The Open Life

The Open Life has moved!

2011-06-23T18:30:00.001-07:00

From now on I'll be posting at www.michaelspotts.com. The new design offers more flexibility. Thanks for all the years here!

~ Michael:.

Using Common Media for Church Growth

2011-06-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

Status Update: The Great Commission is Social

(My first published article, in Christian Renewal!)
Spotts, Michael. "Using Common Media For Church Growth." Christian Renewal, May 18, 2011, 25-27.

In discussing the best use of social media in relation to Church growth, it’s neither as a veteran church planter nor seasoned missionary that I’m able to address the issue. I speak instead from the vantage of an avid user and beneficiary of certain aspects of modern networking. For the past eight years, my work in photography and Web design has revolved around an online presence. More meaningfully, the Internet served as the gateway to my own membership in a Reformed Church, but I’ll come to that later. What I would like to do is open up a conversation on the differences between different types of media for growing local bodies of believers.

USING NEW TECHNOLOGY IS NOTHING NEW

When it comes to turning communication technologies into means of extending the evangel, Solomon’s words ring truer than ever — “there is nothing new under the sun.” For two millennia the Church has capitalized on every advance in the art. From the transition of scrolls to portable codices, and the printing press; the transatlantic jaunt of sermons by telegraph in the late 1800’s, up to the present transmission of text-message invitations to evening services, we have adapted developments in media to suit the purposes of the Great Commission.

THE RIGHT AND WRONG USE OF COMMON MEDIA

For purposes of this discussion, I’ll distinguish between two sorts of media, ordained and common. Ordained media pertains to the instituted means by which God ordinarily speaks to His people, namely, Word and Sacrament. Common media, on the other hand, involves every form of communication common to man, which can be used to bring people into contact with the Church in her ordained ministry. No doubt, harnessing common media for Christ’s sake sometimes leads to miscommunication about what constitutes true Christian life. Technologies which carry sermons into sickbeds have also enabled a questionable culture of spiritual recluses, “self-feeders”, who neglect ordained media. Some Christians have even encouraged listeners to stay in bed on the Lord’s day for “virtual Church.” Of course the good of our efforts in such instances remains somewhat virtual, too.

The right use of common media is chiefly to bridge the gap with outsiders, between unfamiliarity and willingness to participate in a local Christian body. It is to bring people into contact with the Lord’s ordained media. The question, then, is not how to disseminate our message without any further interest in those whom it reaches, but how best to bring them into real membership with local Churches.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE COMMON MEDIA

Now, in talking about particular forms of common media by which we advertise (yes, we can use that word) the availability of ordained media in a local area, let’s begin at the unsurpassed original, word-of-mouth. Since the time of the Apostles, the Church has extended naturally by way of voice. Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 and Paul’s various addresses were not only evangelistic, but were spoken with intent to incorporate believers into visible bodies. In these cases, without the aid of techno-gimmicks, real people were approached by fellow men in a way that communicated vital, personal interest. And by God’s grace, the Church grew rapidly.

The genius of personal recommendation is well-attested to. Ivan Misner, dubbed by CNN, “the father of modern networking”, has said that “practically every businessperson knows how important word-of-mouth marketing is.” [1] It doesn’t take an advertising guru to understand why word-of-mouth is essential to real growth, in the Church as much as anywhere. The answer lies in that, the more personally involved we are in communicating the virtues of something, the less our message seems like a snake-oil pitch. We seem to care. “Word-of-mouth is one of the most credible forms of advertising because a person puts their reputation on the line every time they make a recommendation and that person has nothing to gain but the appreciation of those who are listening,” says Roy Williams, and he’s right. [2] By nature we listen to those we know, and those whom we feel like we know.

THE IMPERSONALITY OF TRADITIONAL MASS-MEDIA

The modern myth that science makes everything “new and better”, has made us prone to think recent developments, such as mass media, will necessarily give better results. However, if one follows the progress of common media through the past two-thousand years, it will be observed that a strange departure occurred in the 19th and 20th Centuries, going from personal to more detached mediums of advertisement; mediums which are inherently remote.

Imagine for a moment that you are an unbeliever or new convert not yet attending a local Church. Compare the experience of receiving a hand-written invitation from a friend welcoming you to his fellowship, against the sight of a newspaper ad bearing no familiar name. Do we listen to strangers? At best, door hangers and leaflets may rely on celebrity or sentimental imagery to create a sense of personal connection. Likewise, compare what it means to be spoken to in person, against the estranged voice of a radio or TV announcer. We tune them out, with all the other white-noise of our media-saturated existence.

This is not to say newspapers, radio, and television are useless means, but I would stress that they often seem detached from real personal witness. They feel to many like anonymous intruders, actors, and hucksters, offering wares or worse. While the old archetype of mass media may be effective for the sale of one-off products, burgers and makeup, it does not suit the Church so well as familiar endorsement. At the 2011 United Reformed Church Planting conference, Rev. Daniel Hyde asked for a show of hands to know how many pastors had purchased Yellow Pages ads for their congregations. Of those who responded, hardly one could attest to a single person darkening the doors of their church as a result. Whereas good money was spent on thousands of ads which failed to receive a return, most churches persist today largely because of the old method: God’s power through real, personal witness.

SOCIAL MEDIA: THE FUTURE IS MORE LIKE THE PAST

Disillusioned by the economic failures of mass-media, and perhaps intimidated by the finesse of the Internet, many pastors at the above-mentioned conference admitted to feeling unsure about the worth of recent social media phenomenons, such as FaceBook, Twitter, blogs and sermon-sharing sites, for the growth of their churches. Hyde was able to address these concerns by focusing both on the financial benefits of social media, and on the inherently personal nature of what may at first seem virtual.

First, let’s look at cost-effectiveness. Ads posted on FaceBook or Google begin somewhat in the style of mass-media. However, by tagging ads with key phrases which users have “liked”, such as “Calvinism”, “Christian”, or “Atheist”, those ads appear only to people who have described their interests as such on their social network profiles. Because the cost of advertising on such sites is proportionate to the size of the targeted demographic, less money is spent on potentially redundant ads, compared to say, bombing the community blindly with ads in the form of big yellow door jams. It’s something like the difference between LAZER guided missiles and WWII air raids.

To give an indication of what these numbers may look like, Rev. Hyde has supplied information regarding ads posted on FaceBook for Oceanside URC in a five-month period. Between Jan. 1 and Apr. 18 of 2011, there were a total of 984,700 impressions (individual appearances of the ad on a user’s page). These ads were targeted locally and narrowed down with key phrases, resulting in 91 intentional follow-through clicks. The total cost for nearly a million targeted views was… $113.66. Ninety-one were intrigued enough to visit the Church’s site.

What must be taken into account is that those who click on ads in social media networks may not be directed to a static Webpage, but to a hub where they can view pages of other Church members. This allows them to observe personalities, send messages, befriend, and ask questions of those who seem most familiar to themselves. They may even discover that they already know people who attend that Church. Social sites like Facebook can form a window into the lives of both pastor and parishioner, informing outsiders about the culture of the church.

REAL PEOPLE MAKE SOCIAL NETWORKING REALLY EFFECTIVE

More powerful even than social ads is the Internet equivalent of word-of-mouth, called “liking” or “sharing”. When FaceBook users choose to click the “like” button on a Webpage, that information is instantly posted to their public “wall” and appears in the feeds of all their contacts. Attached are the subtle, influential words “So-and-so likes this.” The difference is that a friend, rather than an unfamiliar elder or deacon, is now making the connection and spreading interest.

So imagine, a pastor preaches on the Lord’s Day. Afterward, the teaching is posted on www.sermonaudio.net. Suppose just three congregants share the sermon in their networks with the message, “This answered my questions about such-and-such, you’ll like it,” followed by an invitation to the next Church service. Instantly, hundreds or thousands of users with personal connections to those congregants will be exposed to the content in a way that courts real participation! And unlike newspaper or radio ads, social networks provide ways to easily request more information about beliefs, arrange rides, or inquire about similar Churches in another area. So then, despite being conducted over the Web, sharing on social networks is meaningful because it is clearly attached to real people. It is word-of-mouth 2.0.

HOW PASTORS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS NEW TOOL

There are two extremes, the pastor who will not touch a computer, and the one who allows himself to become an overnight op-ed prima donna. But one doesn’t have to spend all day blogging to make an impact with social media. Rev. Hyde’s regular habit has been to post brief, edifying statements and notifications about services or classes. These are shared by others, who may share them with still more. Even if most of one’s contacts live beyond the physical reach of a Reformed Church, this may be the means of their discovering Reformed doctrine and seeking one out.

HOW WE BECAME CONNECTED

And this is where my own story comes in. I was raised in Fundamentalism before coming to Calvinistic soteriology through online discussions, book forums, and sermon sites. I didn’t have an idea what else the term Reformed entailed but months later, when I relocated to Southern California, I knew I wanted to go somewhere that taught “God saves us.” My first idea was to Google “Reformed Oceanside”. What came up was a link to Oceanside URC, with a tag-phrase, “where the Gospel is the program.” While their site had useful information, it was the quick response to an email which secured my attendance that Sunday. Online tools were used effectively to translate my interest into participation in ordained means. I have been present ever since.

In the past six months we have begun more ardent use of social media as real extensions of ourselves to others. We at OURC have seen a tremendous growth in interest to attend. People have discovered sound, exegetical preaching online and are drawn to the services. Others have been intrigued by the interaction they experience with congregants online, and have come to the Church to learn more. The process is different than traditional media, which people see and dismiss so quickly. On social networks, users are more likely to receive recommendations as part of friendship rather than as an annoyance or money scheme.

With social media, we are seeing a renewed, adapted version of personal witness that harmonizes with life in the real world better than traditional print and broadcast media. There is no denying that as mediums have moved forward, the Church has always been at the forefront, learning how to integrate every possible means to the furtherance of the Gospel and growth of local Church bodies. We are happy to see with the rise of modern networking, the Great Commission is more social than ever.

Michael Spotts:.

www.michaelspotts.com
www.theopenlife.com
FaceBook: www.facebook.com/theopenlife

[1] http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/networking/article53188.html
[2] http://www.entrepreneur.com/advertising/adsbytype/article80232.html

The Great Apostasy - Who, When, and Why?

2011-05-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

GREAT APOSTASY—Who falls away from the faith, and how may we stand fast?

2 Thes. 3:3-4, 9-12

"Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day [of Christ's return] will not come, unless the rebellion [apostasy] comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God."

"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

THERE WILL BE A GREAT FALLING AWAY

Many "anti-Christs" have come into existence throughout history, people claiming for themselves honors and titles rightly belonging to Christ alone. Before Christ's return there will appear one final, climactic person—the "man of sin"—who will draw the world to after him. This event will be accompanied by a "great falling away", an apostasy of unprecedented scale, as professing Christians turn to follow this false leader standing in the Church. Multitudes will forsake their association with the pure gospel and will even persecute those who hold fast to the true faith. However, even now people are in grave danger of apostasy.

WHO FALLS AWAY?

Those who fall away are described as lovers of unrighteousness. We discover that behind the apostate's claims of intellectual conviction is an intent to be a god unto himself. People commit doctrinal apostasy so they may ethically apostatize with fewer pangs of conscience. Wishing to live however they please, such persons begin to rationalize away the true faith in order to justify their will to sin. By and by, their professed righteousness in Christ and hunger for right living is exchanged for open "pleasure in unrighteousness."

RESPONDING TO THE DOCTRINE OF APOSTASY

Apostasy does not negate the sure promises of salvation made to believers, but reveals a person's having never believed to begin with. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us." (1 John 2:19) If we would be certain of our true participation in Christ and of our continued loyalty, we must make ourselves familiar with the promises and means of grace and test ourselves that we are in the faith not only with our mouths but with our hearts. We should affirm that Christ is our treasure and His glory our delight. With the Puritans we warn, "indifference to religion is the first step away from religion." Therefore by faith we should seek earnestly to find no pleasure in unrighteousness, but to feel ourselves made loyal to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"None sink so far into hell as those who came nearest to heaven, for they fell from the greatest height." — William Gurnall

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© Michael Spotts:. 2011
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By Michael Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

Forget Your Little Dog, Dorothy: Buy a Taser

2011-05-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Forget Your Little Dog, Dorothy: Buy a Taser
Facing the Realities of Modern Sexual Assault and Abduction

By Michael Spotts:.

2011. May 27 - Oceanside, CA

Recently, a young woman I know experienced a bizarre incident. She received a call from a number she recognized as her workplace, the voice on the line claiming to be a new employee calling on behalf of her manager. She was asked to come by "in two hours to inspect a work-related package." Instead, she arrived early and, upon speaking with her supervisors, discovered there was no package, no authorized call, and no employee by that name. Whoever it was knew enough information about her to be convincing and had access to the department store's phone. What exactly happened remains unclear but the details match certain common elements of a growing, terrible trend in the United States and abroad.

I was first introduced to the subject of abduction and human trafficking in 2008, by David Batstone's phenomenal book, Not For Sale. Later I considered working with IJM, an organization which fights sex trafficking. At first the statistics seemed too high, and the implied infrastructure of the system too complex. However, the US State Department and other agencies continue to churn out yearly reports that, despite being conservative estimates, nearly defy belief. Consider the following:

"In 2005, the Department of Justice reported there have been an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 sex slaves in the U.S. since 2001." (http://www.crisisaid.org/traffickstats.html)

"An estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the United States alone. The number of US citizens trafficked within the country are even higher." (http://www.humantraffickinged.com/#identityhum)

"In 2009, a University of Pennsylvania study estimated nearly 300,000 youth in the United States were at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial uses." (http://www.crisisaid.org/traffickstats.html)

Worldwide, approximately 1.4 million women and children are victims of commercial sexual servitude. (International Labor Organization, A global alliance against forced labor. 2005.)

Try to picture those numbers. Who are all these people being abducted? Why are they selected?

Who Is At Risk for Trafficking

Most of those who are trafficked are targeted because of higher vulnerability. This includes illegal aliens, the poor, and runaways. However, a growing trend has to do with another group of potential victims. While one might think of abductions being primarily the work of desperate rapists, the Internet has opened an industry of "sex menu" shopping. Traffickers first gather photos of attractive women from social networking sites such as FaceBook, amateur modeling ads, or spot them on the street or at work in local areas. The photos are arranged essentially as menus which "clients" from around the country may use to view and bid on potential victims for use in forced prostitution or as private slaves. Those selected become targets for abduction and sale.

While the average age of entry into forced prostitution is 12-14, targets range between ages 5 and 25. (Estes, Richard J. and Neil A. Weiner. The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work: 2001.) "Victims of trafficking are subject to gross human rights violations including rape, torture, forced abortions, starvation, and threats of torturing or murdering family members." (http://humanrightsteam.org/educational-information/human-trafficking-facts-figures/)

What Do Traffickers Look Like?

Traffickers come from all walks of life. "They may operate as individuals, families, or more organized groups of criminals, and are facilitated by other indirect beneficiaries, such as advertising, distribution, or retail companies and consumers. Both women and men act as traffickers in labor and sex trafficking operations. Traffickers may be professional or non-professional criminals because of the low-start up cost of creating a trafficking business. Trafficking is appealing because it is so lucrative: it is the third largest illegal industry worldwide." (http://www.humantraffickinged.com/)

Demand is only rising because of porn addiction and the short life-span of victims. Traffickers do not view their victims as people but as commodities. Forced prostitutes may be coerced dozens of times a day, earning their captors thousands of dollars per month. "$13,000 per year generated on average by each “forced laborer.” This number can be as high as $67,200 per victim per year." (ILO, A global alliance against forced labor: 2005.) It is the third most valuable illegal enterprise after guns and drugs, set to become number two. It deals in billions of dollars. As such, it is highly structured and involves "sophisticated networks of organized crime [that] may be as close to home as a relative to the victim." (http://humanrightsteam.org/educational-information/human-trafficking-facts-figures/)

Crisis Aid reports,

In December 2007, research by the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice based on interviews with pimps and sexually exploited children in several U.S. cities found that most pimps manage one to three girls at a time and operate as follows:
o At least half appear to operate at the local level only.
o At least one quarter may be tied to city-wide crime rings (often engaged in drug sales as well as prostitution) and are constantly looking for new recruits.
o About 15 percent are tied to regional or national networks that are well financed and organized, in which the pimps communicate easily with one another electronically; provide support services such as recruitment, selection, indoctrination, and movement of new girls; and occasionally assist in locating and disciplining girls who escape from other pimps.

In 2009, five men and one woman have been charged in a 16-count indictment with conspiracy and sex trafficking of children and forcing and coercing adults to engage in commercial sex acts... The criminal enterprise transported women and minors to and from the Houston area and had ties to Kansas, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. Women and minors as young as 16 were enticed and coerced into prostitution and were routinely beaten and threatened.

What to Do?

The potential for abduction is not pleasant to think of, but it is a fact of modern life and a matter for future thought and action. It is of special consequence to young women who use social media. In addition to the practical wisdom of avoiding suspect places and carrying means of self defense (with a will to use them), I strongly suggest women below the age of 25 make their FaceBook/MySpace profiles and photos visible to friends only, and be more selective about who they "friend". Reduce the ease of being pin-pointed by deleting references to where one works, studies, and lives. For instance, if one lists they work at Target and live in Oceanside, they are setting themselves up for trouble. Your friends already know those details and strangers don't need to.

As restricting as it may seem, consider removing photos that mainly highlight one's physical form. It is important that potential victims of Internet-based "menu shopping", primarily women between the ages of 12 and 25, protect themselves by offering less to those who might see women as items of sexual interest. God knows I hate saying all of this. But I think it would be wise for women to follow this advice and set a good example to the younger girls they know.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're not in Kansas any more—certainly not the pre-Internet Kansas of 1939. A girl has more to fear these days from the man hiding behind curtains than from green-faced witches. So dear young Dorothies, keep walking that yellow road with courage, heart, and brains, but maybe bring a stun gun, too.

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The Drama of Redemption

2011-05-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

I have known people who, though having sought spiritual experiences of God, admit to finding the bible itself to be a dry crust of a book. “The best way I can describe it is that it’s like a textbook. On math. Trigonometry,” said one man. I can not fault his honesty, though I disagree with his perspective. Of course, I view the word of God through a lens which makes all parts come to life and glow. That lens is compound, its two elements being Law and Gospel.

What makes the message of the gospel, the “good news” of Christ’s redemptive work, so sweet to me is not what others might expect. Since coming to faith, my love of God hasn’t grown necessarily from experiences felt with my five senses, as if God holds my hand physically in the day or comes at night to coddle me palpably when grieving. Neither have I needed visions or wonders to charm my faith into fire. To be candid, very few of my “experiences” of God have involved anything that would appeal to the unbeliever. Yes, I believe I have heard God’s voice many times, but if one asks, “what does God’s voice sound like,” I will respond, “like my own voice reading the scriptures and believing them.” So for the most part, my faith in God and desire to live for Him, and anything I’ve felt, has grown out of my belief of the word.

The sweetness of faith did not begin very sweetly for me. I began where all believers must, believing in the rightness of God’s moral Law. Not only did I come to believe its morals were correct, but that the harrowing terms of the Covenant of Works, God’s first legal arrangement with Mankind, were fair. “The soul that sins shall die.” [Eze. 18:20] There I discovered the extreme gap standing between God’s holiness and mankind. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor even as you love yourself.” [Luke 10:27] “The wages of sin is death,” and “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” [Rom. 6:23, 1:18]

Because of sin, there must be justice and judgment. No maudlin sentimentality exists in God to casually sweep the consequences under the rug. He will not, cannot, shrug off the crimson crimes of our deep disdain toward Him. We are bound by sin and He is bound against sinners, so far as His moral law is concerned. So then, to comprehend, ever so slightly, the magnitude of Christ’s condescension, lowering Himself to experience ineffable shame and suffering on our behalf; that He willingly and with love gave Himself for His enemies, and for myself in particular, moves my heart to know Him, to bless Him.

It is no dry thing to read the word with faith. Faith opens the faucet, as it were, and springs the flood of spiritual wonder and sensitivity. To study the scripture is to learn the particulars of an elaborate romance plot, a rescue mission, a tragedy of untold scale; a great drama of redemption playing through time and in my heart. The bible is interesting because it concerns my beloved, and teaches me how better to love Him.

Reader, ask yourself, has the Law taught your heart, and not your mind merely, the truth that everlasting judgment is not only the necessary punishment for sin, but a good and holy response of God to it? Have you felt, not only for particular sins, but for the original sin of your nature from which all corrupt motives flow, that it would be truly good and noble for God to bring swift, unflinching, merciless justice? I have felt this to be true, ever so weakly, and it was the breaking of my heart. I have felt it would be more deeply good and upright for God to crush me under hell than to cheaply receive my “best efforts”. His worthy name must be avenged! The Creator of all has been slighted and blasphemed by my selfish disregard! Should I walk free while He is made a mockery?

Yet in the Gospel I learn that He was pleased to endure even worse discomfort than we can imagine, in order to justly redeem His people from the guilt, power, and ultimate consequences of sin. I see a horrible scene, acted out beneath the skin of Jesus as He hung upon the cross. Beyond His physical agonies which perhaps we can vaguely comprehend, there was an unspeakably wholesome and noble Being loaded under the filth of our collective evil. His very essence is light, but now He was shrouded in the shame of our darkness and depravity. What grief it must have been for this lofty lover of purity, whose whole Law is love, to be so closely identified with impurity, made to feel responsible for all the selfish and hateful acts committed by His people, so much that it could be said, “he was made sin,” and “he bore our iniquities.” [2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 2:24]

Even beyond the weight of all this, was the massive capstone of his suffering, the turning away of His Father in heaven. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he wailed. [Matt. 27:46] In our present state, you and I have little if any real love for the Father, as an end in Himself and not as means to an end. Christ Jesus, however, loved and cherished the smiling approval of His Father supremely. To lose that sight when His Father turned away in holy disgust, must have fallen upon Jesus’ heart like the cleaving of a colossal glacier onto the fragile waters of an ocean below.

And yet, “for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.” [Heb. 12:2] What awe and ecstasy to believe, that God the Son found more joy in humbling Himself and suffering to redeem sinners for eternal fellowship, than to see the Father’s face. He went willingly, though He sweat blood for the thought of it. Rather than preserve His comfort and dignity undisturbed in heaven, He stooped with a smile, as it were, to experience ruin for a season. “As a lamb lead to the slaughter,” Jesus went quietly to save His people. [Isa. 53:7] He came to save all who discover in their hearts a need of Him, and by faith look to Him. Even such enemies of righteousness as I have been.

The gospel is a story I do not tire of, because I see my own role in it. I am one for whom the Savior bled. I am that woman taken in the act of adultery, to whom He says, “I do not condemn you, go and sin no more.” [John 8:11] Faith is seeing my name in the script of scripture; believing I am welcomed when the Redeemer says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” [Matt. 11:28]

The drama of Christian life is redemption itself, unfolding through history and our lives as upon a stage in the great theater of God’s wisdom and love. I am captivated to see the conclusion, after all enemies have been defeated and the Groom has taken His bride. For by grace, the victory and the kiss are ours. Hand in hand, radiant with joy before the booming applause of angels, we shall share in the everlasting bow. To such a God be all glory and praise. His Spirit imparts faith, and I cannot read His word dryly when trusting these things are so.

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The River of Swift Decision

2011-05-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Humanity paddles frantically upon a river of swift decisions. Torrents of new information surge around us, branching every moment into endless streams of possible diversion. Faced with urgent choices about which way to steer our lives, we are swept helplessly along or fight desperately to take the better course. Therefore we set our route and make decisions by asking one question only—which of any two paths is most likely to lead us closer to Christ, in His Word, in His ordinances, and in conformity to His character?

Was this helpful to you? Please share. Thanks!
© Michael Spotts:. 2011
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

Desiring to be Desirable

2011-04-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

Women have, on the whole, a thirst to feel themselves satisfying to the men they love and respect. They yearn to sense their partners’ approval and pleasure toward them. I imagine fewer marital difficulties stem from conflicts of authority, as from wives feeling unsatisfactory or undesirable. This in turn leads to anxiety, depression, and bitterness. Underneath petty conflicts for control may be a woman trying to wrest back what she doesn’t feel herself to be receiving from a man, a sense of respect and value. She desires to be desirable; to see it in his face and actions. Husbands ought to love their wives as Christ loves the Church, which means assuring them convincingly of their heartfelt acceptance and worth as companions, helpers, and lovers.

The Paradox of Self-Possession

2011-04-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

"This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor." [1 Thes. 4:3-4]

Confronting sexual immorality, the Apostle instructs believers to "possess" their bodies, that is, to control their natural appetites in a way that is "holy and honorable." Although the word, "possess", conjures images of rigid force, the paradox of Christian self-control is that one does not control himself by exerting raw natural discipline, as ascetics do, but by reclining in the promises of the Spirit to work presently and supernaturally; to supersede fleshly desires with the superior desire to glorify God by humble, willing obedience. We control ourselves then, by ceding the power of possession to Him who purchased and presently empowers us for sanctification.

Recent Thoughts

2011-04-23T22:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends. Here are some thoughts I've had in the past few days, summed up in hopes of benefiting you. I'm collecting my weekly ideas at www.michaelspotts.tumblr.com.

~ Michael:.

Grace may not cause us to forget the past, but it moves us to love in spite of it.

Love is not selfless, rocks are selfless. Love is when self finds greater satisfaction in the benefit of another, than in other avenues of self-pleasure. So then, love is not selfless, it is self-sacrificing.

Your favorite attribute of a pastor outside of the pulpit, should be that he gives you Christ in the pulpit.

True spirituality does not consist in private visions and secret promptings, but is to love God and others freely, with satisfaction, despite the costs, in grateful response to the love we have received in Christ.

Christ came to give abundant life, and the life He came to give was Himself, abounding in our hearts through faith.

Without due fear of God in His holiness, there is no basis for seeking, receiving, or responding with appreciation to grace in Christ.

With Christ’s cross, I have died to every failure of the past and future; and by His raising, I am free to live this present moment with the unbounded vitality of resurrection.

The great significance of Christ’s death was not that a man died on cross, but that He was God incarnate, suffering physically and spiritually to immeasurable extremes, to save the very ones who despised Him.

Deeper than the nails and thorns, Jesus was cut by the wrath of God’s justice, and cut off from the presence of His Father.

Christian, never excuse your sins, but always trust that He loves your soul more than you hate your flesh.

We are rubble in the hands of one greater than Michelangelo. We feel ourselves to be hard as rock and yet He molds us like clay.

Insight is the phenomenon of wisdom manifesting so clearly, it becomes as something visible to the mind.

The silence of strangers is better than the banter of liars.

The essence of godliness is not to have moral strength, but to sense one’s natural moral weakness and depend instead on God to overcome and incline the heart to holiness.

When Paul resolved to preach nothing but Christ crucified, he meant to relate all things—absolutely all—whether duties or circumstances, to the finished work of Christ. He meant to preach their relationship to Our Representative, Jesus, who stands before God on behalf of His people.

All those years I wish I had known how to progress in godliness. We grow in gracious character by dwelling consciously in Triune grace—by resting in the Father to receive us freely in the Son; and in Christ, to work presently in and through us by his Holy Spirit.

Paul understood what many Christian teachers forget, that because no one can fulfill even one command perfectly, every exhortation brings further condemnation if not grounded in faith of Christ’s Representation, and causes desperation if not established in the Spirit’s sovereign sanctification.

In Christ, God receives us as having measured up to His standard. The mark is there for us to imitate in love.

Lawspel Sermons

2011-04-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Evangelical circles, I attended many bible studies over the years and heard much about the frame of heart I ought to have, and what my moral duties are. Most of it was true and good. But how to arrive at that heart, or to achieve true obedience, practically, that part was often omitted.

I wonder, what darkens these teachers to give so much Law and so little Gospel to their weary sheep? Do they think we are something besides mere flesh and dust, dry bones, who need our spirits lifted constantly by promises of grace? No wonder I spiraled through pietistic cycles of self-confidence, failure, and guilt, sitting under frequent "lawspel" sermons—the good old, moralistic, self-absorbed news of all we must do for God now that we are forgiven; sermons sadly deficient of clarity regarding the Father's love and power to us in Jesus. Do such teachers not know that "we love because He first loves us"; and only practice love as we sense and rest in His love through the gospel?

When Paul resolved to preach nothing but Christ crucified, he meant to relate all things—absolutely all, whether duties or circumstances—to the finished work of Christ, for which He went to the cross. The Apostle preached the relationship of all things to Our Representative, Jesus, who stands before God on behalf of His people, having fulfilled the Law for acceptable righteousness. Paul understood what many Christian teachers forget: that because no one can fulfill even one command perfectly, every exhortation brings only further condemnation if not grounded in faith of Christ's Representation, and causes desperation if not established in the Spirit's sovereign sanctification.

All those years I wish I had known how to progress in godliness. I wish it had been made plain, each and every time morals were expounded, that we grow in gracious character by dwelling consciously in Triune grace; by resting in the Father to receive us freely in the Son, and to work presently in and through us by the Holy Spirit.

Was this helpful to you? Please share it with others. Thanks!
Michael Spotts:. www.theopenlife.com

The Ideal Woman

2011-04-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

This morning I was asked, "If women desire men who are like Jesus, what kind of woman as illustrated in the Bible do men search for?"

I believe that if we all acted wisely, men would desire women who demonstrate something of the ideal Church, Christ's bride. [Rev. 21:9-10; John 3:28-29; Eph. 5:22-33]

Above all, the Church is willing to receive mercy. She knows and is ashamed of her inadequacies and imperfections, but trusts that she is received in love. So ideally, a woman is sensible of her sins and weaknesses and therefore seeks to have a relationship built on mutual graciousness and patience. [Tit. 3:3-8]

The Church desires to improve, all her life to become more conformed to the way Christ loves. A woman who yearns for grace to become more loving and wise is especially desirable. [Rom. 8:29]

The ideal Church is teachable, desiring to learn from Christ. So a woman with a heart to learn with and from her husband is admirable. [Matt. 11:29; 1 Tim. 2:11; Tit. 3:14]

The ideal Church is modest and yet beautiful, giving glory to Christ for all she is. An ideal woman, then, is sensible of her gifts as having been given graciously by God for the enjoyment of herself and others. She desires more and more to shed her old rags of vanity and to put on humility. [1 Cor. 4:7; Jas. 1:17; 1 Tim. 2:8-10]

Just as the chief work of the Church is to further the work of Christ and bring joy to His heart, a godly woman embraces the opportunity to extend her husband's Christian witness by being a helper and pleasure to him. [Matt. 28:19; 1 Thes. 2:4; 1 Thes. 4:1; Gen. 2:18]

The Church is faithful, so a woman ought be more willing to suffer and die than to stray from her fidelity to marriage. [Hosea 2:20; Rev. 2:10; Acts. 11:23; Matt. 25:23; Eph. 1:1; Gal. 5:22]

The Church repents in faith. So a woman who sins against her husband should seek mercy and desire to be restored quickly, trusting that her husband will be gracious. [1 John 1:9; Psa. 32:5; Eph. 4:26-17]

The Church communes with and desires the presence of Christ, so a woman should eagerly desire true intimacy, affection, and companionship with her husband. [1 Thes. 5:10; Col. 3:4; Phil. 1:23]

The ideal Church is hard working. So should women be willing to work as an expression of love, whether by caring for the needs of others directly, or by earning income to contribute toward the furtherance of the ministry of love. [2 Thes. 3:8; 1 Cor. 15:58; John 6:27; Prov. 31:10-20; Phil 4:3]

The Church speaks well of Christ, and a woman ought, if at all possible, to esteem the best aspects of her husband. She should praise God publicly for His grace through her husband, whether he has been enabled to provide for, protect, or comfort the family. [Heb. 2:12; Phil. 4:8; Acts 4:20]

The Church is known for her gratitude to God for Christ, with all His providence and love. Even so, a woman stands out when she is grateful and expressive of her thankfulness to God for any blessings she receives, whether through her husband or other circumstances. [1 Thes. 5:18]

The ideal Church beautifies herself for the return of Christ, desiring to be clothed in the gorgeous apparel of godliness when he comes. So ideally, a woman desires to be clothed in loving kindness as often as she meets her husband, and beautifies herself as a generous act of favor to him. [Rev. 21:9-11; Song 4:1; Song 4:9-10; Song 5:10; Rev. 21:2; Rev. 19:7]

Finally, and most importantly of all, the Church knows she falls short of her goals every day. What sets her apart from the world is that she trusts Christ to love her graciously; this faith becomes the fountain of her joy and renewed love. Even so, a woman is truly desirable when she is honest about her faults, yet trusts God to kindle her husband's love, simply because the Lord is kind and knows she needs to be loved. Ideally, she leans on the mercy of her husband, seeing grace as the foundation and whole axis of their relationship. The ideal woman is willing to give and to receive undeserved kindness, forgiveness, and affection. [Heb. 4:16; Heb. 8:12; Luke 6:36; Psa. 57:1; ]

So, there you have it, an ideal. Is any woman all of those things? Doubtful, not perfectly at least. Should men wait then forever for one matching that whole list? No, I don't think so! But I think men would be blessed to pray, asking their Heavenly Father to fashion for them one who aims in that direction. I believe the only trait that absolutely must be present in a woman is faith that Christ has and will always continue to receive her graciously, transforming her heart more and more to love. Everything else is a bonus.

Lastly, for the record, I think men have an even higher calling than women, in regards to character. Should we all feel burdened and miserable by a list like this? No! As Christians, we believe God "works in us, both to will and to do according to what pleases Him," [Phil 2:13] His work isn't finished in one day. We should be excited to think who He is making us to become!

Blessings to you all.

— M:.

The Rarity of Souls

2011-04-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

"We seldom value something unless it is seen to be rare."

When we come to realize and appreciate the rarity of individual lives, seeing the experience of every person as uniquely their own, and their sole chance at life, we may begin to sense the preciousness of each existence. This sense of individual rarity moves us more urgently to protect and improve the lives of all people.

Yesterday I was out with friends, and was very aware, made almost speechless by thoughts of their existence; that their lives are precious to them, and precious to God. I was overcome in the idea that each person has but one soul and one experience in this world, unrepeatable, and costly. I want to spend my life tending souls.

Cut Off With Christ

2011-04-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

"We are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh." Philippians 3:3

Circumcision typified judgement [1] and served to foreshadow the "cutting off" in death of the Male Heir to whom the Abrahamic promises were ultimately made [2], the Seed of the Woman [3], the Messiah. The visceral act of circumcision pictured the violent, atoning death of Christ, and portrayed through ceremonial uncleanness the fact that He would be loaded under the guilt of our sins and cast away from the presence of God to bear judgment for His people. Thus circumcision always pointed forward as a sign of the imputed righteousness which Abraham had by faith. [4]

In this text Paul contrasts real circumcision with those who place confidence in the flesh, which is to trust outward religious signs or personal merits as sufficient to appease the justice of God in the Covenant of Works. Rather, true heirs of Abraham "put no confidence in the flesh", laying their hope entirely in Christ for justification. Doing so, we have been truly "cut off" in the death of Christ; that is, we have been crucified to the demands of the Law, being reconciled to justice through the sufferings of Christ on our behalf. [5] Through this shared identity, we who believe are made recipients of all that belongs to Christ in His resurrection. [6] The difference, therefore, between real and unreal circumcision is like that of shadows and material objects: the significance of the temporary sign of circumcision is realized by those who have been united through faith with the Heir of Abraham who died, was cut off, in their place.

[1] The Hebraism, "cutting off", portrays capital and spiritual judgement, to be severed from communion with God and the people of God:  

Gen. 9:11, "I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."
Gen. 17:14, "Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."
Ex. 9:15, "For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth."
Ex. 12:19, "If anyone eats what is leavened,that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land."
Lev. 7:27, "Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people."
Psm. 37:9, "For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land."
Prov. 2:22, "The wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it."

[2] Gal.3:16, "The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ." The word translated offspring is the Greek, "sperma", seed, and would have been recognizable for its association to the Protoevangelion, the promise of Messiah given in Genesis 3:15. 

[3] Gen. 3:15, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." 

[4] Rom. 4:11 - "He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised."

[5] Through faith we are united with Christ as our Representative Head, as if we had experienced all which He experienced in our place,

Rom. 6:6, "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin."
Gal. 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Col. 2:11,12, "In him alsoyou were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."

[6] Through union with Christ in faith, we are heirs of all the promises made through Abraham to Christ,

Gal. 3:29, "And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise."
Rom. 8:16-17, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."
Rom. 8:32, "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"

One Version of an Ideal Life

2011-04-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

Efficient with alone-time.

Generous with relationship-time, without consciously wasting time.

Reading, reading, and reading.

Writing every day, developing ideas over long periods.

Speaking as fluidly as edited prose.

Studying the word and praying, praying with others as naturally as speaking.

Regarding the Trinity as the present Persons they are, and including them as such.

Developing artistic skills, producing and sharing that work to build community bridges.

Being thrifty without being stingy. Sparing to myself and giving happily to others.

Sleeping enough, exercising daily. Walking instead of driving.

Learning a foreign language and using it to extend the gospel beyond my native tongue.

Writing books that change people.

Repenting in faith.

Being the most encouraging person possible, encouraging others to hope in Christ.

Having a reputation for patience, understanding, and forgiveness beyond any other attributes.

Living according to principle.

Being open-minded enough to examine and change my ways when wrong.

Standing up for what is worth fighting for; standing down when something is not.

Preaching the gospel, over and over and over. Never growing tired of speaking of Christ.

Not wasting time. Not wasting time!

Being present for others but knowing when my best service is to be away, praying and setting an example.

Decorating, designing, cooking, dancing.

Adventuring, traveling.

Fighting for the welfare of others.

Giving up any of the above for the sake of Christ. Giving up all of the above if necessary.

Dying young for the glory of Christ. Dying old having lived for His glory.

* * *

Despite my daily failures, He is the point and passion of my existence. Without Christ, all would be vanity.

The ideal life is not a life lived for Him, but the life through which He lives.

Transit

2011-03-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

2011.03.23
"Transit"

The slow drum of transit is well suited to considerations of one's life. Perhaps this owes to the greater proportions of trains and airliners, compared to personal cars, which illicit a sense of larger, more significant movement; a metaphor of one's own super-transit through time and meaning.

Many small motions may combine to cover a great distance. We meet one person who the next day introduces us to another. This elaborate train of one-thousand acquaintances and instances winds elaborately to marriages, births, murders. How are these stops connected? Was our present position inevitable? Staring at one's feet as we do, it is difficult to know. We shuffle through time, a nudge in this direction or that, too busy feeling to look upwards and backwards for our bearings.

The swing of limbs as we rush about, flesh-and-bone pendulums, movements of an organic timepiece. The rolling rhythm of the heart signals the scroll of an internal odometer, wearing up the miles. We are moving, moving, moving, but where?

Where does all this jostling bring us in the long run? After years of movement, do we dare to look around and see? Are we just outside the womb? Have we been dancing in place since youth, or huddling in the same drab rooms as when we first met tragedy? Is all motion merely shifting in circles, or worse, toward collision?

The speeding train takes me by the shoulder and shakes firmly, "look around." It is time to ask how far I have come, where I am, and where this route is headed.

Michael Spotts:.

Copyright 2011 www.theopenlife.com

RED Church: On the warpath for peace

2011-03-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Some of my Reformed Christian friends have begun an interesting site to document their ecclesiastical activities. The recent minutes of their last meet-up describe the movement as follows,

RED is not a network or idea, but is an intra-church force for unification within the larger ecclesiastical bodies and denominations. RED is something we do and not something we are in title. Even with the differences, we should be working for unity within the respective orbital poles, for the sake of Christ, His Gospel and His Church.

Their mission is spelled out further in the "About" section...

Why don’t Reformed churches dialogue with one another? Why don’t they work together? Why don’t they cooperate to share pulpits, plant churches, and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth?

RED exists to change all of that. The (R)eformed (E)cclesiastical (D)ialogue works to promote genuine ecclesiastical fellowship within Confessionally Reformed churches. We have four means to accomplish this goal: 1) Pulpit exchange: RED Members (REDS) commit to sharing their pulpits with pastors of other NAPARC churches. 2) Tradition Interchange: REDS first and foremost teach through the confessions of their own Reformed church, but secondarily supplement their own confessions with those of other Reformed churches. We adhere to the Six Forms of Unity: the Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Larger Catechism,Westminster Shorter Catechism, Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort. 3) Church Planting: REDS devote themselves in every way possible to assist in planting Confessionally Reformed churches. 4) Overseas Missions: REDS desire to see the gospel extend to every corner of the globe and actively work to make that happen.
So I guess you have to ask yourself: Do I want to be a part of an intrachurch organization that helps Reformed churches grow more united to one another while working together to accomplish the Great Commission? Will you be part of the RED Planet?

I'm all for bridging gaps to unify Christ's body to the extent that doing so doesn't compromise our conscionable commitment to the Word, particularly as we express it confessionally. RED seems to be committed to just that. Fight on, RED.

The Traveler

2011-03-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

The experienced traveler is an efficient pilgrim, the devout disciple of personal economy. His enlightened philosophy is to pack only what is necessary to reduce significant anxiety.

Yet through inexperience and former habits of wanton luxury, every traveler is at first possessed with numerous anxieties and fears. He concerns himself with the most implausible contingencies and wants, for which he accounts by carrying a super-abundance of supplies to meet every possible situation.

In time the pilgrim discovers the likeliest threat to his progress is neither storm nor foe, but grinding fatigue, and therefore faces the choice: either to abandon frivolous items or abandon his pilgrimage altogether. To jettison baggage requires him to accept what consequences might come from having less. For instance, emancipating himself from the weight of a second jacket requires accepting a cold road, should misfortune then ruin his remaining coat. In abandoning excess, the pilgrim abandons himself to the providence of God. Yet in doing so he is loosed to move faster and more freely towards his goal.

The traveler's paradox is that, the less he carries, the better he is able to progress, for the essence of pure travel is efficiency. To be efficient is to be minimalistic in wants, resourceful for needs, and to resign to God that which is beyond personal control. Proficient pilgrims learn to meet the widest variety of circumstances with the barest supplies, and let divine reliance quell their fear of unknowables.

The luxury of a pilgrim is spartan luxury. It is the joy of progressing with as few distractions as possible so one might meditate on the path and its relation to the end. Thus, the art of travel is to overcome needless anxiety by developing resourcefulness and faith, for in doing so we approach the ability to carry nothing but our wits and our hopes. This is true economy.

Comfortable Reminder of the Way We Have Peace with God

2011-03-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

I would like to provide, if possible, a little bit of comfort to those who wonder how they may have true, lasting peace with God, as well as to refresh others who have trusted in Christ but now feel very faint. Such reminders are necessary because faith needs somewhere solid to rest, and the world is always shifting to upset us.

Let it be said that there is a wide gap between believing God is "true" or that He is merciful to others, verses seeing the Lord's gospel promises as something you are welcome to embrace personally. True faith takes hold of the promises, so I wish to present several for you to lay hands upon.

Let us first consider the universal problem which the gospel addresses. The problem has to do with our position as sinners in relation to God's moral and legal standards, the Law. The Law is summed up as genuine love for God, and for our neighbors whom He made. [Luke 10:27] Because God is infinitely worthy of our highest love, the standard by which mankind is judged under the Law is to be perpetually perfect in love, a very high rule indeed. [Rom. 3:23] So we see there is nothing wrong with the Law in itself. It is superb measure of love. The question we have is how the Law relates to our personal righteousness, or right standing with God.

Of course there is a way to be righteous through obedience to the Law, such as with the angels who did not fall, but that way is closed to us because we have already sinned. [Matt. 19:16-17, Rom. 3:23] This presents a dilemma, because on judgment day only righteous people will be justified, or declared righteous. We are sinful. "There is none righteous, no, not one." [Rom. 3:10] We read in scripture that only righteous people have peace with God. [Isa 57:20, Rom. 6:23]

What we see then is that under the Law, personal obedience is the foundation of our righteousness and peace. Because we have not obeyed, we have no solid basis for righteousness or peace. We are lost, unrighteous, and unrestful. We are dead in sin awaiting death in punishment.

The promise Christ gives in the gospel is that there is another way to be justified. One that comes while we are still sinners, without any respect to one's own past, present, or future conduct under the Law. This way is by Christ Himself becoming our righteousness. He says, "I am the Life! I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners! I am peace! I came to seek and save the lost!" [John 14:6, Luke 5:32, Acts 10:36, Luke 19:10]

This other way is to look by faith to Christ to have lived perfectly in the place of all who look to Him; to have died on the cross in your place under the full penalty you deserved for sinning. Through faith in Christ alone, God imputes, that is, credits Christ's whole righteousness to the believer. God is able to "justify him who believes in Jesus," because "to the one who does not work [under the Law] but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." [Rom. 4:5]

Let us briefly consider another of these gospel promises. The Lord says, "come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." [Matt. 11:28] The laboring of which he speaks is laboring to obey the moral Law as the means for obtaining peace with God. Of course, anyone who has tried to love God and others perfectly knows how burdensome it can be, especially when doing so to obtain God's pardon. The rest of which Jesus speaks means resting entirely from your labors to obey the moral Law as the way to be accepted with Him. Yes, there is a way to rest in God's love without any reference to personal obedience to God's moral commands! This is why Paul calls Christian salvation, "justification apart from works of the Law." [Rom. 3:28]

Observe this promise, "All those who come to me I will not cast away." [John 6:37] Coming to Christ means leaving behind obedience to the Law as the means by which to gain God's favor for eternal life. It means trusting Christ to impute his whole obedience to you, just as He promises to do for all who look to Him. They will not be cast away. For the sake of Christ's obedience counted to them, the Lord will greet them at the gates saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." [Matt. 25:23]

Hoping in Christ requires us to believe in His resurrection and ascension to heaven; that He is who He claims to be, our High Priest and Mediator. Faith means believing Jesus ever lives to intercede on behalf of His saints, and that He is a person to whom we may come, though we don't see him. If you find rest in these promises, then you are free to rejoice in the hope that, come failures or hard circumstances, God's promises remain true: trials of this life are given to conform you to love. The next shall be ceaseless peace and joy with him.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." [Rom 5:1]

Replacement Theology, what?

2011-03-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

Those who accuse Reformed people of "Replacement Theology" misunderstand the basis of Covenant theology, as it seeks to interpret Redemptive history. Their error lies in assuming there exists two perpetual categories of believing people, the Jewish Nation and the New Testament Church, rather than two external administrations over the same invisible body of believing people playing out through time.

Yes, the Nation of Israel has been superseded by the New Testament Church as the outward administration of the Covenant of Grace, but there has always and only ever shall be one true Bride of Christ, those in all times and places who look to the Savior alone for mercy and righteousness. Jews have been grafted out from the visible Church through unbelief, yet they can be graft in again through faith. (Rom 11)

The visible church does not "replace" National Israel anymore than a butterfly replaces its own cocoon when it is fully developed. The one has metamorphosed externally into the other, though the essential being has remained the same: those with faith alone in Messiah.

Webscavations

2011-03-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest roundup of internet discoveries...

LROC Viewer - Zoom in on the moon. No really, it's amazing.

The Benefits of Walking - J. Gresham Machen explains what I heartily affirm.

8 Writing Tips from C.S. Lewis - I might dislike his theology but I admire his skills with a pen.

Dick Proenneke Builds a Log Cabin - With homemade tools to boot. Wow. (video)

The Sacramental Word - Dr. Michael Horton discusses how the Word works powerfully. (Video)

Visit to Catalina Island

2011-02-25T04:19:00.000-08:00

I posted about my recent trip to Santa Catalina Island here, with lots of photos.

UPDATE: Calvary Chapel Pastors Perspective on Abortion

2011-02-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

For those unfamiliar with the situation, I would appreciate your reading this post first, both to clarify the issue and demonstrate the attitude with which I am discussing this (very public and influential) event.

I am grateful to the reader who notified me of a follow-up statement made by pastors Chuck Smith and Don Stewart, hosts of Pastors Perspective, released at the beginning of their show on Monday, Feb. 14th.

First, we can appreciate that Smith and Stewart recognized the need for a response. I am especially grateful they spoke directly (or at least over the airwaves) to "Nikki from Riverside" about receiving further counsel before deciding on an abortion.

However, one cannot help but feel sorely disappointed that neither men specifically retracted any of those statements which raised the original controversy, and which stand regardless of whatever medical jeopardy the woman may or may not have been in. The fact is that some of Smith's advice has no relation to the well-being of mothers. For instance,

“It’s awfully hard to actually suggest abortion,” said Smith. “But, you know, I’m sure that, uh, in a case like this where the life expectancy is just, you know, is so bleak, and all, that I’m sure that the Lord would not condemn her if she went ahead and had an abortion at this early stage of the development of the fetus.”

Here, at least, his implication seems clearly abstracted from the mother. Smith says, "where the life expectancy is... so bleak... at this early stage of development of the fetus," he is able somehow to, "actually suggest abortion."

The above statement was neither addressed or retracted in his broadcast on the 14th. Instead, both men stressed their belief that the mother's life might have been in danger (which may or may not have been so, and is besides the point to the implications of what was actually said in the first call). Neither did they acknowledge the indiscretion of handling such a call on live air, or of their poor communication on the matter (if in fact Smith does not believe we are excused to abort "bleak chance babies", which he has still not formally retracted). Instead, he spent a good while castigating those who voiced their concern out as being "false accusers" of the brethren and overly judgmental of his ministry. Such a response is exactly the opposite of what promotes accountability.

False accusation is deplorable, but there was nothing false about the concern of the above quoted statement. Until Smith retracts it, there will be some question as to just how elastic Smith's–and by proxy, Calvary Chapel's–"extenuating circumstances" really extend. Is the destruction of "undeveloped fetuses" excusable when their "life expectancy is... bleak", as Smith said?

The sad fact is already one woman (who studied under Smith) has written to me saying this confirms her belief that we are justified to abort mis-developing children. Of course you and I know better than to base our beliefs regarding the interpretation of scripture on any one man's opinions, but the reality of Pastor Chuck's influence must be acknowledged lest the consequences prove to be literally fatal for others.

I'm interested to know your thoughts on this, please pardon me however for not publishing those comments publicly. I would like to avoid a flame war. If you are concerned please pray and consider speaking with your pastors. It is their duty to address such issues.

Again, my intention is not to stir unnecessary ire, but to promote an open statement of consensus on this issue in CC before there is opportunity for a quiet minority to gain ground in the wake of this devastating precedent.

God bless you,

~ Michael:.

Webscavations

2011-02-16T16:45:00.000-08:00

Once again, I'm passing on some interesting internescoveries from the past month... enjoy!

What is R.C. Sproul's position on Creation? - His view has changed in the past three years.

The Photos We'll Remember (2000-2010) - Life Magazine

Egypt & Labanon Montage - (video) - Filmed with a Canon 5D MKII and portable dolly, this should give you an idea of how far personal video has come in the past three years.

1-Bit Symphony - Tristan Perich has created a musical feat of minimalism that performs out of its own packaging.

A Nice Cup of Tea - How to make one, by George Orwell.

7 Billion - (video) National Geographic attempts to communicate just what that number means, when considering the population of earth.

Open cry against error: Chuck Smith's advice to abort "bleak chance" babies.

2011-02-12T02:13:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: 17 Feb. 2011

Pastors Respond to Concerns - Read here.
_____________________________________________

Original Post...

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, during a live-airing of the radio call-in program, Pastor's Perspective, Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa advised a desperate, tearful woman to abort her "bleak chance" babies.

You can listen to it! (Postscript not included.)
(Portions of Referenced Audio Clips included, entire clips below.)
Flash not working? Use the .mp3

Download .mp3

This post is aimed straight at my fellows within Calvary Chapel circles, in an effort to stir up awareness, prayer, and further biblical response. At your godly discretion, please consider mailing the following letter or similar to your pastors. This error must be addressed by those in leadership and acknowledged publicly.The biggest concern is the specific teaching which may persist, not the person who said it.

Let it be mentioned, this is not an invitation to spitefully bash Calvary Chapel. I was raised in CC. My father is an elder at Calvary Chapel Oceanside. I am a CCBC graduate; was employed on staff at the bible college in Murrieta for two years; edited their college journal for two semesters. I taught bible studies for the college group at CC Appleton, WI, and served as a missionary for CC in Newcastle, Australia for six months. I am not an outsider and maintain close fellowship with many in those circles. I am not ashamed to acknowledge my debt and affection towards brothers and sisters within Calvary Chapel. Neither is this an occassion to carpet-bomb all CC pastors. The following letter was written to CC pastors who are personal friends and mentors to me, and who have direct influence within CC. I encourage others to do the same in a spirit of humility and righteous concern.

Why I am posting this - Because teachings outlive pastors

My point is to raise a loud cry of prayer, to publicly mourn and call others to that grief before God, and to motivate pastors to uphold their duty to confront error in the way described in 1 Tim. 5:19-20,

"Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."

Lastly, I hope a wave of counter-opinion moves through Calvary Chapel to assert once and for all that Chuck's opinion on this matter is not representative of the whole's interpretation of scripture. If it does not, Smith may literally have a legacy of dead children for his heirs.

Please consider sharing the following or similar with your pastors,

Dear Pastor(s),

Hello, and thank you for your time.

I am writing in hopes that you would evaluate the situation and use whatever influence God grants to exert correctional power toward this terrible error, if only to pray and contact Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.

You may already know that Pastor Chuck Smith, founder of Calvary Chapel, shocked listeners on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, on his “Pastor’s Perspective” call-in radio program when he encouraged a tearful mother to abort conjoined twins.

“It’s awfully hard to actually suggest abortion,” said Smith. “But, you know, I’m sure that, uh, in a case like this where the life expectancy is just, you know, is so bleak, and all, that I’m sure that the Lord would not condemn her if she went ahead and had an abortion at this early stage of the development of the fetus.”

"I'm totally opposed to abortion for just any reason, but I do believe in being reasonable... I do not believe in abortion as it is being practiced today. However, there can be extenuating circumstances," Smith said.

The second day, damage-control went to work. The situation was spun as if the woman's life had been threatened (as if that settled it, anyway). It is clear, however, from the original conversation that the mother's life was not jeopardized by carrying the birth through. By this time, perhaps tens of thousands had heard the program.

The audio seems somehow worse than even what appears in text.

2/8/11 - Original Complete Audio File #1 (.mp3) - Right Click and "Save as"

2/9/11 - Original Complete Audio File #2 (.mp3) - Right Click and "Save As"

Original Article here:
http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/pastor-chuck-smith-stuns-radio-listeners-by-encouraging-woman-to-abort/

This issue regarding Pastor Chuck's advice to abort was brought to my attention by confused and frightened people. Outsiders are now wondering if Calvary Chapel condones abortion for "bleak chance babies"? I am writing in hopes that you will urge Pastor Chuck to humbly and publicly acknowledge his error (rather than doing damage control) and make this announcement in an equally public way. If he does not, we may fully expect a legacy of murdered children as the enemy uses this error to sow seeds of sin in the hearts of God's people.

May God bless your service to him in defending the Church from danger, within and without. Thank you.

To contact Pastor Chuck via email,

laurajackson@calvarychapel.com

Again, I have a clean conscience notifying others of this dangerous issue. Pastor's Perspective is heard by tens of thousands; if not addressed, the influence of this error will be felt for decades as Chuck's words are quoted like a mantra to whisk away biblical exegesis and excuse murder. For all we know, women have already acted on it.

Whether or not so much emphasis should not be put on the opinions of one man is not the issue. The fact is, in the present situation of Calvary Chapel, great regard is given to Chuck's interpretation of the word, if for no other reason than it is associated with general soundness and fruitfulness by his CC associates. Whether we like it or not, people (lots of them) do refer to Chuck, not as the Word for today, but as a vital authority for interpreting it.

Finally, I encourage my brothers and sisters to react, primarily by praying and urging your pastors to do their biblical duty - correct an elder in error publicly.

POSTSCRIPT: My greatest concern here, for God's sake, is more than that Chuck sinned (unintentionally) in his statements. Perhaps he has already been confronted, what then is the use of stirring up so many people to write their pastors? Because of the tremendous lasting confusion which his words may bring if they are not met with a resounding correction. That he is corrected behind closed doors matters little if, as is the historical case with other errors I have observed within CC, that error is not publicly acknowledged on the same scale that it was made. In this case, real lives are at stake.

To quote Bryan Kemper, "I want everyone to Nicely and in a Loving Way write a letter to Chuck Smith and encourage him to repent and never counsel a woman to kill her child again. He also needs to plead over the air for Nikki to keep her children and offer all the help she needs." May God bless everyone involved with grace for godliness.

Is Personal Surrender Necessary for Assurance or Salvation?

2011-02-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

Often as we enter Evangelical circles, we are confronted by someone addressing matters of personal assurance with the vacuous statement, "You just need to surrender all", as if to provide a way of infallible support to the struggling, guilty soul.

You can listen to it, too!

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Now, if their meaning was always to "surrender all confidence in personal merit or will, trusting instead to the credited obedience and penal sufferings of Christ in their place," we would have no issue. Very often, however, the implication is that personal assurance, and perhaps salvation too, is contingent upon obedience to the moral commands of scripture. Rather than call this path what it is, "works-righteousness", the idea that one's readiness to face judgment depends at all on moral resolve becomes couched in a pietistic ornament, "surrender", to make what is active appear passive.

The reality is these rogues heap even greater condemnation upon stooping saints, rather than pointing to Christ to ease the burden they themselves cannot bear. One almost wonders if the Law works a predatory instinct in those who are under it, to hunt after weak consciences and thrust them through with even heavier sense of guilt? The Law is a strict schoolmaster leading the Elect to faith in Christ's Law-keeping on their behalf. I suspect our tutor also employs a staff of dropouts who never learned the lesson for themselves, who crack our knuckles and wear us down.

It cannot be said enough: Full personal surrender to moral commands cannot be a part of our salvation or the basis of acceptance with God, simply because in Christ we have died to all moral imperatives (Law) as the means of inheriting eternal life.

"You also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God." [Rom. 7:4]

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." [Gal. 3:13]

In preparation for our Lord's return we make ourselves ready by working out our salvation. This is not done by submitting to the moral law as a yoke, but by looking to Christ's imputed righteousness alone for acceptance with the Father. We "fear and tremble" lest we've looked at ourselves instead of to God who "works in us both to will and to do." We fear the idea of having made faith into a law rather than the gift of God; our own obedience, the ground of salvation in place of Jesus' life credited to us. We tremble to think of valuing the degree of our subjective "dying to self" more than we trust the death of Christ who rose again to deliver us.

At this point, some dogged legal-beagle perks his ears and points his nose, sure that he sniffs licentiousness coming up from its hole. "What you are saying will lead to total disregard of holiness!" he barks. Such a person must doubt the new birth entirely, or that the Spirit takes up residence in the saints to chasten and empower them for good works! Truly, one who is never accused of suggesting antinomianism, has neverpreached the gospel. Those who are under the Law cannot conceive of obedience without the whip of fear.

If we have indeed looked away from the requirements of the law for free justification in Jesus by grace alone, His indwelling Spirit will no doubt prompt us to obey out of gratitude, not servile fear. We obey as assured sons, not slaves under law. Yes, there is a sense in which Christians are servants of God. Like bond servants of old, we are willing residents and ministers in the household of Christ. Our term is indefinite and we carry the jewel of faith in our ears for proof of belonging. Yet that is not the whole analogy of faith, nor the dominant model of our justified relationship with God, which is sonship and marriage.

Being in Christ, we are not our own. Christ the King has the right to our hearts! "Through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God." [Gal. 2:19] Still, none of us comes close to full surrender throughout the day. The requirement of the law is perpetual perfection, not momentary flashes of confidence that we are submitting. God's law requires nothing less than for us to love Him with all our being.

"By works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." [Rom. 3:20]

Despite this fact, one needs only to open his ears for a moment to hear intoxicated mouths vomiting out Galatian error, that one must surrender absolutely to Christ's moral commands, in a way to make salvation contingent on personal resolve. To such I say with Paul, "I fear for you." And here lies the difference between the Protestants and the institution they sought to reform. Pope Clement VIII's personal theologian, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, wrote, "the greatest of all Protestant heresies is assurance."

It seems Evangelicals are half-way back down the road to Rome, and don't even know it. Many seek assurance through ecstatic experiences in fancy buildings (they'll relish cathedrals) and elaborate musical worship (the beautiful chants in the Vatican are otherworldly). They measure the reality of their faith by plunging after subjective revelations in private devotions (monastic mysticism will enthrall them), and practically flagellate themselves with guilt and duties whenever they become especially conscious of fault, in a way to restore the Father's affection (penance is upon them, and the division of mortal and venial sins). Many have all but abandoned the framework upon which actual assurance rests: free justification in Christ promised to all who hope in Him alone.

"We ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people." [Titus 3:3-8]

Balancing our studies and our hearts

2011-01-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

I've been asked many times how to balance Christian study with secular subject matter, if at all, and by what means to prevent all this knowledge from going to one's head. How much it has gone to mine is for the Lord to judge, but here are my thoughts. I hope they help you find a balance between precision and piety...

If you won't read it, you can listen to it! (Flash not working? Use the .mp3)

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Because of my interest in vocational Christian ministry, most of my reading is related to doctrinal concerns. Probably one-third, however,is general. I study world history, philosophy, politics, art, poetry and literature; whatever comes under my nose. My aim is to be rounded enough to understand how various ideas relate to one another, and familiar enough to point others to genuine specialists. The mind has more than one muscle group and all of them should be exercised.‎

Of course we are called to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. One friend of mine conjectured our propensity to over-emphasize mental devotions stems from the fact that, "the mind is the easiest to discipline of the four." I do not think everyone agrees! Within Calvary Chapel circles, from which I hail, this certainly was not the case. Heart-love was the focus and deeply overshadowed all intellectual commitments, though loving God with one's heart was often misconstrued as some sort of subjective devotion to sensing the Lord's presence, a far cry from what it means to love the Lord regardless of His felt proximity.

Naturally one assumes the weight shifts in the Reformed camp to major on mental efforts. I think this is somewhat of a caricature of our group, though I agree one will not have to seek long to find it among younger male adherents. I believe this owes to the sad state of fallen humanity rather than to any facet of Reformed theology, itself. Within any doctrinally developed community some will expect (and find) a degree of acceptance from others for knowing the system; this can be mistaken or accepted in place of growth in grace. What's more, for those coming from mushy Evangelical backgrounds, knowledge is discovered to be very objective. Learning systems has the allure of definite progress, something illusive to those who honestly seek subjective experience and rarely find it.

You and I understand nothing in the Calvinistic view of grace suggests any basis for pride, quite the opposite. From where does the mind come, but the unmerited goodness of God? Still, the devil will poke wherever he thinks there is a hole . In young men of all stripes there is usually a gap waiting to be filled by approbation. Intellectual achievements can become the avenue of their hunt for place in the community. But if pride can be swollen through knowing doctrines in-and-out, so it can be inflated through learning just what vacuous, mystical phrases indicate devotional depth. "Brother, I had a sweet time of fellowship with God this morning. The Lord is really doing a work in my heart! He just came and ministered so much to me," etc. Whatever any of that jargon means, it is nothing without humility and sincerity.

One might wonder how the Reformed should reform their approach to study, to avoid the arrogance and elitism of which they are sometimes charged. With what should Christian education be combined to ensure heart, soul, and strength are not overlooked in devotion to the Lord? I appreciate B.B. Warfield's comments on this issue,

"Sometimes we hear it said that ten minutes on your knees will give you a truer, deeper, more operative knowledge of God than ten hours over your books. What! Than ten hours over your books on your knees?”

Christian education ought to be more than memorization of facts madly abstracted from the God to whom they relate and derive being. All intellectual endeavors should be conducted with an eye to knowing God in His holiness and mercy, and for communicating those harmonious attributes back to others. Whereas holiness should prostrate us in grief and shame, grace should right us with humble joy and impart sweetness to both our minds and dispositions. There is no place for pride in true knowledge of God, any more than there is room for Satan to dwell in heaven. Both are cast down to the earth by the light of Christ's goodness and our depravity.

I know for a certainty that I have acquired much information since my conversion in 2006, and my introduction to the Reformed perspective in 2007. Yet I am much more aware of my shortcomings, stupidity, and sin nowadays than I was before. I suppose this is because my studies have largely revolved around the gospel as the relationship of our Holy God to sinful men.

My advice to those who would avoid pride is exactly that by which Calvin introduces the Institutes,

"Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other."

Knowledge of God begins with knowledge of self. The two cannot be separated. We must conduct our studies with an awareness of personal sin, weakness, and of grace received. Only then will we avoid the pitfalls of an imbalanced education.

Webscavations

2011-01-26T00:26:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted my internet discoveries. Here are a few that made the cut, lots of photos.

(Video) Les Chevaliers du Ciel ~ Beautiful real footage of fighter jets gracefully playing in the skies. Really, it's beautiful.

Top Ten Poets in the English Language ~ At least according to Nathan Pitchford, who is no scholar but someone I tend to agree with... which is not a sound argument, I realize. Still, if you're wondering where to start, this might help.

(Audio) Westminster Conference 2010 ~ The topic is Christianity vs. Liberalism and the ministry of J. Gresham Machen. Speakers include Michael Horton, Daryl Hart, David Van Drunen, and others.

The Great Commission ~ Whose is it and what is it? Dr. R. Scott Clark explains the Reformed view.

(Photos) Postcards from the Future ~ What might London look like in 100 years... here's how one artist pictures it.

(Photos) Snowflakes under a microscope ~ Amazing.

(Photos) Incredible photos from space ~ An astronaut's photo diary. Very cool.

Confronting Predestination Head-On

2011-01-19T01:52:00.000-08:00

Several years ago a Christian friend became incensed when he learned that I hold to the Reformed position on Predestination, as I believe scripture teaches. Later he wrote, asking if I knew why he was so offended by the doctrine of sovereign grace. Hopefully this discussion will be of great use to clarify your own understanding of this important issue, or will at least reveal the Reformed perspective for what it is, rather than as the common caricature made of it.

If you won't read it, you can listen to it! 

(Flash not working? Use the .mp3)

Download .mp3

Thank you, _________. I likewise appreciate your passion to maintain truth, as you understand the bible to reveal it.

I have always supposed you were against the idea for similar reasons as I was (having literally screamed a man off campus for espousing predestination):

Likely, your opposition was (or is) owing to a misunderstanding about what the implications of sovereign grace might mean for God's character, and the evangelical hopes of mankind. At first contact with these views, people often default to an assumption that in order to believe in predestinating grace, one must embrace a maniacal God and forsake all hopes of being instrumental in the conversion of others. They anticipate spiritual paralysis in the face what they take for stoic fatalism, though this couldn't be further from the truth. It is the devil's way to exhaust us in fighting scarecrows. At the very least, I hope my zeal for prayer and evangelism, and my consistency to marvel at the Lord's kindness have appeared as a puzzling contradiction to you.

To be clear, I do not believe God prevents anyone from coming to Christ for His freely granted righteousness. Any person who desires to come on Christ's terms is welcomed to do so. The problem is that I simply do not believe any fallen person naturally desires either to let go of his self-righteous identity under the Law, or to be purged of all sinfulness in the life to come.

The question to me is not whether God prevents some from coming, but if any at all would respond to the gospel with faith apart from overcoming grace. I would say (and I think scripture says) "No." Of course, this often elicits a knee-jerk disgust at the idea of God intruding on human will. It seems the antithesis of love, at first thought. However, some considerations of what we mutually agree on may be enlightening, at least to show you where I am coming from.

Presently, you and I lament our daily lapses into sin. Often these choices are conscientious, obvious, avoidable, and bold. We grieve our frequent departures from obedience, especially when some of them are so flagrantly intentional. Yet both of us joyfully anticipate that in heaven, God shall overcome our wills in such a way that we never sin again. He does this, not by willing for us, but at a level deeper than will: by transforming and preserving our souls in a state of inherent, impeccable, immutable holiness. So we anticipate that God's crowning act of love to the saints is to overcome their mortal tendencies to sin; He does for us what we cannot do ourselves: He perfects our love to Him and others, for this is the totality of the Law and holiness.

Likewise, we believe God shall never will to sin. This is more than luck, nor is God's consistency just a capricious whim to act a certain way forever, as Islam teaches. We agree that God cannot sin simply because His nature unchangeably prefers to do what is right. God does what He does because He is who He is: an immutably holy being. Therefore His will acts in harmony with His nature to fulfill His holy desires.

Even so, human will reflects human nature. In fact, we can say that willing is nothing more than nature in action; nature seeking to realize its desires. Hence Christ says, "Out of the good treasure of his heart, the good person produces good, and out of the evil treasure of his heart the evil person produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." [Luke 6:45] The heart is definitive of who we are and the source of our desires; the tongue, indicative of the will, is an outward echo of the inward reality.

How do we explain the struggle which we feel between various choices, to sin or not sin? Well, as believers we have a duality of nature, both the "Old Man's" self-indulgent tendencies of sin and self-righteousness, and the new indwelling Spirit of Christ who desires holiness through us. As these two principles exert motive force, our wills waffle between contending desires.

"I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me." [Romans 7:18-20]

When we look by faith to God to provide greater power in us, Christ acts to overcome our indwelling corruptions. Hence Paul says, "It is not I, but Christ in me," and, "it is God who works in us both to will and to do according to His pleasure." [Gal. 2:20, Phil 2:13]

Regeneration is the making alive of something which was dead. Scripture refers to God's indwelt people as regenerate, whereas unbelievers are spiritually dead. [Eph. 2:8] What do we know about unregenerate persons? In the first place, we must agree they do not have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them. "He who is in you [Christians] is greater than he who is in the world." Whereas Christ is in believers, unregenerate people "are from the world... [and] the spirit of error" works in them." [1 John 4:4-6] The moral ability of unregenerate people is more than handicapped. Jesus said, "apart from me, you cannot do any good." [John 15:5] Paul repeats this fact starkly when he writes, "all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." [Rom. 3:12]

For this reason I believe that, prior to regeneration and the indwelling of the Spirit, nothing within the makeup of fallen man has any decisive preference for true holiness and imputed righteousness. While unbelievers are capable of outward conformity to moral laws, they are resistant to doing anything chiefly for God's sake, which is the first commandment, let alone resting on Christ in the gospel.

Paul goes so far as to call unbelievers, "natural men," implying that belief is the result of supernatural power:

"The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." [1 Cor. 2:14]

"The carnal mind is at enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." [Rom. 8:12]

While natural men may desire certain benefits of salvation, they do not want the entire God of salvation, nor for salvation to be purely of grace. By nature, fallen man wants either his part in the glory of redemption, or his allowance to continue in sin. As a result, he will not come. "You will not come to me that you might have life," said Christ. [John 5:40]

It is crucial again to state that none other than his own sinfulness prevents fallen man from resting on Christ, though this is greatly agitated by the enemy. Thus Paul writes, "With gentleness correct those who oppose the gospel, for perhaps God will grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, who have been til now captured by him to do his will." [2 Tim. 2:25-27]

We discover we were by nature those, "whose minds the god of this age has blinded," so that "they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart." [2 Cor. 4:4; Eph 4:18] By the influence of Satan, natural man is more deeply impaired from seeing what he is already opposed to. The effect of the devil upon the unconverted sinner is something like a bartender providing free drinks to a known alcoholic; it is the fault of the drinker that he becomes more and more intoxicated and irrational, but he is getting help from another.

For all these reasons, I am convinced the effectual power to believe on Christ comes from the undeserved mercy of God in Christ upon a people called purely of grace. The same power which God exercises graciously in heaven to prevent His glorified saints from ever lapsing back into sin, He first exercises in regenerating their hearts on earth to prefer Christ's righteousness over their own works. God does not will for them; rather, He grants them new hearts which inform their will with new desires.

Those who come to Christ do so because they are taught inwardly by the Father. [John 6:45] Thus Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." [John 6:44-45]

He states this again, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." [John 6:37]

God prophesied of this miraculous work through Ezekiel, saying, "I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." [Ezk. 36:26-27]

This necessity is nowhere more clear than in Christ's emphatic declaration that man needs a new nature which he cannot himself create: "Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." [John 3:3]

The Apostle confesses humbly that, "when we were dead in our trespasses, [He] made us alive together with Christ... For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." [Eph 2:5, 8-10]

"Not by good works which we did, but by His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." [Titus 3:5]

Why this is done for some is to me understood only in Christ's having stood in their place to suffer for them. Their salvation is purely of grace and without regard for any foreseen action or response on their part. Nothing could be foreseen, as in themselves there would never have been desire to come.

At this point many throw their hands up and cry, "injustice," just as Paul's opponent does in Romans 9, and as I once did. What they miss is that within God's system of justice, no one gets off free: Christ literally suffered the extent of hell in the place of His elect. And just because others receive grace, does not entitle other guilty sinners to it. No one can sue for this gift or else it would not be pure grace.

We need to see that the means by which God has chosen to demonstrate unconditional love is by pardoning a group of death-row villains guilty of perpetrating unspeakable crimes against infinite Holiness, without their having fulfilled any conditions whatsoever. Through this extraordinary grant, God distinguishes law from grace by fulfilling all the conditions of reward. He does in the Elect all things necessary to salvation, assuring victory on their behalf. "They shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.' [Matt. 1:21]

The darker side of the situation is why God chooses to withhold this overcoming grace from others. I believe this answer is only comprehended in the phrase, glory magnified by justice. God is morally bound to exact justice against sinners, and free to punish sin either in indivual culprits, as in the case of Reprobates, or in the person of Christ on behalf of the Elect. God's reason for choosing particular persons is not revealed exhaustively to us, except by negation: we only know what He doesn't factor in for salvation: personal merits of individual people. As for the damned, we read that they are fashioned by God's providence into "vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction." [Rom. 9:22] With Job and Abraham, we trust that the "God of all the earth shall do right." [Gen. 18:25 ; Job 34:23]

Lastly, the reason why this has not hampered my enthusiasm for preaching the gospel is because I believe God has ordained the means of preaching for achieving His predestined ends. He is a master designer; He has both a blue print and contracts workers to build His home. I preach the gospel in full faith that, "all who are heavy laden may come." [Matt. 11:28] This allows me to tell anyone that, if they are burdened with the guilt of sin, and desire the free gift of salvation by Christ's imputed righteousness, it is promised and extended to them. There is no place to speculate over one's election prior to conversion; we are simply told that all who will, may come. The benefit of believing these doctrine of grace is that I preach with confidence that God is very likely working salvation in the hearts of many who hear me; why else would He be graciously sending the gospel to them? And if not, His will be done!

Above all, I constantly rejoice that God's love goes beyond foresight and willingness to reward some good intention or repentance springing from myself. He did not respond to me as to a half-dead man; He resurrected me from my death in sin, purely out of love in Christ. If that is attractive to anyone, they are invited to it as well!

Please pardon me for going on for so long, though you likely anticipated my tendency. Tedium is my besetting sin, if not a winning style.

I look forward to reading and learning what you have to say about this, and above all I wish you joy in the love of Christ. We agree at least that His mercy is new every morning, and exceeds any impression we can muster. There is nothing God withholds from His saints which He would not give to Christ in their place. We are in His will to achieve purposes we have not begun to conceive, all to His glory and our good.

Love to you, brother.

~ Michael:.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2011
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Titus 3:3-8

What is true faith?

2011-01-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

Popular ideas of faith vary from so-called "blind faith", often portrayed in feel-good movies and the maudlin inspirational blather of self-help books, to the radical notion that faith is bare mental assent to historic facts. While one extreme pins faith on a leap into the unknown, the other regards it merely as believing certain events really happened.

The classic Protestant formula is that true Christian faith consists in knowledge, assent, and trust. In other words, while real faith necessarily includes knowledge of certain facts, it also entails believing and personally resting in those truths as benefiting oneself personally.

The Heidelberg Catechism answers the question, what is true faith, like this:

True faith is not only a certain knowledge, whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed in his word, but also an assured confidence, which the Holy Ghost works by the gospel in my heart; that not only to others, but to me also, remission of sin, everlasting righteousness and salvation, are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ’s merits. (Q&A 21)

1 Jn 17:3, 17; Heb 11:1-3; Jas 2:19. 2 Rom 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb 4:16. 3 Gal 2:20. 4 Rom 1:17; Heb 10:10. 5 Rom 3:20-26; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-10. 6 Acts 16:14; Rom 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor 1:21.

The difference is as simple as believing upon Christ, versus believing things about Christ. For the Christian, this means more than knowing things about Jesus; faith means reclining entirely on God's kindness and sufficiency to provide for your personal righteousness. It means trusting that Jesus is not only the savior of others, but that He is merciful to yourself through simple faith in His call, "all who are weary and heavy laden, come to me and I will give you rest." The rest He gives is rest from trying to approve oneself to God through personal efforts.

Saving faith is resting and receiving the promises of the gospel. Sanctifying faith is believing that Christ, and not ourselves, accomplishes every good work in and through us.

The Difficulty of Speaking with Strangers

2011-01-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

We dream of sudden, amazing, satisfying friendships springing effortlessly from chance meetings, of romantic serendipity. Yet when we take our place beside strangers, we say nothing. In private we bite our lips, in public we bite our tongues. I suppose this is because common experience suggests the same disappointments and dangers we've felt before lie ahead. Contenting ourselves with idealistic impressions of life confined safely inside our aspiring minds, we forgo actual possibilities of experiencing what gives greater richness and humanity to living.

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The first word is a tall hurdle and my legs are short as any. Few obstacles are so difficult as opening an account with a stranger. It is jumping that cavernous expanse of unfamiliarity by an impossibly faint phrase which terrifies me. I concern myself with the fear of making poor impressions, of seeming an inconvenience or threat. Strangers view one another as variables to be weighed in the equation of past experience; it is a game of factoring probabilities and the solution might not seem worthy of the exercise to those before whom we pose the problem.

There is an intrepid nerve required to venture upon those exotics at our elbows. To drive boldly into uncharted social circles can mean plowing against flows of interpersonal ice; it takes a certain amount of iron and steam, stalwart resolve, to engage strangers. I contend this is the last and never-exhausted domain of explorers, adventurers, risk takers. To them belong virgin ecstasies of discovery and triumph, as they make landfall on precious people and lasting relationships, where none were once thought to exist. Those who dare leave the flat world behind will have wonderlands spread before them, just over the introverted arc of silence. They are heroes of friendship, conquistadors of real community, if sometimes less than ecstatic martyrs of rejection.

No doubt the Internet has created an asylum for those who are satisfied with more or less virtual community. There is an easiness online which many retreat to, rarely to be seen again in the physical presence of their myriad "friends". On the other hand, the Net is a miracle for those of us who thrive in a domain of word and thought, who might have less immediate power to make physical impressions on strangers.

There is debate about the authenticity of so-called virtual relationships. The idea that proximity is crucial to true camaraderie is untenable I think. Certainly I was among the more social in college, before the prevalence of social networking, but I confess to having established a great deal more friendships (and on more durable terms, I might add) through the exchange of ideas on the web. In fact, the majority of my proximate friendships were developed at first online. What was scouted and forged in writing was tempered and honed in person.

However, I grant that many people don't bridge the ethereal gap and actually meet with their online acquaintances. For myself, I still hunger after physical community and view the Net as a means to that end. I wonder when you and I will see one another next? Sooner than later I hope.

Getting more out of what you read

2011-01-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

There is a wide difference between "looking at words in a book until you've seen them all" and reading profitably. Good reading habits vary between people; what is important is that the reader understands the author's main thesis, arguments, and takes time to synthesize views with his. Readers should weigh an author's ideas and determine to what extent they are true, false, or plausible. As well, try to organize information for future use and synthesis.

The basic method I use is as follows. I read at a fairly comfortable pace, bracketing "}" in the margins around portions which suggest new, unusual, or strong arguments and points. I also bracket questionable points and well-said statements. Beside these brackets I write something to note the subject. This aids my ability to find or recall various portions. (I stopped using highlighters because they didn't give me contextual information like brackets do, and the coloring is visually distracting and inefficient.) I often pause for several minutes thinking about what I'm reading, so it's not a race to me.

Memory and comprehension are helped by discussing what I'm reading with others, or writing about what I'm considering. Having finished a book, I like to return after a few months and look over the bracketed portions. I might do this several times with books which have the greatest concentration of such content.

I also use a database for storing passages and quotes. This allows me to type terms, such as "justification", and see every passage I've bracketed with that term from all my books; I can also narrow the search by author. While time consuming, this is very helpful in reconsidering or contemplating subjects, or for reference during conversations and debates. It's an investment that I use enough to consider worthwhile.

Another point is quality of content. When I was eleven or twelve years old I read a sentence from a biography of Abraham Lincoln which has never left me. In essence, it said that Abraham read very few books in his youth but all of them were classics; he would walk sixteen miles to get his hands on a quality book. Mastery of 300 truly influential and ennobling books is superior to skimming 10,000 forgettable and redundant titles.

Lastly, it's a good idea to follow the educational advice of those whom we admire. They got there through a course of study and probably know what books will be most formative and useful.

Hope this helps. God bless your studies!

How we grow in faithfulness

2011-01-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

The following is written to answer a friend's question, how Christians may walk more faithfully in the face of so many painful lapses and failed methods?

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Thank you for writing and confiding in me. In the first place, if I am able to offer any comfort to you, I confess it is "with the same comfort whereby you were comforted." [2 Cor. 1:3-4] I empathize with your feeling that painful circumstances, especially ones we thought were ordered by God to a specific end, can bring questions to mind about the character or even existence of God.

I do not believe God authored the American dream, the Disney ending, or Thoreau's idea of the simple life, at least not this side of heaven. Rather, God has ordained that consequences of a fallen world should often touch His people. True Christians are not exempted from common realities of sin and suffering, whether root canals, unjust sentencing, or the effects of poor judgment in choosing a spouse.

God's allowance of these troubles should cause us all the more to acknowledge our sinfulness and the fallen state of the present world, so that our hands cling more tightly to the imputed righteousness of Christ in anticipation of His consummated Kingdom. I firmly believe these events are used by God to reveal what our faith is really in, and to prepare us to minister the same comfort to others.

You wrote,

"I want to get there, but experientially I’ve always had to make a step of faith (a conscious decision to follow the Lord or witness to some random guy the Holy Spirit was telling me to talk to.) And the decision to sin is quite an easy one... I just wish it was constant, Like that eternal position you spoke about."

That makes two of us, brother. The place of automatic, perpetual obedience is not some "higher Christian life" on earth, but awaits the day when we are transformed once for all, and preserved in holiness. "We have a city," and it is not on earth. For the present, you and I are assaulted with so many opportunities to sin. In truth, these temptations are graciously appointed as opportunities to love God and neighbor more highly through denial of the old man.

This is not to say we ought to thrust ourselves in the path of temptation. By all means, no! But I would remind you that even as "Christ was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted," so God in His providence has ordered and allowed our enemies to meet us on the field. In God's decree there are no surprise attacks. We are engaged to obtain experience and spoils of joy! Best of all, Christ goes with us to fight. However, we often we see the battle not as His, but as ours on behalf of Him. Instead of sending our David we go as Saul, forgetting that "in us there is no good," but that, "it is God who works in you both to will and to do." Even in times of apparent loss, the fame of Christ's victory over condemnation is increased.

Without the intent of being offensive, I am prepared to defend the fact that Evangelicalism as a whole is in a shameful mess. It's camps are out of order, its doctrinal foundation AWOL, and the soldiers of the cross have taken a mighty beating for it. Much of our basic training has been sabotaged with ineffective tactics best suited to highly defended bunkers called "home fellowships". We are hardly equipped to meet the enemy on open ground. The single worst omission, in my mind, is the lack of emphasis upon God's use of ordinary means to provide strength necessary to "fight the good fight" daily. Allow me to explain, and pardon me if you know these things. They are nonetheless edifying to write.

For a long time I thought God worked more or less immediately, when and how He chose, and without any particularly identifiable pattern, in matters of sanctification. Even when I had discipline enough to read privately and to pray, to spend time with other believers, my walk was all over the map. There were more consistent seasons and these I associated with the aforementioned sort of "spiritual disciplines". However, I have since come to believe that private devotions and resolutions are not the primary way appointed to provide spiritual stability in the lives of saints, however helpful they are in themselves. In effect I am saying, those of us who live like this are functioning without regular access to the chain of supply for faith. Is it any wonder that the armies of God are confounded? What are His ordinary means for supply?

First let us observe a typical fight with temptation so that we might better understand our weakness. I urge you to consider temptation to be essentially the fight to love. Whereas the Law is fulfilled in love to God and men, temptation is an opportunity to seek self-gratification through neglect of pure love. For instance, suppose I am walking down the street and there comes an immodestly dressed attractive woman. Here is an opportunity to love God by showing preference for the purity of sexuality in my mind which the Lord prefers. Here is an opportunity to pity the woman's indiscretion and to love others by praying for fellows who will see her and be tempted, or persuaded to dress as she does.

As we are confronted with such opportunities to love or not love, we are faced with a choice either to prefer the pleasure of God in faith that our obedience yields greater ultimate rewards, or to walk in unbelief. We have faith that God's happiness is our true happiness, or we believe that sin will satisfy our unhappiness. When we stray from faith that God's pleasure is our pleasure then we seek satisfaction in disobedience. This is the deception of sin. Inevitably, whichever one which seems to offer greater satisfaction will inevitably win our choice, whether it is to prefer God's glory and find pleasure in worship, or to believe momentary sin will bring worthwhile pleasure.

We see that temptation is practically overcome by love. From where does love come? Christian love swells in proportion to one's present apprehension of benefits received or promised to us in Christ. It grows as we believe the gospel. Jesus has purchased our true heavenly marriage; has secured us in it; has longed for us and will satisfy us; He promises to work in us even now through faith in the gospel. We walk in love as we find real enjoyment in our Savior having secured the blessings of our salvation. Strong love overcomes strong temptation, and is the result of being strongly persuaded of our benefits in Christ. Strong persuasion is strong faith.

How then do we maintain and increase this faith? Is it by hours of personal reading, fasting, introspective writing or prayer? Done rightly these are good, but there is a danger that one might begin to see these acts as "our part" of sanctification. We look away from the monergistic, one-sided Almighty power of God; from faith in Him to act through us, thereby placing a portion of faith's weight on ourselves. It is not long before we come crashing down through the paper-thin skin of self-power. No, the primary and ordained means by which God unipotently increases faith are the preached Gospel, the right use of Sacraments, and biblical church discipline. I would like to speak with you about the first two, Word and Sacraments.

For what purpose did the Lord promise to appoint teachers and elders in every age? I fear some think it largely to "get people saved" and "tell them what to do next." This is far short of the mark. We are each parts of the body of Christ, but elders are the tongue of the Church. The pulpit is God's mouth. To the extent that preachers faithfully preach the gospel for grace, and law as a standard of evidential love, I believe we hear God's mediated voice. But do we listen as such? Does faith lay hold of the promises and clutch them as spoken by God Himself?

Before 2007 I had never experienced liturgy with biblical absolution. Absolution is a formal promise of grace given to those who rest in Christ alone by faith. Now every week for three years, following a reading of law and corporate confession of guilt, I have heard my pastor say,

"To all those who have turned away from themselves to rest in the righteousness of Christ alone, by the authority vested in me as Christ's minister of the word, I declare that you are forgiven all sins."

This open declaration of grace has never motivated me to sin. The promise is made to faith, and faith is accompanied by works. But to hear the official declaration of forgiveness through faith alone on a weekly basis, to be assured that the Lord rejoices over us in Christ solely on the basis of Jesus' works, has been the spiritual height of each week. Many times when tempted I have remembered those words. Yes, the Lord uses ordained elders to minister His divine voice; by faith our love is strengthened to prefer the Lord.

Likewise, when we see others baptized or recall our own baptism, do we embrace what is pictured there? Namely, that God sovereignly cleanses His people (no man baptizes himself!) of the guilt of sin, and regenerates them to new life by the Spirit? In itself baptism is merely a sign, but do we receive what it signifies? By faith we may see in those waters the reality, that through Christ my sinning self is counted as dead and buried; my place in the heavenly court is occupied by the risen Lord, in whom I am covenantally raised!

Even so, when we receive the Lord's Supper we are called to believe a promise. Surely as my tongue feels the form of bread and flow of wine, so my heart is nourished and sustained by the bodily death and resurrection of our living Lord. The elements of Holy Communion are no less certain than the Mediator Himself. Just as food and drink are unified to my body through ingestion, so the Lord is united to me inseparably through faith, which is the mouth of the soul.

Unlike private devotions, Word and Sacraments are objective. They are not duties, but gifts of grace which hold out faith-inspiring gospel. They come from outside of us and are mediated by God's officers in the Church, not our subjective and swerving consciences. The Lord's means are not to be abused with superstition, as though faith could rest mere symbols. By faith we see beyond to what is signified; faith grasps the objective promise that we are eternally loved and thereby strengthened to love in return.

My purpose is not to discourage anyone from private worship, but to set our focus on the gospel and not legalistic use of religious exercises. We may read and pray all day long, but paper and posture do not sanctify of themselves. A sense of dependence and faith in the gospel are the means by which God acts in and through us. Devotional disciplines are only profitable as means to these ends, to reveal our weakness and affirm Christ's strength, though when used rightly they are exceedingly helpful.

"He who has been forgiven much, loves much." To the extent that we comprehend and presently consider our forgiveness in Christ ~ the cost of it, and the willingness of Jesus to pay that cost; His cheerful arms outstretched even now; the Father's reception of us in the imputed righteousness of His Son ~ we are empowered to love. Obedience is nothing other than "faith working by love."

With you I have daily failings. None of us keeps the first and greatest command, to love God with no less than all our being. In falling short of the greatest command, we commit terrible (though not unpardonable) sins. What do we make of it? We are forced back upon Christ, to believe the gospel. As truly as He was imputed with our sins and became worthy of the treatment of wrath which fell on Him, so by the imputation of His righteousness to us we are covenantally worthy of God's most loving treatment. The Father regards us as sons and friends.

My progress in grace has been slow but steady. I have grown daily to recall that I am dead to the threats of the Law by the cross. I am received in grace. Whenever I sin and feel distant from God, it is I who am hesitant to fellowship with Him; He is ready to cleanse and correct. His palms are open to comfort me even before I turn and remember Christ's sacrifice.

Brother, I tell you what the writer told the Hebrews, "don't lose heart." We haven't suffered to bloodshed. Our lives are not bleak expanses of evil laid out to the distance, but have been decreed by God to good purposes. Those plans may not entail the American dream, but they contain a heavenly vision. His will through us is to increase the wonder of men and angels at the ineffable patience of God. He is fashioning us into "vessels of mercy" which presupposes there will be much room in our lives for him to fill us up with gracious pardon.

Meditate on His goodness, but above all receive the gospel and the sacraments with faith that therein is pictured what belongs to you in Christ. When confronted with temptations to sin, recognize them as opportunities to love God through preferring His pleasure. Find your love to God in faith that He loved you without reference to foreseen faithfulness.

Every blessing to you in Christ, my friend,

~ Michael Spotts:.

Any talent is enough to do good

2011-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

None have all the talent they wish, but the smallest measure is enough to honor God. Any strength at all is sufficient to share another's burden. Ants lift as heartily as lions, though bearing less, and one-thousand roll a stone. Every voice qualifies for the heavenly choir. Frogs sing no less worshipfully than nightingales, giving volume to the joyful noise. Even croaking praise, sincerely sung, sounds sweet to God who hears the tones of intent and delights in harmonies of the heart. Sound for God's sake is always without shame; every motion is honorable if moved by love; for our law is to "love the Lord with all", and no more.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

A Long Path to Real Life: 2010 Retrospect

2011-01-01T03:49:00.000-08:00

Each year brings potential for what I call "way-points", events that mark major turns on the path of life. Way points such as marriages, graduations, or funerals make pronounced impressions on one's memory of a year and commemorate new directions. Such objective markers lend substance and perhaps a sense of meaning to personal existence.

For me, 2010 was bereft of way-points. Twelve months passed like a blank span of trail without forks or guide posts, admitting little to measure how far I had progressed in that time or where I was going. Life seemed an ongoing transition into the unknown and I had no choice but to keep walking and wondering where the path would lead.

Let us go back to January 1st. As the clock struck midnight, I was on Santa Catalina island kneeling in a chapel. At my side was a dear brother with whom I had traveled years before, who afterward made his residence on the island. Now he had invited me back for New Years, to celebrate the start of my biggest adventure yet, a four month solo-trip around the United States. As the festivities mounted in the streets, nothing seemed more desirable to me than gathering with local Christians to meet the coming year with prayers for divine blessing. I needed all I could get for what might lie ahead.

The next day I hiked to a prominent ridge overlooking the Pacific. Westward the waters spread endlessly. To the east lay a vast Continent. From my place on this ledge the planet seemed a great, geographic and personal opportunity. Out in that expanse, I felt there must be a way-point waiting to be found; some self-defining period of life, whether an event, or path, or person--anywhere and everywhere. Perhaps I would find the chance of a lifetime, "become something." Yes, and if there was a proverbial gate on the horizon which could lead into a more ideal state of life, then I would go find it, or at least busy myself in the attempt. Anything was better than sitting at home waiting out the ellipsis of a meaningless existence.

Departing across the States wasn't easy as I hoped. Piled on my shoulders was a great deal of cumbersome baggage, mostly of the existential sort, which I insisted on carrying without the help of others. You see, on the one hand I had reason to be happy. I was now enjoying the freedom of having just settled an immense financial debt, one that had taken years and two full-time jobs to defeat. In fact, had you asked me in the summer of 2009, I would have said life seemed to be lining up nicely. On the list were plans to attend seminary and become engaged to my long-time best friend. Everything appeared to be headed in a certain beautiful direction. Almost at once, however, those expectations were dashed.

First, my relationship reached a point of impasse, made all the more excruciating because of the benign nature of the woman's decision not to receive my hand. The fact stemmed from faultless personal complications, for which I can't blame her. It was as simple as the fear of why, despite the incredible depth and dearness of our friendship, a sense of romance never arrived for her as it did for me. For months she held out hope of some internal change that would convert her feelings toward me from that of siblings in Christ into something more akin to lovers and matrimony. The feelings did not come. In the end, the woman I longed to spend my life with had to acknowledge she wasn't interested in pursuing anything beyond close friendship. The devastation was mutual. Years of shining expectation and affection collapsed suddenly upon themselves as a black star, converted into a void which pulled my worst griefs and fears deep into myself. The bludgeoning sadness of rejection was only magnified by the fact this revelation blindsided me on the very eve of my planned proposal.

To escape the reeling heartache of that situation, I might have sunk my attention into formal studies. However, one little book on the issue of Christian Baptism reopened my confusions on the subject. Out of conscientious objection, I suspended my application for membership in the church was attending; in doing so my pursuit of seminary and vocational service in that denomination was cut. In those two months it felt as if the floor boards of life were wrenched out from under me. I didn't know where to go or what to do with my passions, or whether I would experience the same love again. For a moment I saw my existence as one colossal frightening, empty slate.

Twenty-six, debt free, and depressed. With all of my options open, I did what every feckless man of ambition does to overcome his sense of purposelessness: invent a vacuous, but imposing goal in the form of an epic physical odyssey. I resolved immediately to travel down the Pacific Coast on a bicycle, alone and on a dime.

Before pedaling off to probable doom I wanted to pay last regards to loved ones. For two months I embarked on a mammoth Greyhound tour. I visited friends in Northern California, Utah, Maine, and Iowa; stood in Times Square at sunrise; slept beneath the Sears Tower in Chicago. I tried for the first time to feel at peace being alone. The final destination of this leg was Wisconsin. The person I had come to see was none other than the woman I had been so in love with ~ was still in love with. Despite conflicting emotions, I wanted to affirm that my care did not cease with the impossibility of her hand. In doing so, I embraced the fact that love goes beyond one's own desire to be loved in a certain way.

West I went until arriving in Olympia, Washington, with two bags of camping gear and a used bicycle frame. Knowingly or not, I was about to thrust myself into combat with solitude, practical fears, mechanical frustrations, and physical doubt. So I began a test for which I had neither trained nor had any comparable experience.

The next two months seemed longer than whole years combined. Each day was full of countless fresh events and scenes. Unique impressions filled my memory like photographs piled into immense stacks. I spent weeks alone in the Olympic forests, scaling snow trimmed peaks. Nights were wiled away in my tent reading by light of a gas lamp. Books of scripture, theology, philosophy, their contents filled my mind as I rode in thoughtful isolation. And when more solitary places could not be found, I slept behind churches or in roadside ditches. Now and again I abandoned my bike and trailer on a hillside, covered in brush, to hike strands of deserted coast for days at a time. No company would dare come but God and party of paperback immortals. None could have understood me better, I felt.

In heavy solitude I learned prayer by desperation and default. No ear was present while I traveled but the Omniscient. No hand was near to assist but that of Omnipotent God in whose palm I am held. Sometimes my prayers amounted to pleas for .35c to make bus fare to way-side waterfalls; requests for a simple bag of rice or fruit; then, belly full, my eye would look ahead. I began to ask peace for my future; above all, I petitioned God to let it be that one day I would bring glory to my Savior; at present I seemed only capable of making obnoxious noise. In retrospect I see the kindness of God in attending to my feeble half-prayers. Every pressing need was met. I never went without food. I never suffered bodily at the hand of a foe. Had want or pain been allowed to cross me, I grew to appreciate the truth that God's bitter medicines bring spiritual health.

My adventure was abridged by an insect. One-hundred and eighty miles from San Francisco I was bitten by a tick which infected me with Lyme disease. While this was dealt with at no cost (thank God), treatment necessitated an end of cycling for the time. It was just as well. I had already gone almost fifteen-hundred miles and injured my tendons significantly by an arduous pace. I had also accomplished what I set out to do, without knowing it: to accept my present situation as the gateway I was seeking to a more meaningful life.

For so long I had looked to the horizon for some phase of life which I supposed would bring greater meaning; something I envisioned as my best life, whether that meant marriage, career, ministry, whatever. Yet now I began to sense my need for God to dismantle former conceptions of self-identity. Deeply embedded was a view of self as ultimately isolated from the person of Christ. It was as though Jesus were somewhere just outside my conscious being, the me-who-is-me, recommending advice for my consideration. If I acted, the action was at last mine to determine, mine to do. My responses would amount at some future time to a meaningful life.

Somewhere on the path I learned a lesson. The portion of life which one aspires toward for a sense of fulfillment does not begin at marriage, vocation, recognition; nor must it wait for death. Man is not given divine breath merely to pant after his own interests and the common order of society. The life and identity which God's people once had without Christ died with Christ. In receiving Jesus' Headship we become members of His mystical body. Christ stands victorious over the Goliath of self-identity. Our natural, self-obsessed heads have been severed once for all in the mind of God and lie buried somewhere in the tomb, if only we will see it. Christian life and identity are found only in the truth: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Through the indwelling of the Spirit and union with Christ through faith, life is fulfilled in recognizing one's self-identity as indivisibly united with Christ's purpose and person. The word is sharp, dividing between soul and spirit, but no edge can discern the division between a Christian's true identity and Christ Himself. I am not Christ, but Christ is all that accounts for anything in me. I am not the Head, but I am part of His body, the Church. My life is not mine but His to live through me. My whole being, every present moment, is given so that by the Spirit, Christ lives a multitude of lives through the medium of saints in the earth. The gateway of meaningful life is to accept that, "it is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me." The gate is not on the horizon; it is at the cross.

* * *

During the summer I rested. The ride had torn my Achilles tendons and damaged my knees pretty badly. Slowly I regained the ability to walk properly and by July I was able to summit Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, arriving before dawn to watch the sun rise over the most glorious valley on the planet.

In September my father shattered his ankle in a fall. Complications due to his Multiple Sclerosis required him to be hospitalized for two months, and when he was released my mother and I became his full-time nurses. Dad has yet to be able to move about independently and requires assistance for most basic needs and exercise. Helping him is time-consuming, heart-aching work but I have been graced with willingness, even great cheerfulness to do it.

October arrived and I turned 26. More than a year had passed since my former relationship ended. The pain had subsided enough so that I could begin considering life with a different person at my side. About that time, almost beyond my belief, another woman graced me with her interest. We shared some fine moments in the possibility, some sweet moments I won't forget. Though nothing finally came of the episode, I was able to sense how much I had grown to accept, even to enjoy the future opening up to me.

Incidentally this brief dating relationship prompted a renewed study of those doctrinal issues which had formerly barred my entry into a confessional Reformed Church. I went back to the books and the result was a clarified view of the sacraments. With great joy I applied for membership at the assembly I had attended since my conversion and joined soon after. Once again the door opened to prepare for vocational ministry.

Over the course of these twelve months I did not come to many way-points, at least in the objective sense. But as time marches on and I wonder where the path leads, I am content to have learned one lesson during 2010: Life does not consist in satisfying cultural or personal expectations of success and meaning; life is to receive grace and to be a conduit of Christ's love to others, while awaiting His glory in the world to come.

The year ahead is a clean slate. I look forward to what the Lord might write thereon.

God bless you in 2011.

Was this helpful to you? Please share. Thanks!
© Michael Spotts:. 2010
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

2011 Reading List

2011-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

2010 wasn't so intense as 2009 when it came to reading, but I have a feeling 2011 is going to be more incredible than ever before. While I don't intend to read so many thin secondary sources, I want to dive into more of the classics, both theological and secular.

Books I have begun reading (* means finished):

Surprised by Suffering, R.C. Sproul

Moby Dick, Herman Melville

We With Our Children, Cornelis Harinck

Institutes of the Christian Religion v.I, John Calvin

Institutes of the Christian Religion v.II, John Calvin

Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, John Calvin

Some of the books I might take up this year include:

Politics, Aristotle

Republic, Plato

Symposium, Plato

Biblical Theology, Geerhardus Vos

The Story of Christianity, Justo Gonzalez

Outlines of Theology, A.A. Hodge

Expository Thoughts on John, J.C. Ryle

The Debate for the Constitution v.I

The Debate for the Constitution v.II

The Improvement of the Mind, Isaac Watts

Pensees, Blaise Pascal

Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan

Christianity and Liberalism, Machen

Reformed Dogmatics, Herman Bavinck

Charles Spurgeon commented on theological reading,

As the apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to every-one, 'Give yourself to reading.' ... He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own... You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible... the best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying.

Now, let's swallow that advice and hop to it!

My Favorite Books of 2010!

2010-12-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

2010 didn't turn out to be the maniacal reading spree that 2009 was. I didn't finish the mammoth Institutes, Great Ideas, or Debate on the Constitution as I had hoped. However, other goals were met and I still managed to finish more than two books per month. Here are my highlights, focusing on what influenced or impressed me the most.

Justified, Essays on Justification from Modern Reformation.

Edited by Ryan Glomsrud and Michael Horton

This book did not alter any of my fundamental beliefs, but it greatly bolstered and clarified my position on the most important of all subjects: how is man reconciled to God? Through faith in Christ, or faithfulness to Christ? Read the longer review here.

Communion with God.

John Owen

I read this book while on my two-month bicycle ride down the Pacific Coast. It was like having a week with one of the wisest, kindest Christians ever. He seemed to anticipate and understand my theological mix-ups and questions. I wish everyone could be enticed to read what turned out to be one of the most densely practical and inspiring books I've ever come across. Owen settles the storms of confusions about what exactly it means to have a relationship with each person of the Trinity, and proves invaluable in his understanding of the Spirit. Read it!

The Great Conversation.
Robert M. Hutchins

If I had a million dollars, I would give a Benjamin to each person who reads this incredibly important book. I wish I had read this ten years ago. I was humbled and stirred to become educated and to educate others. I am convinced it is the duty of every person to the fullest of their ability, to understand and engage the great ideas of human thought. I am convinced the best path to achieving this is through study and discussion of literature, both theological and secular; that to understand the deepest questions common to men is to better understand ourselves, and our relation to God and His world. It is available in it's entirety online.

Two years Before the Mast.
Robert Henry Dana

This book might be the standard by which I measure all non-fiction narratives. The gist is that Dana, an Oxford educated twenty-year old whose sight is failing, is recommended by the doctor to get away from his studies for a while. He spends the next two years as a regular waterdog aboard a merchant ship off the coast of California. Based in the 1830's, the picture Dana creates of the life on the Western shore is both exotic, romantic, and yet realistically full of true sailor drudgery. Not every moment is as gripping as when the mad captain unleashed his wrath on an unfortunate mate, but to see an accurate, elegant description of that period, especially having been to most of the locations mentioned, was captivating. The motif itself is memorable, but I'll leave that to the reader.

Walden Pond.
Henry Thoreau

I read most of Walden while backpacking the wilderness coast of Washington State alone. This was appropriate as the book is the author's account of two years spent largely by himself in a hand-made cottage on the edge of a pond. In it he details not only the minutiae of his solitary project, but opens into one of the heights of transcendental philosophy. I anticipated Thoreau's seminal work was powerful, but actually reading it was electrifying. No, I didn't agree with all of his positions. At times he turns tricks of hollow rhetoric though his arguments are nevertheless beautifully constructed. Over all, though, I came away changed and recharged to live a life more essentially meaningful; to simplify my day to achieve goals that last while experiencing as much as possible in every moment. My love of God and Creation were renewed. Classic.

My First Summer in the Sierra.
John Muir

We have John to thank as the instrument behind our National Parks. His unparalleled zeal for nature, especially to observe it with a curious reverence, is legendary. This book is more or less a journal from the season he spent as a part-time shepherd in Yosemite Valley and surrounding high country. His attention to detail and skill for fluid, gorgeous description is terrific. Often his humor is first-rate and his ability to interweave scriptural metaphors is equal to Spurgeon and Bunyan. Unfortunately he seems to have been one of the Transcendentalists in terms of religion, but I can always go to him for a fresh enthusiasm to get out and explore God's good world.

Well, it turns out to be a top six, but these are the ones that impacted my heart, mind, or literary development the most. What are your top-reads of 2010?

Prayer for The New Year - Renewed Desire for God

2010-12-30T14:13:00.000-08:00

The Almighty God of the Bible is the author of all beauty, truth, and good in the universe; the Artist behind every form and magnificent display of grandeur; the omniscient Mind from which materials and laws of physics derive being; the Heart from which all conceptions of love flow. Persons who desire beauty, truth, and goodness can find no greater source than Him who is the infinite fountain of these ideal characteristics.

Why do we seek from others what may be found in the Lord? David sang, "Whom have I in heaven, but Thee O Lord? And there is none upon the earth that I desire beside Thee." [Psa. 73:25] This same King, in a worse frame of heart, desired another man's wife. He tried to find heaven in earthly things, and found hell in his heart for it.

God, for 2011, I request a greater desire for Your pleasure and honor, upon myself and the Church at large.

BOOK REVIEW: Justified - Modern Reformation Essays on the Doctrine of Justification

2010-12-27T15:44:00.000-08:00

SPOTTS VERDICT: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Several weeks ago Dr. R. Scott Clark quipped that for a limited time one could "get justified" for less than $10. Of course he was referring to the sale-price of a recently published collection of essays edited by Ryan Glomsrud and Michael Horton for Modern Reformation, simply titled Justified. The irony of the joke is that even to imagine purchasing acceptance with God at any price besides the freely imputed righteousness of Christ alone received by faith alone is ludicrous, and yet it is an idea all too pervasive in Evangelical and even formally Reformed bodies of professed Christians today. While one might not be so blatant as to offer God his Discover Card (which proves again to unacceptable everywhere), there is a widespread de-emphasis away from the once-for-all finished work of Christ as Substitute onto the "faithfulness" of individuals to respond in a way which puts the final ground of justification on their own infused sanctity. To combat this error, the editors have introduced an effective volume aimed squarely at informed laymen and pastors which is rich and scriptural without being overly technical or heavy-handed. Their goal is, "to present a few catalyzing arguments that have the potential to move forward what we think is a stalled debate in evangelicalism and the wider world of New Testament studies," concerning the nature of justification, while showing that "justification still matters."

Incorporating concise, erudite articles from some of the brightest Reformed theologians and teachers, as well as balanced contributions by Lutheran and Roman Catholic Scholars, Justified is a compelling and current treatment of the issues which confront the classic Protestant formula, sola fide, solus Christus. In the first chapter, which itself is worth the price of the book, Horton delivers a error-smashing opening blow to the nasal cartilage of convenantal nomism as put forward by N. T. Wright and others in the New Perspectives on Paul. Horton informs readers that proponents of the NPP and closely-allied Federal Vision espouse a view that, "believers will be justified or vindicated on the last day on the basis of their cooperation with the Spirit. For the record this is precisely the official Roman Catholic position. It is not Pelagian, but it is also not Pauline."

With a dazzling display of academic footwork, Horton summons to court no less than eminent Jewish scholar, Jon D. Levenson, and Roman pontiff Benedict to make the case (from their own wings!) that there are in fact two sorts of ways God relates to man revealed in scripture, covenants of law and covenants of grant. Benedict goes so far as to affirm, "The covenant sealed in the Last Supper, in its inner essence, seems 'new' in the sense of the prophetic promise: it is not a contract with conditions but the gift of friendship, irrevocably bestowed. Instead of law we have grace." Unfortunately, both men confound their admissions by subsuming grace under Law. Benedict asserts, "the covenant with Moses is incorporated into the covenant with Abraham, and the Law becomes a mediator of promise...the law itself is the concrete form of grace. For to know God's will is grace." In his view, the New Covenant that is ratified at the Last Supper "is the prolongation of the Sinai covenant, which is not abrogated, but renewed". (Emphasis mine)

Horton responds, "The deepest distinction in Scripture is not between the Old and New Testaments but between the covenants of law and the covenants of promise that run throughout both. The two covenant traditions are distinguished in form and content, even throughout the same unfolding history of redemption." Whereas covenants of law function bilaterally and require fulfillment of certain terms of obedience by the subject in order to receive the promised benefits, covenants of grant are purely one-sided. God takes upon Himself to ensure the reception of promised benefits to the one with whom such a covenant is made. In the New Covenant, the elect are assured everlasting life through headship of Christ received by faith alone. "Reformed theology has never argued that God's essential righteousness is transferred to believers, but that the complete fulfillment of the law by our covenant head becomes the basis for the imputation of righteousness...Jesus fulfill all righteousness on behalf of his co-heirs. So we are saved by works after all, but by Christ's rather than by our own."

Other essays in this fourteen-hit combo-punch include Van Drunen's discussion of the nature of justifying faith; Gathercole's incisive treatment of whether faith means faithfulness; Sproul's criticism of the ecumenical documents, Evangelicals and Catholics Together; Hunsinger's insightful analysis of the tragic confusion introduced by Jonathan Edwards into the doctrine of justification; as well as many other excellent and understandable contributions. The whole volume is as warmly edifying as it is intellectually robust, and cannot fail to stir all but the stoniest hearts.

God granting grace, I believe the editors have succeeded in fashioning a tool capable of helping recover the importance of the classic Protestant understanding of the doctrine justification, if only enough persons can be enticed to discover and wield the truly good news it affirms. Wright, et al, are wrong and Modern Reformation is right: Justification through imputation sola fide still matters.

Why Men Often Seem to Grow More Attractive With Age

2010-12-21T04:08:00.000-08:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

A lady friend of mine, in her twenties, exclaimed with a sense of surprise how a certain celebrity singer seemed even more attractive, at age thirty-eight, than when he was younger. This situation, which is by no means uncommon, raises certain questions. Particularly, to what degree is physical attraction based on form, versus other factors which may be projected onto the overall aesthetic of a person to enhance their desirability? Into this discussion I bring limited data besides twenty-six-odd years of personal observation. My thesis is that mature women generally regard men as having reached their most physically attractive state between the ages of thirty-five and fifty. Now, is this because men are objectively most ideal specimens of form during those ages, or is something more at work beneath the hood, informing a woman's sense of attraction?

I suspect the degree of female physical attraction, if considered apart from emotional desire which stems from intimacy, rises in direct conjunction with a man's acknowledgment as having virtue. Power, if you will. Components of power, broadly construed, which may be projected psychologically upon physical form to enhance eligibility consist in such characteristics as skill, intelligence, economic stability, popular influence, or moral esteem. The period between advanced youth and old age is the season wherein men are most often said to "come into their own," in terms of power. They begin to round the ascending curve of their developing abilities, stability, and influence. And the more highly a man is appraised to possess respectable or prestigious traits, the more his appearance is subconsciously enhanced above its raw form in the estimation of women.

To some degree this occurs for the opposite gender as well, though admittedly, men are less inclined to project layers of perceived virtue convincingly upon their physical appraisals of women, especially with whom they have no prior emotional intimacy or realistic expectations of long-term involvement. Perhaps this difference owes to a stronger drive in women to associate sexuality more closely with the exigencies of real life? At the end of the day, sex has consequences and they are often more costly for women. Loss of reputation, care of children, economic stability, and the unlikelihood of future commitment frequently come out as shorter straws in a woman's hand. Thus, at a subliminal level she is more likely to engage estimations of the overall quality of potential mates, even those who are unrealistically detached from her, such as celebrities and fictional characters. I call this tendency the Imaginative Inclusion of Plot. Female inclusion of plot into physical attraction is most concretely revealed in the appeal which racy novels, with all of their complex back-stories useful for establishing the worth of the hero, hold toward women. By ascertaining some hope of a meaningful, or at least bearable, "ever after" scenario, women are more easily induced to entertain physical interest which would otherwise seem bland, troublesome, or threatening to their over-all well being.

By comparison, men are naturally more capable of compartmentalizing duties and consequences of actual relationships from their sexual appraisals of women. Unless a man is faced with a real and imminent possibility of long-term involvement, he may not feel so inclined to imagine any plot that takes into account a woman's personal qualities. He is able to restrict his fantasies to just those moments of physical exchange, and to imagine only those mutual feelings necessary to enjoy them. He does not need so much to be convinced that spending a significant portion of his lifetime with any particular woman would be feasible, in order to feel powerfully attracted to her body. It should be mentioned, however, that most men reengage their sense of reality when it comes to evaluating plausible mates. In that case, men will imagine what life might be like before and after their trysts and therefore incorporate all of a woman's virtues more readily into the sum evaluation. This is why, when it comes down to it, many husbands sincerely prefer the physical intimacy they have with their wives, whom they appreciate as companions, child-rearers, and helpers, above what could be imagined with celebrities. "It just wouldn't be the same."

Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that American males are too slow to incorporate virtue into our perceptions of our feminine counterparts. It creates a painful imbalance with the passage of time. Women of our society often feel pressured to cover the process of age with cosmetic disguises of youthfulness, like painted fruit which nevertheless rots from within, whereas men are generally granted the respect shown to hardwoods. The weathering of a man's appearance is thought to belie experience, and is therefore preserved and polished. His features somehow become more artfully embellished, his visage encrusted with the identification of his achievements over a patina of prestige. Men are disposed to entertain beyond reasonable age, fantasies of younger women. The common ideal of women, however, is not at last for sugary, boyish, cherry-cheeked men with reed-smooth skin, but for a substantial man; a blued steel truss of a man who has attained refinement of years and the sturdy mettle of experience; such a one as wears in crows' feet the impression of virtue. And this is why men often seem to grow more attractive with age.

Questions for Consistent Atheists

2010-12-17T03:28:00.000-08:00

To date, I have not carried on extensive discussions with many self-professed and informed atheists. I am, however, interested to know their vantage on certain issues, and welcome any intelligent responses I may receive. No arrogance is intended here; I present serious curiosity regarding important issues. Please forward this note to such reasonable ones as you come upon. Thank you.

First, I am capable of producing a concise rationalization for my belief in universal moral principles, founded in the self-revelation of Divine character, of which I will spare the reader at present. I would love to hear a similar concise atheistic basis for absolute moral standards, if any exist at all? Remember, I am desiring to know what fixed, universal principles of right and wrong there are in the atheistic view. I am asking for the final why, not the what, of human ethics. Some basis for why anything might be, in the ultimate sense, wrong.

Second, in the instance that no objective, universal standard of morality exists, I would care to hear his or her justification of the objective right of States to enforce laws whatsoever? Without an objective right, are we not forced to conclude that law enforcement is truly and ultimately the triumph of right by might? I should like to know immediately. There will be no time to lose, jettisoning these fixed ethical principles. I would henceforth adopt the Machiavellian scheme, that the end (an arbitrarily self-determined one, I might add) justifies the means.

Thirdly, I am curious to know what is an atheistic basis for affirming the existence of universal laws of logic, principles of rational deduction which are true in all places and at all times? If one can not be certain of the universality of the laws of logic, how may he dispute intelligently with any confidence of the dependability of those laws to establish meaningful facts? On the other hand, if we do affirm the existence of absolute, universal laws of logic, I suppose we must agree that this is belief derived, not from empirical evidence, but at last from presuppositional faith in a systemic universe? It would appear we are so persuaded of the probability of universal logic that we affirm it as reality. This being granted, I wonder what is the source of perfectly ordered logic in an otherwise randomly self-generated system, according to atheistic thought?

Lastly, I wonder what, if any, inherent inalienable and objective virtue life has in an atheistic conception of reality? How is human life inherently and positively more or less valuable than vegetable life, or even more worthy of preservation in its present organization than non-living matter? Is there a true, universal and objective fault in grinding living men as one grinds stone to dust, if some useful product can be made of them? If we conclude that life is devoid of universal, objective meaning, mustn't we regard grief over deaths of loved ones to be merely biochemical illusions somehow suited topersistence of the species? Thus enlightened, aren't we enabled in our consciences to disregard these illusions and do whatever we will to whomever we will, so long as it brings oneself the illusion of satisfaction? We might do as the song says, and "shoot a man in Reno, just to watch him die," and have no pangs of guilt; for, by this reasoning one might free himself entirely from the conscientious shackles of inherited moral restraints. He might own the fact that life is, after all, valueless in any objective, final sense. He might even conclude humanity has no more fixed, objective value than that which the chemical apparition, individual man, projects upon it.

If one is determined to hold onto forms of universal logic, objective morality, and an inherent value for the human person, is he not forced to borrow from the worldviews which his atheism purports to deny?

If the atheistic system is received consistently, are we not compelled to conclude that all five-thousand years of collective learning has climaxed upon one bleak lesson: that there is no such thing as objective, meaningful humanity?

Your thoughts are welcome. Thank you.

The Fundamental Right to Personal Property is Essential to Humane Prosperity and Charity

2010-12-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

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I believe liberal education and assurance of entitlement to one's own wealth is, on the whole, the greatest motivator of economic productivity. Give men the intellectual tools necessary to view their work as dignified and artful; assure them of their right to the profits thereof, and the result shall be sustained increase in wealth. Fear or greed may carry productivity forward in nervous spurts, but only those who are elevated to such views of individual human dignity are capable of the nobility of character which must stand in on behalf of the truly helpless minority in the world.

One who denies his equal right to posses for himself what he has earned, cannot truthfully uphold the rights of other individuals who, by principles of equality, must then also be shorn of their right to possess. Such a man, if he may be called a man, can only support the faceless hive; a hive which, in human society, is always discovered to terminate in the oppressive interests of an oligarchy. Neither can a man who disbelieves his inherent right to personal wealth give charitably of his own. For in his mind nothing is essentially his by right, but only by grant of the State. If his property goes out to others, it is not charity on his part, but forfeiture; for in his mind the property was never his own to do with wholly as he pleased. If man's wages may be taken compulsively from him in part, why may they not be wrested from him in whole? What is the fixed moral principle by which any wealth is assured to men, if not that they earned it with their own hands? Men who are by nature entitled to only half their wage are only half-men; half-man is half another's beast of burden. In this case, goods which the State permits their beasts to retain are only muzzles meant to keep them plowing silently.

One who does not grasp in himself the power to posses that which is his can not deny himself, in the noble sense, for one cannot deny nothing. What more is he without essential rights? If he is merely a serf of the State, what honor is there in him bestowing that which is demanded? Brotherhood and love are then deformed to a kind of stoic duty. Nobility is stripped from the species. But one who believes all humans are fundamentally entitled to the fruits of their labors, seeing himself so providentially blessed with an abundance of talent and fortune, is more likely to esteem the basic value of his less fortunate brothers. When he gives to the needy, he does so willingly and thereby spreads a sense of benevolence more charitable and humane than the cant dutifulness which necessarily permeates collectivist and authoritarian methods of wealth redistribution.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

POLL: The Estate Tax

2010-12-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

I don't usually wax political on my blog, but when I'm peeved enough the keyboard comes out. Let's begin with a poll:

What do you think about the Estate Tax?

A.) You are in favor of keeping, or even raising it.

B.) You think it is Federal plundering at its worst. It is wicked and base.

C.) You have no clue what I'm talking about, but you think Glee is pretty neat.

Now, I'm in no position to lose directly from the abominable Estate Tax, but it sickens me all the same. For those who don't know, the Estate Tax (or Death Tax, by its pejorative and more tangible name) dictates 35% of total "taxable" assets left by a deceased person whose net worth exceeds $5 million are siphoned off to the Government. In other words, after a small business owner or farmer has spent his lifetime earning and paying taxes on his income, that same wealth is taxed a second time when he dies. But who pays this tax if he is dead? The widows and the children, quite literally. The heirs of the assets are taxed.

Now, you may not feel too badly for the inheritors of such a sum until you realize the tax does not consider liquid worth but net value. So, imagine an upstart family-owned farm or catering business that grows to have 200 employees, lots of equipment, land, and insurance. The net worth of the business may be 5 million, but much of that is tied into the company itself. When the business owner dies, the children are expected to pay the government 35% of the estate value. To do so often means selling off the equipment and laying off the employees. Anticipating this, many business owners simply choose to be less prosperous and stay beneath the line.

Since when did we the people consider it best to allow our servant government to double tax us, once on receiving income, and again on passing that well-earned property down to our children as inheritance?! One might be argued that an Estate Tax is progressive, and serves to distribute wealth back to others who need it more. Such cant rhetoric is hardly bearable, and the lips of those foolish enough to trust government, rather than private individuals, to moderate charity and opportunity ought to be shut, if not slapped. If we are honest, the money descends into the abysmal control of bureaucrats, and they do not need more cash. They certainly have no more moral right to the inheritance than the family! "Anyone claiming that an heir does not deserve inherited wealth could certainly not claim a right to use the power of government to confiscate that wealth on behalf of unknown others who most certainly would not deserve the wealth by that same line of thinking."

I do not for one second believe so-called progressive politicians have bleeding hearts for the poor unfortunates of the world. Look at them. Their income and lifestyles are almost without exception luxurious, to say the least. If they feel so badly for the poor, perhaps they would dispense the upper-class portion of their wealth to the needy, and assume for themselves lower-middle class lifestyles rather than taxing others to do the trick. No, in the minds of politicians the purpose of economic collectivism has never been the good of the common man, as the common man would define it. Progressive methods of Government income have and always will be means for solidifying assets, and thereby power, under the sole jurisdiction of an elite oligarchy.

Was this helpful to you? Please share. Thanks!
© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

Friendship & Wisdom, divine gifts ~ Cicero

2010-12-10T18:52:00.001-08:00

"Friendship may be thus defined: a complete accord on all subjects human and divine, joined with mutual goodwill and affection. And with the exception of wisdom, I am inclined to think nothing better than this has been given to man by the immortal gods. "~Cicero, c. 106-43 BC

When designating wisdom and friendship chiefest among divine blessings, Cicero could not have foreseen how in fullest form these would soon be expressed in the embodiment of Jesus Christ.

Preparing for Seminary

2010-12-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

For a long time I have been mulling over the opportunity to attend seminary. Naturally , I must ask myself, "what motives drive my desire for education? Am I looking to affirm what I already presuppose, or do I have a teachable attitude?"

Dr. R. Scott Clark's blog series, Who Should Go to Seminary?, is helpful. He writes,

"Mature, patient pastoral ministry requires willingness to learn and change. It requires the ability to be wrong—to recognize when one is or has been wrong. It requires humility and the knowledge of what one is not and what one does not know. One who seeks confirmation of his prejudice is not committed to learning (or getting it right) but is only committed to “being right” and ultimately that is about power and not about truth. One who seeking power is not preparing for ministry. Jesus did not pick up a sword but wrapped himself with a towel." [1]

[1] R. Scott Clark, Who Should Go to Seminary?, Part 2

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010

The Towering Fall on 9/11 - A layman's assessment of the outcome of that day

2010-12-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

I have heard persons lament how that, eighty years from now, Americans will have forgotten the tragedy of 9/11. Life will have moved on, they say. As with Pearl Harbor, we will honor such infamy with aggrandized, albeit poorly acted films or garish History Channel retrospects. Otherwise, the event will have all but passed from its present meaningfulness to our collective conscience. I must doubt this projection. For reasons which put fire to my skin even to write of, I am lead to believe there will not be forgetfulness of the tragedy any time soon. The fall of the Trade Centers was no doubt a horrendous loss of life, worthy to be mourned and commemorated; however, I presume the more awful legacy of that destruction will be that it signaled the collapse of our National sense of security; it marked the fall of unquestioned individual privacy and mobility. Great towers toppled, and with them plummeted something of even loftier height and consequence: the sacred American presupposition of innocence and freedom for citizens of this Country.

Out of the rubble of 9/11 and the wake of paranoia which followed, has been erected an immense unconstitutional framework for unwarranted surveillance and prosecution by agents of the United States Government. A gnostic eye has been opened upon any and every person, under the guise of "preserving security" against the omnipresent bogey of 400 million potential terrorists.

The nature of terrorism is such that any person may participate with a minimum of resources and experience. Thus all persons might be suspected of the crime, if only the charge is levied with secret phone calls or undisclosed emails. No obligation exists to require the sources of accusation to be named. A new and more fearful McCarthyism is upon us. The mere assertion of affiliation with terrorist plots is enough to strip citizens of their "inalienable right" to trial before a jury of peers. Suspects may be held indefinitely, so long as military or bureaucratic officials deem a person "potentially threatening." So-called "enhanced methods" of torture, previously anathema to the American conscience, are now legally sanctioned upon those unfortunate enough to fall under scrutiny. No law requires the detention of persons suspected of terrorist intentions to be announced publicly.

Opponents of freedom have seized upon the traumatized American psyche to usurp limitless means for silencing the voices of any deemed threatening or inconvenient to those who wield the power of accusation. Whether this political weapon of mass destruction has yet been wielded against Americans to the degree it was in the despotic hands of Stalin, Mao, Pol-pot, or Hitler, there is no doubting such absolute power is set and ready for the fist of new tyrants, waiting to seize their moment. For fear of terrors unknown, America has authorized her civil and military protectors to kidnap, torture, and capitally sentence with inscrutable power; in essence, she has exchanged her several foreign threats of terror for an ever-present army of domestic ones.

Though the American Republic had for a long while been waiting the execution of her sentence for abandoning most ideal principles of justice and reason, the recent attack against the Trade towers was a visible severing of the head of Democracy founded in freedom and presumed innocence. It was the death-fall of the Noble Experiment from the gallows of puerile fear of the unknown. I am convinced that unless this abuse and usurpation is countered and repealed, and the unjust scepter of abject power wrested from the darkened hand of those who fist it, generations of Americans will come to remember September 11th as the day which precursed their existence under the stifling shadow of an unseen regime of inscrutable tyrants.

The Unlikely Key to Christian Love

2010-12-04T00:14:00.000-08:00

Looking for the Key

Because of the indwelling Spirit, Christians share an innate desire to show love toward God and others. Sadly, however, we frequently fall short of the ideal. We find ourselves overcome with frustration, agonizing over why our affections suffer seasons of drought while the old river of selfishness surges on, seemingly with relentless vigor. At one time or other, we have all searched within ourselves to find the key to Christian love. In vain we sought means by which to overcome sin and open the door to practical holiness. Perhaps the problem was that we expected this key to be stashed inside a pocket of personal goodness, some last reserve of dutiful self-will which could be activated, once found. Did we ever think to look under the filthy doormat of personal guilt?

The Importance of Sensing Guilt

Guilt is almost a foul word in the minds of many today, who plant their feet firmly in the vacuous power of "positive thinking." Feeling guilty is damaging to the psyche, they say, and stunts one's confidence to live effectively. While professing to be teachers of the word, some even dare to omit all "negative terminology" found in scripture -- words like sin, guilt, and debt -- for fear these ideas will diminish their listener's confidence and faith, if not alienate them entirely. To such optimistic ignoramuses, the will to love comes in large part by telling oneself over and over that we ought to love, and can love, if only we believe in our ability. Believe that God believes in us! Believe in ourselves!

Thus it comes as a surprise for some to hear that acknowledging personal guilt plays a crucial role in Christian love. In fact, the matter is so essential to the life of faith, that we are taught in the Lord's prayer to confess our sins daily. (Luke 11:4) Fresh awareness of the "sinfulness of sin," as one Puritan author phrased it [1], should not undermine faith in the power of Christ's work, received through faith alone, but should underscore it. This is because, in the case of believers, the purpose of guilt is never to condemn, but to refocus our eyes back on the grace we receive freely and securely in Jesus, our sufficient Sacrifice and Redeemer.

The Key to Love

If the essence of practical holiness is love toward God and one's neighbor, the key to holy living is set forth plainly in scripture. "He who has been forgiven much loves much." (Luke 7:47) To the extent one feels his sins to be worthy of indefinitely extended punishment, and believes Christ to have finished suffering in his place, he will be empowered by the Spirit to rejoice in grateful love. This is nowhere better illustrated than in the life of the Apostle Paul. This one-time Pharisee of Pharisees, who considered himself the very "chief of sinners," (1 Tim 1:15) became the Apostle who "labored above all others." (1 Cor. 15:9-10) What was his enabling motive? "Love compels me," he said. (2 Cor. 5:14) A deep sense of personal debt under the law, and of even deeper riches of grace given to him in Christ, inspired Paul to grateful service.

Growing in the Knowledge of Guilt and Grace

Devilish claims have been made by deluded individuals, that the way to grow in gratitude is to sin all the more, and so to increase one's apprehension of guilt and grace. Scripture condemns such wicked and unregenerate assertions. "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!" (Rom. 6:1,2) What we need is not more sin, but more sight, to see the disparity of our guilt in proportion to the holiness and goodness of God. Contrast is wanted in our hearts to greatly distinguish between the depravity of man and the greatness of our Lord against whom all sin is committed. To reckon sin in blacker shades, we must see Christ transfigured in the light of His infinite divinity, resplendent with glory and grace.

This sort of spiritual vision comes not by natural power, but through a Spirit-wrought increase of faith in the testimony of scripture. The ordinary means by which this spiritual work is accomplished are simple: word, sacrament, and prayer. As we sit under the faithful preaching of the word, and receive by faith the gospel portrayed in the sacraments, we are enabled to apprehend more distinctly the wonderful grace of God. Instead of fleeing like burdened hermits to mournful isolation, we are called each Lord's Day to hear again the story of Redemption, to "taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8)

This three-fold harmony of guilt, grace, and gratitude, is the cycle of true Christian piety. We feel our guilt and weakness; we appeal to Christ and trust in grace. The result is gratitude and love. For the believer, love is an organism of gratitude, whose liveliness grows in proportion to his apprehension of guilt and grace. When at last we cease searching empty pockets of personal goodness, we find in guilt the unlikely key to love.

[1] http://www.monergismbooks.com/Sinfulness-of-Sin-PP-p-16239.html

SONG: Fire in the Air

2010-12-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

"Fire in the Air"

I stand by a river at twilight,

__a glow at the end of a match in my fingertips,
__sighing for dusk to blush with a fire-crack kiss.

We count from five and then,
__racing eyes trace streaks up to the heights.
The heavens shout with rallies of bursting noise and light!

~

A single spark appears,
__weaving slowly, green between the trees.
No blinding flash or peeling blast;
__the mere pulse of a bulb and whispering wings.

All that interests now are these live lights.
Emeralds that faintly fly through the smoke of a midsummer night.

~

All that has me now are reflections,

__fireflies in your eyes;
__our hands as they intertwine.

We stand by a river at twilight.
No flame, no sound,

__just you.

NOTE: During the summer of 2005 I visited friends in Wisconsin. We spent a weekend at a cabin in the woods up north. It was a surreal time in life, a combination of love-sickness, first experiences, you know the stuff. The poem was first drafted on 19 August 2005, in Murrieta, California.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

DONUTS AND BABIES - BOTH GOOD SPRINKLED: A Reformed view of infant baptism

2010-11-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

This post was not intended to be a treatise on the issue. It was written shortly after my position changed, so that others would know which conclusion I had arrived at, if not why. For this reason there are few verse references and exegesis. Others have already done the hard work in presenting the case. I recommend Francis Schaeffer's article, as well as John Owen and Dennis Johnson. 

Many people have asked me to articulate my view of baptism, especially as the circumstances leading to my recent change of mind were somewhat unusual. The switch to paedobaptism followed nearly four years of indecision, during which time I had an inclination to the credo-Baptist (professing-believers-only) position of the sacrament. While this post is not the place where I'll describe everything that culminated in my arrival at the Reformed view of baptism, I will state for you now my present beliefs and offer several concise reasons for that stance.

What is baptism, and who is it for?

Let us state first that baptism is not chiefly the Christian's pledge to believe the gospel or die daily with Christ. Baptism, simply put, is an ordinance of entrance into the visible community of the Church, which is to be placed upon those whom God would have charitably associated with all the benefits of regeneration and faith. It is not necessary for us to know with certainty whether those who receive baptism have such inward realities or not. "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever." (Deut. 29:29) Because the Church cannot perfectly discern regeneration, she is instructed by scripture to apply the outward sign charitably, on one of two conditions.

Adult converts from heathendom

In the case of persons converted in adulthood, all that is required to receive baptism is plausible profession of sincere faith. This is because such professions suggest the inward reality of regeneration from which true faith springs. (Titus 3:5) Even then, we acknowledge the possibility that a recipient may not have the inward reality. But we are guided by the word to charitably believe the implication of their profession until otherwise proven. In fact, unless we have strong reason to doubt, we may even speak to baptized community members in good standing in terms reserved ultimately for the elect alone. This is even as Paul, when he writes to the whole congregation of Ephesus, "you are seated with Christ in the heavenlies," not because he knew with certitude of each person's individual regeneration, but that he was directed by the Spirit to extend confidence in the professions of adults not under discipline.

Infants of professing believers
In the case of infants of existing Covenant community believers, God does not ask the Church to discern the secret work of the Spirit. Nor does He require what is impossible for undeveloped children, namely to make mature professions of faith and demonstrate outward repentance from dead works. Rather, the Lord guides His people to extend charitable welcome to their children, even to acknowledge infants as true members of Christ until strong reason is given to doubt the inward realities which are signified, though not guaranteed, by the ordinance of water baptism. To say this another way, the virtue of covenant inclusion is so great that Christian parents may be no less certain of their children having been regenerated, than they are of the sincerity of their professing spouses. In fact, the benefit of doubt given to children is perhaps greater, for while adults are recognized on the virtue of their sincere professions, children are recognized on the basis of God's sovereign determination to include them for the time being in the number of the visible church. Neither case affords final certitude of election, but the basis for charitable inclusion is equally valid.

One practical instance of the importance of including children in the covenant sign is that which was famously argued by John Owen, that those to whom God refuses the outward sign of regeneration, He also would not have us associate with possessing the inward realities signified by it. This is easily understood in the case of adult heathens, who, making no profession of faith are denied the outward sign, and are thus not to be charitably associated with having received regeneration. However, this same logic extends, if one will follow it, to children if they are denied the covenant sign.

There is no biblical basis for a mythical and Pelagian "age of accountability." All persons descended from Adam are comprehended by nature in the guilt of his sin, and justly deserve condemnation. Scripture proclaims, "in sin my mother conceived me," and, "they go forth from the womb speaking lies." In Adam all die. The hope of children dying in infancy is therefore not presumed innocence, which is manifestly impossible, but that God would graciously regenerate them to life. Thus, if the sign of regeneration is not only omitted, but refused by God to children of believers, who with their parents are by nature children of wrath, we must also withhold any charitable expectation of their participation in the grace of regeneration outwardly depicted by the sacrament. The credo-baptist scheme, followed to its end, must consign children of professing believers, dying in infancy, to be regarded as lost, no differently than adult heathens who are denied access to the outward sign of water baptism. And yet, as in the case of King David, who had no other cause for hope than that God had granted the covenant sign of righteousness to his child, scripture extends every reason for hope to grieving parents of deceased little ones. Having no reason to doubt, God grants and even instructs Christian parents to believe.

A sure sign received by faith, not a certificate of salvation to all who receive it
Let it be said once more that water baptism is not a window of certainty into the electing decrees of God. It does not guarantee all of its recipients to be alike possessors of the inward realities therein signified. Among those baptized are sometimes false professors and reprobate children of Covenant community members. Nevertheless, water baptism is a true seal of the gospel promises which it depicts, namely, that by faith the Church is assured of having been cleansed from sin and united with Christ. This promise is equally true whether placed upon regenerate or unregenerate persons alike. And those who have it, we regard as true members until required by Church discipline to do otherwise.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

Welcome to a Reformed Church - Hyde

2010-11-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

What is this whole "Reformed thing" about? For those who want a good introduction to confessional Reformed Christianity, you can get it from the source with this straight-forward title by my pastor. Welcome to a Reformed Church is concise, clear, and scripturally and historically saturated. I believe it will deepen your faith in Christ and understanding of His church.

Here is an excerpt:

"It is important to note that faith itself does not justify us. Contrary to popular expression, we do not believe we are saved by faith. We believe we are saved by God's grace and that our faith, being a gift of God, "is only an instrument with which we embrace Christ our Righteousness. But Jesus Christ, imputing to us all his merits, and so many holy works, which he hath done for us and in our stead, is our Righteousness. And faith is an instrument that keeps us in communion with Him in all His benefits, which, when they become ours, are more than sufficient to acquit us of our sins." (Belgic Confession Art. 22)" -- Daniel Hyde, Welcome to a Reformed Church

Get it on Amazon.com, in print or Kindle format.

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God's will, Man's will, and Free Will

2010-11-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

Perhaps you've noticed, orthodox Christians have no fear of God ever sinning. This is because scripture teaches God always wills in ways consistent with His nature, which is immutably holy. Because God is by nature unchangeably and eminently moral, all His choices without exception reflect that holiness. This leads to an important observation: God does not have a so-called "free will", either to sin or not sin, but rather always desires to act consistently with His nature. To be sure, God wills, but He does not have a will separate from who He is at heart. He wills within the bounds of His nature.

Confusion arises when we mistake to think of the will as something separate from who we are at the core of our being. The will is not an independent part of metaphysical anatomy with a mind of its own, like the serpentine tail of the mythical Chimera, but is perhaps better considered as nature set in motion. To will is nothing more than an extension of the nature, the active means by which one's heart seeks to convert desires into reality.

Why is this important? Most significantly, if God had a "will" somehow free of His nature, we might imagine the Lord as capable of acting contrary to His holiness at any moment. Such blasphemous absurdities belong to the capricious god of Islam, not the God of the Bible. Our Lord has a will consistent with His pristine nature.

The will of man is equally reflective of his nature. As God acts upon His upright nature, so fallen man acts on behalf of his fallen nature to accomplish desires natural to his state. To say this in biblical terms, man's fruits are in accord with the sort of tree he is. What are the natural desires of fallen men? The shocking verdict of scripture is, "No man does good." What do we then make of the fact that some seem decent, even charitable? The bible says while men may do any number of outwardly good deeds, their purpose is always with an eye to justifying themselves or honoring something besides God with undue praise. Worse, the nature of fallen man is to persist in sinful self-will. Men were created "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever," yet have twisted their end to glorifying themselves and enjoying their self-will for as long as possible.

One may preach all day to an unregenerate man, "Look to Christ," but for lack of natural desire he will never do so, any more than God would tell a lie. No being acts outside of its nature. Man in his lapsed state is bound by sinfulness. He does not have a free will but a will corrupted by sin, and thus always acts in woeful accord with his natural corruption.

Jesus stunned his listeners when he announced, "No man comes to me unless the Father draws him." The word Christ used for this special drawing is the same chosen elsewhere to describe being carried off on the shoulders of another. What does this tell us? If human nature is so bent to evil that no man will not come to Christ naturally, how can man be saved? God must save him. The Lord does this by imparting a new holy nature through the miracle of new birth. The new nature, being empowered by the Holy Spirit, frees men from corrupt unbelief to faith in Christ. Sanctification is the process of this new holy nature subduing the old corrupt one, by the power of the Spirit. Glorification in the life to come is a once-for-all removal of the sinful nature which persists alongside the new in this life.

Whoever defends free will must answer why, at last, Christians in heaven never choose to sin again. Do they leave their free wills at the pearly gates? If one says, "it is owing to the imperfections of our present physical bodies, which shall then be glorified," he admits the will is presently disabled by something, and must explain how Christ, who had a physical body, was not guilty of sin. If instead one argues, "in heaven we won't sin because God will conform us perfectly to the image of Christ," he admits something presently binds the will against perfect obedience. Moreover, he acknowledges God will change Christians to no longer will in ways they presently do, demonstrating God's sovereignty over the human will.

The myth of free will implodes the idea of the effectual power of the gospel. What ought to be an incredibly dynamic act of God working through the preached word, is reduced to little more than a program for teaching sinners the rules of play. Free will portrays God, not as champion, but as one who roots helplessly from heavenly bleachers for sinners to run the ball home. The truth is, victory belongs to God alone. Furthermore, belief that one can act independent of his nature frustrates the Christian's expectation that the Holy Spirit, and not we ourselves, progressively heals our corruptions and guarantees success. Such people spend their time trying to change their wills instead of asking God in faith to change their hearts.

Macroscopic Love

2010-11-24T12:04:00.000-08:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

When called to answer the questions, "Who are my neighbors, and how must I love them?" our first response is to look close at hand, and to immediate needs. As opportunity affords, I believe we must go beyond this myopia to better benefit those in other places, even future times. By working toward an healthier, sustainable, more free atmosphere for coming generations to thrive in, we might enable others to sit under the preaching of the gospel in conditions otherwise unlikely with our present course. While the work of the institutional Church is to teach and administer Word and sacraments, the part of individual Christians is to strive, personally and by organization, to improve the well-being of their fellows by every good means, whether in the home, industry, government, or the academy. For the Christian, every improvement of society is in fact a God-glorifying act of love.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

Courage, cowardice, and idealism - Sproul

2010-11-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

You have to wonder what is going on in Saul's mind when he hears this young man, David, say, "I'll go."

'Poor misguided young man. Full of visions of grandeur, filled with idealism.'

I can remember when I was a new Christian and I was a still a young man, and I would get into discussions with older people, and they would say to me, "Oh, you're just too young. You don't understand these things. After you get older you'll find out." I just was so frustrated by that. And one time I said to one of these older men, "I am young, but I'm not stupid. Don't make me wait thirty years to find out why I'm thinking differently. Tell me now, share your wisdom with me. I promise I can understand if you'll give me a cogent argument."

"Well no, you'll just have to wait," he said. "This kind of knowledge only comes from experience." I did not understand that! Now I do. When I was twenty-one years old, I had nothing to lose. I didn't have a job, I didn't have a family to support. I didn't have any money. I didn't care about rocking the boat! It seems like our courage diminishes proportionately to our assets at the moment, whatever we regard those assets to be.

- R.C. Sproul, Lectures on David

Using Gongs in our Worship Services

2010-11-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

Over the years I have seen some well-meaning persons place much emphasis upon "re-engaging the Church" through ever-more complex, polished, and ritualistic fashions of public worship. While I understand the reasoning behind such modes of thought, I find the arguments to be lacking in light of both scripture and experience.

I happen to attend one of the more austere Reformed congregations. We sing our simple psalms and hymns rather plainly. Yet rarely have I felt the worship to be "dry". This owes, I believe, to our being instructed weekly that faith in the Lord Jesus is the conduit through which the Spirit's waters effectually flow, not outward elements of worship. Melody helps the body to preserve order and unity, but faith alone gives substance to song, elevating rituals above sounding gongs and into acts of love.

Never has a choir bettered the beauty of Paul and Silas in the Phillipian jail. We might learn something from this. Sincerity of gratitude, unfeigned humility and reverence, are characteristics which mark heavenly worship apart from common noise. Harps cannot impart faith; Spirit-assisted preaching of the Word does. Immense sonic progressions may stir and inspire feeling but they cannot conjure genuine belief. If congregations feel their worship to be sparse, I am convinced they would do well to pray for clearer preaching and better listening, rather than to order instruments, kneelers, decorations, and mood lighting which serve to distract focus from the gospel.

I believe outwardly simple worship leaves most room to demonstrate how Christian joy resides in Christ and not circumstances. Worship in its purest form delights more in believing and professing the truth of God than in how the words are said or sung. I believe the more we recognize and rest upon the promises of the gospel, the more exuberant our praises will be.

Photo credit: NYTimes, fair-use.

A.W. Tozer on Boredom at Church

2010-11-12T22:22:00.000-08:00

There is a lot I disagree with Tozer on. For instance, his preference for Evangelicalism and lack of emphasis on the grace of the gospel as the mechanism of sanctification. But here I think he hits the nail on the head regarding public worship:

“Those Christians who belong to the evangelical wing of the church (which I firmly believe is the only one that even approximates New Testament Christianity) have over the last half-century shown an increasing impatience with things invisible and eternal and have demanded and got a host of things visible and temporal to satisfy their fleshly appetites. Without Biblical authority, or any other right under the sun, carnal religious leaders have introduced a host of attractions that serve no purpose except to provide entertainment for the retarded saints.

It is now common practice in most evangelical churches to offer the people, especially the young people, a maximum of entertainment and a minimum of serious instruction. It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction is God. One can only conclude that God’s professed children are bored with Him, for they must be wooed to meeting with a stick of striped candy in the form of religious movies, games and refreshments.

This has influenced the whole pattern of church life, and even brought into being a new type of church architecture, designed to house the golden calf.

So we have the strange anomaly of orthodoxy in creed and heterodoxy in practice. The striped-candy technique has been so fully integrated into our present religious thinking that it is simply taken for granted. Its victims never dream that it is not a part of the teachings of Christ and His apostles.

Any objection to the carryings on of our present golden-calf Christianity is met with the triumphant reply, “But we are winning them!” And winning them to what? To true discipleship? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world? To crucifixion of the flesh? To holy living? To nobility of character? To a despising of the world’s treasures? To hard self-discipline? To love for God? To total committal to Christ? Of course the answer to all these questions is no.

We are paying a frightful price for our religious boredom. And that at the moment of the world’s mortal peril.”

Open Statement of a Crystalized View on Baptism

2010-11-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

After three years of attending a United Reformed Church, never as a member but as one open to the possibility of the Reformed position of baptism, and having read many of the major works on the subject, I mailed the following to my pastor last night. I am comfortable sharing it publicly...

Dear Rev.,

I am told a person once said of me, the reason I have remained so long at OURC without becoming a member is that I am stubborn, perhaps hard-headed. I hope it has never appeared so. I can testify from my conscience that I have always wanted to have what was required of me by the consistory. But I could not compel myself to affirm for truth what seemed to my limited, though overly informed judgment to be one of multiple possibilities.

If there is a reason why I stayed, it was because you and others at OURC encouraged me countless times to remain as long as it took to reach an affirmative position regarding baptism, whether paedo or credo. I have no doubt that had you asked, I would have made necessary arrangements to attend a Reformed Baptist congregation, however inconvenient and unhappy the loss of my regular fellowship with you all would have been. In such an environment we can only guess the likelihood of a changed view, if at all.

Though there has been an obvious build up to this point, tonight while speaking with my father things clicked, both for him and myself. Having returned to and exhausted the passages so commonly used in opposition to infant identification with the covenant community, and finding myself in possession of satisfying explanations, I realized that I was, in fact, more persuaded of the Reformed position. This came in part by understanding how I had previously imposed my own internal/external distinctions into the terminology of Baptists, and inferred common meanings where there were not. Moreover, I recognized very clearly the seriousness of the error and some of the ramifications for mishandling the sacrament. To look at it now, it is a wonder I did not see this earlier.

Upon sufficient examination by the elders, I would like to present myself for membership. I figured that of those at our church, you should be the first to know.

I am evidence that, "the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth."

Thank you for your patience, prayers, and pastoral guidance. You've won a brother from error.

Secure in the grace of Christ, through the gift of faith,

- Michael Spotts:.

PS: My father apologized for withholding baptism from me.

PSS: Though I do not recall you doing this, I would like to add that none of the cruel and tasteless jokes said about baptists ever edified me. It was the graciousness of a few Reformed brothers that played the greatest role in my continued exploration after each time the subject seemed exhausted. You were chief of them.

I am somewhat shocked at the ease of it, as there was little more to do than see Owen's argument, David's basis for presuming infant salvation, and understanding charitably inclusive language in the New Testament as not necessitating an "internal only" view. The hinge was in recognizing the internal/external dynamic in relation to charitable language and inclusion.

At a time when I feel better able to express my views on the issue, I look forward to helping others understand the Reformed position. Until then, I am officially paedo. And I love you all, paedo and credo alike.

Webscavations - Mimic Octopus

2010-11-06T18:24:00.001-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

Fighting to understand hard passages

2010-11-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside

In the heat of battle individuals may become indistinguishable as for which side they fight. Likewise, there are certain passages of scripture which have been subjected to such intense doctrinal skirmishing that, taken alone, they may become difficult or impossible to pin definitely as fighting one behalf of one side or the other. A single text can have fifteen competing explanations for its significance, several seeming highly plausible. We may be tempted to think the war for understanding is at an impasse. As always, we will have a better idea of which view is holding ground by adopting a higher angle of the field, considering not isolated passages so much as the greater whole.

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Christianity and the Future of the Book

2010-11-03T00:53:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CAFor those who question the relationship of technology and the Church, both for better and worse, Alan Jacobs offers easily the most enlightening lecture on the role of the codex in the history and future of God's people and the world which I've heard. It gets better throughout. Highly recommended.

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I Believe in Preaching

2010-11-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

John Stott, I Believe in Preaching (1982), page 69:

It is difficult to imagine the world in the year A.D. 2000, by which time versatile micro-processors are likely to be as common as simple calculators are today. We should certainly welcome the fact that the silicon chip will transcend human brain-power, as the machine has transcended human muscle-power. Much less welcome will be the probable reduction of human contact as the new electronic network renders personal relationships ever less necessary. In such a dehumanized society the fellowship of the local church will become increasingly important, whose members meet one another, and talk and listen to one another in person rather than on screen. In this human context of mutual love the speaking and hearing of the Word of God is also likely to become more necessary for the preservation of our humanness, not less."

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Ideals find their highest being in Jesus Christ

2010-11-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

The ideals for which mankind hungrily seeks, whether for the whisperings of lovers, consolations of loyal friends, or the unwavering affirmations of a father; for an abundance of riches, or the riches of sublime knowledge; faithfulness of blessed marriage; pure simplicity, highest ecstasy; undying youth and profound wisdom; the joy of victory: all of these aspirations find their highest being in the person of Jesus Christ, by whom we have access and welcome into the fellowship of the Godhead.

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Fire, Dorothea Mackellar

2010-10-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

This life that we call our own
Is neither strong nor free;
A flame in the wind of death,
It trembles ceaselessly.

And this all we can do
To use our little light
Before, in the piercing wind,
It flickers into night:

To yield the heat of the flame,
To grudge not, but to give
Whatever we have of strength,
That one more flame may live.

Webscavations: Miniature Art

2010-10-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

From Engadget - "We'll admit it: we're pretty big fans of pencils (you may remember them as those wooden sticks early humans used to scribble in their diaries with), so we were pretty tickled to see these beauties. Artist Dalton Ghetti's tiny pencil sculptures are made using only a razor blade, a sewing needle and a sculpting knife. The results are incredibly beautiful and impressive. One more shot below, hit the source for plenty more."

A birthday prayer

2010-10-25T02:20:00.000-07:00

24 October, 2010 - Carlsbad, CA

Heavenly Father,

You have seen my life these past six months, and all these 26 years. You know the many faults, reversions, and willful rebellions of my path. How richly I deserve punishment if once held to justice! Many times I have forgotten the pleasures of Christ to seek vainly after satisfaction from the hollow lusts of the world. Patiently you have borne with my whorings. The rod of fatherly chastisement has been applied with abundant grace and mercy.

Thank you for the hope set forth in Christ, that by His true humanity I have received a worthy Representative; by His perfect deity your Son sustained the full wrath owed to the offended dignity of Holy divinity. I thank you for confidence that through faith granted freely, Jesus' obedience is counted to me for righteousness; by His suffering I am crucified forever to the frightening penalties of the Law as a Covenant of Works.

Majestic Lord, for the glory of your Name and the good of Your servant, I pray by your Spirit you would restore my way more straightly to the narrow path of holiness. Set my feet on surer soil; incline my heart to pure desires. Blow upon the smoldering coals of a flagging heart, once lit and ever sustained by your unsought grace. Kindle a flame, bright and contagious, for the fame and honor of Jesus Christ, the Resurrected King. Breath in your servant fresh willingness to be conformed more wholly, even as our Father in heaven is holy, to the character of your Son.

By the word of your power answer these requests according to your will.

In Christ's name,

Michael:.

Noise soon to follow

2010-10-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

I've been writing a great deal of music these past six months. Seeing as I'll be on an extended creative vacation for winter and spring, I might be commissioning the skills/instruments of you, my dear friends, for an album by us. Items to be procured are xylophones, marimbas, cajones, acoustic bass guitars, cellists/violinists, and possibly drums of various girth and snap. Prepare yourselves for song and dance.

Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God

2010-10-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

"It is natural for a man to desire what he reckons better than that which he has already, and be satisfied with nothing which lacks that special quality which he misses. Thus, if it is for her beauty that he loves his wife, he will cast longing eyes after a fairer woman. If he is clad in a rich garment, he will covet a costlier one; and no matter how rich he may be he will envy a man richer than himself. Do we not see people every day, endowed with vast estates, who keep on joining field to field, dreaming of wider boundaries for their lands? Those who dwell in palaces are ever adding house to house, continually building up and tearing down, remodeling and changing. Men in high places are driven by insatiable ambition to clutch at still greater prizes. And nowhere is there any final satisfaction, because nothing there can be defined as absolutely the best or highest. But it is natural that nothing should content a man’s desires but the very best, as he reckons it. Is it not, then, mad folly always to be craving for things which can never quiet our longings, much less satisfy them?

"No matter how many such things one has, he is always lusting after what he has not; never at peace, he sighs for new possessions. Discontented, he spends himself in fruitless toil, and finds only weariness in the evanescent and unreal pleasures of the world. In his greediness, he counts all that he has clutched as nothing in comparison with what is beyond his grasp, and loses all pleasure in his actual possessions by longing after what he has not, yet covets. No man can ever hope to own all things. Even the little one does possess is got only with toil and is held in fear; since each is certain to lose what he hath when God’s day, appointed though unrevealed, shall come. But the perverted will struggles towards the ultimate good by devious ways, yearning after satisfaction, yet led astray by vanity and deceived by wickedness. Ah, if you wish to attain to the consummation of all desire, so that nothing unfulfilled will be left, why weary yourself with fruitless efforts, running hither and thither, only to die long before the goal is reached?

"It is so that these impious ones wander in a circle, longing after something to gratify their yearnings, yet madly rejecting that which alone can bring them to their desired end, not by exhaustion but by attainment. They wear themselves out in vain travail, without reaching their blessed consummation, because they delight in creatures, not in the Creator. They want to traverse creation, trying all things one by one, rather than think of coming to Him who is Lord of all. And if their utmost longing were realized, so that they should have all the world for their own, yet without possessing Him who is the Author of all being, then the same law of their desires would make them contemn what they had and restlessly seek Him whom they still lacked, that is, God Himself. Rest is in Him alone. Man knows no peace in the world; but he has no disturbance when he is with God. And so the soul says with confidence, ‘Whom have I in heaven but Thee; and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee. God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. It is good for me to hold me fast by God, to put my trust in the Lord God’ (Ps. 73.25ff). Even by this way one would eventually come to God, if only he might have time to test all lesser goods in turn."

Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God

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The foolishness of God

2010-10-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

2010 - Carlsbad, CA

To the wise and self-righteous, the idea of God becoming weak and reaching out to the weak seems foolish, even blasphemous. That He does so through the simplicity and apparent weakness of preaching is beyond reason. Yet this seeming foolishness and weakness is the strength and wisdom of God, as it leaves no glory in man but places all his hope in the manifest mercy, compassion, and sovereign capability of Christ our Redeemer.

1 Corinthians 1:21-31

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

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Great men fail in their strongest points

2010-10-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

2010 - Carlsbad, CA

"Ye have heard of the patience of Job." I suggest to you this question,—Have you not heard of the impatience of Job? You have heard, no doubt, of the strong faith of Peter; have you never heard of Peter's unbelief? God's people usually fail in the very point for which they are most famous; and the man who has the greatest renown for any work of the Spirit of God in him, so far as the Bible biographies are concerned, has usually been the man who has made a failure just at the place where he thought he was strongest.

-- Spurgeon, "Comfort to the tempted" sermon

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(video) Relative size of planetary bodies

2010-10-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

Well, my brain hurts now but I am in total awe.

Reasons for men to marry

2010-10-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

I heard a person say, "If you give men all the benefits of marriage without having a ring then they have no reason to get married."

I disagree. Whether in marriage or any other act, men are guided by the command, "whatsoever you do, do all unto the glory of Christ." The ultimate reason for men to marry ought to be a desire to publicly affirm their promise to protect, provide, and care for their wives as representatives of Christ in the analogy of marriage. A man ought to see his marriage as a symbol of the unbreakable covenant Christ makes with the Church in election and faith. Of course, most men haven't much appreciation for these ideas. Then again, most men aren't men, in the sense God's word intends them to be.

If a man exchanges rings with a woman simply for the so-called benefits biblically restricted to marriage, he may leave her as easily when those benefits seem less appealing. If one's marriage is to last, the foundation of husbandry must be an affectionate desire to serve one's wife as the picture of Christ, who neither abandons nor neglects His bride

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

Hearing the ordinary voice of God

2010-10-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

[View a video version, for the reading impaired. But the written is less obnoxious.]

I was asked this week why God doesn't speak audibly to us? As attractive as such access to the Divine may seem, I think the Lord has chosen wisely for this time to speak in other ways. God speaks truly but He does so spiritually in the lives of believers, and the manner in which He does so is by inspiring faith which receives the written word as having been given to oneself personally. Rather than having us cup our ears to perceive some mystical, small voice for every decision and comfort, Christ causes us to learn and believe the promises and commands of scripture as for ourselves, testifying in our hearts by the authority of the Spirit who bears witness in us.

There are numerous reasons why He may have arranged it this way. For one, the Lord chooses at times to hide His hand from the world by working through peculiar, ordinary means. As the Apostle notes, pastoral preaching is "foolishness" to the unbeliever. The Lord's supper and baptism, which are the physical signs and seals of the promises committed to faith, truly speak but in a voice known only to believers and heard through faith alone. In concealing His presence from the reprobate, God both judges them and in another sense is gracious, for limiting their guilt by not increasing the light they so readily reject.

More importantly, I believe the ordinary forms of divine communication stabilize the saints and stimulate faith. Believers do not have to wait forty years between divine messages as Moses did, or ten years as Abraham. They have the word of God written and preserved for access any time, and made living and active through the Spirit's indwelling power. This objective fashion also protects the Church from false teachers and fanciful people who profess to have "a new word." No one may say, "the Lord gave me a secret message," and hold that so-called revelation over others' heads because the Canon is given and complete. The power of God is sufficient to teach and remind us of what is written there.

Our problem is not that God speaks so rarely, but that for all His speaking we rarely listen. Faith is the ear of the saint by which he hears within the word and sacraments the ordinary voice of God. Too often we ask for signs and wonders, instead of wondering more at the written word. Of course this goes against our natural desire for audible dialog, but that is just Adam trying to get back into the Garden for a walk. In the meantime we are comforted to know that our Redeemer lives and we shall stand with Him on the earth. Soon enough our hearing will be fully restored. We will have more than sound, for we will speak face to face with the Savior.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

The objective basis for Christian comfort

2010-09-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

When people ask where my comfort comes from, I do not point them to mystical experiences or something trapped in cliches. I say, "get a sight of Christ," and I mean, "see what is written plainly in the word and believe it." What good is it to send distraught souls probing around in that confused morass in their chests? Scrupulous people know the heart offers little to assure us of our standing in Christ. For comfort, I direct everyone to the simple but profound concepts revealed objectively in scripture.

Understanding and appreciating the objective truth of Christ's purpose and acts is the foundation of stability and growth in Christian life. We must rest upon the truth that from eternity He pitied His people, determining from before the Fall that He would take for Himself sinners chosen of grace and fashion them to be statements of His mercy. We need to know that He has secured for them an eternity of peace and intimacy best pictured in the prophetic symbolism of marriage. That salvation is not a matter of if, but when, for all those who look to Him alone for righteousness.

The threshold of peace is crossed by resting, really reclining on Christ to accept us once for all purely on the basis of His freedom to be good to whom He chooses, which is justified by His having suffered in the place of His people. Looking to our own actions as the personal litmus test of faith and assurance will never result in stability, because assurance is grounded in faith of what Christ has and will do, not in what we have or will do. Directly, Christian faith is belief that God is not only free to be good as He wants, when He wants, and to whom He wants, but that He shall be good to those who desire Him to be good to them for the sake of Christ, who is the Representative righteousness of all who look to Him.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

My Dad in the Hospital

2010-09-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

My father has a variety of physical conditions stemming from Multiple Sclerosis. He takes these with admirable aplomb, crediting anticipation of the life awaiting him with Christ in heaven as the source of his comfort. This past week he stumbled, placing his whole weight on the brittle bones of his right ankle. They were shattered to pieces and required surgery, plates, pins, the works. For the next several weeks he will be in long-term care and therapy until he can lift himself from bed and get around a bit.

Please pray for my dad. All of this is no doubt depressing for him and difficult for his loved ones. Thanks!

Listen to dad talk about the fall (mp3).

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Why we believe and live as we do.

2010-09-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

"It is God who works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure." [Phil. 2:13] In his fallen state man is weak through sin and ever inclined to unbelief and selfishness. He is called, "dead in trespasses and sins." [Eph. 2:1]

The indwelling Spirit alone provides the principle of spiritual life so necessary to faith and fruitfulness. The basis then for God's reception of men must not be good works and willingness, which are impossible for the unregenerate soul, but the merit of Christ's righteousness applied by the Spirit through faith, wrought by God in the hearts of the Elect. Thus salvation and sanctification are alike purely the result of the grace in God in Christ, and not for any virtue existing in man. This is good news to someone who truly senses his depravity.

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." [Titus 3:5-7]

The offer stands to those who feel their need of Him, "come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest." [Matt. 11:28] "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." [Luke 5:32] "All who come to me I will in no way cast out." [John 6:37] "All the promises in Christ are yes, and amen." [2 Cor. 1:20] "They shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from sin." [Matt. 1:21] "By one sacrifice He has perfected forever those who are set apart." [Heb. 10:14]

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

The meaning and extent of love

2010-09-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

Love is an affection, notable for the pleasure it derives from the well-being its subject. To the extent that one loves another, he will compromise lesser interests to benefit that which he loves. Love is mature when it strives in all cases for the best interest of its subject, regardless of cost. Love finds happiness in the happiness of the one it loves.

"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." [Rom. 5:8]

"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." 1 [John 3:16 ]

Have you died for anyone? Are you willing? Have you loved like Christ?

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

"Unless you repent you will perish." ~ Jesus

2010-09-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

I recognize your time is valuable. I'd like to share with you something very important, in as few words as possible. The bible teaches that we are born under the burden of sin and guilt, for having violated the moral Law of God. God's law is to love perfectly; anything less is sin. [1] There is a penalty for sin ~ death and punishment forever. [2] This may seem extreme, but truly it is justice. All sins are committed against the infinite dignity and glory of the holy Creator of all. Sin is treason against God Himself. The Judge of All must execute justice in order to be righteous. He punished fallen angels and He will punish sinful humanity. [3]

Remarkably, the bible proclaims good news: God chose from before time to show mercy to multitudes of people. He accomplished this by sending His eternal Son in the form of a real man, Jesus. The Son came to live, suffer, and die in the place of those He came to save. [4] Christ is willing to save sinners [5], and warns that, "unless you repent you will perish." [6]

Repentance is a matter of everlasting life and death, yet few know what the term really means. Repentance means "turning away". Repentance leading to salvation is more than turning from certain sins, as if to counter-balance one's past by "living better" from now on. The repentance which Jesus says is necessary to salvation isn't even promising to quit all of one's sinful habits, however right that effort is in itself.

Repentance unto everlasting life means turning entirely from a self-oriented legal relationship with God based on personal merit and good deeds, to one that trusts only in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as the just, full satisfaction for all one's righteousness. [7]

"To him that does not work, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." [8]

Gospel repentance is looking to Christ alone to be one's Representative before God in every way. [9] True repentance changes the whole direction of life toward God, from personal legalism to gratitude for His having freely granted and secured salvation through faith in Christ alone. Those who repent cast everything upon Christ and embark on lives purified in the pursuit of conformity to His character. [10]

For a more detailed explanation of the gospel, please read the post, Limited Time and Infinitely Good News.

[1] Rom. 3:23
[2] Rom. 6:23
[3] Psa. 51:4, Gen. 18:25
[4] Exo. 34:7; Rev. 7:9; Rev. 13:8
[5] 1 Tim. 1:15
[6] Luke 13:3
[7] Rom. 5:1, Titus 3:4-8; Gal. 3:11
[8] Rom. 4:5
[9] Heb. 4:14-16
[10] 2 Cor. 3:18

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

What men need and women want

2010-09-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside

While speaking with a fourteen year-old girl, I was asked, "do you think the media misleads people, changing how they value things?" Absolutely, was my immediate response. As I considered the subject further I began to appreciate the way popular media dictates to impressionable people a false sense of what is and is not acceptable; which products and choices will guarantee or discredit their respect among others. Often it tells women to be what men don't need, and men to be what women don't want.

Look around and you will see everywhere a disproportionate emphasis upon women to become the sexual panacea for all the felt needs of men. Of course this is because companies find it far easier to market products and services tailored to the physical body than to sell existential improvement. How does one sell patience and affirmation? How does one market something so immaterial as respect rooted in personal character, which so many nonetheless yearn badly for? Makeup, hair, clothing, diets, exercise equipment. These things are cheaply made and are readily marketable, so long as felt needs can be established and stimulated. Thus each item pleads its own case, convincing our culture that men want only such a woman as benefits from the increased beauty promised by that product. (However true it may be that men desire women so finely formed and fitted as advertisers conceive, it does not prove they need it!)

As ten thousand companies vie, each with particular wares, to prove to women the importance of appearance there comes a collective over-stimulation; a gross underscoring of the meaning which form and style bears on personal worth and sexual desirability. One may argue that loyalty and affection are nearly removed from the entire notion of pop-sexuality, as these attributes impair the sense of frustration and neediness associated with purely physical standards of appraisal. We have at last a persistent cycle wherein media exaggerates the expectations of culture, individuals heed and respond as if these claims were true, and the collective culture is transformed to match the picture formed by media. I would argue this imbalanced emphasis displaces attention away from the pursuit of what is actually most needed.

Men need women who are not satisfied with material measurements of worth; who are not enamored with social stature at the cost of stunted character. Women are needed who direct a man's interest upward and outward, instead of always towards the bottom-line where man naturally tends; who inspire them to become better persons, rather than striving for better position in the vain climb toward relational bankruptcy which "success" so often entails.

Men need women who stimulate them to hard work, not for the gluttony of an endlessly improved estate but for an increased ability to do good to those in need. Women who spur them to moral greatness; assuring them of their value as companions rather than as wage-earners. Again, men need women to convince them that marriage means far more to women than a socially sanctioned and tax-reduced financial security program, sex included. Whether men know it or not, they need women to be what they were intended to be in Christ - people committed to improving and cherishing the whole man in the worship of God.

Unfortunately, owing in part to the pamphleteering of media and to the apparent ease of that route, men likewise succumb in varying degrees to a wrong view of what women desire of them. It is not hyperbole to say lots of men believe that, in the end, what a woman really wants is a well-sculpted credit card; a kind of phallic pile of money which overshadows all secondary issues as relational development and substance. No doubt, on the whole women do appreciate physical form and enjoy a measure of financial freedom. My contention is just that these are not what women want most, and thus are not what men should be most set upon attaining. (Meanwhile, those who do prefer body and bills above all else are not, in my opinion, women at all but shrunken personalities.)

To look at me should dispel all assumptions that I speak for women. But I can speak with regard to what I know of scripture and of women. Whether they have recognized it so clearly or not, women are satisfied in the true sense of the word not so much by the form of their partners, or the wealth brought in, as by tender assurance that commitment and affection are theirs; that they are appreciated and admired not only for their bodies, but moreover for the soul which develops within those aging wine skins.

Women want men who convey something of the Father, in providence and protection; of Christ in self-sacrifice and compassion; of the Spirit in perception, presence, and insight. As God is the archetypal male, women yearn for men who express something of masculinity as defined in the attributes of the Godhead. They may not know it, but this explains the dissatisfaction felt by those who attain to a man solid as a drum and equally hollow.

If I can trust my observations of life more than the fantasies of commercials, I will suppose that maturity teaches women to want endurance of character more than flashes of brawn. How many men have I seen grunting for hours in the gym who have yet to work out their own personal weaknesses. Men who study hard for a better job but have hardly examined the failures of previous relationships! It seems stylish for men to heave their chests and exclaim, "I can do this or that," expecting women to come in tow, without first measuring the cost or bracing themselves for initial failure. Surely, if women consider carefully, they must want men with determined optimism more than reckless pride and self-congratulatory assumptions of ability. Women with an ounce of wisdom desire humble men who find confidence in God, rather than men who boast in themselves.

Perhaps I expect too much of people? Perhaps in the end, most people really do just want a warm body to stroke and exchange their money with. Above every question of substance and spirituality, maybe the prevailing standard of value really is defined by the curvature of abs and breasts, and the figures of bank accounts. I would like to think otherwise, and I believe scripture permits me to do so.

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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:

By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8

Christian warmth and friendship

2010-09-16T00:45:00.000-07:00

2010 - Oceanside, CA

Christian warmth exists when believers appreciate that we really are family in Christ. We might not have known one another for a long time, but we anticipate the everlasting length and unity which these friendships will enjoy in the Lord. Such thoughts are wonderful medicine to the heart against a backdrop of lives filled with temporary relationships.

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