Symphonic

Until the coming of Jesus Christ, the Bible is like a piece of music whose dissonance begs for some final resolution into harmony. Redemptive history is like a symphony with two great themes: the theme of God's passion to promote his glory; and the theme of God's inscrutable electing love for sinners who have scorned that very glory. Again and again all through the Bible these two great themes carry along the symphony of history. They interweave and interpenetrate, and we know that some awesome Composer is at work here. But for centuries we don't hear the resolution. The harmony always escapes us, and we have to wait.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the resolution of the symphony of history. In the death of Jesus the two themes of God's love for his glory and his love for sinners are resolved. As in all good symphonies there had been hints and suggestions of the final resolution. That is what we have in Isaiah 53 seven hundred years before Jesus came.

- John Piper, The Pleasures of God, 158-9.

Dirty Snow

I cannot help but think of Psalm 51:7 every time it snows, and the last big snow we had in Wake Forest I blogged about the verse.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. - Psalm 51:7

I began to think about this verse two weekends ago when we had heavier snow fall that we had last night and today. Particularly about the phrase "whiter than snow".


The picture above is one of a pile of dirty snow.

At one point it was really nice white fluffy snow. But then it was sleeted upon. Then it was scraped up into a pile across a dirty side walk. Then it started to melt. It is dirty snow. But don't forget at one point it was really white, really fluffy, really clean, really pretty snow. Now that pile of snow is gone. The snow that fell today is mostly gone.

Why "whiter than snow?" I think it is because snow gets dirty, melts, and gets pushed into piles. You see all the self-righteousness we try to bring before God to make ourselves right before him, no matter how clean it seems is as the dirtiest minstrel rags. We need something whiter than snow to stand before God as holy. We need the righteousness of Christ because it can never be tainted, it cannot evaporate away, it cannot be pushed aside.

The gospel is a beautiful thing.

The gospel is that in the very beginning was God and he created all things through his son, and they were perfect and made for his glory. Then sin entered the world through our Father Adam. God promises redemption. He sends at the right time his son Jesus to die for the ungodly. Jesus is buried and three days later is raised to life defeating sin and death. He makes it so that through faith in him and repentance of heart one can have the greatest gift in the universe, God himself. His shedding of blood bears the awful weight of our sin and guilt before a holy judge, absorbs his wrath and forgives our trespasses. That which is crimson and poured out makes us so that we stand whiter than snow before God. This is beautiful way more beautiful than even the prettiest snowfalls that quickly melt, as its beauty is eternal.

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. - Psalm 51:8-17

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Even as he chose us in Him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him, in love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ to the purpose of his will and the praise of his glorious grace in which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. - Ephesians 1:3-10

Beautiful.

the Weight of Glory

I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself, it is not! How god thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us. It is written that we shall "stand before" Him, shall appear, shall be inspected. The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and only possible by the work of Christ, that some of us, that any of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall please God. To please God...to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness...to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son--it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.

- C.S. Lewis, from "the Weight of Glory" Preached June 8, 1941

Baptist Mardi Gras

I just listened to this sermon by Dr. Russel Moore. I think it is a sermon we could all take the time to listen to. It is preached on the story of Esau trading in his birth right for a bowl of soup and how we exchange our inheritance in Christ for the temporary pleasures of this world. If you listen to the sermon you'll find out what I titled this post as I did. I would encourage you to take a listen even if it does step on your toes a bit as it did mine.

The Gospel Saves From Morality - Piper

Why I Tweet

Burk Parsons had a tweet this morning that is the primary reason why I use twitter and get updates on my phone.

"Following thoughtful godly men on Twitter helps us throughout the day to stop, think, be encouraged/convicted, and pray."

This is why I tweet.

There are a handful of guys I follow mobile that I would encourage you to follow if you are on Twitter.

http://twitter.com/burk_parsons

http://twitter.com/johnpiper

http://twitter.com/cslewisdaily

http://twitter.com/reformedglory

http://twitter.com/tozeraw

http://twitter.com/banjoey1

There are lots of other guys and gals I follow as well and you can find them by just going to my Twitter account and seeing who I follow.

http://twitter.com/ReformedFisher

What to say?

I got a phone call earlier today from my Mom and had one immediately followed by my Dad. A friend of mine from way back to kindergarten died yesterday. I'd like to say we stayed as close as we did when we were in elementary through middle school. But we still kept up with one another some. Last time I saw him was this summer where he worked. His name was Michael Helgren. I'd ask if you would to be praying for his family with me.

When a friend dies it gets you to think quite a bit. It did for me. My thoughts went straight to Ecclesiastes 12:1. I've written about that verse on here several times. I cannot forget that verse. "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, "I have no pleasure in them." We have but one life here on the earth to glorify God. We must make the most of that for his glory and our pleasure. (When the two are one in the same.) Michael was just 21 years old and a professed believer in the Lord Jesus. I know that one of the things Michael and I would talk about as we were in the years of High School was Jesus. He served in his local church and even worked at a local Christian bookstore. I thank God for Michael's faith and his desire for ministry in the church.

I just got off the phone a bit ago with his Mom. She's dazed right now I think, just taken back by all of it and rightly so. She told me she knows the Lord is with her and that he has a plan and will use whats going on. I'm thankful for that. There is hope in that. There is always hope in Christ Jesus for his kingdom stands forever and for Michael eternity is a life enjoying God forever in His presence.

Not all of us seem to take our time of youth seriously for the glory of God. Being a teenager or a twenty-something does not make one invincible. For it is appointed for men once to die and then comes judgement. Beloved if you are 12 or if you are 92 and reading this, remember your Creator. We get one life to make an impact for the kingdom of God here on earth. Don't waste it. Try to love the Lord with all of your heart, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.

The second phone call I received was from my Dad. It was about the first phone call I received. It started out with him saying "um" over and over for about 45 second. (He can't talk well due to his stroke, but this was a bit long even with his aphasia.) Michael's death really stirred my Dad up. My Dad and I have a different relationship now that he's had his third stroke. Roles have changed a bit, he's much like the son now and I'm much like the Father. There are a lot of times that I'm not viewed as my Dad's son, but almost as his enemy now. This is because I've tried to be a loving son, one that is looking for the best for my Dad. I am the one with the iron fist that says he has to do the things the doctors have required and says no to the things that will obviously hurt him. It's odd and not very pleasant if I can be honest. My Dad has been very violent with me over the last semester. This is not the Father I knew before the stroke. He never did and said the things he has done over the last five months or so. I understand it is the stroke. But today he called to tell me several times over that he was sorry for everything that had happened this semester. I really didn't expect that. Certainly not today, not in light of what happened with Michael, not really at all. But I'm thankful, very very very thankful. I love my Dad, a lot! I hate seeing him act in a way that "isn't him."

Solomon speaks to this in the same context of 12:1 when he said "Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity." in the previous verse. I think my Dad removed a lot of the vexation from his heart today. Youth and the beginning of life are fading away like the wind. Make the most of it for the glory of God. Love God and those around you. Pray with me for Michael's family and friends.

solideogloria, semper

Pants

I read yesterday in the Biblical Recorder this article. A SBC pastor has been questioning if the Great Commission Resurgence proposed in the Southern Baptist Convention right now can include him due to the kind of pants he wears when he is preaching and the type of preaching he does.

Confession: I get terribly tired of the pants discussion. I think I may have written on this before, but I really can't remember. There always seems to be some kind of debate about what kinds of clothes one wears when they preach and go to church. There are some ideas in different camps about pants, really there are ideas about clothes in general. There is one side that says you must "wear your best" on Sunday morning. This probably means a coat and tie. If you don't wear those things you are shunned. There is also a side that says "come as you are" which probably means jeans and a shirt with a collar that isn't tucked in.

Often times I think the guys who wear jeans to corporate worship on Sundays (which I do probably 90 percent of the time) have become the guys in suits. Wearing a coat and tie to a jeansy place on Sunday might get you shunned and called a pharisee. When you go to a coat and tie place, wearing jeans might get you called a heathen.

My take? Wear clothes to church. Don't be a naked Anabaptist. Don't wear that which is going to show off. If you do, you're trying to draw attention to yourself, that is not what life is about. Life is about making much of Jesus. When you wear your clothes to corporate worship don't worry about what everyone else is wearing. Corporate worship is about just that, worshiping as the body of Christ. Its about having real genuine biblical fellowship with the triune God and the bride of Christ. God is looking for those who worship him in Spirit and in truth not jeans and a button down plaid shirt or a coat and tie. True worshipers of the Father will be dressed in suits with ties tomorrow and in jeans. There will be worshipers of the Father who worship him in Spirit and truth who will walk barefooted tomorrow to gather. There will be those who can lose their lives for worshiping corporately tomorrow. We are worried about pants? Glorify God and don't die on the hill of your theology of pants.