of Realms of Gold, Leland Ryken examines some of the benefits of different aspects of literature from a Christian perspective. To add to the weight of his arguments and to incite a taste for the classics, he picks a specific literary work as his example in each chapter. In the chapter on literature as recreation, he chooses Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Other works used as examples include Macbeth, The Stranger, Paradise Lost and The Scarlet Letter.

Ryken does a brilliant job of both identifying the redemptive purposes of reading classic literature as well as inspiring a hunger to read the classics by his examples and his own passion that comes through in his writing. So far, I have yet to read another piece that does such a thorough job of addressing the Christian perspective towards literature. While pointing out what can be gained from the classics, he addresses common Christian concerns about literature and also provides guidance in areas where we should take caution.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in diving into some of the classics of literature with purpose and passion. I'm currently trying to fit in The Idiot by Dostoevsky, but my reading schedule is getting a bit tight because of my grad class getting into swing. Also, I'd love to dig into the complete works of Shakespeare that I acquired not too long ago. I started reading Hamlet again but haven't gotten very far yet. Another case of too many things at one time.

Taking Joy in the Most Important Thing

Some people in my community group have been going through "The Fruitful Life" by Jerry Bridges. The book goes through each of the fruits of the Spirit and examines how they look in our lives.

Tonight, I read the chapter on joy. Bridges goes through some of the things that hinder our joy, such as sin. One thing he mentions that I had not considered is an overemphasis on deriving joy from our works and ministry instead of God's work for us. Bridges says even though he has had the privilege of writing popular books that God has used, his joy is not rooted in this success but that his name is written in heaven. He challenges us to examine the source of our joy:

"Perhaps you don't feel you have much to show for your life. Maybe you haven't written a book, or seen scores come to Christ through your witness, or done anything else that seems significant. But is your name written in heaven? If it is, you have as much reason to rejoice as the most well-known and "successful" Christian. Nothing you or I will ever do can possibly compare with having our names written in heaven. The most humble Christian as well as the most famous Christian stand together on that common ground." (p. 78)

Let's strive to remember that our names are written in heaven and take great joy in that fact. We can't base our joy solely the success of our ministry but rather on Christ's finished work on the cross that allows us to become children of God.

The Bruised Reed - Chapter 7

A couple quick thoughts on Chapter 7 of "The Bruised Reed" (and yes I know I skipped Chapters 4 - 6). The chapter was about help for the weak and the temptations that can come upon us and disrupt the peace we have in Christ. Regarding the effects of sinful thoughts, Richard Sibbes says:

"And if there were no devil to suggest, yet sinful thoughts would arise from within us, though none were cast in from without. We have a mint of them within. These thoughts, if the soul dwell on them so long as to suck and draw from and by them any sinful delight, then they live a more heavy guilt upon the soul, hinder our sweet communion with God, interrupt our peace, and put a contrary relish into the soul, disposing it to greater sins." (p. 47)

There are many good things to pull out of that quote, but I'll just choose one for now. Sibbes brings up the importance of guarding our hearts and minds from sinful thoughts. As he goes on to say later, all sin arises originally from a sinful desire or thought. Dwelling on these temptations and sinful inclinations also effects our experience of communion with God and can disrupt the peace of God in our souls. As he says, these thoughts are brought forth from the sinfulness in our own hearts, not to mention the thoughts that are thrust upon us from the outside world. As such, we need to be guarding our hearts and minds against these thoughts and, more than that, to be filling them with the things of God.

How are you seeking to fill your heart and mind with the promises of God in your daily life?

Do You Know Your History?

When I was in high school, history was something of a neutral subject for me. Parts of my history classes were interesting but I never really found much of a purpose for that knowledge besides academic discussion. I was glad to be able to critically analyze past events and draw my own conclusions, but I never made a personal connection that took it further than just another subject at school.

During college as I began to grow as a Christian, I was directed towards the voices of theologians and writers of the past. As I started to interact with these great minds, the current cultural viewpoints of "newer is better" and "the past is irrelevant" began to be eroded.

Lately, I've become more interested in reading biographies and history. I'm more convinced of the value of learning from those who have come before us and the events of the past. As part of this growing interest, I've recently started reading a book called "The Wages of Spin" by Carl Trueman, a professor of church history at Westminster. It's a collection of articles and lectures written by Trueman, mostly dealing with post-modern views and the fact that Christianity is a historical religion.

One of the great points that Trueman makes throughout the book is the importance of history and how it speaks to our current situations. There is an article about the tendency to cast aside all tradition and creeds under the banner of relying on Scripture alone. Trueman goes on to point out that this is an error and even the Reformers didn't depose of tradition that quickly but only cast aside those things that weren't in agreement with God's Word. Scripture is the ultimate authority, but traditions and history from the church can be helpful when evaluated appropriately by Scripture. These traditions and creeds over the history of the church can help us to avoid errors that we might slip into if each generation decided to start from scratch when examining Scripture. By keeping this history in mind, we can help to avoid errors and see truths that we might otherwise miss in our cultural bias. This is summed up by a great quote on the back of the book:

"History repeats itself because nobody listens." - Laurence Peter

So, what does that mean for us?

Well, we need to have the humility to examine and learn from the past. It can be easy to buy into modern viewpoints that the past is unimportant or that we are so much more advanced than those who came before us. In reality, for everything we've gained, we seem to have made mistakes of our own (and sometimes even the same mistakes because of our ignorance). Also, as others have said, knowing the past helps us to be anchored and to see that so many things that claim to be new and fresh are old ideas that have already come and gone before. While the past and old ideas aren't by nature better, examining these things can help us understand and react better to our own time.

So, don't be afraid of history. Maybe you think it's boring, and I have certainly felt that way at times, but the thing that tends to make something interesting is when we see it fit into our own lives. If you come with a humble heart, you'll find there is much to learn from those who have come before.

The Bruised Reed - Chapter 3

A couple quick thoughts and quotes from the three pages of Chapter 3 of The Bruised Reed.

Chapter 3 - The Smoking Flax

When Sibbes speaks of the smoking flax, he speaks of the evidence of Christ's grace in our lives and the ongoing work of sanctification. Often our growth seems weak at first and the steps we take seem so small, but Sibbes encourages us:

"Let us not therefore be discouraged at the small beginnings of grace, but look on ourselves as elected to be 'holy and without blame' (Eph. 1:4). Let us look on our imperfect beginning only to enforce further striving to perfection, and to keep us in a low opinion of ourselves. Otherwise, in case of discouragement, we must consider ourselves as Christ does, who looks on us as those he intends to fit for himself. Christ values us by what we shall be, and by what we are elected unto. We call a little plant a tree, because it is growing up to be so. 'Who has despised the day of small things?' (Zec. 4:10). Christ would not have us despise little things." (p. 17)

Even when it seems that our growth is slow, we can ultimately rest in God's promise to bring his work in us to completion. And yet, despite this growing amount of grace, there is corruption still present in some sense. Sibbes describes the smoking flax as the spark and light that represent the hope and grace within us and the smoke from the fire that represents the sin which still remains.

"But grace is not only little, but mingled with corruption; therefore a Christian is said to be smoking flax. So we see that grace does not do away with corruption all at once, but some is left for believers to fight with." (p. 18)

Why is there this mixture of the smoke of corruption and the light of Christ?

"The end of it is especially to preserve us from those two dangerous rocks which our natures are prone to dash upon, security and pride, and force us to pitch our rest on justification, not sanctification, which, besides imperfection, has some stains." (p. 19)

A strong reminder to consider both of these "dangerous rocks".

First, security. Where am I deriving my assurance? Is it based upon my works and growth? The gradual process of sanctification and the corruption that remains show us that our ultimate assurance cannot come from how we have grown and what we have done, but in what Christ has already done on the cross in securing our justification.

Second, pride. The fact that sanctification continues at the pace that God determines helps us to keep our pride in check. Even when we are doing all the right things growth can be slow because God is the one who gives the increase and he does so his timing and wisdom. And sometimes, as I have seen in my life, that can be because I start to claim areas where I see growth as a result of me rather than God. Growth is often at a pace that causes us to depend fully on God and contemplating the remaining corruption in our lives helps to sever pride that begin to spring up.

Are you resting in confidence in God's promise to finish the good work he has started in you? Do you see areas of your life where you can be tempted to crash into the dangerous rocks of pride and security?

The Bruised Reed - Chapter 2

I'm still playing catchup on the blog posting for the Puritan Challenge for last month, so here are some thoughts on the second chapter of The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes.

Chapter 2 - Christ Will Not Break the Bruised Reed

Sibbes starts out the chapter by describing Christ's tender care towards us as one who who will not break a bruised reed. He explains that a doctor sometimes causes pain in a treatment, but it is for the cure of the disease. He continues by pointing out that the titles Christ gives himself, as husband, shepherd and brother, reveal a relationship of care.

Christ is one who truly cares for us and desires to build us up even though we are put through trials and often are brought to a lower opinion of ourselves by conviction of sin. In light of a renewed awareness of Christ's tenderness and care, Sibbes says:

"What should we learn from this, but to 'come boldly to the throne of grace' (Heb. 4:16) in all our grievances? Shall our sins discourage us when he appears there only for sinners?" (p. 9)

So often I find I can withdraw myself from God when I feel that I have sinned, but he appears with open arms now as when he first drew me to him. His arms are open to sinners. Sibbes goes on to note that our confidence and comfort should not be drawn from our circumstances, but from the Lord himself.

"His presence makes any condition comfortable." (p. 9)

This is something I truly desire, to in the midst of crisis or trial direct my gaze upon Christ and delight and take comfort in his work, his person and his promises. Sibbes then asks who are the bruised reeds. He describes them as people who see that God and his favor are the greatest good and that sin is the greatest evil. The bruised are people who are challenged and grieved not only by trials and circumstances, but of their sins most of all. How do we come to this state of thinking? Sibbes offers some thoughts on working with God to bruise ourselves:

"There is a dangerous slighting of the work of humiliation, some alleging this for a pretence for their casual dealing with their own hearts, that Christ will not break the bruised reed; but such must know that every sudden terror and short grief is not that which makes us bruised reeds; not a little 'bowing our heads down like a bullrush' (Isa. 58:5), but a working our hearts to such a grief as will make sin more odious unto us than punishment, until we offer a 'holy violence' against it." (p. 12)

That challenges me, I pray that more and more over time I would fight sin primarily because of its evil rather than merely for fear of punishment. This seems a daunting task for sure and would be if we had to do it by ourselves, but God provides grace. Fighting sin with this 'holy violence' is tough and often taxes our spirits. However, here Sibbes encourages us:

"But if we have this for a foundation truth, that there is more mercy in Christ than sin in us, that there can be no danger in thorough dealing. It is better to go bruised to heaven than sound to hell." (p. 12)

What a great truth to meditate on and remember. Truly our sin is great, but the mercy and grace of Christ and the cross are far far greater.

Am I Willing to Give What I Cannot Keep?

As part of the Financial Peace University (FPU) course that I'm helping with at church, I've started to read "The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn. I'm very interested to wrestle with these things as I read and discuss with members of my group. God has been good to provide so well for me financially, in terms of a job and generous parents who helped me through school. Having seen how I had the tendency to take advantage of that generousity, I wanted to be equipped in how to handle my money wisely and in a way that honored God before I started my job. And Stefan was kind to point me in the direction of Dave Ramsey. His book, "Financial Peace", helped to establish the practical aspect of being a good steward of what God had given me and allowed me to give more freely.

But temptation can come from being more familiar with my finances and with money and investing in general. As I seek to save wisely, it can be easy to drift into a selfish hoarding mentality, to place my security ultimately in my savings, or to be tempted to think about how much money I would be saving if I didn't have to tithe. That's why I'm glad to be taking additional time to consider my heart's inclination towards money and how God calls me to use what he has given me. When it comes down to it, Jesus is concerned with the motives in our hearts and how that reflects what we truly value.

There is a great quote in the very beginning of the first chapter that you may have heard before. It sums up the message of the book in a eloquent way:

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

We need to consider using our money in the right way now so that we might gain eternal rewards in heaven. It's also applicable to our lives in general. Are we willing to serve sacrificially, give our time and live lives dedicated to God? While these things never ensure our salvation, God promises great rewards and there is an eternal joy that comes from obedience to God. And in reality, what are we giving up? Our lives on this earth and our money are things that will eventually come to an end. We are fools if we cling to the things of this world that will perish and neglect those things that are eternal.

Are we willing to give what we can't keep to gain what we can't lose?

The Fruitful Life - CG Book Study

In addition to the books I am planning to read this year for the Puritan Challenge, my community group will be reading "The Fruitful Life" by Jerry Bridges for the next couple months. We will be meeting for lunch on Sundays after church about every other week. The book focuses primarily on the fruits of the spirit as mentioned in Galatians, which ties in nicely with the series we just started at church. It is particularly helpful to walk through digesting and applying truth with other believers. I'll try to write up some thoughts since this blog is acting primarily as a place for me to think through what I'm reading.

Christopher has a post with more information on our community group blog.

Link: Media Singles CG: Book Study

The Bruised Reed - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The Reed and the Bruising

The main scripture passage that Sibbes is working from over the course of the book is Isa. 42:1-3:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

Sibbes begins by describing Christ as the servant who the Father delights in. Before even digging into discussing the bruised reeds, he makes a great statement about focusing on Christ during our trials and temptations.

"In temptations it is safest to behold nothing but Christ the true brazen serpent, the true 'Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29)" p.2

This refers to Numbers 21:4-9, where the people of Israel complained that Moses and God had brought them out of Egypt to die for lack of food and water in the wilderness. God sent serpents among them that bit and killed some of the people. The people repented and Moses prayed to the Lord, who instructed him to make a serpent and put it on a pole. When people were bitten by the serpents, they would look upon the bronze serpent that Moses had made and they would live.

Similiarly, now we look upon Christ, focus on him and live. He is the bronze serpent that takes away our sins as Sibbes says. This is a necessary reminder to focus on Christ at all times, good or bad. We can so easily be distracted by our circumstances during our trials or become self-confident during times of blessing, but life comes through keeping our eyes focused on Christ.

Sibbes also mentions God's pleasure in his redemptive plan:

"What a support to our faith is this, that God the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption." p. 2

This is a glorious and amazing thought. God's work in redemption was not "Plan B" or a quick fix when things went badly with creation. Rather, redemption was planned by God from the beginning and carried out by his hand, and he is pleased with the work of Christ.

Lastly, Sibbes begins to describe what is meant by the "bruised reed". He describes Christ's coming as modest and mild. Both his birth and his interactions with people show his humility and caring nature towards sinners. Those Christ was coming to deal with are described as bruised reeds and smoking flax. This brusing can occur both before and after conversion and differs from person to person. Sibbes speaks of God emptying us of ourselves before utilizing us for his service.

What exactly does it look like to be bruised? A bruised reed is a man who is in misery and comes to see his sin as the cause of it. The smoking flax refers to the spark of hope that is kindled when one sees that help for this situation must come from outside. Sibbes states that these two components are what make one what Christ calls "poor in spirit" in Matt. 5:3. Sibbes describes the man who is a bruised reed and smoking flax:

"He has no means of supply from himself or the creature, and thereupon mourns, and, upon some hope of mercy from the promise and examples of those who have obtained mercy, is stirred up to hunger and thirst after it." p.4

What is the purpose of being bruised? Well, the bruising levels our pride prior to conversion and makes way for the Holy Spirit. Also, this bruising causes us to place a higher value on Christ and to be more grateful for what God has done. Bruising also makes us aware that God's plan and purpose is far greater than our own. The bruising continues after conversion in order that our pride might be kept in check. It conforms us to the image of Christ, who suffered for us. This also helps to encourage other believers who may be weaker in the faith. Reflecting on the weakness we see in great figures of the Bible, like David and Peter, Sibbes says:

"The heroic deeds of these great worthies do not comfort the church so much as their falls and bruises do." p.5

We should be encouraged that God used these great men despite their weakness and imperfection. Similiarly, when we feel weak and insufficient we remind ourselves that our strength comes from God and he has the ability to use us even in our weakness 2 Cor. 12:9.

Taking the Puritan Challenge

I mentioned in the last post that I've joined with others on the Internet in a plan to read through a Puritan paperback each month this year.

The home of the challenge is Timmy Brister's blog, Provocations & Pantings, and he will be providing additional resources and facilitating discussion each month. You can check out the details and sign up here.

Here is the rundown of the reading schedule...

January: The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
February: The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel
March: The Godly Man's Picture by Thomas Watson
April: Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks
May: Come and Welcome Jesus Christ by John Bunyan
June: The Mortification of Sin by John Owen
July: A Lifting Up for the Downcast by William Bridge
August: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs
September: The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton
October: The Christian's Great Interest by William Guthrie
November: The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter
December: A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine


As you might notice, it's February and I haven't said anything about The Bruised Reed yet. Well, I got started a little late. I only decided to join the Challenge about a week ago. So, I'm working my way through the book for January and I'll be playing catchup for at least a week or two. Hopefully, I'll have the first post on the first book sometime tomorrow.

Feel free to join me and the other people who will be reading along this year. Either click the link above or the button on the sidebar to join in.