Choosing or Chosen: Is Election Conditional or Unconditional? (1)

In the discussion of the doctrine of divine election, two primary positions arise to the forefront of the conversation.  Historically, these two positions have been stated and defended by those who would classify themselves as classical Arminians and moderate Calvinists, respectively.  Classical Arminians maintain that God’s election of men and women to salvation before the foundation of the world comes as a result of God foreseeing that particular person’s faith in Christ.  God, in eternity and before he creates, foresees what specific people will place their faith in Christ and, at that point, elects them to salvation.  This is commonly referred to as “conditional election,” since God’s election of a particular person depends upon their meeting a condition, namely, faith in Christ.

Origen (d. 254), argued that the “predestination language of the Bible encouraged pagan fatalism”(The Cross and Salvation, Bruce Demerest, 99) and thus spoke rather of a foreknowledge of men’s piety which preceded foreordination of their salvation.  John Chrysostom of Antioch (d. 407), held that “God elects persons on the basis of his foreknowledge of their personal worthiness” (100). John Wesley (d.1791) vigorously opposed the “horrible decree” of predestination.

Jacob Arminius (d. 1609) whose name now designates the theological position under discussion, defined man’s free-will as his power of contrary choice.  Spiritually speaking, this means that man has the ability to either choose Christ or reject him.  Ultimately, however, the choice lies with the man.  Although Arminius held to total depravity—man’s utter inability to repent and believe in Christ—he did maintain God gives “prevenient grace” to every man that decreases the effects of original sin and provides the ability for a person to choose Christ.  God thus foresees who will choose him and subsequently elects them for salvation in eternity past.

Those who would be categorized under the heading of moderate Calvinism would assert that God’s election of men and women to salvation is based on nothing within or about the person, but is rather grounded solely in God’s own sovereign choice.  This position would argue that God does not base his choice of particular men and women to salvation on any foreseen merit, including faith.  Instead, God, in eternity and before he creates, chooses whom he will save.  As time unfolds, God brings those people to genuine repentance and faith in Christ.  This is generally called “unconditional election” since the election is not based on man meeting any condition.

Although the unconditional election was not explicitly articulated until Augustine (d. 430), there were some who demonstrated a growing commitment to God’s initiative in salvation.  Men like Tertullian (d. 220), Athanasius (d. 373), and Ambrose (d. 397) spoke at times of those who were “prepared beforehand,” and of God’s sovereign choice to save those whom he chooses to save (114). Thomas Aquanis (d. 1274), John Gill (d. 1771), Charles Haddon Spurgeon (d. 1892) and A.H. Strong held that election is God’s unconditional choice of who he will bring to faith in Christ, not his conditional choice of those who he foresees will place their faith in Christ.  The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) provides a clear definition of unconditional election:

Those of mankind that are predestined unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him thereunto; and all the praise of his glorious grace (3.5) (116-117).

Over the next few days I  will attempt to provide a biblical and theological defense of unconditional election, followed by answers to a common objection to unconditional election and a final essay outlining a few of the most glaring problems within conditional election.

Next: A Biblical and Theological Defense of Unconditional Election

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (5)

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (1)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (2)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (3)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (4)

Knowing the Signs of Growing Pride

Another vital element in enabling one to stay the course of humble leadership is recognizing the symptoms of a growing problem with pride.  There are four key areas of which Christian leaders should be especially aware: over-commitment, a grasping for power, a spirit of expectation, and increasing independence.   

  1. Over-commitment. Over-commitment, while at first appearing highly spiritual, is actually the complete opposite.  When Christian leaders over-commit, they not only dilute the quality of their service and work, they reveal an inability to manage their time, a fear of telling others, “no,” or the desire to compete with others who are doing more.  It is often the case, when one finds over-commitment, he will find a leader who derives his identity and worth from his position of leadership.  This causes him to over-value his reputation as a leader; thus he fears telling others “no” since this might cause those under his care to regard him as a weak or incapable leader.  Over-commitment may also be the result of his desire to “keep up with Pastor Jones.”  Whatever the case, over-commitment is a sure warning sign that pride has found a welcome place in the heart of a leader.
  2. Grasping for Power. The ministry of leadership is a ministry of servanthood.  Jesus tells us plainly that leadership within the church is not like that which is found in the world, where those in authority “lord” it over those under their care (Mark 10:42-45).  As Alexander Strauch notes, “There is no place for dominating, lordly leaders in a family that is to be marked by mutual love (I Peter 1:22; 3:8; 4:8; 5:14), brotherhood, submission, and humility” (I Peter 2:13; 14, 18; 3:1; 5:5) (Biblical Eldership , 247).  Pride in this area is seen in a leader’s hoarding the pulpit, in the micromanaging of other leaders, and in his anger when his authority is challenged.  When these symptoms occur, pride is most likely the disease.
  3. A Spirit of Expectation. Pride also manifests itself in a leader when he begins to expect a certain kind of gracious treatment from others in view of his position.  This attitude, however, reveals this leader is thinking of himself too highly.  Jesus told his disciples, “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).  It is the height of arrogance to suggest we should be treated better than our Lord.  When leaders are living with an attitude of expectation, they are ensnared in the grip of pride.
  4. Increasing Independence. Christian leaders who think too highly of themselves will also tend to drift away from fellowship and accountability, since they believe they are able to fight spiritual battles on their own.  This attitude, however, betrays a woeful misunderstanding of one’s need for community in their perseverance as a Christian and as a leader (see Hebrews 3:12-15; 10:24-25).  This dangerous trend can be countered through regular, authentic accountability with other trusted men in one’s church or organization.

Establishing Competent Successors
Finally, it is critically important for Christian leaders to train and establish competent successors.  In Collins’ study, he found a company’s enduring success was often dependant upon the successors put in place by the leader who brought about the initial success.  Collins writes, “In over three quarters of the comparison companies [companies that only enjoyed short-term growth or faced comprehensive ruin], we found executives who set their successors up for failure or chose weak successors, or both” (Collins 2001, 26).  Earlier, Collins writes, “the comparison leaders, concerned more with their own reputation for personal greatness, often failed to set the company up for success in the next generation” (Collins 2001, 26).  These leaders were unable to brook anyone leading the company to success other than themselves.  Unfortunately, this selfish and self-centered attitude typically preceded the company’s eventual failure.

In contrast, Christian leaders can cripple their pride and promote future success for their churches and organizations by the purposeful training of potential leaders.  Preparing competent, spiritual-gifted men helps a Christian leader hold lightly to their position and recognize they are only a small—and replaceable—component to their organization’s success.

Conclusion
The Scriptures make it clear that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).  Ironically, this truth is illustrated in a world that, for the most part, ardently challenges the idea that humility is essential for the task of leadership.  For Christian leaders, this means they must relentlessly and proactively pursue true humility for the glory of God and the good of their people.  As we have seen, their failure to do so will mean disaster for themselves, the marginalization of their organization, and the blighting of Christ’s holy name.

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (4)

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (1)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (2)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (3)

But how are Christian leaders to maintain this attitude of humility?  How can Christian leaders avoid the destruction that inevitably follows pride and threatens to devastate their lives, their churches, and the organizations they seek to lead?  I would suggest seven strategies to help leaders establish and preserve Christ-exalting and fruit-bearing humility.

A Clear Understanding and Appreciation of the Gospel
Humility in Christian leadership begins with the gospel.  Only when a man understands his sin and the free grace of God at the cross can he make progress in the vital area of humility.  A true appreciation of the gospel immediately leads to a turning from self to a boasting in God (see I Corinthians 1:18-31).  Martyn Lloyd Jones aptly writes, “Nothing but the cross can give us a spirit of humility” (Mahaney, 66).  Why?  Because the cross shows a leader his desperate need for Christ and the mercy of God, while cultivating in his life a deep sense of thankfulness.  Genuine Christian humility can only start here.

The Discipline of Constantly Returning to Scripture
One of the symptoms of a leader’s hubris, Collins found, is a neglect of what he calls “the flywheel.”  When companies went from “Good” to “Great,” the transition was a result of constant attention to certain principles.  Although it took a disproportionate amount of work in the beginning to start the flywheel in motion, eventually the flywheel would gather momentum and “spin” on its own.  Success, however, would intoxicate some leaders and cause them to ignore the flywheel altogether.  This typically resulted in the company’s failure (Collins 2009, 32).

For Christian leaders and pastors, the temptation is to float away from Scripture as one tastes the fruit of success in his ministry.  This can lead to and strengthen existing pride as the leader begins to rely more on his own intuition, ideas, and wisdom, rather than consistently bringing his ministry under the guidance of the Bible.  Despite any outward success, this tendency will inevitably give way to a weakened ministry.  Pastor and author, Jay Adams, writes,

If [pastors] care about exercising powerful leadership, shepherds must be willing to support every plan, every program, and every administrative act by scriptural principles.  That is to say, they will ever study, question, examine and reexamine everything that they say or do as leaders in the light of the Word of God—they will never be satisfied with custom and tradition alone (Shepherding God’s Flock, 1975, 332).

The discipline of constantly returning to Scripture tethers a leader to God and His will and leaves little room for pride in one’s own wisdom to take root.  And, as Adams tells us, powerful leadership depends on such commitment to the Word of God.  To drift from the Scripture is to drift from God and the potential for effective leadership.

A Recognition of One’s Dependence Upon God
The source of a Christian leader’s strength, ability, wisdom, and power is God.  Jesus made this clear when he said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:6), and the apostle Paul felt keenly this truth when he said, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God (II Corinthians 3:5).  Paul realized even genuine progress in ministry and spiritual fruit is the gift of God (I Corinthians 3:6).  It is essential, therefore, in order for a Christian leader to remain humble, to recognize his utter dependence upon God.

Practically, this means a leader must acknowledge his weaknesses.  The apostle Paul not only recognized and accepted in his own weaknesses, he found joy in them because it was through his weakness he experienced God’s power: “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distress, for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong” (II Corinthians 12:10).  How important is this aspect of leadership?  John MacArthur writes, “The leader who forgets his own weakness will inevitably fail.  Paul, by contrast, drew strength from remembering his own weaknesses, because those things made him more dependent on the power of God” (The Book on Leadership, 101).  Ignoring one’s weaknesses will not help an aspiring leader; it will only hurt him.

Next: More Strategies for Staying the Course

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (3)

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (1)
Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (2)

The Necessity of Humility in Christian Leadership
Thus, in light of Scripture’s teaching on the deadening effects of pride and Collins’ example of the wreckage caused by executive arrogance, it should be clear that Christian leaders must make the cultivation of humility of first importance in their lives; there can be no true leadership without it.  J. Oswald Sanders reminds us, “Humility is the hallmark of the spiritual leader” (Spiritual Leadership, 61), while John Stott summarizes the comprehensive need for humility when he writes, “At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend” (Humility: True Greatness, Mahaney, 29).  Dennis Bakke, CEO of a large charter school organization states the case plainly: “Humility is at the core of a leader’s heart” (Joy at Work, 135).  Regarding leadership in the Christian community, Jesus himself tells us, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43b-44).

Defining Our Terms: What Humility Is, and What It Is Not
If the nurture of genuine humility is indispensable in Christian leadership, it is important to understand what one means by the word “humility.”  It is equally important to understand what is not meant by this word.  This latter component of our definition—the negative component—is especially needed in a day when many in the church are trumpeting a call to humility, but whose definition of the term is woefully inadequate or altogether false. Some suggest pride is equivalent to certainty in doctrinal distinctions, whereas humility is the counterpart to doubt and uncertainty (see A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren,, 36-37).  In the swell of postmodernity, claims to absolute, objective truth are considered either illegitimate or the tools of domination (see The Gagging of God by D.A. Carson, 20)—those who make such claims are deemed the most arrogant.  G.K. Chesterton observed this trend in his own day.  As early as 1908, he wrote,

What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place.  Modesty has moved from the organ of ambition.  Modesty has settled upon the organ of conviction, where it was never meant to be.  A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been exactly reversed.  Nowadays the part of a man that a man does assert is exactly the part he ought not to assert—himself.  The part he doubts is exactly the part he ought not to doubt—the Divine Reason (Brothers, We are Not Professionals, 162).

As Chesterton intimates, true humility is not uncertainty in the head; rather, real humility is to be found in the heart—in one’s motivations for and attitudes toward leadership.  Nor is humility to be confused with passivity.  Some unfairly depict humble servant-leaders as wimpy pushovers who yield at any hint of opposition and defer tough decisions to others—pseudo-leaders who follow the whims of their people to avoid conflict rather than deliberately setting the course the good of the organization.  Certainly, there are those in positions leadership who fit this description (indeed, only their title grants them any identification as a leader), but the biblical expectation for godly leaders is that they be courageous, decisive, disciplined, wise, and possessed by a vision to see God work great things for the good of his people and the glory of his name (Sanders, 51-65).  In fact, as Collins found in his research, the leaders who established lasting success for their organization, while being recognized as “quiet, humble [and] modest,” were also characterized by fierce determination; an unwavering resolve toward life and “an incurable need to produce results” (Collins 2001, 30).  They were anything but passive.

So what is true humility?  If it is not doctrinal uncertainty or cowardly passivity, then what is it?  Simply, real humility is a turning away from self.  Dr. Stuart Scott defines this aspect of humility well when he writes,

[Humility is] the mindset of Christ (a servant’s mindset): a focus on God and others, a pursuit of the recognition of and exaltation of God, and a desire to glorify and please God in all things by all things he has given (From Pride to Humility, 18).

Christian leaders are to be characterized by a consistent looking away from self, and a sincere and constant focus on God and others.  This understanding of genuine humility enables a leader to pursue certainty and conviction and lead with vigor and courage; at the same time, he is kept from succumbing to the temptation to build the church or Christian organization for his own personal benefit and exaltation.  Thus, as Dennis Bakke observes, “Humility underlies the impulse to make others better” (Joy at Work, 135, emphasis added).

Next: Strategies to Help Christian Leaders Stay the Course

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (2)

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (1)

The Perils of Pride and the Fruit of Humility: A Contemporary Example
When it comes to leadership, much of the world rejects the idea that humility is essential for the task—yet it appears they do so at their own peril.  In his book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t, Jim Collins determined, based five years of rigorous collaborative research of eleven companies who made an enduring transition from “Good” to “Great,” that the success of these companies was due largely to the character of their CEOs.

These CEOs were not high-powered, charismatic, over-bearing, self-consumed leaders who required unquestioned authority and who reveled in their celebrity-like status.  On the contrary, in each of the eleven companies, the men who led their people and their institution to lasting success were consistently described by colleagues as “quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understated” (Collins 2001, 27).  Far from being primarily concerned about personal affluence and reputation, these men took the helm of leadership with a desire to work first and foremost for the good of the company (Collins 2001, 21).

In contrast, the companies to which Collins and his team compared the eleven “Good to Great” companies—businesses who only enjoyed short-term success or encountered massive failure—were usually led by men who could not corral their ego.  Whether it was in overly ambitious acquisitions or in a failure to establish strong successors, these CEOs demonstrated they were more concerned for themselves—their money and their reputation as a great leader—than in the long-term achievement of the company.

Collins’ discovery of a consistent correspondence between humility in leadership and the stable success of an institution is further bolstered by recent developments in one of the “Good to Great” companies, Circuit City.  Despite a nearly thirty-eight year season marked by solid financial growth and steady success, Circuit City eventually came face-to-face with utter pecuniary ruin and filed bankruptcy on November 10, 2008.  In his latest work, How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In, Collins argues the demise of this once-great company (and others that have seen similar failure) can be characterized by a five-stage decline, beginning with what Collins calls a “Hubris Born of Success” (Collins 2009, 27).

Collins found that leaders of once-successful companies like Circuit City would often become enamored with their organization’s success to the point of assuming immunity from failure.  Success would then be seen as an entitlement rather than the fruit of hard-work, passion, discipline and sacrifice.  As companies like these enjoy marked accomplishment, their “people begin to believe that success will continue almost no matter what the organization decides to do, or not do” (Collins 2009, 43).  Collins calls this, “Success Entitlement.”  The Bible calls it pride.

Next: The Necessity of Humility in Christian Leadership

Staying the Course: Humility and Christian Leadership (1)

Rarely is humility exalted as a fundamental element of true leadership.  Yet, despite what some popular leadership proponents may allege, an honest and discriminating look into contemporary business culture confirms what the Scripture proclaims: God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.  Christian leaders, then, must make every effort to cultivate sincere humility for their task of leadership within the church an in other organizations they might oversee.  Aiding in this endeavor will be the goal the next few posts.

After a brief examination of Scripture’s teaching on the issue of pride and humility, I will consider a recent study from a business context that confirms the necessity of humility in leadership.  After this, I will provide a clear definition of humility and conclude by providing several strategies to aid Christian leaders in the development of personal humility.

The Perils of Pride and the Fruit of Humility: The Biblical Teaching
God is opposed to the proud.  This is the indisputable truth of Scripture.  Asserted directly through stern warning and illustrated vividly in God’s judgment of proud men and nations throughout the Old and New Testament, the biblical reality that pride only leads to destruction is inescapable.   Scripture tells us God devastates the proud and the haughty (II Samuel 22:28; II Chronicles 26:16; 32:25; Psalm 18:27; 101:5; Proverbs 15:25; Isaiah 2:11-17; 3:16; 5:15; 9:9; 13:11; 16:6; 25:11; 28:3; Jeremiah 48:29; Ezekiel 7:20;16:50; 28:2; 30:6, 18; 31:10; 33:28; Daniel 4:37; Zechariah 10:11; Luke 1:51; Acts 12:23).  He does not help the proud (Psalm 40:4; 94:2).   God says he will break people’s pride (Leviticus 26:19; II Chronicles 32:26; Psalm 59:12) and repay pride with punishment (Psalm 31:23).   The Bible tells us God hates pride (Proverbs 6:12; 21:4; Proverbs 8:13; Amos 6:8) and that pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 11:2; 16:18; 29:23; 18:12).  And pride is not only odious to God; it is deadly to man: it misleads and blinds the mind; it guards a man from receiving valuable instruction; it makes faith in Christ impossible (see John 5:44); and it hinders genuine growth in other important areas, as one theologian writes, “Till this disease [of pride] is cured, medicines are in vain applied to heal other diseases” (Undiscerned Spiritual Pride, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 1, 399).

On the other hand, the same Scripture that speaks vigorously against the ugliness and danger of pride equally exalts the beauty and benefit of humility.  God is not only opposed to the proud; he gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).  Humility leads to salvation (Job 22:29; Psalm 18:27; 76:9; 149:4), favor (Job 5:11 Psalm 37:11; 138:5; Proverbs 3:36; 22:4; 29:23; Isaiah 11:4; 29:19; 57:19; 66:2; Matthew 5:5), and guidance from God (Psalm 25:9).  Sincere humility also cultivates a heart ready to receive wisdom (Proverbs 11:2) and grace (I Peter 5:5).  It is no wonder why humility usually precedes honor (Proverbs 15:33, 18:12) and why it is commanded so often in the New Testament (Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3; Colossians 3:12; I Peter 5:5).

Next: The Perils of Pride and the Fruit of Humility: A Contemporary Example

Good. Clean. Fun.

Just a few guys who love Jesus and who are enjoying life.  I especially love the rejoicing after successful shots.

Piper on Pressure and Productivity

A quote has been firmly wedged in my mind since I finished John Piper’s Brothers we are not Professionals that I thought I would share with you.  It has been tremendously helpful to me as I have let it simmer in my heart over the past few days.

In the chapter, Brothers, Read Christian Biography, Piper reflects on the lives of some of the most fruitful and, in terms of sheer output, most productive men in church history.  One man in particular was Karl Barth.  Although Barth was massively productive during much of his life, when he retired from his professorship in 1962, T.H.L Parker tells us he “lost the stimulus provided by the need to give lectures.”  Exactly what this means in regards to Barth’s actual output after he retired I am not sure, but Piper seems to interpret it negatively: on the flap of the book, Piper wrote in response,”Has greatness emerged from anything but pressure?  If greatness is to be servant of all, must we not be under authority, under demand, pushed, pressed?”  In other words, when the pressure stops, so does the productivity.

On the other hand, an overwhelming burden of responsibility tends to make us far more productive than we otherwise would have been on our own.  Ironically, the greater the number of responsibilities we already have, the more duties we tend to take on.  When we have too much time on our hands, we seldom find ourselves more fruitful.   Greatness is not produced from a life of unfettered ease, indulgent recreation and leisurely schedules–it flows out of a life squeezed by the crushing demands of home, work and ministry.  Sure, we could probably find a cushy pastorate if we so desired, and dabble in a dozen harmless hobbies throughout our life, but I doubt this would garner the words from our Master, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

What this means, then, is we should be exhorted to embrace the pressure of growing responsibility; to welcome the weight of intimidating duty.  I am not suggesting ungodly devotion to work.  Rather, I am hoping to encourage a willingness to accept the pressures and burdens of being a servant–of one who is constantly under pressure to lead, shepherd, pray, study, think, teach, write, counsel and make weighty decisions for the good of others and the glory of God.  We may get a little tired, and we may need to forgo some our our favorite hobbies, but it will be worth it.

Personal and Pastoral Reflections on ‘Brothers We Are Not Professionals’ by John Piper

Brothers we are not profJohn Piper’s Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, was a challenging, encouraging, and harrowing read.  In many places I found myself convicted by my lack of a particular quality or practice, while simultaneously exhorted to pursue, with more vigor, that  missing element in my life and ministry.  But reading this book was also a sobering experience.  The pastoral ministry is a serious work.  It is not to be taken casually; it is not to be  entered into lightly or viewed as a less strenuous alternative to a secular profession.  It is a glorious, demanding, painful, thrilling, satisfying endeavor with eternal ramifications of unfathomable magnitude—we are charged with the accurate handling of God’s Word and responsible for the souls of men.  It is no wonder why Paul cried out, “Who is sufficient for these things” (II Cor. 2:16)?

It is Paul’s rhetorical question (and its subsequent answer, “No one”) that perhaps made Piper’s chapter on prayer (“Brothers, Let Us Pray”) stand out with such compelling and immediate relevance to myself and to my ministry.  In this chapter, I was reminded of what can be a ministry reforming truth: God is glorified in answering prayer because it displays his utter sufficiency and our total dependence upon his mercy.  This truth is intensified if one considers a twin truth: genuine Christian ministry is wholly a supernatural work.  Regeneration, conversion, spiritual growth, heart-change, Godward affections—all these things (the things which ministry is primarily concerned), can only finally be effected by God Himself.  We have a role to play, but it is the kind of role a hose plays: a hose cannot water the grass, but it can be used by the gardener to spread the life giving water to the dry seed.  God must provide the supernatural element to our ministry, or church will be nothing more than a glorified social club, and our ministries will bear no lasting fruit.

As Piper makes unmistakeably clear in this chapter, if we desire to see God do the impossible—that is, change haters of God into lovers of God—then we must, as William Wilberforce says, “Pray, pray, pray.”  If we want to see the men’s ministry flourish with guys who are devoted to Christ and devoted to serving and loving and encouraging and admonishing one another, then we must pray.  If we want to see our Bible study fellowship class glow with the heat of passion for Christ and for the lost, then we must pray.  If we want to grow in holiness and in love for our wives, then we must pray.  If we long to persevere in the ministry and finish well, we must pray.  If we desire to see our church have massive saving impact on the community around us and in the world, we must pray.  Along with Piper, I want to be able to say that I “Refuse to believe that the daily hours Luther and Wesley and Brainard and Judson spent in prayer are idealistic dreams of another era” (57).  I want to see prayer as on indispensable and primary element of ministry, not just something I politely tack onto church meetings and before meals.

Secondly, I was helped by Piper’s chapter “Brothers, Live and Preach Justification by Faith.”  I had read this chapter several years ago when I was personally struggling with assurance of my salvation and the nagging and troubling doubts that pervaded much of my spiritual life.  It was not exhortations to rigorous holiness or repentance which brought peace to my soul, however: it was the truth of justification by faith which slowly but surely began to lift the stubborn veil of guilt and doubt.

Yet I wonder how many people in our church struggle silently with the burden of an unrelieved—or lightly relieved—conscience.  How many people under our ministries are walking in the joy and peace of believing, beyond a shadow- of-a-doubt, that Christ has fulfilled the law in their place and has borne fully God’s wrath in their place?  How many of these saints are regularly delighting in the righteousness of Christ?  How many of our people are making little if any headway in their sanctification because they have unwittingly confused justification and sanctification?  I think it would be naïve to posit a low number, or to brush off this concern as unimportant to the health and vitality of Christians.  In my opinion, it is this issue which is at the heart of the Christian life and a proper understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith which determines the relative joy, peace and assurance of believers.

So how can we “live and preach justification by faith?”  An essential question is answered by the order of the words in the sentence: We must first live justification by faith before I can preach justification by faith.  We must be enjoying the peace and assurance that comes from a clear understanding of the doctrine of justification.  We must be able to rightly apply the balm of grace to our wounded soul before we can know how to apply it to others.  But as as we are personally making progress in this area, I do believe it will be helpful to expose those under our care to this doctrine in all its fullness and to help unearth the underlying anxiety and spiritual disquiet that pesters their souls.  Not only is accurate teaching of this doctrine necessary, we also need to help other others see for themselves how understanding this doctrine beyond a superficial level can heal their deeply-rooted feelings of guilt—guilt for past and present sins, guilt for not serving enough or praying enough or loving enough or giving enough.  Some who are Christians will find great relief and begin to make unprecedented growth in their spiritual life; others will be converted and brought from trusting in their own righteousness to genuinely trusting in Christ and his righteousness.

I am thankful for good books, and I am especially thankful for the men who have labored to provide such rich food for our souls and wisdom for our labors in the gospel.  Piper’s book on the pastoral ministry is no exception.

Beware of False Maturity: A Stinging Quote from Jonathan Edwards

Religious Affections EdI have been reading Jonathan Edwards’ Religious Affections for two years now.  It has taken this long because 1) I think a book like this requires slow, patient, thoughtful reading, and 2) I am only able to read it occasionally because I have a stack of other reading to complete for school.  It is no exaggeration to say that I am confronted, challenged, rebuked,  laid low, encouraged and strengthened by this book  at every turn of the page.  Edwards’ insight into the human heart and the secret working of the Holy Spirit is both frightening and refining as he shows us, from Scripture, common sense, and experience, what a true work of God’s grace looks like and how genuine Christians can cultivate and promote true affections for Christ.  I find myself stocking quote after quote in my notes and in my journals as I am constantly reminded of the enduring helpfulness of well-written and Scripture-saturated books.

One quote that I have found particularly convicting and instructive regards what I would call “false maturity.”  It is easy for us to think we have attained “great heights in religion” (Edwards’ phrase) when we really have not, and to think of ourselves more highly than we should (Romans 12:3).  Edwards reminds us that we must understand  great attainments in spiritual growth can only occur by first achieving lesser attainments.

And here, by the way, I would observe, that it may be laid down as a general rule, that if persons pretend that they come to high attainments in religion, but have never yet arrived to the lesser attainments, it is a sign of a vain pretense.  If persons pretend that they have got beyond mere morality, to live in a spiritual and divine life, but really have not come to be so much as moral persons: or pretend to be greatly affected with the wickedness of their hearts, and are not affected with the palpable violations of God’s commands in their practice, which is a lesser attainment: or if they pretend to be brought to be even willing to be damned for the glory of God, but have no forwardness to suffer a little in their estates and names and worldly convenience, for the sake of their duty: or if they pretend that they are not afraid to venture their souls upon Christ, and commit their all to God, trusting to His bare word, and the faithfulness of His promises, for their eternal welfare, but at the same time have not confidence enough in God to dare trust Him with a little of their estates, bestowed to pious and charitable uses; I say, when it is thus with persons, their pretenses are manifestly vain.  He that is in a journey, and imagines he has got far beyond such a place in his road, and never yet came to it, must be mistaken; and he is not yet arrived to the top of the hill that never yet got half way thither (296-297)

If we think we are more mature than we truly are, we will unwittingly neglect the “lesser” areas of our lives, having been deceived that we have progressed beyond these to the more profound and important areas of Christianity, and our hypocrisy will be apparent to all.  There is perhaps nothing more deadly to spiritual growth than thinking we no longer need to grow.  May God have mercy on us to open our eyes so we can see where we are really at.