Needy and Honest - John Newton

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Letter from John Newton, January 27, 1778


My dear friend,

At present it is January with me, both on the inside and the outside. The outward sun shines and looks pleasant, but the beams are faint, and too feeble to dissolve the frost.

It is just the same in my heart. I have many bright and pleasant beams of truth in my mind's view, but they have but little power to warm my heart and, therefore, cold predominates in my frost-bound spirit!

I could tell a stranger something about Jesus, which would perhaps astonish him--such a glorious person is He! Such wonderful love! Such humiliation! Such a life! Such a death! I could tell of what He is in Himself, and what He is to His people! What a sun! What a shield! What a fortress! What a friend! My tongue can run on upon these themes sometimes; and could my heart keep pace with it, I would be the happiest fellow in the country! Stupid creature! to know these things so well and yet be no more affected with them!

Indeed, I have reason to be upon ill terms with myself! It is strange that pride should ever find anything in my experience to feed upon, but this completes my character for folly, vileness and inconsistency, that I am not only vile, but proud! And though I am convinced I am a very wretch and am nothing before the Lord, yet I am prone to go forth among my fellow-worms, as though I were wise and good!

You ask me what I am doing. I must admit that too much of my time passes in busy idleness and too much in waking dreams. I aim at something, but hindrances from within and externally make it difficult for me to accomplish anything! I dare not say that I am absolutely idle, or that I willfully waste much of my time. I have seldom one hour free from interruption-- letters come that must be answered, visitors who must be received, and business which must be attended to. I have a good many sheep and lambs to look after--sick and afflicted souls, dear to the Lord--and these must not be neglected. Among these various responsibilities, night comes before I am ready for noon!

O precious, irrecoverable time! O that I had more wisdom in redeeming and improving you!

I beg you to pray for me. I am a poor creature and full of needs. I seem to need the wisdom of Solomon, the meekness of Moses, and the zeal of Paul to enable me to fulfill my ministry.

-- John Newton

HT: Mack T

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Filled With Folly, Vanity and Vexation! - John Newton

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Filled with folly, vanity, and vexation!

(Letters of John Newton)

August 28, 1779

My dear friend,

The days speed away apace! Each one bears away its own burden with it--to return no more. Both pleasures and pains which are past--are gone forever! What is yet future will likewise, soon be past.

Our final end will shortly arrive! O to realize the thought, and to judge of things now in some measure suitable to the opinion which we shall form of them, when we are about to leave them all! Many things which now either elate or depress us--will then appear to be trifles as light as air!

Only one thing is needful--
to have our hearts united to Jesus in humble faith;
to set Him always before us;
to rejoice in Him as our Shepherd and our portion;
to submit to all His appointments, not of necessity, because He is stronger than us--but with a cheerful acquiescence, because He is wise and good, and loves us better than we do ourselves;
to feed upon His truth;
to have our understandings, wills, affections, imaginations, memory--all filled and impressed with the great mysteries of His redeeming love;
to do all for Jesus;
to receive all from Jesus;
to find all in Jesus!

I have mentioned many things, but they are all comprised in one--a life of faith in Jesus!

We are empty vessels in ourselves--but we cannot remain empty. Unless Jesus dwells in our hearts, and fills them with His power and presence--they will be filled with folly, vanity, and vexation!

HT: Grace Gems

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The Blessing and Danger of Being Light

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Scripture teaches that as children of God we are light in the world (Matt. 5:14, 2 Cor. 6:14, Eph. 5:8, Phil. 2:15, 1 Thess. 5:5). We don't create this light ourselves, rather our light finds its source in Christ (John 8:12, 12:36, 1 John 1:5).

This is a great blessing. To us it is a blessing because we are no longer stumbling around in the dark, groping aimlessly with no real purpose. We know why we've been made, or better, for whom we've been made. On top of this we are free from the crushing grip of sin. Rather than having a black sin factory at the core, with an occasional attempt at a good deed or two, we now have a new and shining heart, made in the likeness of God (Eph. 4:24), where love and purity is the rule and sin is the exception. It feels good to be clean and have a clean conscience not only in justification, but in day to day experience (Matt. 5:8, 2 Cor. 1:12). Even better still perhaps is the joy often felt of being light to others still in the dark. Just as Christ rejoiced to shine on those who sit in darkness, have not some of your most joyous moments been the times when you have the privilege to point a lost soul to the Savior's arms? What a blessing, that God would save us and flood our lives with light, and then (because he knows we are eagerly waiting for a way to honor him in return) he even lets us carry that very gospel light to others. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!

However in other respects being light is a great danger. Never forget that in our world light is hated. When the source of all light, the Lord Jesus, came into this world men ran from the light. They made excuses about the presence of the light and denied it. They hated the light in their hearts (for they hate God, and God is light - John 3:19-20), and eventually looked for a way to snuff it out. They killed the Lord of glorious light.

Does that seem irrational? Well we don't live in a rational world. Sin is irrational. Men are corrupted to the core, calling evil 'good' and good 'evil.' The point is this, if you live a life of light in this world men, demons, or a mixture of both are going to try to snuff you out too. They'll hate you just as much as they did Christ, because he lives in you, if indeed he does live in you.

So beware. You'll be a target for the enemy. Think about it, if you were an emissary of darkness wouldn't you take out the guy holding the torch leading others to righteousness? If you pick up that torch you're asking for trouble. Even if God doesn't let your enemies kill you (which still happens all the time), pain can come sorely in other ways.

"For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
They make ready their arrow upon the string
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart." - Ps. 11:2

But be a man. Steel yourself. God reigns. Follow Christ, love those still in the dark, and go anyways.

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I used to think that men wanted to be rescued. I've had to rethink that. I've heard it said that it's not as if men are drowning in the water calling out to be saved. They're drowning all right, but if you go in after them, they may just try to pull you down and drown you with them.

Carried to the Table

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One thing that Mephibosheth and I have in common:

ML-J On "Indirect Evangelism"

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"I have been saying for many years that the best method of evangelism is, to me, always the indirect approach. I am saying this in passing, but what an opportunity we have for evangelism as individuals at the present time. You do not always need to start by talking to people about their souls. Talk to them about the state of the world; talk to them about the state of society. Start there, a good way off, as it were, with a general question. And then as you handle that, you will be able to lead the conversation on to their own personal condition and the state of their own soul."

-Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Living Water, pg. 26

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He Does As He Pleases - Arthur Pink

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He does as He pleases!

(Arthur Pink, "The Sovereignty of God")

"For the Lord Almighty has purposed--and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out--and who can turn it back?" Isaiah 14:27

To say that God is sovereign, is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth--so that none can . . .
defeat His counsels,
thwart His purpose,
or resist His will.

Whatever takes place in time--is but the outworking of that which He has decreed in eternity.

The sovereignty of the God of Scripture, is . . .
absolute,
irresistible
and infinite!

We insist that God does . . .
as He pleases,
only as He pleases,
always as He pleases!

"But our God is in the heavens--He has done whatever He has pleased!" Psalm 115:3

"The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths!" Psalm 135:6

"All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: What have you done?" Daniel 4:35

HT: Grace Gems

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Ps. 113:4-5 & Jonathan Edwards

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I was reading this morning in Ps. 113, and came to verses 4 & 5:

⁴The LORD is high above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.
⁵Who is like the LORD our God,
Who is enthroned on high

I was reminded of this quote from the life of Jonathan Edwards:

"Once, as I rode out into the woods for my health, in 1737, having alighted from my horse in a retired place, as my manner commonly has been, to walk for divine contemplation and prayer, I had a view, that for me was extraordinary, of the glory of the Son of God, as Mediator between God and man, and his wonderful, great, full, pure and sweet grace and love, and meek and gentle condescension. This grace that appeared so calm and sweet, appeared also great above the heavens. The person of Christ appeared ineffably excellent, with an excellency great enough to swallow up all thought and conception -which continued, as near as I can judge, about an hour; which kept me the greater part of the time in a flood of tears, and weeping aloud. I felt an ardency of soul to be, what I know not otherwise how to express, emptied and annihilated; to lie in the dust; and to be full of Christ alone; to love him with a holy and pure love; to trust in him; to live upon him; to serve and follow him; and to be perfectly sanctified and made pure, with a divine and heavenly purity. I have several other times had views very much of the same nature, and which have had the same effects."

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Amy Carmichael on Speech

“These three sieves will help to keep some words from being spoken that would grieve the Spirit of love and hurt someone whom our Lord loves. Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?” - Amy Carmichael

John Newton On Greatness In The Kingdom

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"One man, like Mr. Whitefield, is raised up to preach the gospel with success through a considerable part of the earth. Another is called to the humbler service of sweeping the streets, or cleaning this great minister's shoes. Now, if the latter is thankful and content in his poor station,--if he can look without envy, yea, with much love on the man that is honoured,--if he can rejoice in the good that is done, or pray for the success of those whom the Lord sends,--I see not why he may not be as great a man in the sight of God as he who is followed and admired by thousands."

"Upon a supposition of degrees of glory, I should think it probable, the best Christian will have the highest place; and I am inclined to think that if you and I were to travel in search of the best Christian in the land, or were qualified to distinguish who deserved the title, it is more than two to one we should not find the person in a pulpit, or any public office of life. Perhaps some old woman at her wheel, or some bed-rid person, hid from the knowledge of the world, in a mud-walled cottage, would strike our attention more than any of the doctors or reverends with whom we are acquainted."

"Let us not measure men, much less ourselves, by gifts or services. One grain of grace is worth abundance of gifts. To be self-abased, to be filled with a spirit of love, and peace, and gentleness; to be dead to the world; to have the heart deeply affected with a sense of the glory and grace of Jesus, to have our will bowed to the will of God; these are the great things, more valuable, if compared in the balance of the sanctuary, than to be an instrument of converting a province or a nation."

-John Newton, The Letters of John Newton, 168-9

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The Comforter and the Comfort - C. H. Spurgeon

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The Holy Spirit is the Comforter--but Jesus is the Comfort!

(Charles Spurgeon)

"The Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit." John 14:26

This age is especially the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, in which Jesus cheers us, not by His personal presence, as He shall do in glory--but by the indwelling and constant abiding of the Holy Spirit, who is evermore the Comforter of His people. It is His office to console the hearts of God's people. He convinces of sin; He illuminates and instructs--but still the main part of His work lies . . .
in comforting the hearts of the renewed,
in confirming the weak, and
lifting up all those who are bowed down.

He does this--by revealing Jesus to them! The Holy Spirit consoles--but Christ is the consolation. If we may use the figure, the Holy Spirit is the Physician--but Jesus is the medicine. The Holy Spirit heals the wound--but it is by applying the holy ointment of Christ's grace. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter--but Jesus is the Comfort!

Now, with such rich provision for his need, why should the Christian be sad and desponding? The Holy Spirit has graciously engaged to be your Comforter. Do you imagine, O weak and trembling believer, that He will be negligent of His sacred trust? Can you suppose that He has undertaken what He cannot or will not perform? If it is His special work to strengthen you, and to comfort you--do you suppose He has forgotten His business, or that He will fail in the loving office which He sustains towards you? No! Do not think so harshly of the tender and blessed Spirit, whose name is "the Comforter." He delights to give beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Trust in Him, and He will surely comfort you--until the house of mourning is closed forever--and the marriage feast has begun!

HT: Grace Gems

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A New Creation - A. W. Pink

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It is radical, revolutionary, lasting!

(Arthur Pink, "The Sovereignty of God")

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

In the new birth, God exerts a quickening influence or power upon His own elect. Regeneration is very, very much more than simply shedding a few tears because of some temporary remorse over sin. It is far more than changing our course of life, the leaving off of bad habits and the substituting of good ones. It is something different from the mere cherishing and practicing of noble ideals. It goes infinitely deeper than coming forward to take some popular evangelist by the hand, signing a pledge-card, or "joining the church." The new birth is no mere turning over a new leaf--but is the inception and reception of a new life! It is no mere reformation, but a radical transformation. In short, the new birth is a miracle--the result of the supernatural operation of God. It is radical, revolutionary, lasting!

In the new birth:

God lays hold of one who is spiritually dead--and quickens him into newness of life!

God takes up one who was shaped in iniquity and conceived in sin--and conforms him to the image of His Son!

God seizes a drudge of the Devil--and makes him a member of His holy family!

God picks up a destitute beggar--and makes him joint-heir with Christ!

God comes to one who is full of enmity against Him--and gives him a new heart that is full of love for Him!

God stoops to one who by nature is a rebel--and works in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure!

By His irresistible power, God transforms . . .
a sinner--into a saint;
an enemy--into His friend,
a drudge of the Devil--into His beloved child!

HT: Grace Gems

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Christ's "Active" and "Passive" Obedience - Justin Taylor

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Justin Taylor has published two helpful posts in the past few days dealing with the issue of Christ's "active" and "passive" obedience, and how these relate to the Christian's justification:

On the Distinction between Christ's "Passive" and "Active" Obedience

Active and Passive Obedience: One Additional Thought

This discussion isn't for everyone, but if you've ever thought about this area of theology before, then I trust these posts will be helpful. Plus, he posts a lengthy quote from John Murray so, if nothing else, read it for that! ;-)

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Doctrines of Grace Outlines - Randy Seiver

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Randy Seiver has been a tremendous help to me over the years with his books and articles dealing with the subject of New Covenant Theology. Today I found another article he wrote on the Doctrines of Grace that looks to be very helpful:

Doctrines of Grace Outlines by Randy Seiver

I especially appreciate his inclusion of so many Scripture references, as well as study questions. This looks like something that would be excellent to give to someone who is studying the sovereignty of God in salvation for the first time, or someone who is in need of a good refresher.

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Systems of Works-Righteousness - Tim Keller

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“At the root of all our disobedience are particular ways in which we continue to seek control of our lives through systems of works-righteousness. The way to progress as a Christian is to continually repent and uproot these systems the same way we become Christians, namely by the vivid depiction (and re-depiction) of Christ’s saving work for us, and the abandoning of self-trusting efforts to complete ourselves. We must go back again and again to the gospel of Christ-crucified, so that our hearts are more deeply gripped by the reality of what he did and who we are in him.”

- Timothy Keller, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2003), 61.

HT: Of First Importance

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All That Believe Are Justified - C. H. Spurgeon

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“All that believe are justified.”

Acts 13:39

THE believer in Christ receives a present justification. Faith does not produce this fruit by and by, but now. So far as justification is the result of faith, it is given to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ, and accepts Him as its all in all. Are they who stand before the throne of God justified now?—so are we, as truly and as clearly justified as they who walk in white and sing melodious praises to celestial harps. The thief upon the cross was justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul the aged, after years of service, was not more justified than was the thief with no service at all. We are to-day accepted in the Beloved, to-day absolved from sin, to-day acquitted at the bar of God. O, soul-transporting thought! There are some clusters of Eshcol’s vine which we shall not be able to gather till we enter heaven; but this is a bough which runneth over the wall. This is not as the corn of the land, which we can never eat till we cross the Jordan; but this is part of the manna in the wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with which God supplies us in our journeying to and fro. We are now—even now pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of his people. Who dareth to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus.

C. H. Spurgeon

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Statements of Faith

We Believe…

- the entire Bible is inspired by God, without error and the authority on which we base our faith, conduct and doctrine.
- in one God who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to this earth as Savior of the world.
- Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins. We believe that salvation is found by placing our faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. We believe Jesus rose from the dead and is coming again.
- water baptism is a symbol of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ and a testimony to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- in the regular taking of Communion as an act of remembering what the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross.
- every believer should be in a growing relationship with Jesus by obeying God’s Word, yielding to the Holy Spirit and by being conformed to the image of Christ.
- as children of God, we are overcomers and more than conquerors and God intends for each of us to experience the abundant life He has in store for us.

Sounds fairly good, huh? Beware! Show me a man's life, and I will show you his creed. And don't think people in Reformed circles are beyond such discontinuity between their creed and their life! Did you notice the picture in the above link - he likes old books too!

Justification & Imputed Righteousness - R. C. Sproul

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HT: JT

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Guidelines for Witnessing from Paul Washer

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Should Preachers Be Paid? - Mack Tomlinson

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Should Preachers be Paid?

The following question came to me this week from a dear brother regarding the financial support of a pastor:

"Mack-- I have a quick question- Have you heard of a book called "Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola and George Barna? I an email from a person in our church regarding this, and I have never heard of this book or the authors. I shared the Scriptures in 1 Cor 9 and 1 Tim about pastors/elders being supported by the church, and how it is biblical. Just curious if you have heard of this book or the authors? A person I know is reading this book and it is scaring me. The book states that churches shouldn't meet in buildings and that pastors shouldn't be paid because all the tithes should go toward the poor, widows, orphans, etc. So now someone I know says they are going to a house church with a couple who read this book because they want an "organic church." The book repeatedly refers to Paul as the model pastor who refused money for his preaching. But according to the negative reviews of the book, the only verses cited in the book are those which support the authors' viewpoint."

My reply

Dear brother,

These men, Mr. Viola and Mr. Barna, do not know the Bible well enough or they would not espouse such a view, much less, write a book that states such a position. It is a radically extreme tangent steming from Emergent theology which they are teaching that is not the position of the New Testament. To put it simply, they are wrong about this.

Viola and Barna cite the apostle Paul's refusal of any financial support in 1 Corinthians 9 as their proof text to say categorically that no pastors or ministers ought to be financially supported.

Let's think about the issue more fully. Paul, as a pioneering apostle, preached the gospel and was establishing churches in areas where the gospel had never been preached; thus he made a free choice to not receive any support directly from the places where he was laboring, NOT as a permanent pastoring elder, but as a missionary who would be moving on after the church was established. He did this directly for the purpose that no one in such a context could ever say that he came there to preach with wrong motives for money.

But If one takes the time to include all the verses that address the issue, they have to include not only 1 Cor. 9:7-14, but also Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:7, and 1 Tim. 5:17-18, all of which directly teach the financial support of preachers, evangelists, or pastoring elders.

This is not an unclear or complicated issue. You have to be either biblical ignorant or dishonest with what Scripture actually says on this point to deny the clear teaching of the New Testament that the financial support of ministers is a God-ordained principle of truth. Men who are called of God have the freedom to decline support and they often do, for various reasons. But any biblical church does not have the freedom to withhold the support or to view it as being wrong or questionable. God has given commandment that it ought to be provided.

Let's look at what both Paul and Jesus say about this issue of the support of gospel ministers.

In 1 Cor. 9:7-14, Paul clearly teaches that ministers are to be supported; the context without question is the gospel ministry and the physical, financial support that ought to come to those who labor in it. Far from arguing against the support of preachers, Paul is arguing FOR it.

In vs. 7, he uses three illustrations, all which are chosen to affirm support of preachers by churches:

1) "Do soldiers go to war or give service at their own expense?"-- obvious implication- NO

2) "Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of the fruit?"-- obvious answer- NO ONE

3) "Who feeds a flock and does not drink some of the milk of the flock?" -- obvious answer- NO ONE

The three illustrations all are given to confirm a universal truth-- those who labor at something are to be rewarded with provision directly because of that labor and in proportion to that labor.

Then in vss. 8-10, Paul affirms that this is not just his opinion, when he says, "Am I saying these things just as a man? Or does not the law say the same thing? for it is written in the law of Moses, 'You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn' (Deut. 25:4); does God take care of oxen? Or, says He it altogether for our sakes? for our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he that plows should plow in hope and he that threshes in hope should partake of his hope." Thus Paul affirms, without question, that this is not just his opinion but rather is God's ordinance.

Paul then applies this to the Old Testament priests, which he refers to in vs. 13: "Do you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?"

Then the finishing statement is beyond question in verse 14, which verse has only thus far been illustrated by Paul, but now he says it openly and directly: "Even so has the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."

Paul has said that he has chosen, in his particular situation, to forgo that privilege because he is an apostle: "Nevertheless, we have not used this power, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ." (vs. 12) Paul, laboring where the gospel has never been preached, chooses this path to make absolutely sure that no one can ever say that he has come into a geographical area as a stranger and is preaching with a motive for financial gain. That is why he gives his example, not as the rule, but as the exception to the rule.

His example of declining support is the exception, not the rule; otherwise, why would he argue so clearly for the support of ministers if he is setting his example forth as the rule to follow? His entire teaching through this chapter affirms that pastoral support is right and is to be commended rather than avoided. Paul's choice to decline it is for himself, but he never even infers this to be the standard for all other ministers, especially elders who labor pastorally in a local church.

So 1 Corinthians 9, which contains Paul's decline of ministerial financial support, is a powerful argument FOR ministerial support-- that it is the revealed will of God and is the general principle which ought to be followed. Ministers can decline available support if their situation lends itself to that choice, but the church never has the freedom to withhold it or for anyone to judge a man wrong if he receives it.

Then we come to 1 Timothy 5, which contains instructions for the local church, such as the treatment of older men, younger men, widows, and then elders, which are pastoring elders in the church. In vs. 17, he says: "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine." Paul here makes a clear statement of command concerning what the church is to do toward the support of their pastoring elders, especially for those who "labor (work hard at) at preaching and teaching." The church is to give "double honor" to those who do this, and then he clarifies and defines what that means, making it clear that he is talking about support in the physical (carnal) and financial realm by quoting again Deut. 25:4, what he's already said to the Corinthians on the same issue in 1 Corinthians 9:9: "You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn", thus affirming to Timothy that this is divine law and the reveal standard of God.

Secondly, in the same verse 18, Paul quotes Jesus from Matthew 10:10 and Luke 10:7, where our Lord, in sending out preachers and evangelists, stated that "the laborer is worthy of his hire", thus showing the Lord gave clear instruction that the gospel laborer will be provided for in and through his labors in the kingdom.

When these texts are seen in their context, it is clear that Paul was not giving his example of declining support as the obligatory rule for all ministers who are pastoring or preaching. Instead, both Paul and Jesus affirm that such support is correct, logical, needed, and is the revealed will of God.

By the way, it is also true that other churches DID support Paul at different times, especially the Philippian church, which he makes abundantly clear in his writings.

So in using Paul's example of declining support, Viola and Barna tell only half the story, give half the facts and half the truth, if indeed this is what they mean, when they conclude and teach others that it is wrong to pay preachers or elders because Paul was not supported. This completely misrepresents the New Testament position.

It's sad and too bad that people are led to extreme and tangent positions on such issues by men who clearly do not know what they are talking about, but want to convince the wider evangelical community that they do. Regarding this area of eccelessiology in church life and doctrine, their position is a departure from the entire history of evangelical truth. These men ought to stick to what they do best, whatever that is, which is not interpreting the Bible. On this issue, Viola and Barna are weighed in the balance of biblical truth and are found to fail the test. The New Testament clearly teaches that ministers and pastors ought to be supported. Those who disagree are simply wrong because they are either misinformed, uninformed or dishonest.

I suppose the conclusion concerning our brother's question at the beginning is simply this-- Perhaps we ought to agree with Jesus and Paul on this matter of paying preachers rather than Viola and Barna. That, to me, seems very safe and much healthier for the church of Jesus Christ and the advance of the gospel.

And a final word to all you laborers-- you are worthy of your hire!! Jesus is the one who said it; Praise the Great Shepherd of the sheep for that abiding truth! So keep on laboring !!

-- Mack Tomlinson

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Conviction or Accusation? - Ray Ortlund

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From Ray Ortlund at Christ Is Deeper Still:

"He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." John 16:8

". . . the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down . . . ." Revelation 12:10

How can I tell the difference between the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit and the accusing attacks of Satan? Some thoughts:

1. The Holy Spirit puts his finger on a specific sin I have committed, something concrete I can own and confess, but the accusations of Satan are vague and simply demoralizing.

2. The Holy Spirit shows me Christ, the mighty Friend of sinners, but the devil wants me spiraling down into negative self-focus.

3. The Holy Spirit leads me to a threshold of new life, but the devil wants to paralyze me where I am.

4. The Holy Spirit brings peace of heart along with a new hatred of sin, so that I bow before Jesus in reconsecration, but the devil offers peace of mind with smug relief, so that I fold my arms and say, "There, that's over with."

5. The Holy Spirit helps me to be so open to God that I allow him to control the conversation, but the devil tempts me to take off the table certain questions I just don't want God to talk to me about.

We are thankful for our dear Friend, the Holy Spirit.

-Ray Ortlund

HT: JT

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The Last Testimony of John Brown

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The Last Testimony of John Brown, an 18th Century British Christian

'If I never write to you more, let these be my last words: There is none like Christ-- none like Christ-- none like Christ. Nothing like redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. There is no learning nor knowledge like the knowledge of Christ, no life like Christ living in the heart by faith, no work like the service of Christ, and no riches or wealth like the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Little as I know of Christ (and it is my sin and shame that I know so little of Him), I would not exchange the learning of one hour's fellowship with Christ for all the academic learning in ten thousand universities, even if angels were my teachers. Nor would I exchange the pleasure my soul has found in a word or two about Christ for all the pleasures of creation since the world began. For what would I exchange being forever with Christ, to behold his glory and see Him as He is and enter into the joy of my Lord?'

- John Brown of Haddington

HT: Mack T

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The Beatitudes

I recently participated in a group study through the beatitude section of Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. I read a wide range of other material while we worked through this book. You can't do much better than this book for practical insight and interpretative helps. Most of the books I read written after this publication draw heavily on ML-J's insights. So read this section, and you will have most of what was written after it.

Let me also highly recommend John Piper's sermons. Piper does a wonderful job keeping the context in view while pointing out the significant cross-references. I found Piper just as helpful as ML-J, and sometimes he may have had the edge. Quite an admission coming from me!

Lastly, I enjoyed reading some of the insights from Thomas Watson. I wasn't able to read him as much as I had hoped, but was encouraged when I did. Only a Puritan could pull off 300+ pages on 12 verses!

I believe there is still much work to be done in our understanding of this section. The most glaring omission I found was the lack of consideration concerning how these characteristics were manifested in the life of Christ. These are often mentioned, but never developed. There is one author who sought to give consider this thought, but I believe more could be done.

So Walk In Him - Terry Rayburn

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Terry Rayburn on living a grace-centered Christian life:

". . .that’s the biggest reason why grace is so important to the Christian life. Because it causes us to want to fellowship with Christ. To draw near to Him, and not away. And that drawing near is the very SOURCE of our Life. Christ, who IS our life, the Scripture says.

And ironically, moving away from a law-based life to a grace-based life doesn’t cause us to sin more, but less. That’s why Rom 6:14 says “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” You are not under Law, which says “do”, but under grace, which says “done”.

With apologies to Jimmy Stewart, it can be a Wonderful Life between our initial salvation and our glorification, if we heed Col 2:6, and walk in grace just as we received Christ in grace, by simple faith. Faith that He has already forgiven us of all our sins, past present and future. Faith that we are no longer under condemnation, because our sins have been paid for and put away as far as the East is from the West."

Read the rest HERE.

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Justification & Regeneration - 3rd Edition

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Justification & Regeneration by Charles Leiter is now available in an expanded 3rd edition, and can be ordered from Monergism Books or directly from the publisher, Granted Ministries Press. This edition contains a new appendix dealing with frequently asked questions. Here is the new appendix for those who have an older edition of the book (click the arrow in the upper right to go full screen):

This book has been utterly foundational for all of us at Thoughts on the Way, and I would highly encourage anyone who has not read it to check it out. For more information, see the product pages linked to above, as well as THIS review from Nathan Pitchford at Monergism.com, and THIS one from Mason.

Yesterday, I asked Charles if he could summarize the main burdens of the book in two sentences. Here was his reply:

1. The Christian has a permanent standing of acceptance and favor with God, not because of his performance, but because of the righteousness of Another.

2. Growth in the Christian life is not by striving to become someone you're not, but by believing the reality of what God has already made you to be in the miracle of regeneration.

That's as good of a summary of the book as you're going to get!



HT: Chad T. for granting permission to post the new appendix.

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Bonar on apathy when speaking to others about Christ

"We do not speak and act like men in earnest. Our words are feeble, even when sound and true; our looks are careless, even when our words are weighty; and our tones betray the apathy which both words and looks disguise. Love is wanting, deep love, love strong as death, love such as made Jeremiah weep in secret places for the pride of Israel, and Paul speak 'even weeping' of the enemies of the cross of Christ." - Horatius Bonar, Words to Winners of Souls

I read that quote this morning and felt humbled to the dust for my lack of ardent love for Christ.

Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love Thee, and adore:
O for grace to love Thee more!

He Changes Not - C. H. Spurgeon

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He Changes Not


"I am the Lord--and I do not change!" Malachi 3:6

It is well for us that, in the midst of all the alterations and changes of life, there is always--

One whom change cannot affect,

One whose heart can never alter,

One on whose brow mutability can make no furrows.

All other things have changed--all other things are changing. The sun itself grows dim with age. The world is waxing old--the heavens and earth must soon pass away and perish! There is One alone, who has immortality, of whose years there is no end, and in whose person there is no change.

The delight which the sailor feels, when, after having been tossed about for many a day, he steps again upon the solid shore, is the satisfaction of a Christian when, amid the changes of this troubled earthly journey, he rests the foot of his faith upon this truth: "I am the Lord and I do not change!" The stability which the anchor gives the ship when it has at last obtained a hold-fast, is like that which the Christian's hope affords him when it fixes itself upon this glorious truth.

"With Him there is no variation!" Whatever His attributes were of old, they are now! His power, His wisdom, His justice, His truth, are alike unchanged. He has ever been the refuge of His people, their stronghold in the day of trouble--and He is their sure Helper still.

He is unchanged in His love. He has loved His people with "an everlasting love!" He loves them now, as much as ever He did! And when all earthly things shall have melted in the last conflagration, His love will still wear the dew of its youth.

Precious is the assurance that our God never changes! The wheel of providence revolves, but its axle is eternal love!

-- C. H. Spurgeon

HT: Mack T

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Pressing On

...one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

April is finished and May has started. Last month may have brought with it many successes. We may feel things went generally well spiritually speaking. Or last month may have been a time of discouragement. It may have been hard-going to even keep our head above water. But neither of these really matters today. This month we will have to leave both behind.

Praise the Lord if things went well, but living on past victories simply will not work. Manna stored quickly rots (Exodus 16:19-20). But in the same way, past unbelief cannot hinder the present. The only thing that can hinder today is present unbelief. Will you believe Him today? Will you reckon what He says about you and the world true today? Will you cut ties to all unbelief and walk with Him today?