Already Not Yet

to him who was, and is, and is to come

The Dynamics of Faith and Receiving from God

Jeremiah Burroughs:

All good is in God, true, but how shall we come to partake of that good? There is such a distance between you and God that, were not Christ in the middle, you would never come together.

But Christ has come between and joined you together so that all is yours because you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s. Think of God as the Fountain of all good, and Christ, as it were, the Cistern, and from Him are pipes converged to every believer. Faith sucks at the mouth of every pipe and draws from God, but it comes from God through Christ.

The Father fills the Son with all good and so it comes from the Father, through the Son, by faith unto the soul of every believer.

Excerpted from Christ Is All In All.

(HT: Desiring God Blog)

Jesus’ Concept of Discipleship

Eduard Schweizer, in his book The Good News According to Mark, makes the following comment about Jesus’ concept of discipleship:

This concept of discipleship is Jesus’ own creation. The Greeks and the later rabbis spoke of ‘disciples of God,’ however they meant by this ‘becoming like him’ in an ethical sense, or the obedience to his commandments. The relationship of the rabbis to their students seems to be a closer parallel to this discipleship. The primary difference is that the rabbi does not call his disciples–he is sought by them. Above all, the rabbis never could have conceived of a call so radical as to make clear that being with Jesus is more important than all of God’s commandments. A disciple of a rabbi might dream of some day becoming even better, if possible, than his master; but a disciple of Jesus could never expect that some day he himself might be the ‘Son of Man.’ Jesus never debated with his disciples as a rabbi would have done. Thus the word ‘follow’ received a new sound when Jesus said it, a sound which it has nowhere else except in those passages of the Old Testament which declare that one must follow either Baal or Yahweh.”

(HT: James Grant)

Why understanding church history is important

Andy Naselli pens 8 very good reasons for reading church history:

I often tell people that I majored in history in college because I like stories. I still like stories, but I have pursued an ongoing study of church history because I think it makes me a better Christian and a better pastor. Here are some reasons I think you should read church history, too.

1. Theological

Millard Erickson is right, “History is theology’s laboratory, in which it can assess the ideas that it espouses or considers espousing.” (Christian Theology, 28). Church history shows us our theological blind spots, reminds us of crucial topics our era ignores, provides confessional guiderails, and gives us the writings of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Edwards–among others.

2. Inspirational

If you are like me, ministry is often hard work and the fruit sometimes seems slow growing. Reading stories of God’s work in revivals and awakenings stretches my faith and rouses me to pray bigger prayers. Also, reading about the fruits of long-term, faithful preaching and prayer helps keep me steadfast.

3. Ecclesiological  

Pragmatic approaches to “doing church” are so common today one might think that this is the way it has always been. Reading the Reformers, the Puritans, and others reveals they asked more than just, “What works?”  They thought the Bible teaches what the church is and what it should do.  Historical discussions of the nature and marks of a true church challenge the way we think about the church in a way the latest church growth manual simply cannot.

4. Missiological

We tend to be locally minded and even ethnocentric. Most of us envision a ministry in a place like the one we grew up in among a people that look like us. Learning what God has done to spread the Gospel over the past 2000 years helps broaden our vision.

5. Hermeneutical

Christians have not been using the same hermeneutics book for the past 2,000 years. We are now able to see some of the interpretive errors of earlier eras (for example, over-allegorizing), and try to avoid some of their pitfalls. However, we sometimes forget that our present cultural and intellectual context likely shapes our own biblical interpretation in unhelpful ways. Commentaries and sermons from other eras help reveal some of the errors in our own methods of interpreting God’s word.

6. Reformational

Jesus tells the church in Ephesus, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (Rev 2:5). The problem is that we often don’t “remember.” We don’t realize we have fallen because we never look back to a time when the church was more faithful in certain ways. Church history can help us realize our need for reform and call us back to faithfulness.

7. Correctional

Studying church history shows us how small deviations from biblical truth play out over time. It is helpful to know if you or someone in your church is holding a deviant or unbalanced doctrine before it infects your entire theology. Church history is one tool that will help you do so.

8. Doxological

The sheer fact of believers across centuries and continents worshiping God reminds us that our Lord is over all and everywhere. A poem scratched out by a persecuted Christian in prison, or the testimony of a missionary’s communion with Christ as he faced imminent martyrdom, or the story of whole peoples in Burma coming to Christ, all point to the God who alone can satisfy every human heart.

Gospel transformation

“The gospel transforms us in heart, mind, will, and actions precisely because it is not itself a message about our transformation. Nothing that I am or that I feel, choose, or do qualifies as Good News. On my best days, my experience of transformation is weak, but the gospel is an announcement of a certain state of affairs that exists because of something in God, not something in me; something that God has done, not something that I have done; the love in God’s heart which he has shown in his Son, not the love in my heart that I exhibit in my relationships. Precisely as the Good News of a completed, sufficient, and perfect work of God in Christ accomplished for me and outside of me in history, the gospel is ‘the power of God unto salvation’ not only at the beginning but throughout the Christian life. In fact, our sanctification is simply a lifelong process of letting that Good News sink in and responding appropriately; becoming the people whom God says that we already are in Christ.”

— Michael Horton
The Gospel-Driven Life
(Grand Rapids, Mi.: Baker Books, 2009), 77

(HT: Of First Importance)

Christianity Is Christ

James Dunn argues that the much-disputed ‘center’ of Paul’s theology is, simply, Christ. Dunn writes–

For Paul Christianity is Christ. Any restatement of his theology, any theologizing which seeks to sustain a dialogue with Paul will simply have to recognize this.

The centrality of Christ, as showing what God is like, as defining God’s Spirit, as the channel of Israel’s blessing for the nations, as demonstrating what obedience to Torah means, as the light which illumines Israel’s scriptures, as embodying the paradigm of creation and consummation, his death and resurrection as the midpoint of time, as the magnet for faith, as the focus of all sacramental significance, as determining the personal and corporate identity of Christians, as the image to which the salvation process conforms, is simply inescapable in the theology of Paul the apostle.

–James D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Eerdmans, 2006), 729

(HT: Dane Ortlund)

Deeper grace from before the dawn of time

Before all time; prior to all worlds; when there was nothing ‘outside of’ God Himself; when the Father, Son, and Spirit found eternal, absolute, and unimaginable blessing, pleasure, and joy in Their holy triunity — it was Their agreed purpose to create a world. That world would fall. But in unison — and at infinitely great cost — this glorious triune God planned to bring you (if you are a believer) grace and salvation.

This is deeper grace from before the dawn of time. It was pictured in the rituals, the leaders, and the experiences of the Old Testament saints, all of whom longed to see what we see. All this is now ours. Our salvation depends on God’s covenant, rooted in eternity, foreshadowed in the Mosaic liturgy, fulfilled in Christ, enduring forever. No wonder Hebrews calls it ‘so great a salvation’ (Heb. 2:3).

— Sinclair B. Ferguson In Christ Alone (Orlando, Fl.: Reformation Trust, 2007), 136

(HT: Of First Importance)

Give Them a Grand Understanding of God

Trevin Wax interviews David Platt and discusses God-centered preaching:

Trevin Wax: How does God-centered preaching lead to passion for evangelism?

David Platt: The gospel begins and ends with God. He is the holy, just, and gracious Creator of the universe who has sent His Son, God in the flesh, to bear His wrath against sin on the cross and to show His power over sin in the resurrection so that everyone who believes in Christ will be reconciled to God forever. And this is the gospel that we proclaim in evangelism.

So how do we best lead and shepherd God’s people to evangelize? By giving them a grand understanding of God. In preaching, we unfold the character of God: His holiness, His justice, His grace, and all of His other breath-taking attributes. As we magnify His Word, people behold His glory. And they believe, deep within their minds and their hearts, that God is great and greatly to be praised. In the process, this becomes the ultimate motivation for evangelism. The more the people I pastor see God’s worth, the more they want to make His worth known in the world.

So week after week after week, as I stand before them with God’s Word, I want to show them God’s worth. As they hear His Word and they see His worth, they will lay down their lives to make the good news of God’s grace and glory known to the people around them and people groups around the world. God-centered, gospel-saturated preaching is great fuel for Christ-honoring, world-embracing evangelism.

More here.

(HT: Darryl Dash)

Thinking Through Your Church’s Mercy Ministry

Kevin DeYoung writes:

It is not imperative that every church have an official “mercy ministry” program. It is essential, however, that every congregation be involved in mercy ministry. Several years ago, while sitting down with leaders in our church who had a vision for helping hurting people, I laid out some of my thoughts on mercy ministry. I started with a few foundational truths and then outlined several methodological missteps.

Six Theological Foundations for Mercy Ministry

1. The rich are to be generous.  1 Timothy 6:17-18 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.”

2. We are not to get rich at the expense of the poor, nor are we to take advantage of the weak.  Amos 8:12 “For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate.”

3. True religion consist in personal holiness and helping the helpless.  James 1:27“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

4. Christians have a special obligation to care for the needy brothers and sisters in their midst.  1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?“

5. Christians should have a positive impact on their communities.  Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

6. Christians are compassionate. Luke 10:33-34 “But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.”

How to Get Mercy Ministry Off-Track in Fifteen Easy Steps

1. Participate just to assuage guilty feelings for being rich or white or suburban or whatever.

2. Feel superior to those who aren’t as involved as you are.

3. Pursue too many good ideas at the same time.

4. Love the “poor,” but not poor people.

5. Turn everything back into a discussion about politics.

6. Forget to pray.

7. Make evangelism and discipleship an afterthought (or worse, a never-thought).

8. Read books, complain, talk about stuff and never do anything.

9. Launch into a ministry program or ministry model that isn’t sustainable.

10. Rally the troops with guilt and shame.

11. Idolize the poor.

12. Demonize the poor.

13. Do everything for the people you are trying to help.

14. Believe that every problem can be solved by simple charity.

15. Be blind to your own poverty and need for mercy.

New Free Online Magazine: Credo

The first issue of Credo is now available online:

The October issue of Credo seeks to affirm the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture as doctrines that are faithful to the testimony of Scripture itself. Contributors include: Gregg Allison, John Frame, Timothy George, Fred Zaspel, Michael A.G. Haykin, Tim Challies, Matthew Barrett, Thomas Schreiner, Tony Merida, Owen Strachan, J. V. Fesko, Robert Saucy, and many others.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

How do you “do theology”?

James Grant writes:

As Christians, we are called to know our God, and one way we learn of God is through Scripture. As we read Scripture, we often read it devotionally, without making the broader connections to various doctrines and themes. Drawing the various themes of Scripture together and seeking to understand its meaning is the task of theology, and theology has several disciplines to help with this task.

Exegetical Theology: This comes from the Greek term that means “to lead out.” With this discipline, we are trying to lead meaning out of a particular passage instead of reading our meaning into the passage. As we interpret and explain the passage, we ask what it conveyed to the original audience.Normally exegesis is focused on original intent.

Biblical Theology: This discipline traces the development of the Bible along the lines of redemptive history. We could trace the development of a theme (Kingdom of God), examine the theology of a particular book (What is the theology of Genesis?) or a group of books (What is the theology of the Pentateuch?) or a particular person (What is Paul’s theology?).

Systematic Theology: This is the attempt to set forth biblical truth topic by topic and as a whole, especially in light of some of our current challenges and struggles in the church. We could ask what does the Scripture say about the kingdom and how does it influence our understanding of the relation of church and state. The main topics of systematic theology are the Doctrines of Scripture, God, Man, Christ, Salvation, the Church, and End Times.

Historical Theology: This is the study of how theologians throughout the church’s history have understood various topics and passages of Scripture. By using this discipline, we are relying upon the development of doctrine and our various traditions. As we study the Kingdom of God, we would ask this: How did Augustine understand the Kingdom of God in his classic work City of God.

Philosophical Theology: This discipline is also called natural theology. By using it, we are studying some of the concepts of theology with the tools of philosophy. This discipline provides a link between theology and secular thought. It is the study of fundamental concepts of theology with tools of philosophy, and this provides a link between theology and secular thought. An example of a question we could ask for this is, “What is a kingdom?”

Although there are more types of disciplines (Pastoral Theology, Apologetics, Christian Ethics, etc.), these are the primary disciplines for the practice of understanding Scripture. Knowledge of these different disciplines can help us in our understanding of Scripture and our walk with the Lord as we are more specific with our studies.

Is the Gospel Influencing Your Daily Life?

Justin Taylor posts:

From Tim Keller’s foreword to J.D. Greear’s new book Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary :

The angels never get tired of looking into the gospel. This means there is no end to gospel exploration. There are depths in the gospel that are always there to be discovered and applied, not only to our ministry and daily Christian life, but above all, to the worship of the God of the gospel with renewed vision and humility.

The underlying conviction in my preaching, pastoring, and writing is that the gospel—this eternally fascinating message craved by the angels—can change a heart, a community, and the world when it is recovered and applied.

It is one thing to understand the gospel but is quite another to experience the gospel in such a way that it fundamentally changes us and becomes the source of our identity and security. It is one thing to grasp the essence of the gospel but it quite another to think out its implications for all of life. We all struggle to explore the mysteries of the gospel on a regular basis, but we should strive to immerse ourselves in it and allow its message to influence our life daily.

A key part of the book is J.D.’s “gospel prayer”:

  1. In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less.
  2. Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy.
  3. As You have been to me so I will be to others.
  4. As I pray, I’ll measure Your compassion by the cross and Your power by the resurrection.

For more on the book, see this discussion with Trevin Wax.