Author: Josh King

Tolle Lege: Finally Alive

I cannot too strongly celebrate the publication of this book. Owing in part to several decades of dispute over justification and how a person is set right with God, we have tended to neglect another component of conversion no less important. Conversion under the terms of the new covenant is more than a matter of position and status in Christ, though never less: it includes miraculous Spirit-given transformation, something immeasurably beyond mere human resolution. It is new birth; it makes us new creatures; it demonstrates that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. All the creedal orthodoxy in the world cannot replace it. The reason why “You must be born again” is so important is that you must be born again.   – D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

When I was a boy my grandmother asked me, ‘Have you been born again?’ Though I didn’t understand what she meant at the time, that question led to my conversion to Christ. In this wonderful book, Pastor John Piper rescues the term ‘born again’ from the abuse and overuse to which it is subject in our culture today. This is a fresh presentation of the evangelical doctrine of the new birth, a work filled with theological insight and pastoral wisdom.   – Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

Regeneration, or new birth, meaning simply the new you through, with, in, and under Christ, is a largely neglected theme today, but this fine set of sermons, criss-crossing the New Testament data with great precision, goes far to fill the gap. Highly recommended.   – J .I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada

I read the endorsements and reviews, I was skeptical.  Not that I wouldn’t enjoy a new John Piper book, but is it that good?  Yes. Piper’s powerful exposition of Biblical texts dealing with the new birth left me with an alloy of joy and awe that exclaimed, “What hath God wrought?”  I will defiantly read this book again; I need to read this book again.  That is always a good test for a book; upon putting it down, do I wish to take it up again?  This doctrine is precious, may I grow in my realization of how precious it is every day.  This book is a tool towards that end.

I want to say loud and clear that when the Barna Group uses the term born again to describe American church-goers whose lives are indistinguishable from the world, and who sin as much as the world, and sacrifice for others as little as the world, and embrace injustice as readily as the world, and covet things as greedily as the world, and enjoy God-ignoring entertainment as enthusiastically as the world—when the term born again is used to describe these professing Christians, the Barna Group is making a  profound mistake. It is using the biblical term born again in a way that would make it unrecognizable by Jesus and the biblical writers….

The Bible is profoundly aware of such people in the church. That is one reason why 1 John was written. But instead of following the Barna Group, the Bible says that the research is not finding that born again people are permeated with worldliness; the research is finding that the church is permeated by people who are not born again.

The Doctor: Gospel Responsibility

I say, therefore, that every time you and I hear the gospel our responsibility is increased.  The more we have heard the gospel the clearer our understanding of it, the greater is our responsibility.  The more we have grown in grace and advanced in the knowledge of the Lord, again the greater is our responsibility…  – D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, Romans Vol. 2, p. 109

Hebrews 11:23-28 & Moses vs. Ray Romano

I watch reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond occasionally, I laugh, but recently in the midst of the laughter I am disturbed, and I am glad that I am disturbed.  Ray makes me laugh, but he also makes me angry.  He is typical of most TV sitcom husbands, and unfortunately I think reality is not far from fiction.  Ray is spineless, he never leads, he always reacts; never do you see him courageously take the reins.  He is not led by principle nor love, but selfishness; he wants everyone to like him.  He never confronts because people’s perception of him is more important to him than truth and real love.  He never spends anytime with his children and acts like he is being tortured when he has to do so.  On the opposite side of the spectrum is rude Frank who could care less about what you think about him.  Here is the crazy thing though; they are both driven by selfishness.  Ray wants everyone to like him; Frank wants things done his way.

Men of faith look very different.  Moses was both a courageous leader and meek.  He would confront the people and also mediate for them.  The men of this chapter (and a couple of ladies) are heroes and the unifying characteristic is faith.  Ray may make me laugh, but he is no hero.  Here is my advice to any men who may be reading this post:

1)      Turn off the TV

2)      Pick up your Bible and get to know its characters better than you do Jack Bauer, Steve Nash, or Peyton Manning.

3)      Read Christian biography.

4)      Point other men (especially your sons) towards these men who shine as stars in a vast sea of darkness.

Too many men today have no clue what it looks like to be a man of faith.  And their sons won’t either if they won’t be one for them and point them too others.  Point out awesome displays of faith more than awesome tackles.  Get a man-crush on Moses and George Whitefield.   Get to know men of faith both Biblical and historical and imitate their faith.

Here are a few suggestions as to where to get started:

The Doctor: What Is the Chief End of Preaching?

What is the chief end of preaching?  I like to think it is this.  It is to give men and women a sense of God and His presence.  As I have said already, during this last year I have been ill, and so have had the opportunity and the privilege of listening to others instead of preaching myself.  As I have listened in physical weakness this is the thing I have looked for and longed for and desired. I can forgive a man for a bad sermon, I can forgive the preacher almost anything if he gives me a sense of God, if he gives me something for my soul, if he gives me the sense that, though he is inadequate himself, he is handling something which is very great and very glorious, if he gives me some dim glimpse of the majesty and the glory of God, the love of Christ my Saviour, and the magnificence of the Gospel. If he does that I am his debtor, and I am profoundly grateful to him.  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, pp. 97-98

Hebrews 11:8-22 & The Opposite Way

Ever find yourself in the midst of a group with interest totally alien to your own?  They talk different, the lingo and terminology is odd.  Perhaps you are a jock thrown into the midst of a bunch of Dungeons and Dragons geeks.  Or perhaps you are the nerd thrown into talk concerning the latest playoff.  Sometimes the subject matter is so foreign to your little world that you think them bizarre, odd, weird.

As Christians we are that odd little group in the cafeteria that no one wants to sit next too.  We are an alien culture, going against the grain of this world.  This world is indeed heading to hell, and we are on an opposite trajectory towards heaven.   We are pilgrims, homeward bound.  We are not a sub-culture, doing the same things just in our own “clean” way.  We are light and salt in a world full of darkness and rot.  Don’t buy the sub-culture myth that is really the same darkness and rot underneath a linen garment; unlike Lazarus it is indeed dead and stinketh.

We live as strangers and exiles (v.13), we talk different (v. 14), we pass on the Twinkies and Ho-Hos of sin for the promises of homemade apple pie and ice-cream.  We can smell it, we can hear it, by faith; and thus we behave so wildly for He who has called us His beloved.  We do not settle for lovers less wild and the artificial flavors of their enticements.  We pass on lies for promises of substance.  We long for unfading glory, we wish to draw near to God, to please Him, to know He is not ashamed to be called our God (v. 16).

We seek an inheritance incorruptible.  Right now I am reading perhaps the most massive work ever written on spiritual warefare, Puritan William Gurnall’s The Christian in Complete Armour (1189 pages in the Banner of Truth addition, double column, approximately 10pt. font!).  It is an exposition of Ephesians 5:10-20.  It was originally released in three volumes, the second being dedicated to Thomas Darcy, Esq. and Sisilia Darcy, who were apparently well off.  To them he advises, “Value yourselves by your inheritance in the other world, and not by your honour and riches in this.”

This is weird, this is opposite, it is worth it.

Opposite Way by Leeland

Living in the same town

For all these years

Doing the same old things

Hanging with the same crowd

And it’s starting to get crippling

You’ve never felt in place

And you tell yourself it’s all okay

But something’s different today

You want to run the opposite way

And it seems like you’re locked in a cage

And you need to find a way of escape

When everyone is setting the pace

It’s okay to run the opposite way

The Father sent His Son down

The light of men

The cross He bore was crippling

Rejected in His own town

They couldn’t see the sun shining

He knelt in the garden and prayed

Father, let this cup pass from me

It’s not Your will for me to stay

Your will for me is the opposite way

And it seemed like He was locked in a cage

And He couldn’t find away of escape

But through the cross He conquered the grave

My Jesus ran the opposite way

Oh, and through the cross He conquered the grave

Oh, He ran the opposite way

Yeah, through the cross He conquered the grave

So you could run the opposite way

The Doctor: What You Don’t Like Says Nothing About That Which You Don’t Like

You see, any man who thinks that he can examine God, and having done so, dismiss Him, is just saying that he is a fool.  May I put that to you in the form of an illustration.  You will hear people, saying, sometimes, that they just see nothing in Beethoven’s music, but they think jazz is marvelous.  Now in saying that, they tell me nothing about Beethoven, but they do tell me a great deal about themselves!  They do not realize it of course; they think they are being clever.  But they are really just telling us all about themselves from the standpoint of a knowledge of music. – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans Vol. 1, p. 388

Hebrews 11:4-7 & Abraham Lincoln vs. Michael Phelps

Today is Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday.  He is a hero.

I want to rebuke any mothers who were upset that Michael Phelps was smoking hash because he was a role model for their children (I don’t know any such moms, I doubt any such moms read my blog, but nonetheless…).  I too watched the greatness that is Phelps sweep up multiple medals with ease.  I admired him in a way.  But as far as a moral role model – why would I ever want to encourage my children to pattern their behavior after him?  If my child’s lighting up a doobie is contingent upon Michael Phelps I have parenting issues.  Point them to a real hero.  Be one yourself and point them towards someone like Lincoln.

President Lincoln is a hero, but his greatness is mixed with sin.  His glory was the cause he pushed, his shame that he didn’t push it far enough.  As John Piper wrote in a post which inspired this bit, his feet are clay.  Perhaps my favorite Latin phrase of Luther’s is “simil justus et peccator.”

simil = (think simultaneous) at the same time

justus = just

et = and

peccator = sinner

All of my heroes are “simil justus et peccator.”  This is encouraging, not disheartening.  And it is God glorifying.  The greatest of my heroes only stands just before God because of the alien righteousness of Jesus Christ.  The things that are truly admirable about my heroes are reflections of Christ, and all their grave sins serve to point me beyond them to the greatness of Christ as well. 

Jesus is the curve breaker; all other heroes are graded in relation to Him.

Tolle Lege: The Gospel and Personal Evangelism

Clear, concise, and convicting – that’s a great way to describe Mark Dever’s teaching on evangelism in this little book.  Nothing astounding here, just good teaching on a good subject, a subject too often ignored in both teaching and practice.  Dever answers seven questions in seven short chapters:  Why don’t we evangelize?  What is the gospel?  Who should evangelize?  How should we evangelize?  What isn’t evangelism?  What should we do after we evangelize? And why should we evangelize?  This book is defiantly worth the hour or two to read.

So that’s the balance we want to see – honesty, urgency, and joy.  Honesty and urgency with no joy gives us a grim determination (read Philippians).  Honest y and joy with no urgency gives us a carelessness about time (read 2 Peter).  And urgency and joy with no honesty leads us into distorted claims about the immediate benefits of the gospel (Read 1 Peter).

Clarity with the claims of Christ will certainly include the translation of the gospel into words that our hearer understands, but it doesn’t necessarily mean translating it into words that our hearers will like.  Too often, advocates of relevant evangelism verge over into being advocates r irrelevant non-evangelism.  A gospel that in no way offends the sinner has not been understood.

The Doctor: The Opposite of Works =?

There are some people who seem to regard faith as the opposite of works.  Now that, in itself, is not right, because the opposite of works is not faith.  The opposite of works is the righteousness of God.  That is what the Apostle is contrasting – men who try to save themselves by works, and this other salvation, which is the giving to us of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  …So you see, the opposite of works is not faith.  No! it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is the opposite of works, and it is righteousness which comes to us through faith.  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans Vol. 1, p. 311

Hebrews 11:1-3 & MacBook Pro

I want one, yea I even hope for one, my next computer will surely be a MacBook, but at this point it is only a hope.  After all, Tim Challies, the author of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment is now a Mac user; it must be the spiritual thing to do.  At this point I am ok, that is, I’m not obsessing.  I’m content with my Vaio, I don’t resent it, haven’t cursed it, and am not thinking of ways to “accidently” break it.  I know however that my hope could easily go haywire in two separate but related ways.

First I could constantly meditate on all the little quirks, faults, and errors my Vaio commits.  Sometimes my function keys will control the volume and display as they should, and at sometimes they want me to assign that key a function first.  Not to worry, if you don’t like the way your PC works, put it to sleep and wake it up again, it will never perform exactly the same way twice.  PC’s are more like humans in this way.  For instance it is always an adventure to discover which icons will show their face in the lower-right notification area.  The most irritating and frequently absent member of this icon family is the volume control.  My Logos Bible Software plays an annoying little ditty (other than this ditty, I really love Logos) when I start it up every morning.  So prior to Logos initiation I mouse over to the little volume icon, but alas it has taken the day off.  So I go to press the function key with the mute symbol emblazoned on it; instead of muting it acts confused, telling me that I need to tell it what it is supposed to do.  As a result I then have to listen to the hated Logos ditty; it is not going to be a very spiritual day.

Or I could simply meditate on the bliss that a MacBook Pro would bring.  I could research it, finding out that it was made out of a single piece of aluminum, how the keyboard perfectly cut for the keys and illuminated, and that the mouse pad has no buttons, instinctively discerning the way you use your fingers as certain commands.  But I wouldn’t do such research now, it is best not to awaken love until it pleases (Song of Songs 2:7; 3:5; 8:4), right?

If I were assured of a MacBook it would heighten my anticipation and excitement.  Inversely I am sure I would grow more dissatisfied with my Vaio.  The weeks preceding the expected arrival would be intense.  I would be… yes, giddy!  Intolerable giddy.  It would rob my thoughts and affections.

Has Christ so arrested your heart and mind?  Do you anticipate His return all the more growing dissatisfied with Satan’s poor substitutes?  Do you fuel your faith by meditating on Him?  Do you live as a giddy fool, expecting your great reward?  This world does not function.  Renewed, perfectly designed bliss is awaiting me.  I will not invest in software or peripherals to maximize my Vaio when a MacBook is expected.