What is 'inerrancy'?

Humility Is Compatible with Certainty

From Justin Taylor's Blog.

Humility Is Compatible with Certainty

Michael Kruger:

Christians believe that God has revealed himself clearly in his Word.   Thus, when it comes to key historical questions (Who was Jesus? What did he say? What did he do?) or key theological questions (Who is God? What is Heaven? How does one get there?), Christians believe they have a basis on which they can claim certainty: God’s revelation.  Indeed, to claim we don’t know the truth about such matters would be to deny God, and to deny his Word. (This doesn’t mean, of course, that Christians are certain about everything; but there can be certainty about these basic Christian truths).
Thus, for Christians, humility and uncertainty are not synonymous.   One can be certain and humble at the same time.  How?  For this simple reason: Christians believe that they understand truth only because God has revealed it to them (1 Cor 1:26-30).  In other words, Christians are humble because their understanding of truth is not based on their own intelligence, their own research, their own acumen.  Rather, it is 100% dependent on the grace of God.  Christian knowledge is a dependent knowledge.  And that leads to humility (1 Cor 1:31).  This obviously doesn’t mean all Christians are personally humble.  But, it does mean they should be, and have adequate grounds to be.

John Frame:

Scripture says some negative things about doubt (Matt. 14:31, 21:21, 28:17, Acts 10:20, 11:12, Rom. 14:23, Jas. 1:6). In Matt. 14:31 and Rom. 14:23, it is the opposite of faith and therefore a sin. Further, knowing God in Scripture often seems to have a sureness about it. . . . Note especially the “certainty” of Luke 1:4, the “proofs” of Acts 1:3, and the centurion’s words of Luke 23:47. . . . If the revelation of God to which we submit is infallible, then it must serve as the criterion of all other knowledge. As such it is the standard of certitude and must be regarded as itself in some sense maximally certain.

G. K. Chesteron:

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. . . . The new skeptic is so humble that he doubts if he can even learn. . . . There is a real humility typical of our time; but it so happens that it’s practically a more poisonous humility than the wildest prostrations of the ascetic. . . .
The old humility made a man doubtful about his efforts, which might make him work harder. But the new humility makes a man doubtful about his aims, which makes him stop working altogether. . . . We are on the road to producing a race of man too mentally modest to believe in the multiplication table. (Orthodoxy [reprint, San Francisco: Ignatius, 1995], 36-37.)

Boasting in Weakness Pt. 5--Noticing a Biblical Pattern

The pattern of God's intention to magnify his strength in the context of human need is pervasive in the Scriptures--as pervasive there as it is counterintuitive to our pride. Yet if we are to conform our thinking to God's thinking--to "think God's thoughts after him"--we would do well to meditate our way through this pattern in the Scriptures and begin shaping our thinking and our praying in the Scriptural direction. God has chosen to magnify himself not in spite of, not in addition to, but through the context of human weakness. Here are a few Biblical examples that come to mind:

God chose a childless man and wife, Abram and Sarai, to be the father and mother of his people. And after choosing them, he waited until they were well past child-bearing age to grant the miracle of a son. It's also worth noting that the proximity of nephew Lot in the Genesis story reveals that God could easily have chosen another line in Abraham's family tree that was not barren. Why the contrast? In their extreme weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose the younger brother Jacob, rather than the older brother Esau, to be the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Being the younger brother would have been a "weaker" position in that culture. Its also worth noting the contrast--Esau is the strong man of the field, while Jacob is the "weaker" man, living among the tents. Jacob is also in danger from Esau and then from Laban and then from Esau again--yet Jacob fathers the twelve tribes that become the nation of Israel. In Jacob's weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose to raise Joseph to an extreme position of worldly power in order to save his family from famine only after he had been thrown into a pit, sold as a slave, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison. Why didn't God just launch Joseph directly into a position of power, right after his dreams foretold his future prominence? In Joseph's weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose to commission Moses as the deliverer of his people after Moses failed in his own attempt to deliver God's people, after he lived in exile for 40 years as a forgotten shepherd, after Moses was so aware of his weakness that it led him to the opposite sinful extreme of resisting God's call. Why didn't God commission Moses right after he killed the Egyptian--in the midst of his youthful ambition and power? In Moses' weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose Gideon--by self-admission the weakest man of a small family--to defeat the mighty Midianite army. And he only allowed Gideon to fight after he had reduced his army from 32,000 to 300. Why didn't God choose a "stronger" man from a "stronger" family with a larger army? In Gideon's weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose to give Samson his greatest triumph after he cried out in desperation, chained to two pillars in the Philistine temple. Why not grant Samson his greatest triumph at the height of his "strength." In Samson's weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose Hannah--the barren wife of a man with children from another wife--to be the mother of Samuel the great prophet. Why not choose the wife who was not barren? Why not allow Hannah to conceive prior to her famous desperate prayer at the temple? In Hannah's weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose David to be a giant-killer, and then king, and ultimately a great foreshadowing of Jesus Christ--even though David was the youngest son, left in the fields tending sheep, when Samuel the prophet arrived. Why not choose the oldest son, or any of the older sons who had joined the army with Saul, to defeat Goliath, to ultimately become king? They still would have been from the tribe of Judah and from Bethlehem. In David's weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose Hezekiah's desperate prayer, not his kingly prestige or power, to be the precursor to the Divine destruction of the Assyrian army. Why not allow the Israelite army to defeat their enemy on the field of battle? In Hezekiah's weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose Peter as the initial leader of the church, recommissioning him after he had denied the Lord. The one who would not confess Christ to three single questions would eventually proclaim him boldly to a crowd of thousands. Why not choose a disciple who had not failed so miserably? In Peter's weakness, God showed himself strong.

God chose Paul, the great persecutor, to become the great apostle to the Gentiles, after he had been blinded by his vision of the risen Savior. Why not allow Paul to know Jesus before his death? Better yet, why not plan for Paul to be one of the original disciples? In Paul's weakness, God showed himself strong.

And the greatest example of all--the great substance to which all the Old Testament patterns point and that all the New Testament examples reflect. God chose Jesus Christ, fully God, to provide salvation through the weakness of an agonizing death on a cross. Indeed, as Paul says, the cross is foolish to this world, since, to paraphrase a thought from D.A. Carson, no human wisdom could imagine a crucified messiah, triumphing in power precisely because he dies in weakness. As the hymn declares: "Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut his glories in; when Christ the mighty maker died; for man the creature's sin."

What can we take away from this Biblical pattern--especially seeing its pinnacle in Jesus Christ, the mighty maker, surrendering his life willingly to death on the cross?

• Not that God delights in human suffering--since this pattern included the suffering of his own beloved Son.
  
• Not that God delights in human laziness--since self-pity that doubts God is not better than self-trust that forgets God.
  
• Not that we should "make up" weakness and confess them to God in hopes that he will bless us--since the reality is that all that we have and are already comes from him and we have nothing that he does not provide.
  

Rather, we should be amazed at the mercy of God in showering provision on us, even in areas that we assume are self-sustained. His strength is seen in my weakness, whether I see it or not. We should realize that human pride and self-confidence are far more evil than we normally think and that God's glory is more paramount than we can possibly imagine. If I'm still breathing, His strength is seen in my weakness, even when I deny my need for him. We should repent of any areas of our life where we live in self-confidence--for my part, I find idols of sleep, entertainment, food, and ease frequent substitutes for dependance on God. His strength is seen in forgiving me, powerful grace in the face of my overwhelming sin. We should search out new ways to declare our dependance on the Lord, so that we can boast in his strength with fresh vigor. We should anticipate moments where we feel our weakness as a mercy from the Lord, opening our dim eyes, and inviting us to cry out for his strength. And, most importantly, we should worship the Lord of glory, who glorified himself by creating this pattern of providing his strength in the context of human weakness. He surrendered himself in weakness to death and showed the glory of God's salvation. He delights to sustain any who call out to him. He gladly offers his merciful power and almighty grace even to those who have spent a life time trusting in themselves.

Lord, make me, like Paul, glad to boast in my weakness, that your power may rest upon me. Forgive the recent pattern I see in my life of trusting in my own strength and the life-long pattern of denying my need for you. Thank you for making your mercy new every morning and for being always a present help in my need. Help me to long for your strength more than the 'sense' of my own power. Help me to glorify you by boasting in your strength. Receive all the glory, Lord. All that I have accomplished you have done for me. Your name alone do I honor.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” Jer. 9:23-24

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph. 2:8

Previous posts on Boasting in Weakness found here:

Boasting in Weakness pt. 1
Boasting in Weakness pt. 2
Boasting in Weakness pt. 3

Boasting in Weakness pt. 4

Keith & Kristyn Getty "The Power of the Cross"

Suday Morning Prayer

Lord, show your people your glory this morning. Reveal your matchless worth and wean your children away from the lesser glories of this earth. Destroy idols that have distracted your saints from knowing you. Point the eyes of every redeemed sinner to the assurance of your steadfast love. Open blind eyes to your truth. Holy Spirit, show forth the light of God's glory in the face of the Savior. Amen

Gospel Wakefulness

I am currently reading and enjoying Jared Wilson's book Gospel Wakefulness. The book is packed with gospel-centering challenges and gospel-celebrating insights. Here are a few quotes from my reading.

"An implied gospel is a gospel FAIL. This is why it's crucial to center our teaching, our worship, our service, and the rest of all our lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ. It can take it; it will hold up."--Page 18

"To honestly proclaim the greatness of Christ requires honestly confessing the bankruptcy of our own souls." Page 41

"J. Gresham Machen writes: 'If you want to find an instance of true gratitude for the infinite grace of God, do not go to those who think of God's love as something that cost nothing, but go rather to those who in agony of soul have faced the awful fact of the guilt of sin, and then have come to know with a trembling wonder that the miracle of all miracles has been accomplished, and that the eternal Son has died in their stead.'" Page 52

"In doggedly centering on the gospel of Jesus in my ministry, what I have discovered, then is that grace is sounding new not just to the unchurched; it's sounding "new again" to the churched....It is a joy to see the first sparkle of freedom in their eyes when, usually after much "gospeling," they finally grasp the end of their duties and realize Christ has been dutiful for them. The color comes back into their faces. They sit up straighter. Their smiles come back. They see the Scriptures with new eyes. they don't stop wanting to obey, of course! But now they want to obey in the enjoyment of Christ's perfect obedience" Page 110

"What gospel wakefulness presupposes is that wherever a person tops out emotionally, they do so at the gospel. We all naturally understand affections. An old man may not give two cents about the gospel, but he sure knows he feels really good when his grandkids come over. A guy who spends sixty hours a week in a dimly-lit cubicle may sit through a Sunday morning church service absolutely unmoved by songs and teaching that his wife insists he show up for, but he leaps off the couch in joy that afternoon when his team scores a much-needed touchdown. A young woman may read the Sermon on the Mount and find it very impressive, but she really lights up when there are sales at the mall. All of us are moved by something. When I say gospel wakefulness is about feelings, I only mean that what should move you most is the reality that Christ died and rose for you." Page 148

"Gospel wakefulness results in a tender heart and a thick skin." Page 175

"Gospel confidence is this: Because of the finished work of Christ, God is utterly and eternally for those who trust in him; indeed, all the promises of God are ours for the enjoyment and the glory through the supremacy and the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. To be satisfied with Christ, then, is to be confident in his gospel." Page 182

Lord, give me greater sight of the glories of the gospel. Awaken my heart to the blazing centrality of your cross.

Like A Child

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

Lord, make me more like a child today. Make me less cynical and more hopeful. Make me more eager to ask you for impossible things and more excited to be with you. Make me look forward to the next adventure that you have planned for me. Make me less aware of cultural "expectations" and more passionate about your gaze. Help me to live a "watch me, Daddy!" life--where my thoughts are always focused on your thoughts. Help me to believe you'll always catch me, that you always know the answers, that you're the strongest, smartest, best person in the whole world.

Make me more like a child today so that I can glory in calling you Father.

Matt Chandler - David, Goliath & The Gospel

The Glory of the Lord

How does the gospel reveal God's glory?

The glory of God is the worth of all of his attributes and his attributes are seen most clearly in the gospel.

The gospel reveals the righteousness of God--righteousness displayed in the perfect obedience of God the Son lived within the world of fallen men. He was tempted in every way as we are yet without sin.

The gospel reveals the justice of God--justice displayed as the sinless Son of God drank the cup of God's wrath to the dregs--perfectly exhausting the penalty of God's justice against our sin.

The gospel reveals the love of God--love displayed in the sending of God's Son to die for us while we were still sinners. For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son.

The gospel reveals the grace of God--the favor of salvation offered to those who deserve eternal judgement.

The gospel reveals the mercy of God--God saving those who could not save themselves or even look to God apart from his regenerative work in their souls. Jesus died for me before I was born--or even knew how helpless I would be in my sin.

The gospel reveals the wisdom of God--wisdom displayed in a cross that fully satisfied holy justice, holy wrath, holy love, holy grace--all in the same moment. Jesus 'hour' of glory--his hour of death and resurrection--could only be imagined by the infinite wisdom of God.

The gospel reveals the holiness of God--only a God who is so transcendent--holy, holy, holy--could glorify himself by sacrificing himself in the person of his Son while at the same time reconciling fallen sinners to his embrace so that they would eternally exalt his glory.

Lord--shine the light of the gospel of the glory of God ever more brightly into my heart. Show me your glory, revealed in your gospel.

Sunday Morning Prayer

Lord, please bless us with the sense of your nearness this morning. We gather as your people, declaring your eternal character and saving grace. Please draw near to us and reveal to our eyes of faith the glory that you have had for all ages. I pray that any who come this morning with doubts of your love would be assured of your affection in the gospel. I pray that any who come with weariness would feel your comforting hand. I pray that all who have been living in darkness would be drawn by your irresistible light. Lift our eyes to you, Father, and let us draw near to the heavenly places through Christ Jesus. We love you, Lord. Receive our worship and glorify yourself this morning. In the name of Jesus. Amen

Laura Story Blessings (lyrics)--God's Comforting Grace in Trial

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28


The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.--William Cowper

Boasting in Weakness Pt. 4

Every moment and every area of our life is an opportunity to boast in our weakness--to cry out for God's strength. After all, the Lord sustains every heart beat and every breath. We have nothing that he doesn't provide. Sadly, most of our moments are spent assuming our self-sufficiency. However, in his kindness he often peels back our typical blindness and reveals our weakness in particular areas--and when he does we do well to respond with renewed boasting in his strength. We were made to boast in the Lord's strength alone in all areas of our life. But when we see and feel our weakness we should seize this renewed sense of need as a particular gift to motivate our boasting in Him. What weak creatures we are! We even need help to see our need for help. We need grace to see our need for grace. Thankfully, God is gracious enough to help us enjoy his strength--indeed He is the God of grace upon grace.

I was made to live in dependance on him--this is the greatest glory of my life--that all of my life is dependent on him. Knowing this dependent identity leads me to a few challenging implications:

1. I should be far more uncomfortable than I normally am when I feel "strong". This perception of strength--of sufficiency in myself-- is an indication of blindness to the sustaining grace of God. The "sense" of self-strength should concern me, and lead me to desperate prayers for God's sustaining grace and protection against the destructive pride of self-sufficiency.

2. I should be far less disappointed when I "sense" weaknesses or insufficiency in myself. Rather than thinking of this "sense of weakness" exclusively as a burden, or trial, or "unusual experience" in contrast with the "norm" of self-sufficiency--I should see this "sense" as an invitation from God to boast in his strength with greater urgency and passion.

3. I need to be more surprised that God sustains me even when I don't ask--than I am when he reveals my need for him by exposing my weakness.

4. I need to be more worried about the trap of trusting myself than the trials that will cause me to trust in the Lord. Trusting myself can lead to spiritual destruction. Trusting God will bring a peace that exceeds understanding--even if my earthly circumstances are painful.

5. I need to ask myself where I have neglected risk for God's glory because of a fear of feeling insufficient in myself.

6. I need to ask whether I have greater confidence in praying for God to help others than I do in helping them through my counsel.

7. I need to consider how much of my counsel to others centers around pointing them to God in prayer and the Word, rather than in following my advice in practical matters.

8. I need to meditate on how much of the Scripture centers around God's eagerness to sustain and bless those who entrust themselves to him.

9. I need to meditate on the eternal choice of God--on how God chose me because of his own love and grace and without any reason to be found in me. My whole history has been a trophy case of God's strength working in the context of my need.

10. I need to meditate on the gospel--on how I have already crucified all confidence in myself to the cross of Christ and risen with him so that all I have is Christ.

Lord, make my boast in your strength. Be my glory and my one and only hope.

Other entries on Boasting in Weakness found here:
Boasting in Weakness pt. 1
Boasting in Weakness pt. 2
Boasting in Weakness pt. 3

Piper, Sproul, Mahaney | Holiness of God | Sermon Jam

Why the Gospel Amazes Me

The Gospel amazes me because...

• In of the gospel, the God who is eternally happy in his own glorious perfections, chooses to rejoice in the salvation of lumps of clay.
• In the gospel, scoffing rebels are chosen to receive adopting grace.
  
• In the gospel, God the Son, having unlimited strength, chooses to show his strength by veiling himself in human weakness and dying on a cross.
  
• In the gospel, the God who knows all the sins I will commit chose to covenant with me that his mercy will be new every morning.
• In the gospel, God's favor is better than free; it is earned by Another.
  
• In the gospel, the truth of a heavenly promise is untouched by the worst day on earth.
  
• In the gospel, the priceless Prince of Heaven trades places with the murderer, the adulterer, the thief, the liar, the tyrant, the coward, the fool, the defiant.
  
• In the gospel, the Father sent his beloved Son to die and the Son willingly faced heavenly wrath--to save me.
  
• In the gospel, God teaches me neither to fear condemnation nor to delight in sin.
  
• In the gospel, my worst and greatest reputation is revealed at the cross--as Newton said, "I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior." I have no greater shame and no greater glory than this: that Jesus died for me.
  
• In the gospel, all of heaven's spiritual benefits are purchased and offered to me daily, hourly, moment by moment---access, peace, hope, joy, power, grace, love, comfort, sight, faith.

The gospel is amazing to me.

Joni Eareckson Tada on Prayer

From Justin Taylor's Blog

Word-Woven Prayers

Joni Eareckson Tada:

Often I attend prayer meetings where various requests for healing, finances, safety in travel, or job promotions are divvied out. Naturally, we desire prayer for such things. But a closer look at God’s Word would reveal deeper and more divinely inspired ways to pray for friends and family.

Is there a cancer? Yes, prayer for healing is in order, but so is prayer for the robust blessings of Ps. 119:140: “Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.” How rich to pray, “Lord, this cancer is testing Your promises in the life of my friend who is ill, but You are faithful to every promise You’ve made to her. May Your servant love Your promises through this time of testing.”

Is there a need for finances? Yes, prayer for needed money is in order, but so is prayer for the rewards of Prov. 15:17: “Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.” How invigorating to pray, “Lord, financial blessing isn’t the focus; Your Word says that love should be. May we learn to live on little if it means leaning harder on You, as well as each other.”

When I pray for disabled children I know, I intercede with Mt. 19:14 in mind: “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ ” In verse 15 we’re given a picture of Jesus tenderly placing His hand on each child. “Lord Jesus,” I’ll say, “Your heart went out to children when You walked on earth. I can picture You tousling their hair, bouncing them on Your knee, and laying Your hands on their heads to bestow a blessing. If Your heart went out this way to the boys and girls who could walk up to You, how much more must Your heart overflow toward little Jeanette with spina bifida or Benjamin who has cerebral palsy? Today, may they feel Your hand of blessing on their heads.”

Often it’s good to quote an entire passage, substituting a person’s name for the pronoun in the passage. Colossians 1:9-12 is a good example of scripture to pray this way: “I ask God to fill Susan with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And I pray this in order that Susan may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work she does, being strengthened with all power, so that she may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully give thanks to the Father.”

Remember, God’s Word is alive, active, and powerful. Prayers laced with the Word of God not only bring about fundamental changes in people and situations, but such prayers keep us in touch with God’s priorities. Weaving God’s Word into our prayers brings His purposes to the forefront of every request.

Read the whole thing.

Godliness - Jerry Bridges

Sunday Morning Prayer

Lord, in just a few hours your people will gather to worship you, to encourage one another, and to hear from your Word. I pray that you would begin building our faith right now. Take our minds off of the distractions of our week and draw us away from the worldly attractions of our hearts. Fill our minds with thoughts of you, with views of your glory, and the comforting sense of your presence.

I pray that as we sing songs of truth, centered around the good news of grace, the gospel would seem more amazing to us. I pray that any who walk in to our meeting without knowing you would see the light of your salvation and confess you as their Savior and Lord. I pray that fathers would be inspired, mothers would be encouraged, teenagers would be captivated, seniors would be comforted--all by the gospel of your grace.

Show us your glory, Lord, as we gather to worship your Name.

Come Praise and Glorify - Sovereign Grace Music

Boasting in Weakness Pt. 3

What keeps me from joyful, constant dependance on the Lord--from boasting in my weaknesses and rejoicing in His strength? There seems to be a few alternatives more appealing to our sinful natures...

1. The Facade approach: We simply pretend we don't have weaknesses and work through our weariness, pain, difficulty, struggles, and temptations. We would rather seem strong to ourselves and others than admit our need and receive the Lord's strength.

2. The Frustrated "God" approach: We choose to believe that our current weakness, trial, or challenge is not what God wants for us, but that he is either too weak or too short-sighted to eliminate the problems. God is a sympathetic observer, watching us face situations out of his control.

3. The Angry "God" approach: This is the approach of Job's friends. Our experience of trial, temptation, or pain, our "weakness", is exclusively the result of our sin. Either God is allowing our sin's consequences to punish us or he is bringing calamity directly to us as a result, a direct punishment, for our past and present sins. In this approach God communicates anger through pain. We might rage against the punishment or agree in a type of self-loathing, but we certainly would not boast in our weakness, since it reflects God's wrath.

4. The Self-Pity approach: We consider our situation to be unique and since it is unique, a God centered response is an unreasonable expectation. Or, a slight variation, we find a morbid solace in what we "ought to have been." Weakness becomes an opportunity to talk about what we "could have" or "should have" if only our situation had been different. In this world our unrealized potential becomes our boast, rather than our real-life weakness and God's sustaining grace.

5. The Neglected Calling approach: Many times we experience weakness regardless of our choices. Sickness, job-loss, relational trials--many weaknesses are not connected to a particular choice to serve God. Sometimes, however, weakness is experienced precisely when we seek to pursue the calling that God has for us. Pastors experience criticism in their attempt to care, mother's experience discouragement in their attempt to train, husbands experience weariness in their attempt to lead, missionaries experience persecution in their attempt to evangelize. In some cases the experience of weakness increases the more the calling is pursued. In these cases one way we avoid having to boast in our weakness is to avoid the callings that expose our vulnerability. We would rather avoid weakness, even if it means neglecting God's calling.

Whatever the approach we might take to avoid boasting in weakness, the root cause is the same. I don't want to admit my need for God. But God made me to boast in my weaknesses as the theater to display his glorious strength. My "weaknesses" are the backdrop to showcase God's grace--healing grace in sickness, comforting grace in sorrow, sustaining grace in physical pain, assuring grace in trial, protecting grace in danger, empowering grace in weariness, fruit-bearing grace in my imperfect labor, accomplishing grace in my calling, and most importantly of all, the category that rises above all the others---saving grace for my sins. My weaknesses are an opportunity to know and see the supremely glorious grace of God.

Lord, all that I have is found in you. You have done for us all of our works. I count it all as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing you.

A Christian is a Person Who Cannot be Conquered

The following post is from Jared Wilson's Blog.

A Christian is a Person Who Cannot be Conquered

In A.D. 404 John Chrysostom, the early church father, was brought in before the Roman emperor. The emperor threatened him with banishment if he remained a Christian.

Chrysostom responded, ‘You cannot banish me, for this world is my Father’s house.’

‘But I will kill you,’ said the emperor.

‘No, you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God,’ said Chrysostom.

‘I will take away your treasures.’

‘No, you cannot, for my treasure is in heaven and my heart is there.’

‘But I will drive you away from your friends and you will have no one left.’

‘No, you cannot, for I have a friend in heaven from whom you cannot separate me. I defy you, for there is nothing you can do to harm me.’

(And this anecdote always reminds me of my favorite line from Richard Sibbes’s The Bruised Reed: “A Christian is an impregnable person. He is a person that never can be conquered.”)

HT: Dane Ortlund

Boasting in Weakness Pt. 2

Paul's claim that he boasts in his weaknesses often seems to be a contradiction in terms. To boast is to promote yourself, to show forth your most impressive quality, to call attention to something that will make you seem great in the eyes of others. Weaknesses are those parts of us, whether self-inflicted or providentially given, that we hope no one else will see and that we desire to deny even to ourselves. How can it be that Paul would boast in his weakness?
There are a few interpretations that I believe are incorrect. Paul is not saying that to be weak in a categorical sense is preferable to being strong. He's not saying that the image of someone laying on a couch, ambitionless and proud of it, is the picture of godliness that he's looking for. Laziness and hopelessness and fruitlessness are not glorifying to God. After all, Paul is the one who calls us "more than conquerors" and wants us to be "strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." Neither is Paul claiming that we should publicly highlight our weak areas while secretly harboring confidence in our "strengths." After all, God sees our hearts! And Paul cannot be saying that in most areas we really are self-sufficient but God wants us to recognize the areas where we need his "help." A sort of "thanks for the boost, God" lifestyle.

No--the truth is far more penetrating, convicting, transforming, terrifying, exhilarating. Paul says, "When I am weak, then I am strong."

Precisely at the point of weakness and need. Precisely at the point of our desperation. Precisely at the point of our dependance. Precisely at the point that we see that we have nothing without God. When...whenever...I am weak...then...at that point...in that moment....I am strong.

Admission of my weakness is the access point of supernatural power. So that when I am weak, then I am strong.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor. 12:9-10

Lord--reveal my true state of perpetual and comprehensive need for you. Help me to humbly admit my weakness. And then glorify your unlimited strength in my life. Be strong in my weakness, Lord. I want the "most impressive thing" about me, the thing that I "want others to see", my areas of "boasting," to be you.