Easily Edified

I read this quote for Justin Taylor’s blog

“The Mature Christian is easily edified”

And that quote really struck my heart.

What it is saying is that the mature Christian does not have to have anything expect gospel truth to find his or her spirit up lifted. He or she does not have to be in the best situation, hear it from the speaker, or put in the most artistic language to be edified.

This convicted me because how many times have I found myself saying in my heart, “This is great truth, but if the pastor would just be a better speaker my heart would be jumping at this truth.” Or how many times has my mind just stayed dull during gospel saturated music because the music style just wasn’t upbeat enough. I know I can get this way during worship services when the regular worship band is not in and it is just a guy with a guitar up on stage. I found myself more than once amazed at my spiritual immaturity at having my heart remain still during songs like “And Can it Be” because there is not a very good back beat. So many times I am not easily edified!

But I am "easily" so many other things. So as Justin Taylor accessed about himself so the same can be said of me, I am

easily annoyed
easily irritated
easily impatient
easily hurt
easily angered
easily distracted
easily arrogant

Oh, Lord, make my heart soft to your gospel and hard to sin!

Two Papers from Class

Here are two papers that I wrote this past semester for Interpreting Acts class. We were assigned to chose two passages in the book of Acts and write a 7 to 10 page commentary on it. the class was to give the context of the passage, write short commentary on it and then apply the meaning of the passage to today's context.

So I wanted to share the two papers I wrote in hopes that they will benefit you spiritually and allow people to helpfully critic my writing if needed.

CONVERSION OF SAUL: ACTS 9:1-9

THE INVASION OF THE GOSPEL AMONGST THE PAGAN INTELLECTUALS:ACTS 17:16-34

I have another paper I will be getting back soon with hopes of sharing it then.

(Note: the Conversion of Saul paper did not stay corrected when published for some strange reason. So the Bibliography and notes are messed up, but they should still be discernible. Sorry.)

Two Articles of Interest

I want to high light two articles that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

The first one is by Dr. Seyoon Kim on the centrality of the cross in one's theology and the necessity of penal substitution to our understanding of the cross. I would level it a very important read regarding the question of penal substitutionary atonement. Dr. Kim gives and superb defense of this glorious doctrine. It is entitled "The Atoning Death of Christ on the Cross." You find it here.

From the conclusion

Thus, when the doctrine of Christ's penal substitutionary atonement on the cross—and the doctrine of justification that issues from it—is properly expounded, it can integrate the Christus victor motif in itself and provide the adequate basis for sanctification or imitatio Christi…Evangelicals, if they are to be true to their historic identity, should not succumb to any polemics based on distorted versions of the Biblical doctrine of Christ's penal substitutionary atonement, nor yield to the attempts to marginalize it for the sake of the (independent) Christus victor theory or the (biblically questionable) moral influence/example theory. Rather, they must uphold the doctrine, expounding it fully and celebrating the grace of God that it highlights.

The second is by Dr. James Hamilton on the book of Song of Songs. It is entitles, "The Messianic Music of the Song of Songs: a Non-Allegorical Interpretation." You can find it here.

I found Dr. Hamilton's take to be insightful and refreshing. There seems to be two extremes regarding the book of Song of Solomon, one is to just make it into a big allegory of Christ and the church and the other one is to make it into a steamy honeymoon scene. I personally don't like either of those. "Rather, this study pursues an interpretation that sees the Song in the light of the messianic expectations evident in the OT canon." (from the article). I liked the balance where both the reality of the figures is kept and a connection with God's salvific plans is made. And I believe Dr. Hamilton has done both.

You can find more of Dr. Hamilton's writings at his blog.

Live Dangerously

Aseity and Grace

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:24-25)

God’s aseity, it is the doctrine that God is completely sufficient in and of Himself. He does not need anything. He does not need our works or worship to make Him complete.

Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and its fullness are mine. (Ps. 50:8-12)

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. (1 Chr. 29:14)

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Cor 4:7)

John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. (John 3:27)

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: (1 Peter 4:10)

The Almighty Lord is not one that is dependent on man to supply His needs. He would suffer no loss if He let each one of us cease to exist. He would continue to be as fully God and satisfied as He is while we are alive. He does not need our worship, our relationship with Him, our services, our existence, anything! For everything that we can give to Him is supplied by Him. God just receives what He Himself has given to us.

He is God, and completely sufficient in and of Himself. And thus God speaks about Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3)

But should it not be mind blowing that only eleven verses later this is written about this God,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. (John 1:14-18)

The Lord who needed nothing, stepped down into humanity to lavish grace upon grace to us! This is not some expedient business deal from God where He comes to give to humanity in hopes that He will receive something in return. For He needs nothing! This is just total grace! Unmerited, undeserved, against all rational, grace!

And such is the nature of God’s grace. It is not part of some epic transaction where God gives in hopes to find satisfaction. God grace is the over flow of His already sufficient fullness toward those who do not deserve it.

Love Constrained to Obedience

No strength of nature can suffice
To serve the Lord aright:
And what she has she misapplies,
For want of clearer light.

How long beneath the law I lay
In bondage and distress;
I toll'd the precept to obey,
But toil'd without success.

Then, to abstain from outward sin
Was more than I could do;
Now, if I feel its power within,
I feel I hate it too.

Then all my servile works were done
A righteousness to raise;
Now, freely chosen in the Son,
I freely choose His ways.

"What shall I do," was then the word,
"That I may worthier grow?"
"What shall I render to the Lord?"
Is my inquiry now.

To see the law by Christ fulfilled
And hear His pardoning voice,
Changes a slave into a child,
And duty into choice.


-William Cowper-

Understanding Some of our Sisters' Struggles

I found this blog post titled "Beauty at Any Cost" from a link by Challies. It talks about the amount of money spent by women to attain our culture's standard of beauty. But as stated in the post;

The desire of women to look beautiful is not new. But according to YWCA Chief Executive, Dr. Lorraine Cole, what is new is the unrealistic standard of physical beauty which is relentlessly pushed on females, and the sheer extent to which women and girls are now willing to go to achieve this goal.

I think it would very beneficial for us guys to recognize the enormous amount pressure our sisters in Christ feel (and some give way to ) too meet today's standards of beauty. And we should also realize what the culture sees as beautiful: “physical and/or sexual attractiveness” (from the post). So read the post and start to see some of the burdens placed on women.

Not only, however, should we be informed, but we must watch our own hearts. (Notice that I am going to ask, “How much”, because it is impossible to be a male in this culture and not be affected by this!)

• How much of today’s standards of beauty (sexiness) color our view of women? How much is "sexiness" or "hotness" a main concern in our understanding of womanhood?


• Do we remind ourselves as well that women displayed on movies and ads show a standard of beauty that no normal woman can attain?


• How much are we acting like the culture by placing "sexiness" on the top of our "future wife" description list?