I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. Psalme 122:1 (Geneva Bible)

THE CONVICTING SPIRIT

Thou blessed Spirit, Author of all grace and comfort,

ome, work repentance in my soul;
Represent sin to my in its odious colours that
I may hate it;
Melt my heart by the majesty and mercy of God;
Show me my ruined self and the help there is
in him;
Teach me to behold my Creator,
his ability to save,
his arms outstretched,
his heart big for me.
May I confide in his power and love,
commit my soul to him without reserve,
bear his image, observe his laws,
pursue his service,
and be through time and eternity
a monument to the efficacy of his grace,
a trophy of his victory.
Make me willing to be saved in his way,
perceiving nothing in myself, but all in Jesus:
Help me not only to receive him but
to walk in him,
depend upon him,
commune with him,
be conformed to him,
follow him,
imperfect, but still pressing forward,
not complaining of labor, but valuing rest,
not murmuring under trials, but thankful
for my state
Give me that faith which is the means of salvation
and the principle and medium of all godliness;
May I be saved by grace through faith,
live by faith,
feel the joy of faith,
do the work of faith.
Perceiving nothing in myself, may I find in Christ
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
redemption.

—from The Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennett, editor (Banner of Truth Trust, 2002).

salme 104 (Geneva Bible)

1 My soule, prayse thou the Lord: O Lord my God, thou art exceeding great, thou art clothed with glorie and honour.
2 Which couereth himselfe with light as with a garment, and spreadeth the heauens like a curtaine.
3 Which layeth the beames of his chambers in the waters, and maketh the cloudes his chariot, and walketh vpon the wings of the winde.
4 Which maketh his spirits his messengers, and a flaming fire his ministers.
5 He set the earth vpon her foundations, so that it shall neuer moue.
6 Thou coueredst it with the deepe as with a garment: the waters woulde stand aboue the mountaines.
7 But at thy rebuke they flee: at the voyce of thy thunder they haste away.
8 And the mountaines ascend, and the valleis descend to the place which thou hast established for them.
9 But thou hast set them a bounde, which they shall not passe: they shall not returne to couer the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the valleis, which runne betweene the mountaines.
11 They shall giue drinke to all the beasts of the fielde, and the wilde asses shall quench their thirst.
12 By these springs shall the foules of the heauen dwell, and sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the mountaines from his chambers, and the earth is filled with the fruite of thy workes.
14 He causeth grasse to growe for the cattell, and herbe for the vse of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth,
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oyle to make the face to shine, and bread that strengtheneth mans heart.
16 The high trees are satisfied, euen the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted,
17 That ye birdes may make their nestes there: the storke dwelleth in the firre trees.
18 The high mountaines are for the goates: the rockes are a refuge for the conies.
19 He appoynted the moone for certaine seasons: the sunne knoweth his going downe.
20 Thou makest darkenesse, and it is night, wherein all the beastes of the forest creepe forth.
21 The lions roare after their praye, and seeke their meate at God.
22 When the sunne riseth, they retire, and couche in their dennes.
23 Then goeth man forth to his worke, and to his labour vntill the euening.
24 O Lord, howe manifolde are thy workes! in wisdome hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is this sea great and wide: for therein are things creeping innumerable, both small beastes and great.
26 There goe the shippes, yea, that Liuiathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27 All these waite vpon thee, that thou maiest giue them foode in due season.
28 Thou giuest it to them, and they gather it: thou openest thine hand, and they are filled with good things.
29 But if thou hide thy face, they are troubled: if thou take away their breath, they dye and returne to their dust.
30 Againe if thou send forth thy spirit, they are created, and thou renuest the face of the earth.
31 Glory be to the Lord for euer: let the Lord reioyce in his workes.
32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth: he toucheth the mountaines, and they smoke.
33 I will sing vnto the Lord all my life: I will prayse my God, while I liue.
34 Let my wordes be acceptable vnto him: I will reioyce in the Lord.
35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the wicked till there be no more: O my soule, prayse thou the Lord. Prayse ye the Lord.

ecommended
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Bret Capranica
Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lorde Jesus Christ.

As promised, the winnerof Iain Muray's Revival & Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism, 1750–1858 was drawn yesterday morning by an entirely impartial set of seven-year-old fingers. The winner is:

Shannon Jordan.

Congratulations; I hope you enjoy the book. To the rest of you, better luck next time. I encourage you to buy the book yourselves, which you can do in a couple of ways. You can buy it from Amazon by clicking this link, which would send a few nickels my way and help pay for these drawings, or, what would please me even more, you can buy it here from Monergism.com, and support one of the most useful online Christian ministries.

Thanks to all for reading and entering.

Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!

A little more than a year ago I posted a short article called Forgive Yourself, in which I said that, as there is no such thing as a sin against self, there is no need or possibility of self-forgiveness. Today, an astute reader asked a question that deserved an answer, and I thought I would post it here for your consideration. She asked,

What about committing fornication? God clearly states in the Bible that that is a sin against yourself--and there are those in the Bible who did commit fornication. How does one personally repent of these sins against themselves? How do we ask God's forgiveness? How does this sin differ from others?

I answered,

That's a reasonable question. I assume you're referring to 1 Corinthians 6:18--

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

Sinning against your body is not sinning against yourself. Your body is not you. The real you is your soul, or mind. Your body is simply the vessel that you live in during this life. Furthermore, your body does not belong to you. Verses 19-20 continue:

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

So, a sin against your body is actually a sin against God alone.

After further consideration, I would add that not even you, that is, your soul, belongs to you, so there really is no way you can sin against yourself.

Because all work and no play makes David a dull(er) boy . . .

Because I’ve always wanted to do this, and now I can . . .

Because my three sons need the education . . .

Because my wife told me to . . .

And because the esteemed Pastor Garry Weaver can’t have all the fun . . .

My apologies to the majority of you who have no idea of what this is about or why anyone would care. The few of us who do get it get very excited about these things! That aluminum intake manifold is a genuine original ’69 Ford muscle part, somewhat hard to find — kind of like Reformed Theology for engines. B-b-b-b-r-r-ooom . . . b-b-b-b-r-r-ooom . . . b-b-b-b-r-r-ooom . . .

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. Psalme 122:1 (Geneva Bible)

HYMN 11, L. M.
Parting with carnal joys.
by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

send the joys of earth away;
Away, ye tempters of the mind!
False as the smooth, deceitful sea,
And empty as the whistling wind.

Your streams were floating me along
Down to the gulf of black despair,
And whilst I listened to your song,
Your streams had e’en conveyed me there.

Lord, I adore thy matchless grace,
That warned me of that dark abyss,
That drew me from those treach’rous seas,
And bid me seek superior bliss.

Now to the shining realms above
I stretch my hands and glance mine eyes;
O for the pinions of a dove,
To bear me to the upper skies!

There, from the bosom of my God,
Oceans of endless pleasure roll;
There would I fix my last abode,
And drown the sorrows of my soul.

—from The Psalms & Hymns of Isaac Watts. Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Book II: Composed on Divine Subjects (Soli Deo Gloria, 1997).

salme 111 (Geneva Bible)

1 Praise ye the Lord. I will prayse the Lord with my whole heart in the assemblie and Congregation of the iust.
2 The workes of the Lord are great, and ought to be sought out of al them that loue them.
3 His worke is beautifull and glorious, and his righteousnesse endureth for euer.
4 He hath made his wonderfull workes to be had in remembrance: the Lord is mercifull and full of compassion.
5 He hath giuen a portion vnto them that feare him: he wil euer be mindfull of his couenant.
6 He hath shewed to his people the power of his workes in giuing vnto them the heritage of the heathen.
7 The workes of his handes are trueth and iudgement: all his statutes are true.
8 They are stablished for euer and euer, and are done in trueth and equitie.
9 He sent redemption vnto his people: he hath commanded his couenant for euer: holy and fearefull is his Name.
10 The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lord: all they that obserue them, haue good vnderstanding: his praise endureth for euer.

ecommended
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Bret Capranica
Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lorde Jesus Christ.

Is Satan so subtle? O then, think not to be too cunning for the devil, he will be too hard for thee at last. Sin not with thoughts of an after-repentance; it is possible that thou meanest this at present, but, dost thou think, who sits down to play with this cheater, to draw out thy stock when thou pleasest? Alas, poor wretch! he has a thousand devices to carry thee on, and engage thee deeper, till he hath not left thee any tenderness in thy conscience. As some have been served at play, intending only to venture a shilling or two, yet have by the secret witchery in gaming, played the very clothes off their back before they had done,—O how many have thus sinned away all their principles, yea, profession itself, that they have not so much as this cloak left, but walk naked to their shame! [They are] like children, who got into a boat, think to play near the shore, but are unawares by a violent gust carried down to the wide sea. O how know you that dally with Satan, but that at last you may (who begin modestly) be carried down to the broad sea of profaneness? Some men are so subtle to overreach and so cruel when they get men into their hands, that a man had better beg his bread than borrow of them. Such a merchant is Satan, cunning to insinuate, and get the creature into his books, and when he hath him on the hip, [there is] no mercy to be had at his hand than the lamb may expect from the ravenous wolf.

—William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour(Edinburgh, Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 84.

In my reading of Willam Gurnall’s The Christian in Complete Armour, I came across the following statement:

“. . . [Satan] stands under thy closet-window, and hears what thou sayest to God in secret, all the while studying how he may commence a suit against thee from thy duty.”

Is that true? Can Satan read our thoughts? I tend to think not, but I don’t recall any Scripture that answers this question. Satan is not omniscient, but what does he know?

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. Psalme 122:1 (Geneva Bible)

Behold and Wonder
by Matthew Hale (1609-1676)

eader, behold and wonder! There was one
Obliged to his Prince, and Him alone
In all the bonds which duty, gratitude,
Or love could fasten; such as might exclude
All thoughts of a defection; this man
Breaks all; rebels against his Sovereign;
He flies, is apprehended, sentenced, cast,
And die he must; the final sentence passed
Knows no reversal. Lo, in that very now,
Wherein the offender waits his fatal blow,
The injured Lord doth substitute his own—
His own son— into the prisoner’s room,
Who takes the blow due to the traitor, dies,
The traitor’s punishment to satisfy.
The case is mine and thine; by all the bands
Of nature, love and covenant, we stand
Engaged to Almighty God; we fell
From that allegiance when we did rebel
Against His law in Adam; by that law
We were condemned to die; no help we saw,
Or hope of rescue; then did His Majesty
Unveil that admirable mistery
Of our redemption; the Eternal Son
Of the eternal God decends, becomes
Man for our sake, and in our stead doth stand,
And intercepteth from his Father’s hand,
That stroke that was our due, becomes the price
Of our redemption and our sacrifice.

—from Worthy Is the Lamb (Soli Deo Gloria, 2004).

salme 118
(Geneva Bible)

1 Praise yee the Lord, because he is good: for his mercie endureth for euer.
2 Let Israel now say, That his mercy endureth for euer.
3 Let the house of Aaron nowe say, That his mercy endureth for euer.
4 Let them, that feare the Lord, nowe say, That his mercie endureth for euer.
5 I called vpon the Lord in trouble, and the Lord heard me, and set me at large.
6 The Lord is with mee: therefore I will not feare what man can doe vnto me.
7 The Lord is with mee among them that helpe me: therefore shall I see my desire vpon mine enemies.
8 It is better to trust in the Lord, then to haue confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord, then to haue confidence in princes.
10 All nations haue compassed me: but in the Name of the Lord shall I destroy them.
11 They haue compassed mee, yea, they haue compassed mee: but in the Name of the Lord I shall destroy them.
12 They came about mee like bees, but they were quenched as a fire of thornes: for in the Name of the Lord I shall destroy them.
13 Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall: but the Lord hath holpen me.
14 The Lord is my strength and song: for he hath beene my deliuerance.
15 The voice of ioy and deliuerance shall be in the tabernacles of the righteous, saying, The right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly.
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly.
17 I shall not die, but liue, and declare the woorkes of the Lord.
18 The Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not deliuered me to death.
19 Open ye vnto me the gates of righteousnes, that I may goe into them, and praise the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord: the righteous shall enter into it.
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard mee, and hast beene my deliuerance.
22 The stone, which the builders refused, is the head of the corner.
23 This was the Lordes doing, and it is marueilous in our eyes.
24 This is the day, which the Lord hath made: let vs reioyce and be glad in it.
25 O Lord, I praie thee, saue now: O Lord, I praie thee nowe giue prosperitie. 26 Blessed be he, that commeth in the Name of the Lord: wee haue blessed you out of the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is mightie, and hath giuen vs light: binde the sacrifice with cordes vnto the hornes of the altar.
28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee, euen my God: therefore I will exalt thee.
29 Praise ye the Lord, because he is good: for his mercie endureth for euer.

ecommended
Sermons

Bret Capranica
Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lorde Jesus Christ.

Be careful to read the Word of God with observation. In it thou hast the history of the most remarkable battles that have been fought by the most eminent worthies in Christ’s army of saints with this great warrior Satan. Here thou mayest see how Satan hath foiled them, and how they recovered their lost ground. Here you have his cabinet-counsels opened. There is not a lust which you are in danger of, but you have it described; not a temptation which the Word doth not arm you against. It is reported that a certain Jew should have poisoned Luther, but was happily prevented by his picture which was sent to Luther, with a warning from a faithful friend that he should take heed of such a man when he saw him, by which he knew the murderer, and escaped his hands. The Word shows thee, O Christian, the face of those lusts which Satan employs to butcher thy precious soul. ‘By them is they servant warned,’ saith David, Ps.xix. 11.

—William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour(Edinburgh, Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 85.

In case you didn't see these links under On the Web, I want to draw special attention to them.

As evangelical Christians, we're called to be distinct in the ways we think and act about all issues that confront us and those around us. This topic is no exception. So, is there such a thing as biblical dating? If so, what is it? How can Christians think differently about this pervasive issue in media and culture? How are we doing so far?

The answer to that last question is "not well." Surveys consistently indicate that professing Christians behave almost exactly like non-Christians in terms of sexual involvement outside of marriage (in both percentage of people involved and how deeply involved they are — how far they're going), living together before marriage, and infidelity and divorce after marriage. In fact, depending on which statistics one believes, the divorce rate for professing Christians may actually be higher than for Americans as a whole. Granted, not all of these people are evangelicals, but we're not doing so well either. Indeed, the central issue we need to confront — and the reason I write and speak on this topic — is that when it comes to dating and relationships, perhaps more than in any other area of the everyday Christian life, the church is largely indistinguishable from the world. That truth has brought immeasurable emotional pain and other consequences to many Christians. Worse, it has brought great dishonor to the name of Christ and to the witness of individuals and the church.

It doesn't have to be this way. For Christians, the Lord has given us his Word, and the Holy Spirit helps us to understand it. We have brothers and sisters in Christ to hold us accountable and to help us apply the Word to our lives. If you're a Christian, that's the biblical life you're called to.

Continue reading—
Biblical Dating: An Introduction
What Does a Biblical Relationship Look Like?
Biblical Dating: To Kiss or Not to Kiss
(HT: The World From Our Window)

While I agree with these posts entirely, since they are on the Boundless webzine which is a publication of Focus on the Family, I offer this disclaimer: posting of these links does not imply an endorsement of Focus on the Family or James Dobson. I disagree very strongly with Dobson's view of integrated psychology and his methods of promoting his political agenda. I believe that both of these errors, especially the former, are detrimental to the Church and the Gospel. In spite of that disclaimer, there is a lot of good, helpful, and Biblical material available on the Boundless website.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. Psalme 122:1 (Geneva Bible)

THE CRY OF A CONVICTED SINNER

Thou righteous and holy Sovereign,

n whose hand is my life and whose are all
my ways,
Keep me from fluttering about religion;
fix me firm in it,
for I am irresolute;
my decisions are smoke and vapor,
and I do not glorify thee,
or behave according to thy will;
Cut me not off before my thoughts grow
to responses,
and the budding of my soul into full flower,
for thou art forbearing and good,
patient and kind.
Save me from myself,
from the artifices and deceits of sin,
from the treachery of my perverse nature,
from denying thy charge against my offences,
from a life of continual rebellion against thee,
from wrong principles, views, and ends;
for I know that all my thoughts, affections,
desires and pursuits are alienated from thee.
I have acted as if I hated thee, although thou art
love itself;
have contrived to tempt thee to the uttermost,
to wear out thy patience;
have lived evilly in word and action.
Had I been a prince
I would love ago have crushed such a rebel;
Had I been a father
I would long since have rejected my child.
O, though Father of my spirit,
thou king of my life
cast me not into destruction,
drive me not from thy presence,
but wound my heart that it may be healed;
break it that thine own hand
may make it whole.

—from The Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennett, editor (Banner of Truth Trust, 2002).

salme 125 (Geneva Bible)
A song of degrees.

1 They that trust in the Lord, shalbe as mount Zion, which can not be remooued, but remaineth for euer.
2 As the mountaines are about Ierusalem: so is the Lord about his people from henceforth and for euer.
3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous, least the righteous put forth their hand vnto wickednes.
4 Doe well, O Lord, vnto those that be good and true in their hearts.
5 But these that turne aside by their crooked wayes, them shall the Lord leade with the workers of iniquitie: but peace shalbe vpon Israel.

ecommended
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Bret Capranica
Steve Weaver
Phillip M. Way
Jason Robertson
John MacArthur
Phil Johnson & Don Green
David Legge
David Strain
R.C. Sproul

Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lorde Jesus Christ.

Many Christians who are members of Bible-preaching, evangelical churches have been duped somehow into thinking that their perseverance in the faith is dependent on their own natural abilities to endure to the end. They have become practical deists, thinking that after God make us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) he simply left us to our own devices while he just sits back observing us through life’s difficulties, waiting to see if we will make it to the end.
   In his first wartime address, delivered at Guildhall in London on September 4, 1914, Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) said: “Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer. You have only to persevere to save yourselves.” Considering what Churchill accomplished during his life, he proved this statement to be entirely appropriate. The British Prime Minister’s wartime victories demonstrated time and again his ability to persevere to the end he overcame great odds, and his self-sustained resilience enabled him to endure all the struggles of leadership during the Second World War. And while his assertion is accurate, it is accurate only insofar as it pertains to our natural human abilities. Churchill’s call to persevere in order to save oneself is by all means applicable to soldiers in wartime. It is a stern charge to fight to the end in order to overcome the enemy. Moreover, It conveys a similar exhortation found in the Bible. In Hebrews, we are called to run the race set before us (12:1). The apostle Paul likewise admonishes us to endure so that we might “reign with [Christ]” (2 Timothy2:12). And while teaching his disciples, Christ himself said: “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22). In these passages and others, the Bible’s teaching is clear; we must persevere to the end in order to be saved. However, this is only one part of the biblical equation. If our perseverance in the faith is dependent upon us, we will surely fail and will by no means finish the race set before us. Moreover, our assurance of salvation will waver each and every day if we are counting on ourselves and our own natural abilities to persevere to the end (Romans 4:20; Hebrews 10:23). In order to have full assurance, we must be entirely dependent upon Christ and his Word, which he has provided for us as our only infallible rule to faith and life (Westminster Confession of Faith 1.2). In his letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul writes to the saints and faithful believers in Christ at Colossae:

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:1-3)

—Burk Parsons, Assured by God (P&R 2006), 20–21.

Much of the reason that Christians lack full assurance of their salvation is because they do not possess a right understanding of the purpose of salvation. Most Christians think their salvation is first and foremost about them. When I begin premarital counseling with a couple in our church, one of the first things we talk about is the purpose of marriage. I usually astonish the couple when I tell them that their marriage is not about them. After the initial shock, the young man and woman usually just look at me with blank stares. I then go on to explain that marriage is first and foremost about God and his kingdom (Ephesians 5:30&ndash32). We spend some time talking about the creation ordinance to be fruitful and multiply, and, considering the possibility that the couple may not have children in the future, I explain that their marriage is intended to bring glory to God as each fulfills his or her covenant role in the relationship. I explain that they are getting married not just to live under the same roof with the same last name, but that their relationship is to reflect the relationship between Christ and his bride (5:25–29). When the couple understands that, they have a solid foundation on which to build a loving and full marriage.

—Burk Parsons, Assured by God (P&R 2006), 26.

8:00 AM (Central time) Tomorrow (Saturday, July 27) is the beginning of some madman's invention: Blogathon. Participating bloggers will post every half hour for twenty-four hours to raise money for the charities they have selected. No sir, I won't be doing that. However, I'd like you to go visit Julie Neidlinger, artist, clever wordsmith, and fellow North Dakotan. Check out her last year's effort here. Julie's selected charity for Blogathon 2007 is Joni and Friends. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of the blogging, but even if you think it's, like, totally lame*, it's still a good cause. Click here for details on how you can contribute.

Update: It begins here.

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. Psalme 122:1 (Geneva Bible)

HYMN 11, C. M.
Pardon brought to our senses.
by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

ord, how divine thy comforts are!
How heav’nly is the place
Where Jesus spreads the sacred feast
Of his redeeming grace!

There the rich bounties of our God,
And sweetest glories shine;
There Jesus says that “I am his,
And my Beloved's mine.”

“Here,” says the kind, redeeming Lord,
And shows his wounded side;
“See here the spring of all your joys
That opened when I died.”

[He smiles, and cheers my mournful heart,
And tells of all his pain;
“All this,” says he, “I bore for thee;”
And then he smiles again.]

What shall we pay our heav’nly King
For grace so vast as this?
He brings our pardon to our eyes,
And seals it with a kiss.

[Let such amazing loves as these
Be sounded all abroad;
Such favors are beyond degrees,
And worthy of a God.]

To him that washed us in his blood
Be everlasting praise;
Salvation, honor, glory, power,
Eternal as his days.]

—from The Psalms & Hymns of Isaac Watts. Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Book III: Prepared for the Holy Ordinance of the Lord's Supper (Soli Deo Gloria, 1997).

salme 132 (Geneva Bible)
A song of degrees.

1 Lord, remember Dauid with all his affliction.
2 Who sware vnto the Lord, and vowed vnto the mightie God of Iaakob, saying,
3 I will not enter into the tabernacle of mine house, nor come vpon my pallet or bed,
4 Nor suffer mine eyes to sleepe, nor mine eye lids to slumber,
5 Vntill I finde out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mightie God of Iaakob.
6 Lo, we heard of it in Ephrathah, and found it in the fieldes of the forest.
7 We will enter into his Tabernacles, and worship before his footestoole.
8 Arise, O Lord, to come into thy rest, thou, and the Arke of thy strength.
9 Let thy Priests be clothed with righteousnesse, and let thy Saints reioyce.
10 For thy seruant Dauids sake refuse not the face of thine Anointed.
11 The Lord hath sworne in trueth vnto Dauid, and he wil not shrinke from it, saying, Of the fruite of thy body will I set vpon thy throne.
12 If thy sonnes keepe my couenant, and my testimonies, that I shall teach them, their sonnes also shall sit vpon thy throne for euer.
13 For the Lord hath chosen Zion, and loued to dwell in it, saying,
14 This is my rest for euer: here will I dwell, for I haue a delite therein.
15 I will surely blesse her vitailes, and will satisfie her poore with bread,
16 And will clothe her Priests with saluation, and her Saints shall shoute for ioye.
17 There will I make the horne of Dauid to bud: for I haue ordeined a light for mine Anoynted.
18 His enemies will I clothe with shame, but on him his crowne shall florish.

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Grace be with you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lorde Jesus Christ.

“. . . let us give up vain and fruitless cares, and approach to the glorious and venerable rule of our holy calling. Let us attend to what is good, pleasing, and acceptable in the sight of Him who formed us. Let us look steadfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world. Let us turn to every age that has passed , and learn that, from generation to generation, the Lord has granted a place of repentance to all such as would be converted unto Him.”

—The First Epistle of Clement, Chapter VII

Is it possible to know for sure that you are saved, that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that you will spend eternity with Christ in Heaven? If so, you want to know, don’t you? Yet, many Christians struggle with doubt concerning their salvation and miss out on the joy God intends for them in knowing their salvation has been secured for them by the blood of Christ. At the same time, many unbelievers have been given a false basis of assurance and believe they are saved when, in fact, they are not.

Burk Parsons, along with a distinguished cadre of theologians including R. C. Sproul, Albert Mohler, and John MacArthur, has written an excellent book addressing these concerns in Assured by God: Living in the Fullness of God’s Grace. At only 180 pages, it is a short, easy read, while thoroughly expounding the Biblical basis for assurance of salvation.

Would you like to have a copy? Well, you can. Simply email me here, make sure the subject line says “Book Give-away II,” and you’ll be entered in a drawing that will take place the first week in September. I’ll be giving away two copies. You must email me. Entries will not be taken in the comments. Also, I am not able to reply to these emails. If you send your entry, you’ll just have to trust that your name is in the hat.

Here is an excerpt to whet your appetite:

Biblical Tests of Faith

While remembering in our quest for assurance that every Christian remains in this life a redeemed sinner, is it nonetheless possible to test the validity of our profession of faith? The answer is yes. The New Testament presents clear and objective standards as to what constitutes a credible profession of saving faith in Jesus Christ, by which we may become biblically grounded in our assurance of salvation.

   The apostle John presents three concise tests of our faith in his first epistle, an important aim of which is to help true believers attain to assurance. John writes: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). First is a doctrinal test: true believers see matters of truth in accordance with the teaching of the Bible (2:18–27; 4:1–6). He is concerned in part with heresies current in his own day, against which he asserts the need for believers to receive his apostolic testimony about Jesus: “We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (4:6). The heresies of his day denied the deity of Jesus, so John emphasizes this doctrine: “Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also” (2:22–23).

   In other portions of the Bible we are informed of other doctrines we must believe, including Christ’s substitutionary atonement and bodily resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–7) and justification through faith alone (Galatians 1:6–9). If we believe the Bible’s teaching about God, Jesus and Salvation, this objectively indicates that we have saving faith, and according to Jesus’s teaching, it is only by the regenerating work of the Spirit that we can “see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Therefore, doctrinal fidelity indicates that Christ’s redeeming work has been applied to our hearts by the ministry of the Spirit.

   John’s second test of faith is a moral test (1 John 2:3–6; 3:4–10): “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (2:4–6). Boice explains this: “Simply put, those who know God will increasingly lead righteous lives. It does not mean that they will be sinless. But they will be moving in a direction marked out by the righteousness of God.”    Ryle marks moral looseness as another cause of believers lacking assurance: “A vacillating walk, a backwardness to take a bold and decided line, a readiness to conform to the world, a hesitating witness for Christ, a lingering tone of religion, a clinching from a high standard of holiness and spiritual life, all these make up a sure receipt for bringing a blight upon the garden f your soul.”

   Although our assurance of salvation is grounded not in our spiritual performance but only on the redeeming work of Christ, it is nonetheless God’s design that a lack of godliness will result in a faltering assurance. The Westminster Confession of Faith well states that “true believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit” (18:4). This being the case, an incentive for continued growth in godliness is our desire to the joy of assurance that comes through increasing Christ-likeness.

   The third test of faith is a social test. John mentions this repeatedly in his letter, most notably in 1 John 3:14: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.” As Donald Macleod notes, faith in Christ “revolutionizes our social preference. . . . We love our fellow Christians.” For this reason, nurture of Christian fellowship and increased communion in the life of the church is strongly conductive to strengthening our assurance of salvation.

   These sets of faith are given to inspire assurance in those with credible faith, not to inflict doubt on those with and imperfect faith. John began: “We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete” (1:4). Assurance comes not through faith in our faith but through faith in the Redeemer Jesus Christ. We are bound to follow the apostles’ teachings to examine our faith, but we must do so remembering that while our strongest faith is unable to save us, the weakest faith in Christ grasps a mighty Savior in who we may rest out souls.

—Richard D. Phillips, Assured by God (Burk Parsons, general editor), 83-84