Archives for July 2007

I have mostly finished my first look at the modern Sword and Trowel. If this issue is typical, the magazine is worth receiving. The second article by Peter Masters is also excellent. Entitled ‘Paul’s Positive Plan for Holiness’, Masters outlines from Rm 7-8 eight essential steps for pursuing personal holiness. Masters critiqued John Piper’s theories elsewhere for his denial of personal effort in sanctification. I agree with Masters on this point. Piper is guilty of a neo-Keswickian view of sanctification which distorts the Christian life.

Here is a summary of Masters’ eight points:

• Recognize the Problem – I still have a sin nature, defeated by the cross, but still alive and a powerful force in my soul, if I allow it.

“A serious determination to struggle against sin is the only way to live as a Christian, yet it is a stance that modern evangelicalism, saturated in worldliness and show-business informality and entertainment, does not want to take.”

• Have Positive Aims – have a goal of godliness, an objective to strive after, a ‘good I would’ do, much as an athlete sets objectives for his physical progress, so too we must set objectives for spiritual progress.

• Plan to Avoid Sin – the antithesis of point two: have an objective NOT to sin, an evil ‘I would not’.

“Sin will not be broken and overcome without a longing to avoid it, and the preparation of a prior battle-plan of intentions.”

• Keep Up Self-Examination – constantly put yourself under scrutiny from the objective perspective of God’s word. Be ready and quick to confess sin that is exposed.

• Long for Overall Improvement – longing for improvement stretches out towards the goal, presses on to victory as in Phil 3.13-14. This is a daily dedication to holiness.

• Seek Spiritual Help – by this Masters means the help that is readily available from God, even as the Lord taught us to pray ‘Lead us not into temptation’.

“Daily we pray for a lively conscience and a fresh realization that we are observed by the Lord. Strong and besetting sins always yeld following earnest prayer, because the Spirit gives power to resist them, often along with a sense of revulsion against sin.”

• Mind Heavenly Things – actively direct your thoughts to spiritual things, mind the things of the Spirit, set your affections on things above. Masters points out that we are often too much minded with earthly things. Like sports, for example.

“Whatever engages the believer most will shape that person’s heart and outlook, in line with the words of Christ, ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also’ (Matthew 6.21).”

• Mortify Sin

“Mortification means putting to death these aspirations, and quenching sinful moods, tempers, words and acts. … Not one of these steps may be overlooked, but this eighth is probably the decisive one. Grasping the help of God, by prayer, we put the sin to death and redirect the thoughts to something higher and better.”

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I hope you find this helpful. The whole article is well worth your reading if you can find a copy. Subscription info can be found here.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

I received the latest copy of Frontline today. This is the one that includes the articles accompanying the annual resolutions. Earlier, I was quite critical of the last sentence of the resolution.

The article is much better than the resolution and clearly spells out some of the ethical (and possibly legal) pitfalls dealing with illegal aliens who might be converted and attempt to be involved in a local church.

Nevertheless, I still remain convinced that the concluding sentence of the resolution is too weak.

Ministry to illegal people of any kind involves huge stumbling blocks immediately. If a person repents and comes to Christ, they must really bring forth works fit for repentance. For a person guilty of a crime (any crime, including illegal immigration) the number one stumbling block is to make their crime right, whatever the consequences to themselves.

Ministry to illegal aliens is fraught with difficulty at the point of conversion because of this stumbling block. In my view, real faith in Christ will evidence itself if the convert is willing to repent of his lawbreaking and make things right.

Ministry to professing Christian illegal aliens is hard as well – they may be genuinely converted, but may have foolishly justified illegal activity for one reason or another. Regardless of the situation, I don’t believe tolerating these offenses is any help to brethren guilty of them.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

My third installment in the series Law, Legalism, and Life examines The Place of Law [Morning Message, 7.1.07]. I was working on this proposition: ‘The goal in preaching Christian standards is not to impose law on the Christian church – no law can achieve the goals of sanctification and personal devotion.’

First, law, especially God’s Law, is defined. God has authority to impose law and his people yield their wills to God’s authority.

Second, the design of law is to protect sovereignty and promote the general good. Likewise, God’s Law protect’s God’s glory and promotes order and well-being in society, but it is designed for more than that. God’s law imposes a spiritual dimension and accountability to God in the mix. When God’s laws are broken, man is spiritually accountable, for he has sinned. In the end, we need to see that God’s Law is designed for man’s good, not man’s grief.

Finally, however, we come to the crux of the matter with respect to law. Law has a defect – it can call us to account (conviction) but it cannot change us (conversion). I noted four defects that manifest the inability of law to change hearts: First, men cannot keep the law. ‘Most of the time’ isn’t good enough. The Law demands perfection. Second, there is a danger of making the law an end in itself. The keeping of the law becomes an idol and men construct a labyrinth of means to keep from breaking the letter of the law (Pharisaism). Third, as mentioned, it is impossible for the Law to make man righteous. Law is imposed by power (authority). If I have the power, I can make a man conform to my law, but I cannot change his heart. He can still be ‘standing up on the inside’ to cite an old illustration of a little boy made to sit in the corner by his mother. For the power of law to have any lasting effect, something has to happen to the heart first. Fourth, the Law is not enough. In other words, the Law actually only expresses a minimum standard. The Ten Commandments say, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Is that all there is to the standard? That is the bare minimum! God says, be ye holy as I am holy. Jesus said that if you hate, you are guilty. The law isn’t enough. Don’t congratulate yourself if you can keep a law or two, you need to be perfectly holy, just like God.

In the end, we need to learn the lesson of repentance, just like Job. Laws are good and are meant for good, but the real lesson we need to learn is not to congratulate ourselves for law-keeping but to fall on our faces before our holy God and shut our mouths. We have nothing to say to him with whom we have to do. We must bow our hearts in repentance and ask for God to change us. No amount of lawkeeping will bring about the change we need.

Next week I will look at what God thinks of our good works.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3