If You Are Willing to Escape...

While doing some study to assist a friend, I came across this jewel from Richard Baxter's A Christian Directory published some years ago by Soli Deo Gloria. In his helpful section on Practical directions against tippling and drunkenness (pp. 328-330), Baxter wrote:

If you are willing to escape, run not into the snare.

The principles Baxter lays out in dealing with these similar sins can be used to battle any temptation one may be currently facing. This is similar advice to: "If you want to avoid the fruits of sin, don't hang around the orchard."

Thank God for the people who are re-publishing resources like these.

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Perhaps you haven't seen this ad yet. I'm interested in your thoughts.

Why The Enemy Seems Victorious

Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) wrote a helpful book called The Bruised Reed, published by the good folks at The Banner of Truth Trust. I've been at this book for quite some time, even though it is a relatively short book (128 pages). Sibbes' value, in part, is that he writes in such a way to cause you to lay the book aside and seriously ponder what he has written. So much of what passes for Christian literature simply makes you want to put the book aside because it contains nothing to ponder.

Sibbes wrote a four-fold response to the objection: why does the enemy seems victorious? His answer (pp. 94-95) is this:

1. To understand this, we should remember, firstly, that God's children usually, in their troubles, overcome by suffering. Here lambs overcome lions, and doves eagles, by suffering, that herein they may be conformable to Christ, who conquered most when he suffered most....
2. Secondly, this victory is by degrees, and therefore they are too hasty-spirited that would conquer as soon as they strike the first stroke, and be at the end of their race at the first setting forth....
3. Thirdly, God often works by contraries: when he means to give victory, he will allow us to be foiled at first; when he means to comfort, he will terrify first; when he means to justify, he will condemn us first; when he means to make us glorious, he will abase us first
4. Fourthly, Christ's work, both in the church and in the hearts of Christians, often goes backward so that it may go forward better. As seed rots in the ground in the winter time, but after comes up getter, and the harder the winter the more flourishing the spring, so we learn to stand by falls, and get strength by weakness discovered--virtutis custos infirmitas (weakness is the keeper of virtue).

Thank God for using men like Richard Sibbes and The Banner of Truth Trust to provide such helpful material for us.

Truth is Truth, and Error, Error

The title of this post comes as part of a quote from Richard Sibbes' The Bruised Reed. On page 84 of The Banner of Truth Trust Puritan Paperbacks edition, we read Sibbes' comment:

Truth is truth, and error, error, and that which is unlawful is unlawful, whether men think so or not. God has put an eternal difference between light and darkness, good and ill, which no creature's conceit can alter; and therefore no man's judgment is the measure of things further than it agrees to truth stamped upon things themselves by God.

Wise words for the "whatever" culture we live in today.

Shame Ourselves for Our View of God and Our Sin

It was the English Puritan pastor Thomas Manton (1620-1677) who wrote in his commentary on James (The Crossway Classic Commentaries):

Every sin is an affront to God's sovereignty, as if his will were not reason enough, and to his wisdom, as if he did not know what was good for men. When your hearts balk at any duty, shame yourselves with these considerations. This is a trial of sincerity; duty is well done when it is done with a mere sight of God's will. (p. 136, emphasis added)

Reactive Holiness

J. A. Motyer, in The Message of James (IVP, 1985), wrote something similar to what I have said elsewhere regarding the problem of separation/holiness within Fundamentalism.  On pp. 14-15 he writes:

Those who can look back through thirty or forty years of Christian experience will recall that teaching about separation from the world used to be far more prominent then than it is today.  Those who became Christians at any point up to the mid-1940's were carefully (and with loving intent) made aware by their seniors what was proper for a Christian not to do, where not to go, how not to dress.  We must not doubt the serious and pure intention which lay behind this teaching, nor mock what was so plainly meant for our good; yet we were fundamentally misled.  We were drilled in a reactive holiness: whatever happened to be the current fashion in the 'world' (i.e. society outside the Christian fellowship) must be contradicted by the Christian.  We were called simply to react against surrounding social norms.

As we look around us today, however, the abandonment of the old reactive separation from the world has led to a forgetfulness of the concept of separation, and for very many Christians what goes in the world goes in the church.  If everyone does it, why should not the Christian?  We need to discover and live by positive Christian standards--not reacting against the world around us, but responding obediently to the Word of God within the world around us.

I find this observation helpful.  I hope you do as well.

Biblical Counseling Resources

If you are interested in practicing Biblical counseling, you may want to consider the following web sites. These ministries will provide you with a good overview of available Biblical counseling or discipleship resources. They are listed in no particular order of importance.

1. International Association of Biblical Counselors (IABC)
   
2. The Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship (IBC&D)
3. National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC)
4. Return to the Word (Ed Bulkley)
   
5. Institute for Nouthetic Studies (Jay Adams)
   
6. Strengthening Ministries International (Wayne Mack)
7. Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF)
8. Faith Biblical Counseling (Steve Viars)
   

I am pleased to see this number of solid resources that have developed over the past 20-30 years. When I began pastoral ministry and the associated counseling/discipleship matters that came with it, there were very few resources available.

Thoughts from Girardeau on Calvinism and Arminianism

A few weeks back I came across a copy of John Girardeau's book "Calvinism and Evangelical Arminianism" reprinted by the good folks at Sprinkle Publications. I was previously unfamiliar with this author, so I approached this work cautiously. I read in the "Preface to the New Edition" that one of the Hodges considered this book to be "the most convincing argument for Calvinism to be seen anywhere." (p. 1). That almost sounds like, "I dare you to read this book and prove me wrong." So far I would say it has been helpful.

I find here that John L. Girardeau lived 1825-1898. He was a Southern Presbyterian, who was a student of J. H. Thornwell (1812-1862) and a friend of Robert L. Dabney (1820-1898).

At the conclusion on the first section ("Doctrine of Election Stated and Proved"), the author lists four consequences that logically result from the Arminian position. (pp. 151-160)

1. "... the principle upon which, in the application of redemption, the sinner is saved, is not grace, but the energy of the human will."
2. "...in the matter of the application of salvation man is made sovereign and God dependent."
3. "...the glory of salvation, as a whole, is divided between God and man."
4. "...the tendency is inevitable to a semi-Pelagian subversion of the gospel scheme."

Wherever you may stand on this particular theological issue, one cannot ignore the significance of point # 3. Who gets the glory? Who deserves the glory?

Ironic Humor

If you have read Joseph Addison Alexander's helpful commentary on Isaiah published by Zondervan, you will perhaps notice in Merrill Unger's introduction to the 1953 edition that it was Mr. Alexander (1809-1860) who did much to bring German theological learning to America. Thus, it is ironically humorous when Alexander, professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, writes concerning Isaiah 29:10 on page 465, "This amendment [by Heinrich Ewald] of [Wilhelm] Gesenius' amendment has the good effect of making both ridiculous, and shewing that the common text, with all its difficulties, is best entitled to respect and confidence."

I find it curious that Alexander introduced these "scholars" to America and identifies their comments as ridiculous.  Considering the eventual demise of Princeton, perhaps introducing these characters was not the wisest approach to education. Oh how vigilant we must be in our quest for learning to be wary of error in all its forms.  A little error tolerated by a teacher will too often lead to total capituation by his students.

Church Discipline Resources

Church discipline is a topic we don't hear much about in our "tolerant" culture.  We don't tolerate discipline of any kind in America any more.  We are physically and fiscally undisciplined.  We are mentally and educationally undisciplined.  But worst of all we are spiritually and ecclesiastically undisciplined.

Church discipline appears to have been a defining characteristic of a "true church" during and immediately following the Reformation. Yet as we grew more "enlightened", we cast off those restraints. American church culture has only gotten worse as time has progressed.  Mention church discipline to some people and they nearly explode with intolerance.

So what helps are available to those who seek to restore purity and holiness to the ekklesia they attend?  Years ago I found Jay Adams' "Handbook of Church Discipline", which has been helpful, though it essentially limits all ecclesiastical discipline to Matthew 18:15ff. I would now disagree with that premise. Adams does, however, demonstrate that corrective ecclesiastical discipline comes only after preventative and personal spiritual discipline have failed. The consistent teaching of the Word and nuturing discipleship are preventatives. The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control (Galatians 5:23).

Another helpful, though much smaller, resource is "Restoring Those Who Fall--A Church Disicpline Statement" by Jim Elliff and Daryl Wingerd. It is a policy statement that a church could adopt for its own use.  Firm graciousness seems to be the best way to describe this booklet.

The most helpful resource I have found is the compilation of historical Baptist documents by Mark Dever called "Polity". You will find nearly 200 years worth of reprints that will guide you in making wise decisions in this area of church life.

Dismissing the Scriptures While Reading Christian Books

Ever find yourself reading a Christian book, let's say it is something by John Owen, and you come across one of the numerous Bible references he includes (or perhaps the actual verse is included in the text).  What do you do with the reference or the Biblical text itself?  Do you find yourself saying, "Oh, I know that verse", and then skip over it to the next words by Owen?

Too often we dismiss the Scriptures while reading Christian books. Perhaps we excuse ourselves because we are too busy to read ALL those references.  Or the excuse is simply our alleged familiarity with the text.

Could it be that we at times treasure the words of men as more important than the words of God? What do our reading habits reveal about our view of God and His Word?

Staggering Stats

Read the stats in this post by Tom Ascol. (I haven't read Baucham's book yet, but I intend to. It seems to be similar to my own thoughts regarding the marriages of our children.) My observation of many churches is that what he is claiming about young men leaving by the age of 20 seems close. Have you found evidence of these statistical claims in your own ekklesia? Our average attendance adult female to male ratio is more like 50-50. Care to submit your own stats?

Hymnal Index

Ever noticed how pathetic the topical index can be in some songbooks/hymnals?  A topical index can tell you an awful lot regarding the focus of that songbook.  One songbook I paged through had no specific topical heading for "God".  That particular songbook was not so much a hymnal, but rather a songbook (at best).

One hymnal topical index I especially appreciate is the one we use here at Calvary, The Worshiping Church (published by Hope).  Don Hustad and friends are to be commended for putting together a helpful index.  We don't use everything in this book, but we find it meets our needs.

One "hymnal" topical index I do not like is that of Majesty Music's own Majesty Hymns.  We also use this book, but not as often as The Worshiping Church.  I find the selections in this book to be written too high for the average pew sitter. I will often select the same song in a different hymnal rather than attempt to sing these pieces.  People's throats often get tired from trying to sing out of a comfortable range.

By the way, have you ever noticed how few songs/hymns there are on God's wrath?  Someone needs to write something along these lines.

Congregational Musical Murmuring

Visiting a few different ecclesiastical settings over the past several months has demonstrated once again that there is a variety of music styles within what some would call conservative Christianity.  None of what I have experienced could be labeled contemporary music, from what I could tell.  All of it would be identified as conservative music.  Some of it could perhaps be labeled archaic music.

Now, I am no fan of "worship teams" that are supposedly designed to lead the congregation in singing, but the congregation simply listens instead.  Curiously, none of the settings I was in had a worship team, however.  They had a worship leader or a song leader (depending on what group I was with). Yet few, if any, in the congregations sang out.  One felt as if one was singing a solo.  Some people looked around as to why someone would actually be singing aloud (and I don't have a strong voice). Perhaps it was my poor vocal quality that offended them!

One setting was dominated by some serious organ from the back of the auditorium. Some of the others were simply accompanied by a piano. One was dominated by a piano.  One style was exceedingly slow, while one was excessively fast. But still the congregations were not singing aloud.  "Congregational musical murmuring" would be an apt description.

Why is this so?  Let me hazard a few guesses, if you will.

1. People simply don't sing any more in our culture.  We listen.  We listen to CD, or MP3, or radio, or what have you.  We are listeners during the week.  Why should Sunday be any different?
2. People simply don't know the music.  There are a lot of unusual, unsingable melodies associated with solid lyrics. Most people sitting in the pew are not music majors equipped for sight-reading.  New songs with new melodies are good, and old songs with old melodies are good.  But people seem to be melodically challenged these days. They need to be carefully equipped.
   
3. People simply don't know the lyrics.  New songs with new lyrics are good, and old songs with old lyrics are good.  But people seem to be lyrically challenged these days.  They need to be carefully equipped.
   
4. People (or some accompanists) can't/won't follow some song leaders.  Some song leaders are simply singing solos without regard for the congregation they are supposed to be leading.  Some song leaders seem to be in a race with the piano to see who gets done first.  Some song leaders seem intent on slowing down the organist or pianist.  What's with the competition? Song leaders need to be equipped as well.
   

If New Testament ecclesiastical music is designed by God for fellow believers to teach and admonish one another, then the music employed with a congregation must be singable melodically and lyrically.  Recent singing attempts of some 1600's melodies with sound theology but unsingable melodies left me frustrated.  Singing other singable melodies with shallow theology left me empty.  Enough of this congregational musical murmuring.