One sure warning that you are about to hear a really bad song is when the singer announces, “This is a song the Lord gave me.” At that point, you should plug your ears, and probably hold your nose, as well.

A couple weeks ago, Calvin’s comments on John 2:4 provoked a discussion in which I learned something I hadn’t known about Roman Catholic Mariology: apparently, Mary is the “New Eve.” Of course we know that Christ is the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), but I had never heard any mention of another Eve. Turns out it’s because there isn’t any. What should have immediately occurred to me, but didn’t, is that there couldn’t be a second Eve because Christ already has a bride (Ephesians 5:22–27), chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

Well, the gentleman who was schooling me on this mysteriously dropped out of the conversation, so I never really got a satisfactory explanation. While I was waiting to see if he would return, my mind began wandering through the maze of papist Mariology, and I began to wax poetic. Those who remember my previous poetic works, including a contribution to contemporary worship music and a collection of cheese couplets, may want to go elsewhere at this point. Anyway, considering all that the Bible says about Mary, and adding to that all that Rome has said . . .

“This is a song the Lord gave me.”

Not Quite the Magnificat . . . (tune and inspiration)

A couple thousand years ago, I was a Jewish lass
A strange thing happened to me (pardon me if this sounds crass)
I was impregnated by the Spirit of the Lord
And had a holy baby who was very much adored

This baby was the son of God and made me very proud
He was so good that some folks claim he never cried out loud
And then some guys in funny hats invented theories odd
Among them being that I am the very mother of God

So now I am God’s mother and the mother of his son
But I’ll reveal a stranger fact before my song is done
My baby was the second Adam, I, the second Eve
Which made me my son’s wife, a thing I hardly can believe

Now if I am God’s mother, Jesus then is my grandson
I know that is a weird thought, but it’s not the weirdest one
I’ve come to a conclusion that is sticking in my craw
If I am Jesus’ wife, then I’m my granddaughter-in-law

So . . .

I’m my own grandma, I’m my own grandma
It sounds funny, I know, but Rome says it is so
Oh, I’m my own grandma

Ephesians 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

William Gurnall reminds us that our standing is to be done in our proper place, and according to God’s design.

Consider what thou doest out of thy place is not acceptable to God, because thou canst not do it in ‘faith,’ without which ‘it is impossible to please God;’ and it cannot be in faith, because thou hast no call. God will not thank thee for doing that which he did not set thee about. Possibly thou hast good intentions. So had Uzzah in staying the ark, yet how well God liked his zeal, see 2 Sa. vi. 7. Saul himself could make a fair story of his sacrificing, but that served not his turn. It concerns us not only to ask ourselves what the thing is we do, but also who requireth this at our hands? To be sure, God will at last put us upon that question, and it will go ill with us if we cannot show our commission. So long must we needs neglect what is our duty, as we are busy about that which is not. The spouse confesseth this, ‘They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but mine own vineyard have I not kept,’ Ca. i. 6. She could not mind their [vineyards] and her own too—our own iron will cool while we are beating another’s. And this must needs be displeasing to God—to leave the work God sets us about, to do to do what he never commanded. When a master calls a truantly scholar to account, that hath been missing some days from school, would this be a good plea for him to tell his master, that he was all the while in such a man’s shop at work with his tools? No, sure his business lay at school, not in that shop.

—William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour (Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 1:281.

John 3:29 “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John the Baptist here describes the function of all ministers of the gospel, which includes, in some measure, every believer. Calvin writes:

   29. He who hath the bride. By this comparison, he confirms more fully the statement, that it is Christ alone who is excluded from the ordinary rank of men. For as he who marries a wife does not call and invite his friends to the marriage, in order to prostitute the bride to them, or, by giving up his own rights, to allow them to partake with him of the nuptial bed, but rather that the marriage, being honoured by them, may be rendered more sacred; so Christ does not call his ministers to the office of teaching, in order that, by conquering the Church, they may claim dominion over it, but that he may make use of their faithful labours for associating them with himself. It is a great and lofty distinction, that men are appointed over the Church, to represent the person of the Son of God. They are, therefore, like the friends whom the bridegroom brings with him, that they may accompany him in celebrating the marriage; but we must attend to the distinction, that ministers, being mindful of their rank, may not appropriate to themselves what belongs exclusively to the bridegroom The whole amounts to this, that all the eminence which teachers may possess among themselves ought not to hinder Christ from ruling alone in his Church, or from governing it alone by his word.
   This comparison frequently occurs in Scripture, when the Lord intends to express the sacred bond of adoption, by which he binds us to himself. For as he offers himself to be truly enjoyed by us, that he may be ours, so he justly claims from us that mutual fidelity and love which the wife owes to her husband. This marriage is entirely fulfilled in Christ, whose flesh and bones we are, as Paul informs us, (Eph. v. 30.) The chastity demanded by him consists chiefly in the obedience of the Gospel, that we may not suffer ourselves to be led aside from its pure simplicity, as the same Apostle teaches us, (2 Cor. xi. 2, 3.) We must, therefore, be subject to Christ alone, he must be our only Head, we must not turn aside a hair’s-breadth from the simple doctrine of the Gospel, he alone must have the highest glory, that he may retain the right and authority of being a bridegroom to us.
   But what are ministers to do? Certainly, the Son of God calls them, that they may perform their duty to him in conducting the sacred marriage; and, therefore, their duty is, to take care, in every way, that the spouse — who is committed to their charge — may be presented by them as a chaste virgin to her husband; which Paul, in the passage already quoted, boasts of having done. But they who draw the Church to themselves rather than to Christ are guilty of basely violating the marriage which they ought to have honoured. And the greater the honour which Christ confers on us, by making us the guardians of his spouse, so much the more heinous is our want of fidelity, if we do not endeavour to maintain and defend his right.
   This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He means that he has obtained the fulfillment of all his desires, and that he has nothing further to wish, when he sees Christ reigning, and men listening to him as he deserves. Whoever shall have such affections that, laying aside all regard to himself, he shall extol Christ and be satisfied with seeing Christ honoured, will be faithful and successful in ruling the Church; but, whoever shall swerve from that end in the slightest degree will be a base adulterer, and will do nothing else than corrupt the spouse of Christ.

   30. He must increase. John the Baptist proceeds farther; for, having formerly been raised by the Lord to the highest dignity, he shows that this was only for a time, but now that the Sun of Righteousness, (Mal. iv. 2) has arisen, he must give way; and, therefore, he not only scatters and drives away the empty fumes of honour which had been rashly and ignorantly heaped upon him by men, but also is exceedingly careful that the true and lawful honour which the Lord had bestowed on him may not obscure the glory of Christ. Accordingly, he tells us that the reason why he had been hitherto accounted a great Prophet was, that for a time only he was placed in so lofty a station, until Christ came, to whom he must surrender his office. In the meantime, he declares that he will most willingly endure to be reduced to nothing, provided that Christ occupy and fill the whole world with his rays; and this zeal of John all pastors of the Church ought to imitate by stooping with the head and shoulders to elevate Christ.

—John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, Volume I (Baker Books, 2009), 134–136.

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Calvin on knowing Christ as the gift of God:

   These two clauses, If thou knewest the gift of God, and, who it is that talketh with thee, I read separately, viewing the latter as an interpretation of the former. For it was a wonderful kindness of God to have Christ present, who brought with him eternal life. The meaning will be more plain if, instead of and, we put namely, or some other word of that kind, thus: If thou knewest the gift of God, namely, who it is that talketh with thee. By these words we are taught that then only do we know what Christ is, when we understand what the Father hath given to us in him, and what benefits he brings to us. Now that knowledge begins with a conviction of our poverty; for, before any one desires a remedy, he must be previously affected with the view of his distresses. Thus the Lord invites not those who have drunk enough, but the thirsty, not those who are satiated, but the hungry, to eat and drink. And why would Christ be sent with the fullness of the Spirit, if we were not empty?
   Again, as he has made great progress, who, feeling his deficiency, already acknowledges how much he needs the aid of another; so it would not be enough for him to groan under his distresses, if he had not also hope of aid ready and prepared. In this way we might do no more than waste ourselves with grief, or at least we might, like the Papists, run about in every direction, and oppress ourselves with useless and unprofitable weariness. But when Christ appears, we no longer wander in vain, seeking a remedy where none can be obtained, but we go straight to him. The only true and profitable knowledge of the grace of God is, when we know that it is exhibited to us in Christ, and that it is held out to us by his hand. In like manner does Christ remind us how efficacious is a knowledge of his blessings, since it excites us to seek them and kindles our hearts. If thou knewest, says he, thou wouldst have asked. The design of these words is not difficult to be perceived; for he intended to whet the desire of this woman, that she might not despise and reject the life which was offered to her.

—John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, Volume I (Baker Books, 2009), 148–149.

Our Fridays are dedicated to the promotion of liberty.

Just one sentence today, but perhaps the most vital sentence that this nation can consider today:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

—the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution

I am not a big fan of new technology. I’m not at all interested in the latest gadget. But when I saw a headline last week announcing an “iShoe,” I thought, “Hey, cool! Now, that, I could use! As it turns out, though, it wasn’t what I thought it was.

On the low-tech side, I’ve picked up a new hobby: the slide rule. Sound dull? Well it’s not. And as you laugh at me, consider this: when civilization collapses and all the calculators have worn out, I’ll still be able to tell you, in just a few seconds, that the square root of 7 is 2.646.

I’m not actually old enough to have been taught to use a slide rule and, as I’ve asked around, it seems there is not a single person I know who knows how to use one. I went on eBay to find the particular model that corresponds with an instruction book I had picked up previously, and I’m teaching myself.

So I’m curious; have any of my readers ever used a slide rule, or known anyone who did?

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

True Religion

Lord God Almighty,

I ask not to be enrolled amongst the earthly
great and rich,
   but to be numbered with the spiritually blessed.
Make it my present, supreme, persevering concern
   to obtain those blessings which are
      spiritual in their nature,
      eternal in their continuance,
      satisfying in their possession.
Preserve me from a false estimate of the whole
   or a part of my character;
May I pay regard to
   my principles as well as my conduct,
   my motives as well as my actions.
Help me
   never to mistake the excitement of my passions
      for the renewing of the Holy Spirit,
   never to judge my religion by occasional
      impressions and impulses, but by my
         constant and prevailing disposition.
May my heart be right with thee,
   and my life as becometh the gospel.
May I maintain a supreme regard to another
      and better world,
   and feel and confess myself a stranger
      and a pilgrim here.
Afford me all the direction, defense, support,
   and consolation my journey hence requires,
   and grant me a mind stayed upon thee.
Give me a large abundance of the supply of
      the Spirit of Jesus,
   that I may be prepared for every duty,
   love thee in all my mercies,
   submit to thee in every trial,
   trust thee when walking in darkness,
   have peace in thee amidst life’s changes.
Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief
   and uncertainties.

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

John 8:31–36

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
   34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

These verses show us, for one thing, the importance of steady perseverance in Christ’s service. There were many, it seems, at this particular period, who professed to believe on our Lord, and expressed a desire to become His disciples. There is nothing to show that they had true faith. They appear to have acted under the influence of temporary excitement, without considering what they were doing. And to them our Lord addresses this instructive warning,—“If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed.”
   This sentence contains a mine of wisdom. To make a beginning in religious life is comparatively easy. Not a few mixed motives assist us. The love of novelty, the praise of well-meaning but imprudent professors, the secret self-satisfaction of feeling “how good I am,” the universal excitement attending a new position,—all these things combine to aid the young beginner. Aided by them he begins to run the race that leads to heaven, lays aside many bad habits, takes up many good ones, has many comfortable frames and feelings, and gets on swimmingly for a time. But when the newness of his position is past and gone, when the freshness of his feelings is rubbed off and lost, when the world and the devil begin to pull hard at him, when the weakness of his own heart begins to appear,—then it is that he finds out the real difficulties of vital Christianity. Then it is that he discovers the deep wisdom of our Lord’s saying now before us. It is not beginning, but “continuing” a religious profession, that is the test of true grace.
   We should remember these things in forming our estimate of other people’s religion. No doubt we ought to be thankful when we see any one ceasing to do evil and learning to do well. We must not “despise the day of small things.” (Zech. iv. 10.) But we must not forget that to begin is one thing, and to go on is quite another. Patient continuance in well-doing is the only sure evidence of grace. Not he that runs fast and furiously at first, but he that keeps up his speed, is he that “runs so as to obtain.” By all means let us be hopeful when we see anything like conversion. But let us not make too sure that it is real conversion, until time has set its seal upon it. Time and wear test metals, and prove whether they are solid or plated. Time and wear, in like manner, are the surest tests of a man’s religion. Where there is spiritual life there will be continuance and steady perseverance. It is the man who goes on as well as begins, that is “the disciple indeed.”
   These verses show us, for another thing, the nature of true slavery. The Jews were fond of boasting, though without any just cause, that they were politically free, and were not in bondage to any foreign power. Our Lord reminds those who there was another bondage to which they were giving no heed, although enslaved by it.—“He that committeth sin is the servant of sin.”
   How true that is! How many on every side are total slaves, although they do not acknowledge it! They are led captive by their besetting corruptions and infirmities, and seem to have no power to get free. Ambition, the love of money, the passion for drink, the craving for pleasure and excitement, gambling, gluttony, illicit connections,—all these are so many tyrants among men. Each and all have crowds of unhappy prisoners bound hand and foot in their chains. The wretched prisoners will not admit their bondage. They will even boast sometimes that they are eminently free. But many of them know better. There are times when the iron enters into their souls, and they feel bitterly that they are slaves.
   There is no slavery like this. Sin is indeed the hardest of all taskmasters. Misery and disappointment in the way, despair and hell in the end,—these are the only wages that sin pays to its servants. To deliver men from this bondage, is the grand object of the Gospel. To awaken people to a sense of their degradation, to show them their chains, to make them arise and struggle to be free,—this is the great end for which Christ sent forth His ministers. Happy is he who has opened his eyes and found out his danger. To know that we are being led captive, is the very first step toward deliverance.
   These verses, show us, lastly, the nature of true liberty. Our Lord declares this to the Jews in one comprehensive sentence. He says, “If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
   Liberty, most Englishmen know, is rightly esteemed one of the highest temporal blessings. Freedom from foreign dominion, a free constitution, free trade, a free press, civil and religious liberty,—what a world of meaning lies beneath these phrases! How many would sacrifice life and fortune to maintain the things which they represent! Yet, after all our boasting, there are many so-called freemen who are nothing better than slaves. There are many who are totally ignorant of the highest, purest form of liberty. The noblest liberty is that which is the property of the true Christian. Those only are perfectly free people whom the Son of God “makes free.” All else will sooner or later be found slaves.
   Wherein does the liberty of true Christians consist? Of what is their freedom made up?—They are freed from the guilt and consequences of sin by the blood of Christ. Justified, pardoned, forgiven, they can look forward boldly to the day of judgment, and cry “Who shall lay anything to our charge? Who is he that condemneth?”—They are freed from the power of sin by the grace of Christ’s Spirit. Sin has no longer dominion over them. Renewed, converted, sanctified, they mortify and tread down sin, and are no longer led captive by it.—Liberty, like this, is the portion of all true Christians in the day that they flee to Christ by faith, and commit their souls to Him. That day they become free men. Liberty, like this, is their portion forevermore. Death cannot stop it. The grave cannot even hold their bodies for more than a little season. Those whom Christ makes free are free to all eternity.
   Let us never rest until we have some personal experience of this freedom ourselves. Without it all other freedom is a worthless privilege. Free speech, free laws, political freedom, commercial freedom, national freedom,—all these cannot smooth down a dying pillow, or disarm death of his sting, or fill our consciences with peace. Nothing can do that but the freedom which Christ alone bestows. He gives it freely to all who seek it humbly. Then let us never rest until it is our own.

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007) [Westminster (PB) | Amazon (HC)].

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This April 11–17, my wife and I will be on the road, attending the 2010 Together for the Gospel Conference in Louisville, Kentucky (the conference takes place April 13–15). We made the trip two years ago as well and enjoyed it so much that, despite my aversion to travel, we’re doing it again this year.

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If you would like to attend but have not made your arrangements yet, time is quickly running out. Visit t4g.org to register and find all the information you will need on lodging and the conference schedule. Registration closes March 28.

If you are a blogger, consider attending the Band of Bloggers gathering preceding the conference. It’s a good time of encouragement and a unique opportunity to see your favorite bloggers in the flesh, and possibly meet that guy you might have argued with over your lapsarian views.

Be there or be square.

Related:
Tim Challies at Together for the Gospel 2006 and 2008.

Sorry, folks, I’m very busy this week and may not post exactly according to the usual schedule. Since today is normally reserved for Gurnall, let me point you to The Christian in Complete Armour online.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. —Inigo Montoya

You already know what I think of Twitter. I’ve already insulted a multitude of “tweeters” on that score. Yet I opened a Twitter account more than six months ago, and continue posting there for the reason given at the time. I consider myself a missionary to the grammatically impaired.

Well, today I’m here to tell you that slippery slopes really do exist, and one sin does lead to another. The proof? I joined Facebook yesterday. Now, I’m not going to beat around the bush: my opinion of Facebook is several fathoms below my opinion of Twitter. Twitter, as most people use it, is shallow, narcissistic, pointless, and generally lame. What Twitter does to communication, Facebook does to human relationships — and I despise that.

I actually had a much longer diatribe on Facebook prepared, but I think I’ll save it. Suffice it to say that everything I said about my use of Twitter will apply to Facebook as well, which means I probably won’t “friend” you*. Don’t take it personally, and don’t get me started about the abominable perversion of a word I hold precious. If you really are, or want to be, my friend, drop me an email, write me a letter, give me a call, stop by for a visit — you know, like a friend would.

I don’t know how profitable this venture will be. Honestly, the best way to follow this, or any other, blog is through an RSS reader. If you already do that, there is no reason to follow me on Twitter or Facebook. However, if this sort of thing interests you, I’ll tell you what you can expect from me on Facebook. First, links to this blog’s daily posts. Second, next to nothing. I spent quite a bit of time yesterday going through all the privacy settings, basically fixing it so no one can see anything but my posts, which, if I did it right, everyone can see, so you won’t have to be my “friend” to get everything I’ve made available to anyone.

So — for whatever it’s worth, here I am on Facebook.

*Update: Okay, so what do I know? It seems you can’t conveniently follow my Facebook posts unless you are my “friend,” so I guess I’ll have to loosen up on that. But I don’t like it!

*Update 2: A kind reader informed your clueless host that a Thirsty Theologian Fan Page would likely serve him better and solve the “friend” dilemma. That advice has been gratefully accepted, and the link above has been appropriately modified. He asks you to accept his apologies for the inconvenience, especially to those of you who so eagerly clicked the “friend” button.

*Update 3: I’m not feeling too bright presently. For now I’ll just say I goofed, and consequently, I’ve deactivated my Facebook account. I’ll explain later, and have it all straightened out soon. But now, I’m going to bed.

*Update 4: The Rest of the Story.

It’s official: I am an idiot. As you may know, I joined Facebook yesterday. You can read my thoughts and intents on that here. As it turns out, I didn’t know what I was doing.

I knew what I wanted. I just wanted a Facebook presence that would feed this blog. I didn’t want to go through all that phony phriend nonsense, so I declared right from the start that I wasn’t going to do that. Then, after setting up my page and seeing how things worked, I realized that, even though it was open to everyone, only “friends” could get my notifications. I therefore relented and began accepting “friends.” Then, a reader advised me that a “fan page” might suit me better. I looked into that and discovered that he was right; that was exactly what I wanted, so I set up a page for The Thirsty Theologian. It was perfect . . .

Except for one thing. See, when you create a fan page, you have to put it in a category according to its purpose. Looking over the available categories, the one that seemed to fit closest was “writer.” It was either that, or “religious organization.” Anyway, I thought, “blogger/writer, close enough.” But then, in the search results, I saw that I was listed as an author. “Writer” can mean a lot of things, but “author” implies legitimate published work. I’m no author, and I was embarrassed to have anyone catch me misrepresenting myself. Having already acquired a few “fans,” and having already apologized to my “friends” for dumping them in favor of a fan page, I looked for a way to change the category to anything that wouldn’t be a bald-faced lie, but to no avail. Someone will probably now inform me of an easy, obvious way to do that, but I couldn’t find it. In the process, I discovered the category I had overlooked: “website.” Duh. I decided I had to start over, but it was late, so I simply deactivated my account to avoid accumulating any more fans, and went to bed.

This morning (which, to my frustration, came at 3:15), I wiped the slate clean and started over. This time, I can say with a reasonable measure of confidence that I am finished, and that you can find my new Facebook page here.

Again, I want to apologize to everyone who paid me the compliment of becoming my “friend” or “fan,” and hope you will give me a chance to redeem myself.

Finally, I’m still uncomfortable with the idea of having “fans.” If there was a way to avoid it, I would, so please, if you know how that can be done, and it involves redoing anything, keep it to yourself.

Our Fridays are dedicated to the promotion of liberty.

Accumulated error is what you get when you measure from anything but your original starting point. For example, let’s look at the walls in your house. Beneath the sheetrock (or other wall paneling) is the wood frame of the wall. That frame is made up of vertical studs connected at top and bottom by horizontal plates. The studs are positioned on sixteen inch centers. For a number of reasons, it is important that that spacing be maintained fairly accurately. Therefore, when laying out the wall, the carpenter marks the stud positions on the plates, measuring each from the same point at one end of the wall. What would happen if he didn’t do that? Suppose he marked the first stud position, and then measured sixteen inches from that point to mark the next, and sixteen inches from that point to mark the next, and so on. Suppose then, in his haste, his marks were off just a little (as is often the case). If each mark was off only one sixteenth of an inch, the inaccuracy would accumulate with each new measurement until the studs were completely out of place. If, however, the carpenter measures all from the same point, he can make even larger errors without throwing the whole wall out of whack.

Now consider the reference in law to precedent. When judges refer to precedent in their rulings, they are, as it were, measuring from the previous stud rather that the beginning of the wall. They are piling one possible error on top of another. When the Supreme Court — the guardians of the standard of measurement — does this, the consequences are much more serious than in the lower courts. The Supreme Court, more than any other, should ignore precedent. Hear Should-have-been-Justice Robert Bork on the subject:

Robert Bork on Constitutional Precedent

Considering the seriousness of yesterday’s post, I suppose it’s a poor reflection on my maturity that it left me thinking of this.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Hymn XXVI.
Dagon before the ark. I. Samuel v. 4, 5.
John Newton (1725–1807)

When first to make my heart his own,
The Lord reveal’d his mighty grace;
Self reign’d, like Dagon, on the throne,
But could not long maintain its place.

It fell, and own’d the pow’r divine,
(Grace can with ease the vict’ry gain)
But soon this wretched heart of mine,
Contriv’d to set it up again.

Again the Lord his name proclaim’d,
And brought the hateful idol low;
Then self, like Dagon, broken, maim’d,
Seem’d to receive a mortal blow.

Yet self is not of life bereft,
Nor ceases to oppose his will;
Tho’ but a maimed stump be left,
’Tis Dagon, ’tis an idol still.

Lord! must I always guilty prove,
And idols in my heart have room?
Oh! let the, fire of heavenly love,
The very stump of self consume.

—from Olney Hymns. Book I: On select Passages of Scripture.

John 8:37–47

I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”
   39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

There are things taught in this passage of Scripture which are peculiarly truth for the times. Well would it be for the Churches if all Christians would ponder carefully the matter which it contains.
   We are taught for one thing the ignorant self-righteousness of the natural man. We find the Jews pluming themselves on their natural descent from Abraham, as if that must of necessity, cover all deficiencies: “Abraham is our father.” We find them going even further than this, and claiming to be God’s special favourites and God’s own family: “We have one Father, even God.” They forgot that fleshly relationship to Abraham was useless, unless they shared Abraham’s grace. They forgot that God’s choice of their father to be head of a favoured nation was never meant to carry salvation to the children, unless they walked in their father’s footsteps. All this in their blind self-conceit they refused to see. “We are Jews. We are God’s children. We are the true Church. We are in the covenant. We must be all right.” This was their whole argument!
   Strange as it may seem, there are multitudes of so-called Christians who are exactly like these Jews. Their whole religion consist of a few notions neither wiser nor better than those propounded by the enemies of our Lord. They will tell you “that they are regular Church people; they have been baptized; they go to the Lord’s table;”—but they can tell you no more. Of all the essential doctrines of the Gospel they are totally ignorant. Of faith, and grace, and repentance, and holiness, and spiritual mindedness they know nothing at all. But, forsooth! they are Churchmen, and so they hope to go to heaven! There are myriads in this condition. It sounds sad, but unhappily it is only too true.
   Let us settle firmly in our minds that connection with a good Church and good ancestors is no proof whatever that we ourselves are in a way to be saved. We need something more than this. We must be joined to Christ himself by a living faith. We must know something experimentally of the work of the Spirit in our hearts. “Church principles,” and “sound Churchmanship,” are fine words and excellent party cries. But they will not deliver our souls from the wrath to come, or give us boldness in the day of judgment.
   We are taught for another thing the true marks of spiritual sonship. Our Lord makes this point most plain by two mighty sayings. Did the Jews say, “We have Abraham to our father”? He replies, “If ye were Abraham’s children ye would do the work of Abraham.”—Did the Jews say, “We have one Father, even God”? He replies, “If God were your Father ye would love Me.”
   Let these two sayings of Christ sink down into our hearts. They supply an answer to two of the most mischievous, yet most common, errors of the present day. What more common, on one side, than vague talk about the universal Fatherhood of God? “All men,” we are told, “are God’s children, whatever be their creed or religion; all are finally to have a place in the Father’s house, “where there are many mansions.”—What more common, on another side, than high-sounding statements about the effect of baptism and the privileges of Church-membership? “By baptism,” we are confidently told, “all baptized people are made children of God; all members of the Church, without distinction, have a right to be addressed as sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty.”
   Statements like these can never be reconciled with the plain language of our Lord in the passage before us. If words mean anything, no man is really a child of God, who does not love Jesus Christ. The charitable judgment of a baptismal service, or the hopeful estimate of a catechism, may call him by the name of a son, and reckon him among God’s children. But the reality of sonship to God, and all its blessings, no one possesses who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. (Ephes. vi. 24.) In matters like these we need not be shaken by mere assertions. We may well afford to despise the charge of undervaluing the sacraments. We have only to ask one question: “What is written? What saith the Lord?” And with this saying before us, we can only come to one conclusion: “Where there is no love to Christ, there is no sonship to God.”
   We are taught, lastly, in these verses, the reality and character of the devil. Our Lord speaks of him as one whose personality and existence are beyond dispute. In solemn words of stern rebuke He says to His unbelieving enemies, “You are of your father the devil,”—led by him, doing his will, and showing unhappily that you are like him. And then He paints his picture in dark colors, describing him as a “murderer” from the beginning, as a “liar” and the father of lies.
   There is a devil! We have a mighty invisible enemy always near us,—one who never slumbers and never sleeps,—one who is about our path and about our bed, and spies out all our ways, and will never leave us until we die.—He is a murderer! His great aim and object is, to ruin us forever and kill our souls. To destroy, to rob us of eternal life, to bring us down to the second death in hell, are the things for which he is unceasingly working. He is ever going about, seeking whom he may devour.—He is a liar! He is continually trying to deceive us by false representations, just as he deceived Eve at the beginning. He is always telling us that good is evil and evil good,—truth is falsehood and falsehood truth,—the broad way good and the narrow way bad. Millions are led captive by his deceit, and follow him, both rich and poor, both high and low, both learned and unlearned. Lies are his chosen weapons. By lies he slays many.
   These are awful things; but they are true. Let us live as if we believed them. Let us not be like many who mock, and sneer, and scoff, and deny the existence of the very being who is invisibly leading them to hell. Let us believe there is a devil, and watch, and pray, and fight hard against his temptations. Strong as he is, there is One stronger than him, who said to Peter, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not,” and who still intercedes at God’s right hand. Let us commit our souls to Him. (Luke xxii. 32.) With such a being as the devil going to and fro in the world, we never need wonder to see evil abounding. But with Christ on our side, we need not be afraid. Greater is He that is for us than he that is against us. It is written, “Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you.”—“The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” (James iv. 7; Rom. xvi. 20.)

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007) [Westminster (PB) | Amazon (HC)].

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don’t know what kind of person pays to read a blog that is available free of charge, but since some do, I’ve made this blog available on Kindle. To my surprise, a few subscriptions have actually been purchased. I can’t say how many. Most likely, the five reviews posted on Amazon represent the entire list of subscribers. The other day, I was for the first time made aware of those reviews, and I got a kick out of reading them. Three are positive and two negative. Both of the negative reviews said I was too political. This post is for them.

Suppose I say the moon is made of cheese. You say it’s not. I then ask, what, if not cheese, is it made of? You say you don’t know, but you know it’s not cheese. I say, “Well, unless you can propose another theory, you’ll have to accept mine.”

Or, suppose I look out my window and see the neighbor’s dog knock over my garbage cans and scatter trash all over my yard and across the street. I respond by grabbing my shotgun, stuffing my pockets full of 00 buck, and heading for the door. Then, suppose my wife gets nervous and asks me what in tarnation I’m up too. I explain that I intend to storm the neighbor’s house and blast everything that moves, including the neighbors.

“You can’t do that!” she says.

“Oh, yeah?” say I, “Well that’s exactly what I’m going to do, unless you’ve got a better idea.”

I’m not schooled in rhetoric well enough to know what to call that line of reasoning, but there must be a name for it. I’m going to call it argumentum stupidum for now. It states that if you don’t have an answer, my answer must be right. I encountered the example in my first paragraph in a recent discussion of John 2:4. My second example is a close approximation of one of the health-care fascists’ answers to objections to government regulation of the medical industry.

Take that for what it’s worth, which is, according to one of the positive Amazon reviews declaring this blog to be “Definitely worth the price!”, 99¢.

It is often tempting to take matters that are not ours into our own hands. From the vigilante who takes it upon himself to administer justice — as he sees it — when the law fails, to the wife who usurps her husband’s place when he doesn’t meet her expectations, we are all tempted at times to get the job done by any means. William Gurnall reminds us that as God’s design includes the means to the end, he also has ordained particular ministers for each task.

We shall never be charged for not doing another’s work. ‘Give an account of thy stewardship,’ Lu. xvi. 2; that is, what by thy place thou wert intrusted with. We may indeed be accessory to another’s sin and miscarriage in his place. ‘Be not partakers with them,’ saith the apostle, Eph. v. 7. There is a partnership, if not very watchful, that we have with other’s sins, and therefore we may all say ‘Amen’ to that holy man’s prayer, ‘Lord, forgive me my other sins.’ Merchants can trade in bottoms [vessels of burden] that are not their own, and we may sin with other man’s hands many ways; and one especially is, when we do not lend our brother that assistance in his work and duty, which our place and relation obligeth to. But it is not our sin that we do not supply another’s negligence, by doing that which belongs not to our place. We are to pray for magistrates that they may rule in the fear of God, but if they do not, we may not step upon the bench and do his work for him. God requires no more than faithfulness in our place. We do not find fault with an apple-tree if it be laden with apples—which is the fruit of its own kind—though we can find no figs or grapes growing on it. We expect these only from their proper root and stock. He is a fruitful tree in God’s orchard that ‘bringeth forth his fruit in his season,’ Ps. i. 3.

—William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour (Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 1:282–283.

John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”

The example of Jesus in this passage is a great source of encouragement, exhortation, and comfort to us. Calvin writes:

   My food is to do the will of him who sent me. He means not only that he esteems it very highly, but that there is nothing in which he takes greater delight, or in which he is more cheerfully or more eagerly employed; as David, in order to magnify the Law of God, says not only that he values it highly, but that it is sweeter than honey, (Psalm xix. 10.) If, therefore, we would follow Christ, it is proper not only that we devote ourselves diligently to the service of God, but that we be so cheerful in complying with its injunctions that the labor shall not be at all oppressive or disagreeable.
   That I may finish his work. By adding these words, Christ fully explains what is that will of the Father to which he is devoted; namely, to fulfill the commission which had been given to him. Thus every man ought to consider his own calling, that he may not consider as done to God what he has rashly undertaken at his own suggestion. What was the office of Christ is well known. It was to advance the kingdom of God, to restore to life lost souls, to spread the light of the Gospel, and, in short, to bring salvation to the world. The excellence of these things caused him, when fatigued and hungry, to forget meat and drink. Yet we derive from this no ordinary consolation, when we learn that Christ was so anxious about the salvation of men, that it gave him the highest delight to procure it; for we cannot doubt that he is now actuated by similar feelings towards us.

—John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, Volume I (Baker Books, 2009), 169–170.

John 4:46 Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”

Calvin on John 4:48:

   When he had heard that Jesus had come. When he applies to Christ for aid, this is some evidence of his faith; but, when he limits Christ’s manner of granting assistance, that shows how ignorant he was. For he views the power of Christ as inseparably connected with his bodily presence, from which it is evident, that he had formed no other view concerning Christ than this,—that he was a Prophet sent by God with such authority and power as to prove, by the performance of miracles, that he was a minister of God. This fault, though it deserved censure, Christ overlooks, but severely upbraids him, and, indeed, all the Jews in general, on another ground, that they were too eager to behold miracles.
   But how comes it that Christ is now so harsh, who is wont to receive kindly others who desire miracles? There must have been at that time some particular reason, though unknown to us, why he treated this man with a degree of severity which was not usual with him; and perhaps he looked not so much to the person as to the whole nation. He saw that his doctrine had no great authority, and was not only neglected but altogether despised; and, on the other hand, that all had their eyes fixed on miracles, and that their whole senses were seized with stupidity rather than with admiration. Thus, the wicked contempt of the word of God, which at that time prevailed, constrained him to make this complaint.
   True, indeed, some even of the saints sometimes wished to be confirmed by miracles, that they might not entertain any doubt as to the truth of the promises; and we see how God, by kindly granting their requests, showed that he was not offended at them. But Christ describes here far greater wickedness; for the Jews depended so much on miracles, that they left no room for the word. And first, it was exceedingly wicked that they were so stupid and carnal as to have no reverence for doctrine, unless they had been aroused by miracles; for they must have been well acquainted with the word of God, in which they had been educated from their infancy. Secondly, when miracles were performed, they were so far from profiting aright, that they remained in a state of stupidity and amazement. Thus they had no religion, no knowledge of God, no practice of godliness, except what consisted in miracles.
   To the same purpose is that reproach which Paul brings against them, the Jews demand signs, (1 Cor. i. 22.) For he means that they were unreasonably and immoderately attached to signs, and cared little about the grace of Christ, or the promises of eternal life, or the secret power of the Spirit, but, on the contrary, rejected the Gospel with haughty disdain, because they had no relish for any thing but miracles. I wish there were not many persons in the present day affected by the same disease; but nothing is more common than this saying, “Let them first perform miracles, and then we will lend an ear to their doctrine;” as if we ought to despise and disdain the truth of Christ, unless it derive support from some other quarter. But though God were to overwhelm them by a huge mass of miracles, still they speak falsely when they say that they would believe. Some outward astonishment would be produced, but they would not be a whit more attentive to doctrine.

—John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, Volume I (Baker Books, 2009), 179–181.

If this royal official was mistaken to think the physical presence of Jesus was key to his son’s healing, how much more foolish are those who imagine there is power in the physical touch of the likes of Oral Roberts or Benny Hinn?

Our Fridays are dedicated to the promotion of liberty.

Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom in Five Minutes

We watched 2012 last night because, the little woman said, “I couldn’t find anything else that looked good.” We watched it and, in fact, enjoyed it, even though it was just a replaying of a story that has been told who knows how many times before.

Really, there was nothing original about it. It contained the same plot and many of the clichés you would expect in an end of the world story, or for that matter, many Hollywood productions these days: the good guy who has generally failed at everything, especially his marriage, and the kid who resents him; the crazy comic-relief guy; the cold-hearted politician; the scientist with a superior conscience; evil bourgeoisie who trample over the proletariat; an absurd number of in-the-nick-of-time, flames-licking-at-your-back-pockets moments.

On the positive side, it was a fairly high-quality production, and not at all cheesy like, say, Independence Day (basically the same story, plus aliens). As in Independence Day, the cherry on top is the character-of-questionable-sanity. Woody Harrelson delivers an hilarious performance as a conspiracy theorist radio host who just happens to be right this time. Also worth noting is that the apocalypse, in this case, is not the fault of evil capitalist environmental rapists. Someone in Hollywood slipped up on that one.

This is one you can watch with your family (if you haven’t already — hey, I never claimed to be cutting edge). It’s rated PG-13 for “intense disaster sequences and some language.” There was some profanity, but it was not gratuitously (i.e. fashionably) obscene.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Hymn 33. (C. M.)
Absurdity of infidelity. 1 Cor. i. 26—31.
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Shall atheists dare insult the cross
Of our Redeemer, God?
Shall infidels reproach his laws,
   Or trample on his blood?

What if he choose mysterious ways
   To cleanse us from our faults?
May not the works of sov’reign grace
   Transcend our feeble thoughts?

What if his gospel bids us fight
   With flesh, and self, and sin,
The prize is most divinely bright
   That we are call’d to win.

What if the foolish and the poor
   His glorious grace partake,
This but confirms his truth the more,
   For so the prophets spake.

Do some that own his sacred name
   Indulge their souls in sin?
Jesus should never bear the blame,
   His laws are pure and clean.

Then let our faith grow firm and strong,
   Our lips profess his word;
Nor blush nor fear to walk among
   The men that love the Lord.

—from The Psalms & Hymns of Isaac Watts. Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Book I: Collected from the Holy Scriptures (Soli Deo Gloria, 1997).

John 8:48–59

The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ 53 Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.

We should observe, first, in this passage, what blasphemous and slanderous language was addressed to our Lord by His enemies. We read that the Jews “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” Silenced in argument, these wicked men resorted to personal abuse. To lose temper, and call names, is a common sign of a defeated cause.
   Nicknames, insulting epithets, and violent language, are favourite weapons with the devil. When other means of carrying on his warfare fail, he stirs up his servants to smite with the tongue. Grievous indeed are the sufferings which the saints of God have had to endure from the tongue in every age. Their characters have been slandered. Evil reports have been circulated about them. Lying stories have been diligently invented, and greedily swallowed, about their conduct. No wonder that David said, “Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” (Psalm cxx. 2.)
   he true Christian in the present day must never be surprised to find that he has constant trials to endure from this quarter. Sinful human nature never changes. So long as he serves the world, and walks in the broad way, little perhaps will be said against him. Once let him take up the cross and follow Christ, and there is no lie too monstrous, and no story too absurd, for some to tell against him, and for others to believe. But let him take comfort in the thought that he is only drinking the cup which his blessed Master drank before him. The lies of his enemies do him no injury in heaven, whatever they may on earth. Let him bear them patiently, and not fret, or lose his temper. When Christ was reviled, “He reviled not again.” (1 Peter ii. 23.) Let the Christian do likewise.
   We should observe, secondly, what glorious encouragement our Lord holds out to His believing people. We read that He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep My saying, he shall never see death.”
   Of course these words do not mean that true Christians shall never die. On the contrary, we all know that they must go down to the grave, and cross the river just like others. But the words do mean, that they shall not be hurt by the second death,—that final ruin of the whole man in hell, of which the first death is only a faint type or figure. (Rev. xxi. 8.) And they do mean that the sting of the first death shall be removed from the true Christian. His flesh may fail, and his bones may be racked with strong pain; but the bitter sense of unpardoned sins shall not crush him down. This is the worst part of death,—and in this he shall have the “victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. xv. 57.)
   This blessed promise, we must not forget to notice, is the peculiar property of the man who “keeps Christ’s sayings.” That expression, it is clear, can never be applicable to the mere outward professing Christian, who neither knows nor cares anything about the Gospel. It belongs to him who receives into his heart, and obeys in his life, the message which the Lord Jesus brought from heaven. It belongs, in short, to those who are Christians, not in name and form only, but in deed and in truth. It is written,—”He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” (Rev. ii. 11.)
   We should observe, thirdly, in this passage, what clear knowledge of Christ Abraham possessed. We read that our Lord said to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it and was glad.”
   When our Lord used these remarkable words, Abraham had been dead and buried at least 1850 years! And yet he is said to have seen our Lord’s day! How wonderful that sounds! Yet it was quite true. Not only did Abraham “see” our Lord and talk to Him when He “appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre,” the night before Sodom was destroyed, (Gen. xviii. 1,) but by faith he looked forward to the day of our Lord’s incarnation yet to come, and as he looked he “was glad.” That he saw many things, through a glass darkly, we need not doubt. That he could have explained fully the whole manner and circumstances of our Lord’s sacrifice on Calvary, we are not obliged to suppose. But we need not shrink from believing that he saw in the far distance a Redeemer, whose advent would finally make all the earth rejoice. And as he saw it, he “was glad.”
   The plain truth is, that we are too apt to forget that there never was but one way of salvation, one Saviour, and one hope for sinners, and that Abraham and all the Old Testaments saints looked to the same Christ that we look to ourselves. We shall do well to call to mind the Seventh Article of the Church of England: “The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered through Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises.” This is truth that we must never forget in reading the Old Testament. This is sound speech that cannot be condemned.
   We should observe, lastly, in this prophecy, how distinctly our Lord declares His own pre-existence. We read that He said to the Jews, “Before Abraham was, I am.”
   Without a controversy, these remarkable words are a great deep. They contain things which we have no eyes to see through, or mind to fathom. But if language means anything, they teach us that our Lord Jesus Christ existed long before He came into the world. Before the days of Abraham He was. Before man was created He was. In short, they teach us that the Lord Jesus was no mere man like Moses or David. He was One whose goings forth were from everlasting,—the same yesterday, today, and forever,—very and eternal God.
   Deep as these words are, they are full of practical comfort. They show us the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of that great foundation, on which sinners are invited to rest their souls. He to whom the Gospel bids us come with our sins, and believe for pardon and peace, is no mere man. He is nothing less than very God, and therefore “able to save to the uttermost” all who come to Him. Then let us begin coming to Him with confidence. Let us continue leaning on Him without fear. The Lord Jesus Christ is the true God, and our eternal life is secure.

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007) [Westminster (PB) | Amazon (HC)].

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed are those who mourn . . . (Matthew 5:4)

One need not look far to find a book or sermon on joy. Joy has always been a popular topic among Christians, and why not? After all, anyone who can read the words of Psalm 32:1 — “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!” — and say, “That’s me!” certainly has the greatest of all causes for joy. And if, as Jesus, our food is to do the will of the Father (John 4:34), we will never lose our source of joy, even in the most trying circumstances. Jesus, you remember, even went to the cross “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:1–3). So Christians ought to be, of all people, most joyful.

But that joy ought to be mixed with a healthy dose of sadness. Again, let us take Jesus as our example, who lamented the rebellion of the people he came to save (Matthew 23:37, cf. Luke 13:34). This sadness ought never to be far from our minds. Where there is no sadness, there must be either ignorance of, or indifference to, the human condition.

Jesus was a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3), and we should be, too.

Tuesday is supposed to be reserved for William Gurnall and The Christian in Complete Armour, but my current reading in that volume brought to mind the following quote from The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul, so I thought I would share it before it slips away from my memory. In a chapter titled Holy Justice, Sproul reviews a few instances from the Old Testament of God meeting out his justice in dramatic ways. Among them is the story of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6). As you likely remember, the ark of God was being transported on an ox-cart — already in violation of God’s specific instructions — when the ride got rough.

6 But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. 7 And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.

Sproul writes:

Uzzah was a Kohathite. He knew exactly what his duties were. He had been trained thoroughly in the discipline of his calling. He understood that God had declared that the touching of the ark of the covenant was a capital offence. No Kohathite, under any circumstances, was ever permitted to touch the ark. No emergency was grounds for breaking that inviolate command. The elaborate construction of the ark, complete with golden rings through which long poles were inserted, was so fashioned as to make it clear that the ark itself was not to be touched. Only the poles could be touched by man and inserted into the rings for purposes of transport. Then it was the task of the Kohathites to carry the ark by these long poles. No provision was made for hurrying the procedure by transporting the ark via an oxcart.

We must ask the question, what was the ark doing on an oxcart in the first place? God was so strict about the holy things of the temple that the Kohathites were not even allowed to gaze upon the ark. This, too, was a capital crime. God had decreed that if a Kohathite merely glanced at the ark in the Holy of Holies for an instant that he would die. Not only was Uzzah forbidden to touch the ark, he was forbidden even to look at it.

He touched it anyway. He stretched out his hand and put it squarely on the ark, steadying it in place lest it fall to the ground. An act of holy heroism? No! It was an act of arrogance, a sin of presumption. Uzzah assumed that his hand was less polluted than the earth. But it wasn’t the ground or the mud that would desecrate the ark; it was the touch of man. The earth is an obedient creature. It does what God tells it to do. It brings forth its yield in its season. It obeys the laws of nature which God has established. When the temperature falls to a certain point, the ground freezes. When water is added to dust, it becomes mud, just as God decided. The ground doesn’t commit cosmic treason. There is nothing polluted about the ground.

God did not want his holy throne to be touched by that which was contaminated by evil, that which was in rebellion to him, that which by its ungodly revolt had brought the whole of creation to ruin and caused the ground and the sky and the waters of the sea to groan together in travail waiting for the day of redemption. Man. It was man’s touch that was forbidden.

—R. C. Sproul, The Holiness of God (Tyndale, 1985), 140–141.

John 5:10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” 11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

Calvin comments on Jesus’ admonition to “sin no more”:

   Lest something worse befall thee. If God does not succeed in doing us good by the stripes with which he gently chastises us, as the kindest father would chastise his tender and delicate children, He is constrained to assume a new character, and a character which, so to speak, is not natural to Him. He therefore seizes the whip to subdue our obstinacy, as He threatens in the Law, (Lev. Xxvi 14; Deut. xxviii. 15; Ps. xxxii. 9;) and indeed throughout the Scriptures passages of the same kind are to be found. Thus, when we are incessantly pressed down by new afflictions, we ought to trace this to our obstinacy; for not only do we resemble restive horses and mules, but we are like wild beasts that cannot be tamed. There is no reason to wonder, therefore, if God make use of severer punishment to bruise us, as it were, by mallets, when moderate punishment is of no avail; for it is proper that they who will not endure to be corrected should be bruised by strokes. In short, the use of punishments is, to render us more cautious for the future. If, after the first and second strokes, we maintain obstinate hardness of heart, he will strike us seven times more severely. If, after having showed signs of repentance for a time, we immediately return to our natural disposition, he chastises more sharply this levity which proves us to be forgetful, and which is full of sloth.

—John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, Volume I (Baker Books, 2009), 193–194.

John 5:20 “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

Do Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same god? Early last year, we read John Piper’s answer from God Is the Gospel. Today, we’ll see what Calvin says. From his exposition of John:

   That all men may honor the Son. This clause sufficiently confirms the suggestion . . . that when it is said that God reigns in the person of Christ, this does not mean that he reposes in heaven, as indolent kings are wont to do, but because in Christ he manifests his power and shows himself to be present. For what else is the meaning of these words, that all men may honor the Son, but that the Father wishes to be acknowledged and worshipped in the Son? Our duty, therefore, is to seek God the Father in Christ, to behold his power in Christ, and to worship him in Christ. For, as immediately follows, he who honoureth not the Son deprives God of the honor which is due to him. All admit that we ought to worship God, and this sentiment, which is natural to us, is deeply rooted in our hearts, so that no man dares absolutely to refuse to God the honor which is due to him; yet the minds of men lose themselves in going out of the way to seek God. Hence so many pretended deities, hence so many perverse modes of worship. We shall never, therefore, find the true God but in Christ, nor shall we ever worship Him aright but by kissing the Son, as David tells us, (Ps. ii. 12;) for, as John elsewhere declares, He who hath not the Son hath not the Father, (1 John ii. 23.)
   Mahometans and Jews do indeed adorn with beautiful and magnificent titles the God whom they worship; but we ought to remember that the name of God, when it is separated from Christ, is nothing else than a vain imagination. Whoever then desires to have his worship approved by the true God, let him not turn aside from Christ. Nor was it otherwise with the Fathers under the Law; for though they beheld Christ darkly under shadows, yet never did God reveal himself out of Christ. But now, since Christ has been manifested in the flesh and appointed to be King over us, the whole world must bend the knee to him, in order to obey God; for the Father having made him sit at his right hand, he who forms a conception of God without Christ takes away the half of him.

—John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, Volume I (Baker Books, 2009), 201–202.

Our Fridays are dedicated to the promotion of liberty.

It has been a sad week in American politics. Liberty has taken a beating unlike any I’ve seen in my lifetime. The Constitution has been wadded up and tossed in the trash, and it remains to be seen if it can be salvaged. It’s almost enough to make me lose my sense of humor. Almost, but not quite . . .

Zombies

Free RC!

I have recently come into possession of several copies of The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul, which I will be giving away over the next several weeks. Winners will be chosen by lottery, and all you need do to enter is send me an email that includes your name and — here is the catch — that you follow this blog by one of three methods: RSS, Twitter, or Facebook. (If you’re tempted to lie about it to win a copy, I won’t be checking up on you, but perhaps you should read this excerpt before entering.) Just make sure the subject of your email says “The Holiness of God Giveaway 1.” Entries will be accepted through next Friday (April 2), and the winner will be notified by email. Another giveaway will be announced next Saturday (and the next, and the next . . .), so there will be multiple chances to win.

1. You must include your subscription information, i.e. RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.
2. If the subject line of your email does not say “The Holiness of God Giveaway 1,” I might miss it and it might not find its way into the drawing.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Petitionary Hymns
Poem XXIII.
Augustus Toplady (1740–1778)

Jesus, thy light impart
   And lead me in thy path;
I have an unbelieving heart,
   But thou canst give me faith.

The work in me fulfill,
   Which mercy hath begun;
I have a proud rebellious will,
   But thou canst melt it down.

Sin on my heart is wrote,
   I am throughout impure;
But my disease, oh Lord, is not
   Too hard for thee to cure.

The darkness of my mind,
   Lies open to thy sight;
Jesus, I am by nature blind,
   But thou canst give me light.

Send down thy Holy Ghost,
   To cleanse and fill with peace;
For O, my inward parts thou know’st
   Are very wickedness.

Thy love all power hath,
   Its power in me exert;
And give me living active faith,
   That purifies the heart.

Unrival’d reign within,
   My only sovereign be,
O crucify the man of sin,
   And form thyself in me.

Thy blood’s renewing might,
   Can make the foulest clean;
Can wash the Ethiopian white,   
   And change the leopards skin.

That, Lord, can bring me nigh,
   And wipe my sins away;
Can lift my abject soul on high,
   And call me into day.

Fulfill thy gracious word,
   And shew my guilt forgiv’n;
Bid me embrace my dying Lord,
   And mount with him to Heav’n.

—The Complete Works of Augustus Toplady (Sprinkle Publications, 1987).

The Gospel According to John

Christ Heals the Blind Man

9 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” 6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent) So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. 8 Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?” 9 Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.” 10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

The chapter we now begin records one of the few great works of Christ which St. John has reported. It tell us how our Lord gave sight to a man who had been “blind from his birth.” Here, as elsewhere in this Gospel, we find the circumstances of the miracle narrated with peculiar fullness, minuteness, and particularity. Here too, as elsewhere, we find the narrative rich in spiritual lessons.
   We should observe, first, in this passage, how much sorrow sin has brought into the world. A sorrowful case is brought before us. We are told of a man “who was blind from his birth.” A more serious affliction can hardly be conceived. Of all the bodily crosses that can be laid on man, without taking away life, none perhaps is greater than the loss of sight. It cuts us off from some of the greatest enjoyments of life. It shuts us up within a narrow world of our own. It makes us painfully helpless and dependent on others. In fact, until men lose their eyesight, they never fully realize its value.
   Now blindness, like every other bodily infirmity, is one of the fruits of sin. If Adam had never fallen, we cannot doubt that people would never have been blind, or deaf, or mdumb. The many ills that flesh is heir to, the countless pains, and diseases, and physical defects to which we are all liable, came in when the curse came upon the earth. “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” (Rom. v. 12.)
   Let us learn to hate sin with a godly hatred, as the root of more than half of our cares and sorrows. Let us fight against it, mortify it, crucify it, and abhor it both in ourselves and others. There cannot be a clearer proof that man is a fallen creature than the fact that he can love sin and take pleasure in it.
   We should observe, secondly, in this passage, what a solemn lesson Christ gives us about the use of opportunities. He says to the disciples who asked Him about the blind man, “I must work while it is called to-day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
   That saying was eminently true when applied to our Lord Himself. He knew well that his own earthly ministry would only last three years altogether, and knowing this He diligently redeemed the time. He let slip no opportunity of doing works of mercy, and attending to His Father’s business. Morning, noon, and night He was always carrying on the work which the Father gave Him to do. It was His food and drink to do His Father’s will, and to finish His work. His whole life breathed one sentiment,—“I must work: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
   The saying is one which should be remembered by all professing Christians. The life that we now live in the flesh is our day. Let us take care that we use it well, for the glory of God and the good of our souls. Let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling, while it is called to-day. There is no work nor labour in the grave, toward which we are all fast hastening. Let us pray, and read, and keep our Sabbaths holy, and hear God’s Word, and do good in our generation, like men who never forget that “the night is at hand.” Our time is very short. Our daylight will soon be gone. Opportunities once lost can never be retrieved. A second lease of life is granted to no man. Then let us resist procrastination as we would resist the devil. Whatever our hand findeth to do, let us do it with our might. “The night cometh, when no man can work.”
   We should observe, thirdly, in this passage, what different means Christ used in working miracles on different occasions. In healing the blind man He might, if He had thought fit, have merely touched Him with his finger, or given command with His tongue. But He did not rest content with doing so. We are told that “He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.” In all these means of course there was no inherent healing virtue. But for wise reasons the Lord was pleased to use them.
   We need not doubt that in this, as in every other action of our Lord, there is an instructive lesson. It teaches us, we may well believe, that the Lord of heaven and earth will not be tied down to the use of any one means or instrumentality. In conferring blessings on man, He will work in His own way, and will allow no one to prescribe to Him. Above all, it should teach those who have received anything at Christ’s hands, to be careful how they measure other men’s experience by their own. Have we been healed by Christ, and made to see and live? Let us thank God for it, and be humbled. But let us beware of saying that no other man has been healed, except he has been brought to spiritual life in precisely the same manner. The great question is,—“Are the eyes of our understanding opened? Do we see? Have we spiritual life?”—Enough for us if the cure is effected and health restored. If it is, we must leave it to the great Physician to choose the instrument, the means, and the manner,—the clay, the touch, or the command.
   We should observe, lastly, in this passage, the almighty power that Christ holds in His hands. We see Him doing that which in itself was impossible. Without medicines He cures an incurable case. He actually gives eyesight to one who was born blind.
   Such a miracle as this is meant to teach an old truth, which we can never know too well. It shows us that Jesus the Saviour of sinners “has all power in heaven and earth.” Such mighty works could never have been done by one that was merely man. In the cure of this blind man we see nothing less than the finger of God.
   Such a miracle, above all, is meant to make us hopeful about our own souls and the souls of others. Why should we despair of salvation while we have such a Saviour? Where is the spiritual disease that He cannot take away? He can open the eyes of the most sinful and ignorant, and make them see things they never saw before. He can send light into the darkest heart, and cause blindness and prejudice to pass away.
   Surely, if we are not saved, the fault will be all our own. There lives at God’s right hand One who can heal us if we apply to Him. Let us take heed lest those solemn words are found true of us,—“Light has come into the world: but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” “Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life.” (John iii. 19; 5:40)

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007) [Westminster (PB) | Amazon (HC)].

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Could Jesus get sick? The question came up in a panel discussion during the 2010 Ligonier West Coast Conference last week. The question was secondary to another on the humanity of Jesus. Sproul had made it clear that, while Jesus was fully man, he was not a fallen man, and while sin is the universal condition of fallen humanity, it is not a necessary condition for humanness. Therefore, Jesus’ sinlessness did not diminish his humanity.

The panelists, including Dr. Sproul (of whom it had been said, “he knows everything”), batted the question of Jesus’ immune system around a bit without giving a conclusive answer. I suppose, then, that it might seem impertinent for a punk like me to propose an answer, but that has never stopped me before, so at this point I will throw out my opinion. You may feel free to throw it out, too.

You have likely heard it said, based on Isaiah 53:2, that Jesus was a homely fellow. I disagree with that assessment. The most we can draw from that verse regarding the appearance of Jesus is that he was, to human eyes, no more than ordinary. He would not stand out in a crowd; you would not see him in a blue jeans ad or on a poster in a teenage girl’s bedroom.

On the other hand, it is highly unlikely that he was ugly. I base that opinion on what he came to be: the Lamb of God. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, the final Passover Lamb. What do we read of that lamb? It was to be “unblemished” (Exodus 12:5). In fact, that was always the requirement of Old Testament sacrifices (Leviticus 22:17–25). Malachi 1:6ff specifically denounced priests who brought defective sacrifices to the altar. Leviticus 21:16ff requires that the priests themselves — and Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews, beginning to end) — be without blemish.

Getting back to the question of illness, then, we have a sacrifice that was without blemish, and a priest without defect. The Levitical sacrifices were only as perfect as the discernment of those who brought them. It is unlikely, to say the least, that any lamb judged perfect by human eyes was perfectly perfect. But Jesus was not chosen by human eyes. God the Father chose and prepared his perfect Lamb to be the perfect sacrifice, and his perception is more than skin deep. Therefore, Jesus would have been without defect throughout. His perfection would have included his entire physiology, including his organs and immune system. He, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:5), would have been like the first Adam, pre-fall, untouched by sin in any way. Therefore, I do not believe Jesus could have gotten sick.

Is this hard to believe? It shouldn’t be. After all, Jesus was, and is, the creator and sovereign Lord of all creation. He ruled the weather (Matthew 8:23–27, cf. Mark 4:37ff, Luke 8:22–25). He ruled the plant kingdom (Matthew 21:18–19, cf. Mark 11:12–14, 19–21). He commanded animals and demons (Matthew 8:27ff, cf. Mark 5:2–13). He controlled the actions of men against him (Luke 4:28–30; John 10:17–18, 39). He killed diseases of all kinds in others. No creature could resist him, or touch him without his permission. Is it so difficult to believe that bacteria and viruses would have no power over him?

This in no way diminishes his humanity; it only separates him from fallen humanity. And that is exactly the kind of man God required to atone for our sins.

‘Having your loins girt about with truth’ (Eph. vi. 14).

Gurnall introduces this section of the text with a brief explanation of the meaning of “truth.”

What is truth here? Some by truth understand Christ, who indeed elsewhere is called ‘the truth.’ Yet in this place I conceive it is not properly so understood, because the apostle instanceth in here several pieces and parts of armour, one distinct from another, and Christ cannot so well be said to be a single piece to defend this or that part, as the whole in whom we are complete, compared therefore, Ro. xiii. 14, to the whole suit of armour, ‘Put ye on the Lord Jesus;’ that is, be clothed and harnessed with Christ as a soldier with his armour cap-à-pie. Some by truth mean truth of doctrine; others will have it truth of heart, sincerity. Those I think right that comprise both; and so I shall handle it. Both indeed are required to make the girdle complete. One will not do without the other. It is possible to find good meanings and a kind of sincerity without, yea against the truth. Many follow an error as they [followed]* Absalom in the simplicity of their hearts. Such do ill while they mean well. Good intentions do not more make a good action, than a fair mark makes a good shot by an unskilful archer. God did not like Saul’s zeal when he persecuted the Christian church, though he thought, no question, he did him good service therein. Neither is it enough to have the truth on our side, if we have not truth in our hearts. Jehu was a great stickler against idolatry, but kicked down all again by his hypocrisy. Both then are necessary; sincerity to propound a right end, and knowledge of the word of truth to direct us in the right way to that end.

—William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour (Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 1:291.

* I have inserted this word because it seems as if its omission is a typo. In any case, it’s the only way I can make sense of it. See 2 Samuel 15:11 (KJV).

John 5:25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”

Calvin on “those who did the good deeds”:

[Jesus] points out believers by good works, as he elsewhere teaches that a tree is known by its fruit, (Matth. vii. 16; Luke vi. 44.) He praises their good works, to which they have begun to devote themselves since they were called. For the robber, to whom Christ on the cross (Luke xxiii. 42) promised life, and who had all his life been given up to crimes, expresses a desire to do good with his latest breath; but as he is born again a new man, and from being the slave of sin begins to be a servant of righteousness, the whole course of his past life is not taken into account before God. Besides, the sins themselves, on account of which believers every day subject themselves to condemnation, are not imputed to them. For without the pardon which God grants to those who believe in Him, there never was a man in the world of whom we can say that he has lived well; nor is there even a single work that will be reckoned altogether good, unless God pardon the sins which belong to it, for all are imperfect and corrupted. Those persons, therefore, are here called doers of good works whom Paul calls earnestly desirous or zealous of them, (Titus ii. 14.) But this estimate depends on the fatherly kindness of God, who by free grace approves what deserved to be rejected.
   The inference which the Papists draw from those passages—that eternal life is suspended on the merits of works—may be refuted without any difficulty. For Christ does not now treat of the cause of salvation, but merely distinguishes the elect from the reprobate by their own mark; and he does so in order to invite and exhort his own people to a holy and blameless life. And indeed we do not deny that the faith which justifies us is accompanied by an earnest desire to live well and righteously; but we only maintain that our confidence cannot rest on any thing else than on the mercy of God alone.

—John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, Volume I (Baker Books, 2009), 209–210.