Author Archives: admin

Where Did You Get Your Sense of Manliness?

Manliness and Theodore Roosevelt

I’ve been pouring through .

Roosevelt was a force of nature. He shot thousands of animals, gutted and cleaned them himself. As a teenager he learned how to stuff and preserve them. He’d go through stages of craving fresh meat. This would lead to expeditions out West to shoot a grizzly, buffalo, bulk elk, whitetail buck, rabbit, grouse–anything that moved.

He boxed. Wrestled ferociously with his younger brother. Punched out a gun-slinging bully in a bar. With one rifle he stood down five charging Indians on horseback. Pistol in hand he arrived at the doorstep of a noted killer who had a beef with Teddy. He challenged the man to start shooting (the man back pedaled).

He was equally ready to fight in the political arena, too. Unafraid to challenge powerful but corrupt officials, politicians and lobbyists. He infused his position as Civil Service reformer (a dead position most government officials milked for comfort and security) with the zeal of a Puritan preacher cleaning house.

He made enemies galore. Yet this didn’t slow him down one bit. To say he was masculine is an understatement. Not unlike the manliness that Mark Driscoll talks about in the third story of Death by Love.

But is this true manliness?

Manliness and Mountain-Sized Egos

(a book from the public library, not my father’s) is the account of how the first 8,000 meter peak was climbed back in 1950. The account ends with the Maharajah saying to Maurice Herzog, the leader of the expedition, “You are a brave man and we welcome you here as a brave man.”

No doubt courage in the face of so great adversity is needed. Manliness, in essence, is bravery.

The book ends with this stirring line: “There are other Annapurna’s in the lives of men.” This hints at something true about our natures. Our tendency towards manliness. Towards conquering. And mountain-sized egos.

Manliness and Our Fathers

Just the other day I picked up Marcus Aurelius’ , another book I inherited from my father. The second line reads: “2. Manliness without ostentation I learnt from what I have heard and remember of my father.”

Our first lesson on manliness usually comes from out fathers. My father was masculine. He ran, swam and cycled competitively. He volunteered for deployment during Desert Storm. He married his wife when she was young and pregnant. He was young and scared, but he wanted to do the right thing.

I can’t really say that I learned manliness from him. Yet I crave the opportunity to conquer. I adore the idea of magnificent achievement. The Nobel Prize in Literature at sixty-five. The first person to run all seventy-two miles of the Appalachian Trail in the Smoky Mountain National Park.

These are achievements that hang on a stick out in front of my nose.

Manliness and the Gospel

The truth of the matter is true manliness is all about courage. Doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing.

It could be as life-threatening as a fire fighter running into a burning building to rescue a child or a writer documenting the abuses of an oppressive government.

Glory often follows in some measure.

Or it could mean a father having the courage to lead his family in spiritual disciplines. The courage to tell a friend that his pattern of sin will eventual derail his life–dishonoring God.

The courage to talk to his son about marital sex. To demonstrate to his daughter on a daily basis how a man should treat a woman–kind, gentle, respectful, humble, protective and spiritual.

The courage to sit with his wife while she shares her struggles. The courage to pitch in and help a neighbor who has fallen on hard times. The courage to approach his pastor and tell him that he is praying for him. The courage to resist the temptations of the world and the flesh and live a life holy and pure in love with God.

It’s the quiet disciplines. Those that receive little to no glory. But they catch the eye of God who says “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.”

It is those achievements that count. That make life truly meaningful. And you a man.

Where do you get your sense of manliness?

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Gospel: Recovering the Power That Made Christianity Revolutionary (Best Gospel Book with a Gimmick)

1 Reply

Introducing the 6/60 best books on the gospel. A 62-week long series.

Gimmick isn’t deragatory. It’s marketing jargon for something that makes a product stand out from competitors.

Think toy in cereal box. Easy-grip handles on toothbrushes.

J. D. Greear has his own gimmick. More on that in a minute.

Why Another Contemporary Book on the Gospel

Joining the ranks of most evangelicals, J. D. Greear begins his book with the notion that the gospel is missing from the contemporary church.

Sure, we have Christians. We have Bible studies, accountability groups, sermons, worships and ubiquitious mission trips.

None of it matters if we don’t have a love for God. All that amounts to cosmetic change–and not a heart change. We need a return to Jesus. Not religion.

Why Religious Change Doesn’t Work

What we try to pass off as church and conversion really amounts to functional saviors–in other words, idols.

And then there is religious duty.

Religion pours on the duties (conversion pours on the mercy and grace of God), which can lead to pride or despair. Pride that we are achieving our performance goals. Despair that we are failing our performance goals.

Think of it this way: religion is active. We do. On the other hand, true Christianity is passive. Things are done to us.

That is the gospel.

Introducing the Gospel Prayer

Greear’s gimmick is his “Gospel Prayer,” a short, four-sentence prayer that will help you center yourself on the essence of grace.

Naturally, in a market flooded with books on the gospel Greear needs something to make his book stand out from others. He also needs a way to divide his book up. The Gospel Prayer accomplishes both needs.

The problem with the prayer, however, is that it feels contrived and subjective. Better to build your argument on an objective or historical blueprint.

Furthermore, although it’s not nearly as tacky as the , it does comes across as just another bauble I have to contend with. Keep in mind: that statement is coming from someone who may be suffering from gospel book fatigue.

The Gospel and Self-Esteem

Greear says that our species has a bent for performance-oriented religion shouldn’t surprise us: we are wired for works. We seek approval from man. Our identity is rooted in their admiration of us.

Greear points out Jesus’ temptations with Satan in the desert as evidence. The devil deals in performance. He also croons in our ears–and can sound a bit like the Holy Spirit. What is he saying? We need to pay. And we need to pay through performance.

It was at this point that I started to take notice of the repeated mention of the twin words “approval” and “acceptance.” This is self-esteem language, and clearly language of our time.

This could go either way. Greear is either contextualizing the gospel or he is conforming to culture. He never says. And he could’ve been completely unaware of this tendency.

We’ll let it slide.

The Parts I Loved

One of the innovations I enjoyed in this book were his idol detecting questions. A series of eight questions that exposes what you most value in life (this might be worth the cost of the book).

The chapter where you will find this test also produced my favorite line in the book:

What good is earthly fame if you are famous only to a bunch of nobodies?

Dang. For someone who struggles with an obsession with fame, I couldn’t help but groan. (And to think that I’m a nobody! The gall!)

There was an excellent handling of Christian generosity, too. On average, about 40 percent of the twenty-one pages in that chapter are covered with pencil or highlighter. It is a rather expert examination.

He balances the chapter on audacious faith (another cultural relic referring to American optimisim and our presumed right to do impossible things–i.e., the human potential movement *sticks finger in throat*) with “But If Not…” a chapter taking a clue from Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego who said God would rescue them, “but if not…,” a recognition that there are times in our lives when God does NOT act.

Conclusion

Expect for the Gospel Prayer, this is not the most orginal book. In fact, each chapter bears an almost undeniable echo of such authors like John Piper, Mark Dever, David Platt and Timothy Keller.

But that doesn’t matter. Greear doesn’t claim to be original. In fact, he confesses a fascination for Tim Keller and his ideas–a fascination so strong that Greear’s not sure where his ideas end and Keller’s start.

If you are a Keller fan, you might recognize when this happens in the book.

For me that meant I could speed through much of this book. Until, that is, I reached a rather intriguing section on evaluating churches like Charismatic and Reformed, and how the local church changed the community in Acts.

Sadly, the “Revolutionary” in the sub title is overplayed. It’s never given a clear or full treatment. It’s only assumed.

And one final thought: the book exhibits a fair amount of self-examination (his own failure to find assurance of salvation), personal anecdotes (particularly about his time as a missionary in an Islamic country) and worn-out Christian cliches (Les Misérables as the premier example of grace begetting grace).

What is interesting is that so far there are zero instances of self-examination or personal anecdotes in any of the older books I’ve reviewed (Owen, Baxter or Alleine). Puritan authors are unapologetic in their single and solitary communication of biblical truths. Not the slightest scent of self-conciousness or subjectivity.

Modern writers (I am equally guilty) are little more sensitive. I guess.

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

How Have You Seen Grace in Your Life?

Don’t Be Afraid to Rebuke Because of Failure

2 Replies

Long ago I knew someone who was trying to wean themselves off antidepressants. It was a long-haul. Mornings full of struggle. Evenings full of disappointment.

Especially when reductions were made.

Think about it: your brain is depending upon a certain level of drug. You then deny your brain that level. It is going to rebel and make life miserable for you.

But people do it. They do it by biting leather, pounding the floor in prayer and, most importantly, talking to survivors–people who have been successful.

That objectivity is critical because we all know what it is like to be overwhelmed. We all know what it is like NOT to think straight. Like nothing will EVER change.

So we need people to walk into our lives and tell us the truth. To give us a dose of reality.

Failures Can Hand Deliver the Truth

But then there are the people who are going through the very same thing we are suffering, yet manage to encourage us. They may be at a lower level of sobriety, poverty or sadness, but they can still say the right things.

The truthful things.

This is exactly what happened to my friend. At a particular low point in his reduction–a point in which he was considering upping the dose to help him cope–he sought support and encouragement from others. It came from the most unlikely place.

An older woman pleaded with my friend not to go back. Not to up his dose. She told him that it was a bad idea. That he would regret it. She cheered him on, and because of her advice, he muscled through the reduction.

The thing you have to know about this woman was she was a mess. She was too embarrassed to say what bad shape she was in, how much medication she was on and how many times she had failed.

She simply encouraged him.

Failure Humbles Us

A parent who lost a child to suicide can warn us of the dangers of neglect, abuse or promiscuity. A husband who lost his wife to divorce can warn us of the dangers of selfishness, lust and greed. A man crippled by his life-long addiction to alcohol can warn us of the dangers of drunkenness, debauchery and violence.

The truth isn’t any less real coming from their lips. Which is why a sinner can warn another sinner of the dangers of sin without being a religious hypocrite.

The thing about the woman in this story is that she was humbled. Her depression, treatment and subsequent failures had brought her low. She felt defeated. But not so defeated that she couldn’t encourage another person.

And because of her brokenness she encouraged with head hung low and heart in grief. A perfect metaphor for how we should encourage and correct our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Do Not Rebuke Without This

Christians often lament the fact that they have a hard time correcting a brother or sister in Christ because they feel that they don’t have a right to do that. They feel like a failure because of their own struggle with sin.

The thing you have to remember is that regardless of our condition–the truth is still the truth. A person abiding in sin still needs to be warned and rebuked. The key is that correction comes with humility.

It comes from a position of utter helplessness in which we plead with a person to stop sinning–because we personally know the dreadful consequences of sin. And this is exactly the type of attitude we should have when we approach the biblical doctrine of discipline mapped out in .

Our own depravity doesn’t disqualify us. The truth is still the truth even if the messenger is corrupt. It just needs to be couched in compassion.

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Sure Guide to Heaven Review (Most Systematic Book on the Gospel)

4 Replies

Introducing the 5/60 best books on the gospel. A 62-week long series. Image credit:

I’ve said it before: the Puritans are without mercy when it comes to sinners. Joseph Alleine is no exception. He opens his with this:

The unconverted soul is a very cage of unclean birds (Rev xviii 2), a sepulchre full of corruption and rottenness (Mt xviii 27), a loathsome carcass full of crawling worms, and sending forth a most noxious stench in the nostrils of God (Ps xiv 3).

You can cut him some slack, however, since he is quoting Scripture. After a brief introduction, he wastes no time in dissecting biblical conversion in a neat and tidy fashion.

Mistakes about Conversion

That he starts with mistakes indicates only one thing: false converts abound.

So what should they know?

Conversion is not the taking upon us the profession of Christianity, putting on the badge of Christ in baptism, lying in moral righteousness.

It does not consist in an external conformity to the rules of piety nor is it the mere chaining up of corruption by education, human laws or the force of affliction.

It is something more.

Nature of Conversion

Of course, the subject of conversion is the elect sinner, whose mind and members are converted–every bias and bent is toward God.

He turns from sin, Satan, the world and his own righteousness to “God the Father, son and Holy Ghost.”

The Holy Spirit is the author of that conversion. And the end of conversion is not just man’s salvation, and God’s glory.

Necessity of Conversion

You will not hear this in an average evangelical church setting: “Without conversion your being is in vain.”

In other words, you are worthless.

To a degree.

As is all of creation, a redemptive notion we saw picked up by Matt Chandler in The Explicit Gospel.

To boot, your hopes and religion are also vain without conversion. And the ultimate necessity of conversion falls upon the fact that without it Christ’s suffering for you is in vain.

Then there was this line: “There is no remedy, but you must either turn or burn.”

Yikes.

Marks of the Unconverted

There are obvious marks of the unconverted: the unclean, covetous, drunkards, liar, swearers, railers, backbiters, thieves, scoffers of religion, , those who neglect worship of God and extortioners.

And then there are the not so obvious.

For example, willful ignorance or hatred of God’s laws, trusting in your own righteousness, unmortified pride, carnal security, love of the world and wrong motives when it comes to religious duties.

The second are perhaps more insidious:

A man may be free from open pollutions, and yet die at last by the hand of some unobserved iniquity; and there are these twelve hidden sins, through which souls go down by numbers into the chambers of eternal death.

Miseries of the Unconverted

The unconverted are dead souls in living bodies. And that condition is not good. The infinite God is against them as well as the whole creation of God.

Yes, unconverted soul, you are a burden to creation:

If inanimate creatures could but speak, your food would say, ‘Lord, must I nourish such a wretch as this, and yield forth my strength for him, to dishonour Thee? No, I will choke him rather, if Thou wilt give commission.’

In addition, Satan has his full power over you, the guilt of all your sins lies like a mountain upon you, you are enslaved by your raging lusts, the oven of eternal vengeance burns hot for you, you are cursed and threatened at every level by the law and you have the sentence of eternal damnation hanging over you.

This is the gospel. It is unrelenting. And exactly why Alleine screams, “Awake! awake! O sinner, arise and take your flight. There is but one door that you may flee by, and that is the narrow door of conversion and the new birth.”

Directions to the Unconverted

Now that you are sufficiently disturbed, we encourage you to “set your heart upon turning to God.”

He embarks on a list of fourteen steps to turning your heart to God. Included in these steps are belief that you will not get into heaven as the unconverted, you must choose the law of Christ to rule your words, thoughts and actions and forsake your evil company.

And all of this for your joy, as you’ll see in a minute.

The Motives to Conversion

If you are not sufficiently satisfied, regard the beauty of conversion: your Creator invites you by throwing open the doors of heaven and offering “unspeakable privileges” in this life.

And all the grace you need is before you, because he has stooped and lowered the terms of mercy to allow you in.

How quick-sighted is love! Mercy spies him a great way off; forgets his riotous course, unnatural rebellion, horrid unthankfulness – not a word of these – and receives him with open arms, clasps him about his neck, kisses him; calls for the fatted calf, the best robe, the ring, the shoes, the best cheer in heaven’s store, the best attire in heaven’s wardrobe.

Conclusion

This was an entirely splendid book to read. While not the linguistic richness of a Baxter and thankfully simple unlike Owen, the structure and the sequence built the argument logically.

Plus, the substance of the content worked over this believer. You are weary, no doubt, as you near the end–converted or unconverted–and you recognize you are wretched and in very bad shape if not for the cross of Christ, which makes a line like this sublime:

Now the Lord Jesus stretches wide His arms to receive you. He beseeches you by us. How movingly, how meltingly, how compassionately He calls. The church is put into a sudden ecstasy at the sound of His voice, `the voice of my beloved’.

This is a must read. Once a year.

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

The 4 Stages of Belief: A Quick Look

Stage 1: Does Not believe in God Nor Fear Him

This is your run-of-the-mill atheist. They do not believe in any kind of God. It is all material. Nothing to fear.

What this really means is that curing spiritual blindness is a work of God, and not man. The gospel may be grotesque to modern ears–but this is nothing new. It has been grotesque since inception.

Stage 2: Believes in God but Does Not Fear Him

This could include a pantheist. Deist. Unitarian Universalists. Or even your average so-called evangelical.

For instance, the God of the modern evangelical movement is a God of love with outstretched arms. He does not hate sinners–just the sin. This puts God’s exact nature in dispute, which happens when portions of God’s word is neglected or glossed over.

Stage 3: Believes in God–and Trembles

Demons.

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

This could include false converts in the Protestant or Catholic church. And this puts the evangelicals above in a unique position.

Why do demons fear when sinners shouldn’t? Is it because God loves them–but hates demons? What is the difference between a fallen angel and a fallen human? Why redemption for one but not for the other?

Stage 4: Believes in God, Trembles and Repents

This is your true convert. The one who hears the nature, necessity and motives of conversion and the marks and miseries of and directions to the unconverted–and responds in repentance and trusts in Jesus.

He believes in a just and holy God. Trembles beneath the weight of the . And begs for mercy as he grows in love for his Saviour.

Conclusion

Up to this point in the best gospel book challenge, the conclusion is this: a true statement of the gospel includes an ample amount of evidence that rejection of the work of the cross will lead to a horrorific end. Clearly what is missing from our modern gospel call is both the finite and infinite miseries that confront the non-believer.

We’ll discuss this more when I publish my review on Sure Guide to Heaven on Thursday. And as the year progresses, we’ll see if this pattern remains over the rest of the books.

Let me know what you think. Brutal and all.

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Top 100 Hymns Against Top 100 Contemporary Praise Songs

19 Replies

A. W. Tozer said something in his that struck me:

Some old hymn books may yet be found in which the hymns have no names; a line in italics above each one indicates its theme, and the worshipping heart cannot but rejoice in what it finds: ‘God’s glorious perfections celebrated.’ ‘Wisdom, majesty and goodness.’ ‘Omniscience.’ ‘Omnipotence and immutability.’ ‘Glory, mercy and grace.’ These are a few examples take from a hymnbook published in 1849, but everyone familiar with Christian hymnody that the stream of sacred song takes its rise far back in the early years of the Church’s existence. From the beginning of belief in the perfection of God brought sweet assurance to believing men and taught the ages to sing.

I had hunch he was on to something, namely that contemporary worship has lost focus on the character of God. So I wanted to compare the top 100 hymns of old with contemporary praise songs.

But just by the titles alone.

While any list is subjective, I grabbed the hymns from . They conducted 18 months of research behind the list. The contemporary list comes from Praise Charts and is based upon .

Keep in mind, at this stage of the game the purpose of this exercise is to see if there is anything to Tozer’s statement based on titles alone. The list is in alphabetical order, and I removed the artist’s names from the list. Some of the contemporary songs will be remakes of old hymns.

The 100 Most Popular Christian Hymns

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Abide With Me

Alas And Did My Savior Bleed?

All Creatures of our God and King

All Hail The Power of Jesus’ Name

All The Way My Savior Leads Me

Amazing Grace

Are You Washed in the Blood?

At Calvary

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Be Thou My Vision

Before The Throne of God Above

Blessed Assurance

Blest Be The Tie That Binds

Child of the King

Christ The Lord Is Risen Today

Cleanse Me

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Count Your Blessings

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Day By Day

Doxology

Eternal Father, Strong To Save

Face To Face

Fairest Lord Jesus

Faith is the Victory

Faith of our Fathers

Fight the Good Fight

God Leads His Dear Children Along

God Will Take Care Of You

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

He Hideth My Soul

He Is Coming Again

He Lives

His Eye Is On the Sparrow

Holy, Holy, Holy

How Firm A Foundation

How Great Thou Art

I Am Thine, O Lord

I Love To Tell The Story

I Need Thee Ev’ry Hour

I Surrender All

I’d Rather Have Jesus

I’ll Fly Away

In the Garden

In The Hour of Trial

In The Sweet By and By

It is Well

Jesus, Lover Of My Soul

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus Paid It All

Just As I Am

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Lord I’m Coming Home

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Love Lifted Me

Moment By Moment

More Love To Thee

Morning Has Broken

My Faith Looks Up To Thee

Nearer My God, To Thee

No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus

Now We Thank All Our God

O Come All Ye Faithful

O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing

O Holy Night

O Little Town of Bethlehem

O Worship The King

Old Time Religion

Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior

Peace, Perfect Peace

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Precious Lord Take My Hand

Rescue The Perishing

Revive Us Again

Rock of Ages

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Softly And Tenderly Jesus Is Calling

Standing on the Promises

Take My Life and Let It Be

Take Time To Be Holy

The Old Rugged Cross

There Is A Fountain

There Is Power In The Blood

Till The Storm Passes By

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Trust And Obey

Victory In Jesus

What A Day That Will Be

What A Friend We Have in Jesus

What Child Is This?

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder

When We All Get To Heaven

Wherever He Leads, I’ll Go

Yesterday, Today, Forever

Top 100 CCLI Songs This Period

Above All Agnus Dei

All Because Of Jesus

All Who Are Thirsty

Amazed

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

As The Deer

Awesome God

Awesome Is The Lord Most High

Beautiful One

Better Is One Day

Blessed Be Your Name

Breathe

Came To My Rescue

Come Now Is The Time To Worship

Days Of Elijah

Desert Song

Draw Me Close

Enough

Everlasting God

Forever Open The Eyes Of My Heart

Forever Reign

Friend Of God

From The Inside Out

Give Thanks

Give Us Clean Hands

Glory To God Forever

God Of This City

God Of Wonders

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Hallelujah

Happy Day

He Is Exalted

He Knows My Name

Healer

Here I Am To Worship

Holy Is The Lord

Hosanna

Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)

How Can I Keep From Singing

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us

How Great Is Our God

How Great Thou Art

How He Loves

Hungry

I Am Free

I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever

I Give You My Heart

I Love You Lord

I Will Follow

I Will Rise

In Christ Alone

Indescribable

Jesus Messiah

Jesus Paid It All

Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy)

Lead Me To The Cross

Let God Arise

Let It Rise

Lord I Lift Your Name On High

Lord Reign In Me

Love The Lord

Majestic

Majesty

Marvelous Light

Mighty To Save

My Redeemer Lives

My Savior My God

Not To Us

O Praise Him

Offering

Our God

Our God Saves

Revelation Song

Sanctuary

Shine Jesus Shine

Shout To The Lord

Sing Sing Sing

Sing To The King

Stronger

The Heart Of Worship

The Stand

Today Is The Day

Trading My Sorrows

Victory In Jesus

We Fall Down

Wonderful Merciful Savior

Worthy Is The Lamb

You Are God Alone (Not A God)

You Are Good

You Are Holy (Prince Of Peace)

You Are My All In All

You Are My King

You Never Let Go

Your Grace Is Enough

Your Love Never Fails

Your Name

You’re Worthy Of My Praise

I don’t know about you, but I don’t see much difference between the two lists. There seems to be a far amount of consistency in themes. But BOTH popular lists are lacking strong themes that focus on the character of God.

The simple truth is probably that the songs like ‘Wisdom, majesty and goodness,’ ‘Omniscience’ and ‘Omnipotence and immutability’ are not very good.

What this list doesn’t show us is the complexity and substance of those songs. That’s for another post and another time, although I took a swing at this awhile back with my post Death Match: Mindbending Hymns vs. Mindless Anthems.

It’s an uneven match in my mind. What do you think?

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook and Twitter.

Death by Love (Best Gospel Book on the Day of Atonement)

4 Replies

Introducing the 4/60 best books on the gospel. A 62-week long series.

is as muscular as Mark Driscoll’s language, sermons and general outlook on life. He is absolutely brutal, but thoroughly biblical. Tiny margins and tiny print over 250 pages equals a fine-tuned treatment of the gospel and the practical implications it has on life.

Want proof?

The book is built around twelve stories. These are true stories–actual cases in which Driscoll the pastor counseled. Serial rape. Demonic possession. Violent child abuse. Flagrant adultery. Sexual perversion and chronic child predation.

With the exception of three chapters, this is not a child’s book. This is for mature audiences only.

But the single and solitary purpose of this book is to demonstrate the all-sufficient power of the cross. The message is simple: nothing–absolutely NOTHING–is beyond the substitutionary power of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The Team

The bulk of the book is by Driscoll who sets each chapter up with a person and their story. He then proceeds to write them a letter, thus the subtitle “Letters from the Cross.” Breshears is on clean up duty, closing each chapter with a brief question and answer session.

The result reminds me of the product that John Bunyan and R. C. Sproul might churn out if given the chance. John Bunyan is the clear, cross-centered storyteller while R. C. Sproul is the scholar cum agile panelist.

Driscoll opens up the book with a primer on the doctrine of substitutionary atonement before he launches into the stories. Each chapter is a segment of that larger doctrine. Let’s take a brief look at each.

“Demons Are Tormenting Me”: Jesus Is Katie’s Christus Victor

The gut of this story is about spiritual warfare. Katie flung herself into a life of sin, and even though a Christian now, she’s still suffering from the heavy toll of that previous life. Driscoll tells Katie that even though she may feel like she is losing the battle, Christ has already won it for her. Driscoll paints a fascinating picture of the conquering Christ (which is one of the reasons I compared him to John Bunyan).

“Lust Is My God”: Jesus is Thomas’s Redemption

Thomas is an unrepentant pervert. He pours himself into pornography, strip clubs and adulterous affairs. And then has the gall to ask Driscoll to keep this confidential. The news would crush his wife. Driscoll then proceeds to crush Thomas. With the redemptive power of the cross.

“My Wife Slept with My Best Friend”: Jesus Is Luke’s New Covenant Sacrifice

Luke found out–after he was married and his wife was pregnant with child–that his wife cheated on him while they were engaged. In the very bed they now sleep in. Thomas wants blood. Driscoll commends Luke for his thirst for vengeance, but points to the shed blood of Christ and says you already have your blood.

“I Am a Good Christian”: Jesus Is David’s Gift Righteousness

David is a good Christian. But he is also a fraud. He worships at the idol of religion and rebuffs any attempt to understand the true gospel. His family is suffering under his tyranny, and Driscoll explains to David the ten differences between the gospel and religion. This chapter is child safe.

“I Molested a Child”: Jesus Is John’s Justification

John was raised in a good home. A Christian home. But when he left for college and then the real world, he kicked Christianity to the curb and lived life to the hilt. All that came to a screaming halt when he was arrested for molesting a child. In time he repented and trusted in Jesus, but shame dogs him. As if he is still damned. Driscoll explains that John will not stand condemned before God because Jesus is his justification.

“My Dad Used to Beat Me”: Jesus Is Bill’s Propitiation

This cycle repeated its self endlessly in Bill’s home: dad gets drunk. Dad thrashes children. As the oldest, Bill stood up for the younger ones. Bill moved out as soon as he could, became a Christian and got married. He refuses to treat his children like his dad. The twist is that dad, too, eventually became a Christian. But Bill struggles to forgive him. His anger is eating him alive.

“He Raped Me”: Jesus Is Mary’s Expiation

For years Mary felt like a dirty woman because her first boyfriend stalked, raped and verbally abused her. It didn’t help her father never tried to protect her. Driscoll unfolds how the doctrine of expiation cleanses us from all sin–including those who’ve sinned against us.

“My Daddy Is a Pastor”: Jesus Is Gideon’s Unlimited Limited Atonement

Gideon is the youngest of Driscoll’s five children. And the target of Driscoll’s teaching on “Unlimited Limited Atonement,” or, as Driscoll puts it, the biblical teaching of what Jesus’ death on the accomplished–and for who. Child safe. Sort of.

“I Am Going to Hell”: Jesus Is Hank’s Ransom

Sexually assaulting anything that didn’t move–including his children–for nearly sixty years, Hank is scared to death he is going to go to hell. Driscoll doesn’t mince words: he should. He deserves it. But in spite of Hank’s wickedness, Jesus died to pay the insurmountable moral debt against God Hank accumulated over his life. He just needed to repent and trust Jesus.

“My Wife Has a Brain Tumor”: Jesus Is Caleb’s Christus Exemplar

Interesting mix of charismatic Calvinists, suffering and Christianity Lite. Driscoll’s advice to his friend Caleb: Don’t make the mistake of Calvinists and exalt Jesus at the expense of the Spirit. Don’t make the mistake of charismatics who exalt the Spirit at the expense of Jesus. Instead, be Jesus-focused and Spirit-led.

“I Hate My Brother”: Jesus Is Kurt’s Reconciliation

This is the story of two brothers. But the focus is on Kurt, whose life is falling apart in a most disgusting way. His brother is a Christian who wishes to help Kurt, but Kurt despises and hates his brother. Thinks he’s too good for his own skin. This cycle of bitterness is destroying Kurt, his children and his business. Driscoll explains to break that cycle Kurt must look to Jesus–the one who reconciled us to God.

“I Want to Know God”: Jesus Is Susan’s Revelation

At least Susan is honest: she knows she’s not a Christian. And not sure why she should be. But she does want to know God. Driscoll points her to the cross where it all starts: she cannot truly know God until she repents and trusts in Jesus who will open her eyes to the truth. Until then she will always be remote from Him.

Conclusion

About half-way through this book it hit me: how would Joel Osteen handle these issues? I’m certain he’d wilt. What about T. D. Jakes? Or Joyce Meyer? The unfortunate thing about the self-help gospel is that there is no answer to devastating sin like you see above.

It usually boils down to trust God.

Driscoll, on the other hand, demonstrates that a faithful teaching of the doctrine of substitutionary atonement is utterly sufficient to deal with the most heinous crimes against God and man. Theology isn’t dry. It’s critical.

My faults with the book comes down to a few things. The graphic nature of the stories tends to tweak the lust in you. Think rubbernecking when you pass a car wreck on the highway. You plow through this book because of the fascination not wholly unlike what you might get if you read 50 Shades of Grey. And I’m guessing that opening the book with the notion of demon possession was an editorial decision informed by a desire to entice.

Marketing 101.

For the most part Driscoll matches the doctrine with the story perfectly. Hank being ransomed from his debts (which were in abundance financially and relationally) or Mary being cleansed from rape were seamless. Others, not so.

This also means that there is a lot of overlap from chapter to chapter. The Day of Atonement is explained seven different times. At least Driscoll is consistent. And I guess this does allow each chapter to stand alone.

In the end, this book is staying on my shelf. And probably one of a very few that I will reluctantly loan out. I like it that much.

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook and Twitter.

The Difference Between Compliance and Submission Comes Down to This

2 Replies

We all do it: behave when being watched.

And this is nothing new. Glaucon, the cynic in Plato’s Republic, told Socrates that . Now researchers are finally putting teeth to this claim.

Early last year a group of scientists from Newcastle University ran an experiment where they in a school cafeteria. They also hung up posters of flowers. The scientists counted the number of people who threw away their trash versus those who didn’t.

Twice as many people cleaned up after themselves when the big eye was watching when it wasn’t.

Compliance and Submission Are Synonymous

That is compliance. But it is also submission.

See, if you snooped around a dictionary you’d come up with similar descriptions for each term.

The act of conforming, acquiescing, or yielding.

A tendency to yield readily to others, especially in a weak and subservient way.

Cooperation or obedience.

To give over or yield to the power or authority of another (often used reflexively).

To allow oneself to be subjected to some kind of treatment

There is, however, a difference when it comes down to Jesus Christ. Let me explain.

Where Compliance and Submission Are NOT Synonymous

A good friend of mine pointed out after I wrote The Joy of Being a Slave to Christ and The Criminal as Metaphor for Religious Hypocrite that it seemed like a good time to spell out the difference between submission and compliance.

I seemed to be suggesting differences. Why not make it explicit? Okay, so how about this: the slave of Christ submits while the religious hypocrite complies.

For the neatnicks in the house, here’s how it plays out in two columns:

(See The White Bucket Is a Stark Reminder of Our Wicked Hearts to understand what I mean by “white bucket.”)

I confess, I am bending the denotation (the direct or explicit meaning) of the two terms for my own purposes. I think that is okay because the connotations (what people generally think about a word) are different.

Otherwise my friend wouldn’t have seen a difference. Nor would I have subconciously suggested a difference. I mean it just feels like compliance and submission refer to two different types of behavior, no?

Share your thoughts. Brutal and all.

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook and Twitter

6 Signs Your Sin Is Worse Than You Thought

15 Replies

We are a deceptive people. And selfish. Corrupt to the core. So we are bound to find ourselves sinning. This is no surprise to anyone who understands the wretched condition of mankind.

But how do we respond to our sin?

Do we run to the cross with tears streaming down our face? Do we plead with the Spirit to help us put the axe to the root of that sin? Or do we seek to justify, defend or even approve of that sin? Do we shrug and think it no big deal?

One condition leads to life. The other to death.

In his Mortification of Sin in Believers, John Owen shares six signs that indicate our sin is more dangerous that we thought–and could be leading us to death.

1. Established Habit

The sequence is the same. And it has been for weeks. Months. Maybe even years. You are preoccupied with the pattern. Getting to your sin.

Hard- or soft-core porn. Drunkenness. Lying. Violence. Astrology. Envy. Disorderly conduct. Music that shames God. Sex outside of marriage. Adultery.

None of it glorifying God. All of it shaming you and Jesus. But you don’t care. And if you do care, you don’t care for long. You gag conviction so you can satisfy your wickedness, and you kick communion with God to the curb.

If this describes you, then your sin is worse than you thought.

2. Secret Desire to Approve that Sin

You are annoyed that your sin is off-limits. You point your finger at your good deeds, and ask, “How can I be a despicable person when I lead worship? When I am the faithful treasurer of the church? When I bust out post after gospel-proclaiming post?”

You schedule a good deed into your day every morning so you can persist in a sin later that afternoon. You abuse , examining yourself to find the good deeds that will make you feel better about your sin.

You heap up hope that you will escape the wrath of God.

In the end, you fail to expose yourself to the gospel. To repent of sin. To get it pardoned in the blood of Christ. To kill it in the Spirit. You are like the rich young ruler who said, “In all things I will walk with God, but in this one thing–God be merciful to me.”

If this describes you, then your sin is worse than you thought.

3. Frequency of Success

Let’s say you fight that sin.

You punch the floor in prayer. Take the cold shower. Grit your teeth and curse under your breath. You flee the bar or the peep show. Resist lashing out against your spouse or children. Resist lying to your accountability partner.

But sin wins.

Yet, rather than grieve in your loss, however, you actually enjoy it. You relish it. Delight in it. No wonder overtime your losses against that sin begin to pile up.

And let’s say there are times when you do not finish that sin–you actually win against it. Yet instead of feeling victory over that sin, you begrudge the fact that you could not indulge in it, and nurture the thought that you would finish it if you could.

Furthermore, you choose activities that make you careless and negligent when it comes to killing sin. You are then surprised when sin overtakes you. Yet, you are no less at fault. You are simply a despicable person for playing naive.

You are fooling no one. Your sin is worse than you thought.

4. Fear of Shame and Punishment If Caught

And let’s say you do not hate sin, but the negative consequences of indulging in that sin. That means you would naturally fulfill that evil desire if you could get away with it.

Sadly, this is no different from actually living like an unrepentant sinner.

Furthermore, you don’t use the gospel to resist sin, but the law. You fear God’s wrath and eternal damnation.

In the end, you do not love God or Jesus. A child of God hates sin because he loves Christ: Paul said, “Love of Christ constrains us” (). But you feel as if that constraint is a punishment–and not a gift.

Your sin is worse than you thought.

5. Complain of Being Disciplined

Sometimes you will find yourself suffering correction because of former lust, negligence or sin (). This is correction from God. What is important is how you respond:

What was your soul like before?

Were you neglecting duties?

Being selfish?

Is there a sin you must repent?

New sin is sometimes permitted and new affliction sent to remind us to bring old sin to remembrance. Do not complain against such discipline. Instead, thank God for being merciful because he has your joy in mind, and his glory.

Complain of such discipline and your sin is worse than you thought.

6. Resist God’s Chastisement

The Bible is clear that God will desert and afflict his children if they hold onto their sins. He did this to Israelites () in the Old Testament. And in the New he gave up those who worshipped the creature rather than the Creator to the lusts of their hearts.

As a form of punishment God will abandon us. How do we respond to that chastisement? Do we convert? Do we correct our behavior? Are we edified?

Or do we fight that chastisement? Do we buy into the heresy of easy-believism that turns God’s grace into lasciviousness? Do we buy into the false gospel that says God hates the sin but loves the sinner?

If so, your sin is worse than you thought.

Conclusion

If you consider yourself a believer and yet notice any of the above signs in your life, then flee to the cross. Beg God to forgive you for your obstinacy, pride and selfishness.

Whatever you do, do not look within yourself for the cure for your sin. Do not believe in the lie that your good deeds will neutralize your sins. Turn to God.

If you liked what you read . Then share on Facebook and Twitter.