Christ is Sweeter Than All Time-Eaten Pleasures

Confined to prison for preaching the gospel Samuel Rutherford writes of his sufferings and his hope of their result:

It is my aim and hearty desire that my furnace, which is of the Lord’s kindling, may sparkle fire upon standers-by, to the warming of their hearts with God’s love. The very dust that falleth from Christ’s feet, His old ragged clothes, his knotty and black cross, are sweeter to me than king’s golden crowns, and their time-eaten pleasures…Oh that men were taken and catched with his beauty and fairness! they would give over playing with idols, in which there is not half room for the love of one soul to expiate itself. And man’s love is but heart-hungered in gnawing upon bare bones, and sucking at dry breasts. (From the Letters of Samuel Rutherford)

2 Corinthians 5:21 A Little More Graphic

To help us see a 2 Corinthians 5:21 a little more graphically:

Son of Man!  Why have you behaved so?  You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped—murdered, envied, hated, liked.  You have cursed, robbed, overspent, overeaten—fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed.  Oh, the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned!  Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name?  Have you ever held your razor tongue?  What a self-righteous, pitiful drunk—you, who molest young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques, and mock your parents.  Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons?  Does the list never end?  Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp—buying politicians, practicing extortion, filming pornography, accepting bribes.  You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorists tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves, relishing each morsel and bragging about it all.  I hate, I loathe these things in you!  Disgust for everything about you consumes me!  Can you not feel my wrath?

Not all of my readers will agree with this theology.  But I find what Joni Eareckston Tada and Steve Estes present here to be quite compelling.  Christ became our substitute and as doing such He bore the wrath of God and was treated by God as if He had done all of the things listed above (and more). 

I leave you with this…

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  --Romans 8:32

Review of Scandalous by D.A. Carson

Author: D.A. Carson

Pages: 176pgs

Publisher: Crossway

Price: 10.39

Genre: Theology/Christian Living

Quick Summary:

Scandalous is the book version of five addresses that D.A. Carson gave at a Resurgence conference on the cross and resurrection of Jesus. The five messages (chapters) are on the ironies of the cross, the centrality of Christ in Scripture, the triumph of a slaughtered lamb, the miracle of the resurrection, and the doubting of the resurrection.

I think Mark Driscoll summarizes this book best when he says, “What happens when one of the world's preeminent theologians expounds on some of the Bible's prominent texts? This book."

What I Liked:

It is rare to find a top-notch scholar that is also a top-notch preacher that is also a top-notch writer. D.A. Carson is that rarity. You cannot go wrong reading Carson. Scandalous is typical D.A. Carson: witty, scholarly, gospel-centered, and greatly helpful. This is one of those books that you will read in a week because you are so involved in each chapter.

If this is your first exposure to D.A. Carson buy this book, read it and buy many of his other books. Carson has an amazing ability to speak relevantly to a new believer, a seminary student, a skeptic, a seasoned believer, and pretty much everyone with a heartbeat. Not only does he speak relevantly but he makes difficult truths easy to understand and he does it in such a fashion that honors and exalts Jesus. You will walk away from reading this book with a much deeper appreciation for Jesus. I truly believe this book will lead to worship.

What I Disliked:

It’s D.A. Carson, what’s not to like? Each chapter stands on its own so it is perfect for a five part Bible study or something. But keep in mind when you get this the purpose of the book. It will go deep, but not deeper than a typical 5 part talk on a subject. The chapters do not necessarily build on each other but they look at a different aspect of the cross and resurrection of Jesus. I found this helpful, but some may dislike that if they are expecting something else.

Should You Buy It?

If you have 10 bucks, you know how to read, and you don’t want to be a moron then I would strongly consider buying this book. It is a fun read and you will certainly have a deeper appreciation for the cross and resurrection after reading things. Go buy it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Saturday’s Seven 4/03

Dr. Moore reminds us that Death Isn’t Natural.

I am really happy that John Piper took on this question:  Was 3 Hours of Suffering Enough?

Actually Piper news kind of dominated my Google Reader this week.  Last weekend he announced his Upcoming Leave, and towards the middle of the week he explained why he invited Rick Warren to the National’s Conference.  It is also worth reading Grace Driscoll’s response to Piper’s leave. 

I think Toby Kurth makes a wonderful point and asks an important question:  Will Gospel-Centrality Go the Way of Fundamentalism?   If the title does not catch your eye, please do yourself a favor and read it.

Read this one buy Kevin DeYoung and be sure to follow the links to Jared’s blog and the comments on JT’s blog. 

Challies (who would know) tells us how to Read More and Read Better.

Watch what Daniel Montgomery of Sojourn says about Fundamentals of the Gospel:

Gospel 101 from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.

There are a ton of great Good Friday/Easter posts out there—but you can find those yourself.  enjoy celebrating the Resurrection this Lord’s Day.

Face Melting Quote on the Effects of the Cross

“Ultimately all that will be there in the new, redeemed creation will be there  because of the cross.  And conversely, all that will not be there (suffering, tears, sin, Satan, sickness, oppression, corruption, decay and death) will not be there because they will have been defeated and destroyed by the cross.  That is the length, breadth, height and depth of God’s idea of redemption.  It is exceedingly good news.  It is the font of all our mission.

So it is my passionate conviction that holistic mission must have a holistic theology of the cross.  That includes the conviction that the cross must be as a central to our social engagement as it is to our evangelism.  There is no other power, no other resource, no other name through which we can offer the whole Gospel to the whole person and to the whole world than Jesus Christ crucified and risen.”  (Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God, pages 315-316)

Wow.  I mean seriously.  Wow.  How dare we center our life and mission around anything but the Cross.

Perhaps this is overly simplistic but....

Sometimes counseling teenagers can cause head-scratching and heartache. Sometimes counseling my own soul can be head-scratching and heart wrenching. I have counseled numerous teenagers that were crying in my office because they could not conquer a particular sin. My wife and I have counseled girls that are struggling with "boy issues" (e.g., their immaturity, their jerkiness, and their selfishness). And I have counseled young men that are struggling with "boy issues" (lust, pornography, anger). One thing always astonishes me...and this astonishes me about my own heart as well; we wallow in sin and plead with God to stir our affections at the same time.

It seems to me that the wisest thing to do would be to flee from the sin. Usually when pressed young men can figure out the source of their lust. Unless your conscience is ridiculously seared (and that is possible) you know when you are "crossing the line". That is why if you are in union with Christ such sin is ridiculous. Please do not misunderstand me; I have a tremendous amount of compassion and empathy with young men that struggle with these issues (as well as young women that "like" guys that they shouldn't). However, there comes a time when we need to confront the ignorance behind such sin.

"I'm not sure why my girlfriend and I messed up. I mean I know we were both in our swimming suits. And I know that she probably should not have been sitting on my lap. And I guess it was silly for us to try to help out each other not get a sunburn. And yes I know the likelihood of getting a sunburn "there" is improbable. But I really prayed before we went swimming because I knew it might be tough. Do I need to read my Bible more, you think? Should I have prayed harder? I really tried not to fall into this sin, why did God not help me out more. Why did he not deliver me from evil?"

Well, you see he did. Jesus delivered you from evil when he disarmed the power of Satan on the Cross. He robbed sin of its power when he brought you out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred you into the kingdom of Jesus. The principle of death has died in your heart so you no longer have to be a slave to these passions; He has supplanted that principle of death by making you alive with Christ. He has conquered sin. The problem is you are going back to it. The problem is you run away from his kingdom and sit in the filth of the old one. And you wonder why you fall?

The prodigal son did not cry out from his pig slop "Father come save me". He remembered the steadfast love of the Father, got out of the pig slop and ran back to where he belonged. So, here is the solution: stop letting your girlfriend sit on your lap, stop rubbing her down with sun tan lotion, and stop swimming half-naked. Sin is serious and it is deceptive. But it has been defeated. Live like it.

The problem is that we sometimes secretly want the fleeting pleasures of sin. This is why we need to pray that the Lord might "stir our affections" and root out of our hearts sin and unbelief. But that prayer does not mean that you stay in the pig slop. If you are a believer the death of Christ has conquered the heart that longs for pig slop; just get out of it. And if you ever find yourself wandering back remember the love of the Father, repent, and get out of the pig slop and go read 1 John 1:9.

The effect of liberalism

I was recently listening to a sermon by Joshua Harris on 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. In this particular sermon Harris quotes H. Reinhold Neibuhr when he wrote:

"A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross."

You can listen to the entire sermon here. Also Justin Taylor has quoted this in the past as well--there is another great quote in that article as well.

Borrowed Light: Today in Blogworld 04/08-04/12

Timmy Brister has a short and succinct post on how to be a missionary at work.

I am pleased to inform you that the Reformed Mafia is back up and running. Not only that, but they have recruited a new writer: The Highland Host. Check out his first post on Monkeying with the Bible.

Last week Challies encouraged us to be accountable. Today he is encourging against being anonymous.

Phil Johnson continues discussing Acts 17 and contextualization.

John MacArthur lists eight ways that parents can provoke their children.

Carolyn and CJ Mahaney give practical advices to pastor's wives on how to deal with criticism of your husband.

On the heels of Together for the Gospel, Josh Harris, writing for New Attitude, delivers a great article on Unity in the Cross.

I have to get this CD:

(HT: Thinklings)

Borrowed Light: Today in Blogworld 03/07-09

Brian Thornton has an intriguing quote. Who do you think said it?

This could be a watershed decision by an appeals court in California. The court has ruled that parents have no constitutional right to homeschool their children. I can not articulate a comment on this as effective as Dr. Mohler. I would simply say, "that is just dumb". Dr. Mohler is a little more articulate, read his take here.

Great story of witnessing and faithfulness to the gospel by Timmy Brister: The Cross Isn't Sexy.

Michael Spencer, the IMonk, has compiled a list of 10 Reasons He Doesn't Read Your Blog. It would very helpful to me if my readers would read this article, and e-mail me any suggestions in how I may improve this blog.

I failed to mention this last week. Abraham Piper has a new blog called 22 Words. It is very intriguing. And it takes about 15 seconds to read each post.

There is a very important discussion going on between Rick Love, John Piper, Justin Taylor and a few others. The eye of this hurricaine is found in Love's signing of A Common Word. He gives reasons why, Piper, Taylor, and others do not quite buy it. Here is Love's latest explanation. Here is Frank Turk's (of Team Pyro) response to Love.

Trevin Wax points us to a phenomenal Spurgeon quote admonishing pastors and people alike, to read.

This is a phenomenal post by Ray Ortlund. His central thesis is this: "In the heart of God, moral fervor is beautiful. In the heart of a sinner, moral fervor is complicated." He then offers a few diagnostics to monitor whether or not he is slipping into moral fervor. Wonderful post.

There is a Real Preachers of Genius video floating around. I thought this one was pretty funny (and sadly true) also:

If only I may gain Christ Jesus!

I am reading through John Stott's classic work The Cross of Christ. In the book he quotes John Foxe concerning Ignatius, bishop of Antioch in Syria. It could be debated whether or not his admonition to his followers, to not attempt to sercure his release, was grounded. Nonetheless, his devotion to Jesus and willingness to suffer for the sake of Christ shames me:

"Let fire and the cross, let the companies of wild beasts, let breaking of boens and tearing of limbs, let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil, come upon me; be it so, if only I may gain Christ Jesus!" (Stott, John. The Cross of Christ, p.77)

Today in Blogworld 2/8

C.J. Mahaney has a wonderful article on preaching in view of the Cross. Here is one helpful quote within the article: "We must never assume the gospel. We must always assume that those we serve need to hear the gospel yet again. Any sermon we preach is incomplete and insufficient until we explicitly reference Christ and him crucified."

Dr. Mohler lists the Top 10 books every preacher needs to read in 2008. (Looks like I need to update my list again).

Frank Turk has entered the discussion on total abstinence from alcohol. See his thoughtful comments here.

Greg Gilbert gives a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that all churches fast from all forms of instrumental music. He has some wonderful thoughts in this article. Here is an excerpt: "I am really afraid that we’ve managed to create a generation of anemic Christians who are spiritually dependent on excellent music. Their sense of spiritual well-being is based on feeling “close to God,” their feeling close to God is based on their “ability to worship,” and being able to worship depends on big crowds singing great music.

Brian, at Voice of the Sheep, has interesting question; "Are Any Called Who Do Not Come?"

Purgatorio has posted a very thought provoking picture. It is of Jesus washing Bin Laden's feet. It asks, Is this a biblical picture.

MacArthur's What Doctrines Are Essential series concludes with part 2 and 3.

Review of D.A. Carson--The Cross and Christian Ministry

Author: D.A. Carson

Pages: 137

Publisher: Baker

Price: 8.37 USD

Genre: Christian Ministry/Biblical Studies

Quick Summary:

This work by Carson is actually an overhaul of a series of four talks given at the ICAA (International Council of Accrediting Agencies). In it Carson hopes to show what the Cross of Christ means for preaching and ministering. He faithfully exposits the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians and then moves to 1 Corinthians 9:19-27.

Carson’s aim throughout this work is to show the centrality of the Cross in everything we do in ministry. From the central influence that the Cross has on biblical preaching to the mandate the Cross puts on our lives to take the gospel to the nations; Carson faithfully shows that the Cross is (and should remain to be) the center of all Christian ministry.

This book is not only for pastors; it speaks to every Christian in any form of ministry. This book will prove a much needed resource in the ever changing culture in which we live. If Carson’s advice is heeded we will come to believe that the Cross is central (and effective) in whatever generation it is proclaimed. “Christ crucified” is just as much the power of God unto salvation in our day as it was in Paul’s. As Carson says in his preface, this lesson “must be learned afresh by every generation of Christians, or the gospel will be sidelined by assorted fads.” This work by Carson stands in the way of such fad-driven ministries, and faithfully proclaims Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

What I Liked:

As always D.A. Carson does a wonderful job of biblical exposition. He not only teaches on the Cross and Christian leadership, but he faithfully exposits the texts with which he uses. This book could be used as much as a commentary as a book on ministry. Carson is a wonderful example of expository preaching.

Also of importance is the centrality of the Cross that Carson repeatedly lifts up. One will walk away from this book with a new resolve and confidence in proclaiming Christ and Him crucified. Wonderfully woven throughout this work are ministerial gems. Carson grounds everything in the Word and then applies it faithfully; with warnings and encouragements.

What I Disliked:

A better word than dislike would probably be disappointed. My only disapproval of the book is that it is not long enough. Carson has a wealth of insight on the Cross and Christian ministry; I was saddened after each chapter, as well as at the end of the book, that Carson did not share the depth of his insight with us. Nonetheless, it is a must have to any Christian library.
Should You Buy It?

I would most certainly buy a copy of this magazine. It would be especially effective for any young minister or newly appointed Sunday School teacher. A church could easily benefit by having its ministers go through a small group study with this book as its core. Also, I would be remiss if I did not encourage the reader (especially pastors) to pick up a copy of Arturo Azurdia’s Spirit Empowered Preaching as well as Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Today in Blogworld 2/1

Welcome to February. I am beginning to think that many bloggers are snowed in today; we are having quite an active Friday.

Steve Camp has a well put-together post on Discerning whether or not you are in Christ. He provides quotes from Flavel, Whitefield, and the little known Matthew Mead. Really good stuff here. Also you can view his first post in this series on discernment, here.

Alvin Reid, whom we used his book for Intro to Evangelism in college, has a wonderful discussion on The Great Commission in the Home. Recently in my conversation with David Michael (Pastor for Parenting and Family Discipleship at Bethlehem in Minneapolis) he mentioned something similar. For some reason we forget that the home can be a strategic center for missions and obedience to the Great Commission. I look for a resurgence in this in the coming days. Reid offers an interesting challenge to pastors: "Ask your congregation how many grew up in a Christian home? Then ask how many of those who raised their hands can recall their parents leading a discussion ever about reaching your neighbors. Then, ask how many remember the family ever doing anything specifically to get the gospel to their neighbors."

Timmy Brister closes up our discussion on The Bruised Reed. The last post is an open thread (which if you are involved in the challenge be sure to post on to be eligible for the prizes--I'm pulling for #7). Timmy also offers a summary of all the posts on Sibbes. He concludes his discussion by pointing out the mercy exhibited by Sibbes as well as the fact that he was a 17th Century Christian Hedonist.

Scott Lamb posts a transcript of Jimmy Carter's speech(?) at the New Baptist Covenant Celebration.

J.D. Hatfield has a phenomenal post on The Heart of the Matter. It is a very phenomenal articulation of the balance between being a jerk in our proclamation of the truth and neutering the gospel for the sake of being nice. Excellent job, J.D.! (Will: Make sure to read this one!)

I am overjoyed that C.J. Mahaney has joined the blogosphere. He gets it going with a great lists of Cross-Centered books. After reading this I need to update my wishlist with a couple of these books. He also offers a lists of helpful books on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.

Scott Lee asks, "Is Church Membership Divisive?"

Thabiti has written a wonderful article on The Gospel and Bitterness, at NA. I absolutely love Thabiti's heart (from what I've seen) and his ministry! Thanks, dear brother!

Christian Star...A Contradiction in Terms

"This is a point that our generation cannot afford to ignore. Why is it that we constantly parade Christian athletes, media personalities, and pop singers? Why should we think that their opinions or their experiences of grace are of any more significance than those of any other believer? When we tell outsiders about people in our church, do we instantly think of the despised and the lowly who have become Christians, or do we love to impress people with the importance of the men and women who have become Christians?"
D.A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry, p.29

Amen! I fear that those of us in the "Reformed Camp" can gravitate towards the same thing. Some follow Piper, some follow Sproul, some follow Carson, some follow Christ...(By no means is this anything against Piper, Sproul, or Carson). We must be careful not to make "stars" out of our heroes of the faith. Remember that their light is borrowed. Let us magnify the grace of God in the life of a high school janitor as much as we do in the life of our first baseman. Let us boast in the Cross through the lives of the clean-up crew as much as the keynote speaker.
UPDATE: Also, I want to point out what I mean by the title. I am not saying that one cannot be a "star" and a Christian at the same time. What I am saying, and believe Carson is saying, is that at the point in which the "stardom" is the attracting power it fails to be Christian.

Borrowed Light: Today in Blogworld 01/12

Ray Ortlund Jr. reminds us that The Cross is the Attraction. He offers us a 7 question sample of Dohnavur's missionary tests. He then sums it up with an excellent quote by Amy Carmichael: "Do not come unless you can say to your Lord and to us, The Cross is the attraction."

I'm not sure to hat tip here, Chris Gensheer found this quote on Ortlund's blog. (So, HT: Gensheer and Ortlund) An excellent, heart-wrenching, convicting, repentance drawing quote by A.W. Tozer: “Pseudo faith always arranges a way out to serve in case God fails it. Real faith knows only one way and gladly allows itself to be stripped of any second way or makeshift substitutes. For true faith, it is either God or total collapse. And not since Adam first stood up on the earth has God failed a single man or woman who trusted him.”

Challies continues posting on Inerrancy. Today he asks, "What Does Inerrancy Mean?"