The marks of a true shepherd

by Arthur Pink, Studies in the Scriptures, May, 1939

How diligently should they scrutinize their motives, who think of entering the ministry; for thousands have abused this Divine institution through love of ease, desire for authority and reputation, or love of money--and brought upon themselves "greater damnation" (James 3:1). Thousands have invaded the pastoral office in an unauthorized manner, to fleece sheep rather than feed them, robbing Christ of His honor and starving His people.

Solemn beyond words is it to observe how sternly our Lord denounced these false shepherds of His day. (Matthew 23) As J. C. Ryle rightly said, "Nothing seemed so offensive to Christ as a false teacher of religion, a false prophet, or a false shepherd. Nothing ought to be so much feared by the Church, be so plainly rebuked, opposed and exposed."

What are the marks of a true shepherd, how are God’s people to identify those called and qualified by Him to minister unto His people?

First, the genuine pastor has the doctrine of Christ on his LIPS. The ministers of the new covenant are described as those who had "renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness." Christendom today is infested with men who are full of deceit and hypocrisy, trimming their sails according to whatever direction the breeze of public opinion is blowing.

"We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God." (2 Cor. 4:2). The true servant of Christ holds back nothing which is profitable, no matter how unpalatable it may be unto his hearers. He is one who magnifies not himself, nor his denomination, but Christ--His wondrous Person, His atoning blood, His exacting claims.

Second, the genuine pastor has the Spirit of Christ in his HEART. It is the Spirit who opens to him the mysteries of the Gospel, so that he is "the faithful and wise servant" (Matt. 24:45). It is the Spirit of Christ who gives him a love for His sheep, so that it is his greatest delight to lead them into the green pastures of His Word. It is the Spirit of Christ who enables him to use "great boldness of speech" (2 Cor. 3:12), so that he shuns not to declare all the counsel of God. It is the Spirit of Christ who makes him to be "prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2). It is the Spirit of Christ who gives efficacy to his ministry, making it fruitful according to the sovereign pleasure of God.

Third, the genuine pastor has the example of Christ in his LIFE, which is a conforming of him to the image of his Master. It is true, sadly true, that there is not one of them who does not fall far short both of the inward and outward image of Christ. Yet there are some faint tracings of His image visible in all His true servants. The image of Christ is seen in their words, spirit, actions; otherwise we have no warrant to receive them as God’s servants.

Find a man (no easy task today!) who has the doctrine of Christ on his lips, the Spirit of Christ in his heart, and the example of Christ in his life--and you find one of His genuine ministers--all others are but "thieves and robbers."

Why Christ offends men

The following is from Spurgeon’s sermon,
"Unbelievers stumbling; Believers rejoicing"

There are some who stumble at Christ because of his holiness.

He is too strict for them; they would like to be Christians,
but they cannot renounce their sensual pleasures; they
would like to be washed in his blood, but they desire still
to roll in the mire of sin.

Willing enough the mass of men would be to receive Christ,
if, after receiving him, they might continue in their drunkenness,
their wantonness, and self-indulgence. But Christ lays the axe
at the root of the tree; he tells them that these things must be
given up, for “because of these things the wrath of God comes
upon the children of disobedience,” and “without holiness no
man can see the Lord.”

Human nature kicks at this.

“What! May I not enjoy one darling lust? May I not indulge
myself at least now and then in these things? Must I altogether
forsake my old habits and my old ways? Must I be made a
new creature in Christ Jesus?”

These are terms too hard, conditions too severe, and so the
human heart goes back to the flesh pots of Egypt, and clings
to the garlic and the onions of the old estate of bondage, and
will not be set free even though a greater than Moses lifts up
the rod to part the sea, and promises to give to them a Canaan
flowing with milk and honey.

Christ offends men because his gospel is intolerant of sin.

Samuel Bolton - The True Bounds of Christian Freedom

The 'third use' of the law is to function as the rule of life for the believer. One of the most famous statements of this comes from the Puritan Samuel Bolton in his The True Bounds of Christian Freedom -

'The law sends us to the gospel for our justification; the gospel sends us to the law to frame our way of life'.

Amen!!!

The Supremacy of God - AW Pink

In One Of His Letters to Erasmus, Luther said, "Your thoughts of God are too human." Probably that renowned scholar resented such a rebuke, the more so, since it proceeded from a miner’s son. Nevertheless, it was thoroughly deserved. We, too, prefer the same charge against the vast majority of the preachers of our day, and against those who, instead of searching the Scriptures for themselves, lazily accept their teachings. The most dishonoring conceptions of the rule and reign of the Almighty are now held almost everywhere. To countless thousands, even professing Christians, the God of Scripture is quite unknown.

Of old, God complained to an apostate Israel, "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself" (Ps. 50:21). Such must now be His indictment against apostate Christendom. Men imagine the Most High is moved by sentiment, rather than by principle. They suppose His omnipotency is such an idle fiction that Satan can thwart His designs on every side. They think that if He has formed any plan or purpose at all, then it must be like theirs, constantly subject to change. They openly declare that whatever power He possesses must be restricted, lest He invade the citidel of man’s free will and reduce him to a machine. They lower the all-efficacious atonement, which redeems everyone for whom it was made, to a mere remedy, which sin-sick souls may use if they feel so disposed. They lessen the strength of the invincible work of the Holy Spirit to an offer of the Gospel which sinners may accept or reject as they please.

The god of this century no more resembles the Sovereign of Holy Writ than does the dim flickering of a candle the glory of the midday sun. The god who is talked about in the average pulpit, spoken of in the ordinary Sunday school, mentioned in much of the religious literature of the day, and preached in most of the so-called Bible conferences, is a figment of human imagination, an invention of maudlin sentimentality. The heathen outside the pale of christendom form gods of wood and stone, while millions of heathen inside christendom manufacture a god out of their carnal minds. In reality, they are but atheists, for there is no other possible alternative between an absolutely supreme God, and no God at all. A god whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to deity, and far from being a fit object of worship, merits nothing but contempt.

AW Pink (from Gleanings in the Godhead - Chapter 5 "The Supremacy of God")

Wonderful mystery!

by William Plumer, "Sinners Saved by Unmerited Kindness"

Wonderful mystery! God was manifest in the flesh!

Our Lord Jesus Christ became incarnate, lived, acted,
obeyed, suffered, died and rose again--for His people.

He came down to earth--that they might go up to heaven.

He suffered--that they might reign.

He became a servant--that they might become kings
and priests unto God.

He died that--they might live.

He bore the cross--that their enmity might be slain,
and their sins expiated.

He loved them--that they might love God.

He was rich and became poor--that they, who
were poor, might be made rich.

He descended into the grave--that they might
sit in heavenly places.

He emptied Himself--that they might be filled
with all the fullness of God.

He took upon Him human nature--that they
might be partakers of the divine nature.

He made Himself of no reputation--that they might
wear His new name, and obtain eternal excellency.

He became a worm, and no man--that they, who were
sinful worms, might be made equal to the angels.

He bore the curse of a broken covenant--that they
might partake of all the blessings of the everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure.

Though heir of all things, He was willingly despised
of the people--that they, who were justly condemned,
might obtain an inheritance which is incorruptible,
undefiled, and which fades not away.

His death was a satisfaction to divine justice, a ransom
for many, a propitiation for sin, a sweet smelling savor
to God--that we, who were an offence to God, might
become His sons and daughters.

He was made sin for His people--that they might be
made the righteousness of God in Him.

Though Lord of all, He took the form of a servant--that
they, who were the servants of sin, might prevail like
princes with God.

He had no where to lay His head--that they who otherwise
must have lain down in eternal sorrow, might reach the
mansions in His Father's house.

He drank the cup of God's indignation--that they
might forever drink of the river of his pleasures.

He hungered--that they might eat the bread of life.

He thirsted--that they might drink the water of life.

He was numbered with the transgressors--that they might
stand among the justified, and be counted among His jewels.

Though He existed from everlasting, from the beginning,
before ever the earth was, yet He became a helpless infant
--that creatures of yesterday, sentenced to death, might
live forever.

He wore a crown of thorns--that all who love His
appearing, might wear a crown of life.

He wept tears of anguish--that His elect might
weep tears of godly repentance.

He bore the yoke of obedience unto death--that
they might find His yoke easy and His burden light.

He poured out his soul unto death, lay three days in
the heart of the earth, then burst the bars of death,
and arose to God--that they, who through fear of
death were all their lifetime subject to bondage,
might obtain the victory over the grave and become
partakers of His resurrection.

He exhausted the penalty of the law--that His redeemed
might have access to His inexhaustible treasures of mercy,
wisdom, faithfulness, truth and grace.

He was matchless in grace--that they might be matchless
in gratitude.

Though a Son, He became a voluntary exile--that they, who had
wickedly wandered afar off, might be brought near by His blood.

His visage was so marred more than any man--that His
ransomed ones might be presented before God without
spot, or blemish, or wrinkle, or any such thing.

For a time He was forsaken of his Father--that they, whom
He bought with His blood, might behold the light of God's
countenance forever.

He came and dwelt with them--that they might be forever
with the Lord.

He was hung up naked before His insulting foes--that all
who believe on His name, might wear a glorious wedding
garment--a spotless righteousness.

Wonderful mystery! God was manifest in the flesh!
Blessed is he who loves the incarnate mystery, and
rests upon it. It is a mystery . . .
of love,
of truth,
of grace,
of wisdom,
of condescension,
of power,
of salvation!
It is the great study of the inhabitants of heaven,
and shall be while immortality endures!

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus - A.D. 130

This is a great second century witness to the depravity of man, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness. - JL

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus - A.D. 130
Chapter IX.—Why the Son was sent so late.

As long then as the former time endured, He permitted us to be borne along by unruly impulses, being drawn away by the desire of pleasure and various lusts. This was not that He at all delighted in our sins, but that He simply endured them; nor that He approved the time of working iniquity which then was, but that He sought to form a mind conscious of righteousness, so that being convinced in that time of our unworthiness of attaining life through our own works, it should now, through the kindness of God, be vouchsafed to us; and having made it manifest that in ourselves we were unable to enter into the kingdom of God, we might through the power of God be made able. But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, how the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors! Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honour, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxious concerning clothing and food.

Judgment

by William S. Plumer, "The Rock of Our Salvation" 1867

"For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14

God has appointed a day in the which He will judge the world. Respecting this day several things are noticeable.

All shall be judged.
Saints and sinners,
great and small,
living and dead,
the servant and his master,
the prisoner at the bar and the judge who sat on his trial,
the assassin and the assassinated,
the seducer and his victim,
the invader and the invaded,
the hireling and his oppressor,
the king and his subjects,
the fool and the wise man,
the persecutor and the persecuted,
the apostate,
the hypocrite,
the child of God and the child of the devil,
shall all be there! No one shall be so mighty, and no one shall be so lowly--as to elude the eye or the sentence of Him who shall sit upon the throne of judgment! What a massive multitude will this be--when prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, saints of all ages; when sinners, liars, infidels, blasphemers, moralists, and murderers--shall all be there; when the sea and the dry land shall give up their dead; when death and hell shall deliver up the dead who are in them; when all who lived before the flood, all who have lived since the flood, and all who shall have lived to the end of time shall stand before God! This will be the first and the last assembly--in which are found every person whom God ever made.

To God, it is a certain and fixed day. He has appointed it. Acts 17:31. Nothing can hasten it; nothing can retard it. The purpose of God concerning it is fixed, unalterable.

To all creatures, it is an unknown day. "Of that day and hour knows no man; no, not the angels of heaven."

The day of judgment will be THE great day. It will be the greatest day in the annals of the universe! It is the day for which all other days were made. This day is so well known to inspired men, that they call it the day, that day--as preeminent over all others.

It will be the LAST day. After it, time will be no more--time will cease to exist. Duration will no more be measured by seconds, minutes, days, months, years, centuries, cycles; but all will be boundless, shoreless, fathomless, unmeasured eternity!

It will be a day of astounding exposures. Villainy will be covered up no more. Every disguise will be taken away. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hidden, that shall not be known.

It will be a day of intense excitement. There will be no listless spectators of those scenes. Every faculty of the intellect and of emotion will be aroused to the highest possible exercise. Men may sleep under sermons concerning the judgment, but they will not be dull when they go to judgment!

It will also be a day of final separation. The precious and the vile; the wheat and the tares; the sheep and the goats; saints and sinners--shall no longer mingle together. The separations of this day will be final. The righteous and the wicked shall part that day to meet no more.

It shall be a day of despair to all the unregenerate. Everywhere sinners will be crying to the rocks and the mountains: "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!" Was ever despair more dreadful than this?

This will be a day full of surprise. Not only will it come unexpectedly, but its awards will fill both saints and sinners with astonishment. So Christ teaches at length in Matthew 25. The wicked will be amazed that they are lost. They will be especially surprised that God sets no value on their self-righteousness. The sons of God will receive more honor than they ever asked or thought of. The sons of Belial will receive more wrath than they ever feared. Christians will marvel why they are saved. Sinners will wonder why they are not saved. Many will be lost--contrary to the opinions formed of them by their neighbors. Many will be lost--contrary to the opinions they had formed of themselves!

"For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14.

The judgment is coming!

The Judge stands at the door!

The time is short!

All hang dependent on His powerful providence!

William S. Plumer, "The Rock of Our Salvation" 1867

"He holds all creation together." Col. 1:17

"He sustains the universe by the mighty power of His
command!" Hebrews 1:3

Jesus Christ upholds, preserves, and governs the worlds
which He has made!

Thus all creatures, from the smallest insect which is seen
by the microscope; up to the archangel which worships
before the eternal throne; all events, from the falling of
a hair of the head to the destruction of nations by famine,
pestilence, and war; all rule and authority, from that of a
petty official, to that of thrones and principalities in heaven;
the material universe, from the least particle which floats
in the sunbeam to the grandest system of worlds which roll
in immensity--all hang dependent on His powerful
providence! And if one link in the chain of that dependence
were broken, they would all rush headlong to destruction!

Jesus always has governed this world; and He shall ever hold
the scepter over it, until His last foe shall is vanquished, and
His last hidden one made victorious!

But God

by William Plumer, "Theology for the People"

No two things are more contrary to each other,
than the vileness of man and the purity of God.

Sin is hateful to God.
It has dug every grave.
It fills hell with groans.

"From the sole of your foot to the top of your
head there is no soundness--only wounds
and welts and open sores." Isaiah 1:6

The whole nature of man is affected by sin:
the understanding is darkened;
the will is corrupt;
the conscience is defiled;
the memory is polluted;
the imagination is depraved;
the throat is an open sepulcher;
the tongue is deceitful;
the mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
the feet are swift to shed blood;
the eyes are full of adultery;
the heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked.

The whole head is sick,
the whole heart is faint!

Man is by nature ruined. He is lost.
Men are . . .
sinners,
wicked,
ungodly,
unrighteous,
corrupt,
deceitful,
vile,
ungrateful,
children of the devil,
slaves of iniquity.

"But God, who is abundant in mercy, because
of His great love that He had for us, made us
alive with the Messiah even though we were
dead in trespasses. By grace you are saved!
He also raised us up with Him and seated us
with Him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus, so
that in the coming ages He might display the
immeasurable riches of His grace in His
kindness to us in Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:4-7

A new creature

"If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things have passed away; behold, all things
have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

What condemnation do these words pronounce upon
the shallow, meager religion so common among
us--making us feel that hardly any description of its
professors could be more exaggerated or unreal,
than that of being "new creatures."

Take yon member of the church. He wears the
garb and bears the name of Christ. He is a fair
average specimen of a large class. He has the
profession of being a Christian; yet . . .
he is fond of the world;
he grasps at its gold;
he loves its fashionable gaiety;
he reads its novels;
he frequents its haunts of amusement;
he enjoys its company;
he relishes its foolish talking and jesting.

Is he "a new creature" in Christ Jesus?

Is it possible that, with . . .
so much worldliness,
so much selfishness,
so much self-indulgence,
so much pleasing of the flesh,
he can have been "born again,"
whatever his profession may be?

"A new creature!" Then . . .
old feelings,
old habits,
old tastes,
old hopes,
old joys,
old sorrows,
old haunts,
old companionships
--all are gone! Old things have passed
away, all things have become new!

Formerly, I sought the things of this world.
So now, by the necessity of my new nature,
I seek the things above. Sin has become
hateful, holiness supremely attractive.

My vision has been purged, so that now I see
everything as with a new eye; the evil, with an
eye which loathes it; the holy, with an eye which
loves it. I approach everything with . . .
new feelings,
new tastes,
new sympathies,
new antipathies.
I behold everything in a new light, and from a new
point of view. Myself, this world, the world to come,
God, Christ, and the everlasting joys--all these are
to me now, what they have never been before! My
whole inner man has changed respecting them.
There has been a new creation! What, then, have I
to do with sin, with the flesh, with the vanities of so
vain a life, as the men of this world are leading?

Oh, the unimaginable blessedness of those on whom
this new creation has taken place! Oh, the unutterable,
the endless misery of those on whom no change has
passed--in whom old things still remain!

--Horatius Bonar, "Christ and the New Creation"

Currently Reading - The Man of Sin

I just picked up Kim Riddlebarger's latest work, The Man of Sin, at the local bookstore. I enjoyed Kim's last work on amillennialism, so I expect this to be a good read. So far, so good. I may do a book review when I am done, we'll see, so long as I don't get freaked out too much reading it. :-)

"Salvation through Spiritual Warfare" - A Divine Miracle

2 Cor 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. {We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (NAS)

Spiritual Warfare has nothing to do with human strategy. Let me unpack a little passage of scripture for you. It is found in 2 Cor 10:3-5. Paul says that we are engaged in a spiritual war. We talk about spiritual warfare a lot, but the weapons of our warfare (he says) are not fleshly, what he means by that is that they are not human. We are fighting a war and we can't use human weapons. We can't use them. This war is not a time space war, this is not a material war, it isn't fought on an intellectual level. This is a spiritual battle. This is on another dimension, we can't use human ingenuity, human gimmicks, humans tricks, etc, etc. (I love this passage) He says, "but our weapons are (the Greek says) mighty unto God". We got to fight this spiritual war with divine weapons (ok, I understand that you say but what does that mean? What is this divine weapon?) Well then he goes on to say, "For we are destroying fortresses" "Fortresses" is a word (in the Greek) that means "massive fortification". If you have been in the Middle East or you have traveled in Europe and you have seen those great granite, and stone fortresses. It is the same word for "prison" and it is the same word for "tomb".

So here we have this picture, we are engaged in war and the enemy that we are assaulting is a massive granite fortification, it is not something that falls easily, it is not a paper house, it is not a card board box. What are we going to use against this? Well, what is this fortress? The next verse he says, "We are destroying speculations". In verse 4, he says, "we are destroying fortresses". In verse 5, "we are destroying speculations". Therefore fortresses equal speculations. Speculations is the Greek word "logismos" - ideas (ideologies, concepts, philosophies, psychology's, theories, religions), further defined as, "every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God". Spiritual warfare is not chasing demons around and pronouncing formulas on them. Spiritual warfare is fought against ideologies. Any theory, and idea, any viewpoint, any religion, any belief raise up against the knowledge of God. That is to say any anti-biblical idea, any anti-biblical idea.

So the simple question is, What is the one weapon we have against lies? What is the one weapon we have against error? Truth! So we go out to make battle (and I love what it says) with a view to smashing the fortresses of lying viewpoints and ideologies and then it says, and leading everyone in there and bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." That is what we do in this world. We smash the fortresses. It is not a matter of chasing demons, it is a matter of smashing ideological fortresses with the power of Biblical Truth, made clear to the mind that is captive and Then you watch the fortress fall and you lead the person out and bring every thought they have captive to Christ. That is having the mind of Christ. That is not mystical, I have the mind of Christ and you have the mind of Christ revealed right here (pointing to the Bible). As you know this, you have His mind. That is what we do. That is the great struggle and the great strategy. If you want to get in the war, you learn how to wield the Sword. That is the only weapon that we really have.


By John MacArthur
Not Ashamed of the Gospel Conference - September 21, 1999

Let Him Reign Supreme

"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion." Exodus 33:19

Because God is the maker, and creator, and sustainer of
all things, he has a right to do as he wills with all his works.

“Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it,
Why have you made me thus? Has not the potter
power over the clay of the same lump to make one
vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?”

God’s absolute supremacy and unlimited sovereignty
naturally flow from his omnipotence, and from the fact
that he is the source and support of all things.

Moreover, if it were not so, the superlative excellence of
the divine character would entitle him to absolute dominion.

He should be chief who is best. He who cannot err, being
perfect in wisdom; he who will not err, being as perfect in
holiness; he who can do no wrong, being supremely just;
he who must act in accordance with the principles of kindness,
seeing he is essentially love, is the most fitting person to rule.

Tell me not of the creatures ruling themselves: what a chaos
would this be! Talk not of a supposed republic of all created
existences, controlling and guiding themselves. All the creatures
put together, with their combined wisdom and goodness- if, indeed,
it were not combined folly and wickedness -all these, I say, with
all the excellencies of knowledge, judgment, and love, which the
most fervid imagination can suppose them to possess, could not
make the equal of that great God whose name is holiness, whose
essence is love, to whom all power belongs, and to whom alone
wisdom is to be ascribed.

Let him reign supreme, for he is infinitely superior to all other existences.

--Spurgeon’s sermon, “Election No Discouragement to Seeking Souls”

Edwards on Regeneration

"As the prejudices that are in the heart, against the truth of divine things, are hereby removed [by God]; so that the mind becomes susceptive of the due force of rational arguments for their truth. The mind of man is naturally full of prejudices against the truth of divine things: it is full of enmity against the doctrines of the gospel; which is a disadvantage to those arguments that prove their truth, and causes them to lose their force upon the mind. But when a person has discovered to him the divine excellency of Christian doctrines [by God's grace], this destroys the enmity, removes those prejudices, and sanctifies the reason, and causes it to lie open to the force of arguments for their truth."

- Jonathan Edwards

Human Depravity 29,000 ft. up

Here is a fine (and sad) example of the depravity of fallen man.

On Doctrinal Clarity

It is vain to shut our eyes to the fact that there is a vast quantity of so-called Christianity nowadays which you cannot declare positively unsound, but which, nevertheless, is not full measure, good weight and sixteen onces to the pound. It is a Christianity in which there is undeniably 'something about Christ and something about grace and something about faith and something about repentance and something about holiness,' but it is not the real 'thing as it is' in the Bible. Things are out of place and out of proportion... It neither exercises influence on our daily conduct, nor comforts in life, nor gives peace in death; and those who hold it often awake too late to find that they have got nothing solid under their feet." Holiness, 9-10.

--J.C. Ryle

Convicting words from Profiting from the Word by AW Pink

The Word of God may be taken up from various motives. Some read it to satisfy their literary pride. In certain circles it has become both the respectable and popular thing to obtain a general acquaintance with the contents of the Bible simply because it is regarded as an educational defect to be ignorant of them. Some read it to satisfy their sense of curiosity, as they might any other book of note. Others read it to satisfy their sectarian pride. They consider it a duty to be well versed in the particular tenets of their own denomination and so search eagerly for proof-texts in support of "our doctrines." Yet others read it for the purpose of being able to argue successfully with those who differ from them. But in all this there is no thought of God, no yearning for spiritual edification, and therefore no real benefit to the soul.

Of what, then, does a true profiting from the Word consist? Does not 2 Timothy 3:16,17 furnish a clear answer to our question? There we read, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Observe what is here omitted: the Holy Scriptures are given us not for intellectual gratification and carnal speculation, but to furnish unto "all good works," and that by teaching, reproving, correcting us.

A man's views of sin

Sin digs every grave, and wrings out every sigh and wail
from earth and hell. Sin is the worst of all evils. Nothing
can compare with it. It is worse than the plague. Sin is
unspeakably hateful. God calls it horrible and abominable.
Godly men in every age lament it--lament it much in
others, most in themselves.

A man's views of sin give a complexion to all his
character. If he regards it as a trifle, he will laugh at
it, when he should weep over it. He will make a mock
of it. He will dally with it. He will take his fill of it. He
will have low thoughts of God, and low estimates of
salvation. He will despise Jesus Christ.

If, on the other hand, he considers sin as very dreadful and
very hateful--he will hate every false way. He will long for
holiness. He will hunger and thirst after righteousness.
He will loathe and abhor himself on account of sin. He will
have exalted thoughts of the being, perfections, word, and
government of God. To him Christ will be most precious,
the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely.

Job's sense of sin was vastly increased by the great
discoveries he had of God's majesty and glory: "I have
heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye
sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust
and ashes!" Increased views of God's glory had the same
effect on Isaiah, and made him cry out, "Woe is me! for
I am undone!" (Job 42:5-6; Isaiah 6:5).

God's presence is infinite; His power is infinite; His nature
is infinite; His existence is infinite; and so to sin against Him
must be an infinite insult and wrong. Sin is an infinite evil.
Sin is that abominable thing which He hates. He hates sin
with infinite loathing.

--William S. Plumer, "The Christian", 1878

Apathy

"Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

On Charity & Doctrinal Disputes

There are many ministers, nowadays, who think that they must shift their doctrinal landmarks, and there are others who have no landmarks at all. They believe something, or everything, or nothing--it is difficult to tell which; and their common cry is, 'We must be charitable.' I have known many people who were willing to be charitable with other people's money, and I have known others who are charitable with doctrines that are not theirs to give away, for they are Christ's doctrines; but these supposed custodians of them care so little for them that they offer to give them away in any quantity. But a faithful steward of Christ's gospel will not do so; he who loves Christ, and wishes to honour him, keeps Christ's words, and treasures them up.

--Spurgeon

Orange on Monergism

If anyone makes the assistance of grace depend on the humility or obedience of man and does not agree that it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he contradicts the Apostle who says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10). If anyone affirms that we can form any right opinion or make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life, or that we can be saved by assent to the preaching of the gospel through our natural powers without the effectual work of the Holy Spirit, who makes all whom He calls gladly and willingly assent to and believe in the truth, he is led astray from the plain teaching of Scripture by exalting the natural ability of man, and does not understand the voice of God who says in the Gospel, "For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), and the word of the Apostle, "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5). - The Council of Orange (529 AD)

IT IS WRITTEN! by Spurgeon

"'It is written.' Stand upon it, and if the devil were fifty devils in one, he could not overcome you. On the other hand, if you leave 'It is written,' Satan knows more about reasoning than you do. He is far older, has studied mankind very thoroughly, and knows all our weak points. Therefore, the contest will be an unequal one. Do not argue with him but wave in his face the banner of God's Word. Satan cannot endure the infallible truth, for it is death to the falsehood of which he is the father."
~ Charles Spurgeon

The Fire of Affliction

"Water in the glass looks clear, but set it on the fire, and the scum boils up. In prosperity, a man seems to be humble and thankful, the water looks clear; but set this man a little on the fire of affliction, and the scum boils up ñ much impatience and unbelief appear."

Thomas Watson - All Things for Good

A Thumbnail Sketch of Romans

"The 30,000 Foot View"

By Michael Horton

The problem that all of humanity faces is the wrath of God, which is entirely justified because the Gentiles know God according to general revelation and the Jews know God according to special revelation. Yet both have failed to truly acknowledge God since they have violated His law. Since everyone is under sin and God's wrath the only way out is the Gospel, the announcement that in Christ God has provided a righteousness that satisfies his holy requirements. Christ has absorbed God's wrath in His death and justifies the wicked in his resurrection. All of this is received by faith alone apart from works as the examples of Abraham and David demonstrate Yet God has not only secured our life from the condemnation of the law, but also from the dominion of sin and death. Baptized into Christ's death and resurrection we are made new creatures and yet we continue to struggle throughout our lives with indwelling sin and the only hope we have is to look outside of ourselves to Christ, with the indwelling Spirit testifying in our hearts to our free adoption and keeping alive within us the hope that not only we but the whole creation will share in the final redemption.

In the light of all this, nothing can separate us from God's love. But how then can we trust this gospel if God has been unfaithful to his early promises to Israel? Well, God has always maintained his prerogative of Election, even among the physical descendents of Abraham. So salvation isn't a matter of physical decent or of human decision or effort, but of God's mercy alone. God HAS been faithful to His promises, because even now an elect remnant is being saved from among Jews and Gentiles and after God adds alien Gentile branches to the tree of Israel he will finally bring in the fullness of the Jews as well. In view of all these mercies that stagger our imagination, we can now offer, not the dead sacrifices of animals for atonement, but our own bodies as living sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. In that light, stop judging each other about things indifferent and get on with the business of loving and serving each other.

Regeneration

When a man is converted to God, it is done in a moment.

Regeneration is an instantaneous work.

Conversion to God, the fruit of regeneration, occupies all
our life, but regeneration itself is effected in an instant.

A man hates God-- the Holy Spirit makes him love God.

A man is opposed to Christ, he hates his gospel, does not
understand it and will not receive it-- the Holy Spirit comes,
puts light into his darkened understanding, takes the chain
from his bondaged will, gives liberty to his conscience, gives
life to his dead soul, so that the voice of conscience is heard,
and the man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.

And all this is done, mark you, by the instantaneous
supernatural influence of God the Holy Spirit working
as he wills among the sons of men.

--Spurgeon

Introduction

Greetings!

This is a group blog, consisting of six friends who, as we like to say, "came from the four winds" to become close brothers in the Lord. Our friendship is based solely on the free grace and mercy of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We all come from varying backgrounds. We were all converted to Christ as adults. We all came to the Reformed faith long after being converted. Hence, we understand the monergistic, regenerating grace of God the Holy Spirit quite well, because without His regenerating power in our souls, none of us would care about the things of the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:14). The passage we chose to feature in the header above is a wondrous picture of God's regenerating Spirit on spiritually dead, sinful humans.

None of us have attended bible school or seminary. It has, myself included, been a desire of some of us to attend seminary, but at this point in our lives, seminary is out of the question. We all enjoy reading good books, listening to good sermons, and studying the Scriptures together.
One point of interest is the fact that our group has a mix of ecclesiological commitments. Three of us are Reformed Presbyterians, and three are Reformed Baptists. Guess what? We get along! Imagine that! Our unity lies in the Gospel of God.

We hope you enjoy our blog. It will be quite random, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, but hopefully, in our pursuits, we can glorify God in what we say. None of us has arrived; we are all pilgrims, on our way to the celestial city above.

In Christ,
Joe