The Simplicity of God

Recently I attended the Expositors’ Conference in Mobile, Alabama, with Drs. Steven Lawson and R. C. Sproul. What a blessing it was to sit under the preaching of the Word by these godly pastors for two full days! (Afterward I got to spend a couple of days with family in Tennessee, which was also nice.) While introducing one of his sermons, Dr. Sproul stated that one of the most neglected doctrines in the church today is the simplicity of God. By this we mean not that God is easy to figure out or comprehend, but that God is not composed of parts. Whereas humans are compounded creatures, such is not the case with our Creator. God is love (1 John 4:8), and God is light (1 John 1:5), but nothing in Scripture suggests that God is part love and part light. Rather, God is Himself both love and light. The same is true in refer-ence to all of God’s other attributes. For instance, in Exodus 34:6-8 we read,

The LORD passed before [Moses] and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

God is His attributes; He is entirely loving, entirely merciful, entirely just, and so forth. Thus when we emphasize some of God’s attributes to the exclusion of others, we misunderstand and misrepresent who God is and wind up with a god of our own choosing. This is idolatry.

On the other hand, if we embrace God’s simplicity and seek to understand His unity, we come to know, love, and worship Him for who He really is, even as Moses did. We see that different attributes of God are emphasized at different times for specific purposes. We come to appreciate God’s individual attributes while celebrating the unity of His divine essence. Our God is an awesome God! May we worship Him by being consistent in our own character - not only as individual believers but also corporately as the body of Christ.

Beautiful Words for Beleaguered Parents

For many years, the writings of Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) have been a perpetual source of encouragement to me. Next to the Holy Scriptures themselves, no other writings have so enriched my walk with God. In my darkest moments, Spurgeon's scriptural reflections and applications have been a tonic to my soul.

No doubt one of the reasons that Spurgeon's words brought such great comfort to his hearers was because he himself struggled with depression. The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1 that we as believers are able to comfort others with the same comfort we ourselves have received from God.

One such word of comfort is extended to parents who find themselves disheartened in their child-rearing efforts. Parenting is one of the toughest challenges we face as believers on earth. We face many hindrances, not the least of which is our own fallenness and susceptibility to sin. Recall Jesus' words in Matthew 7 when He said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall our Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" (italics added). Compared to our holy heavenly Father, we earthly parents are evil. Still, we love our children and know how to give good things to them.

Yes, our own sinfulness as parents creates a hindrance in our attempts to shepherd our children. But provided that we are making it our aim to please Christ in all that we say and do, fighting the good fight of faith, the battle grows weary when our children persist in their sin. Nothing is more painful than when our children refuse the best that we can offer them: the gospel and all the promise it holds forth for their lives. Some reject the gospel altogether, showing no interest in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Others "claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him" (Titus 1:16). Still others are like the Galatians: after starting their Christian lives by the Spirit, they're trying to become perfect by their own human efforts - and failing miserably.

Be encouraged by what Charles Spurgeon writes in the September 17 morning entry of his devotional classic Morning & Evening. These are beautiful words for beleaguered parents, based on Jesus' words in Mark 9:19, "Bring him unto me."

Despairingly, the poor, disappointed father turned away from the disciples to their Master. His son was in the worst possible condition, and all means had failed. But the pitiful child was soon delivered from the evil one when the parent, in faith, obeyed the Lord Jesus' word, "Bring him unto me." Children are a precious gift from God, but much anxiety comes with them. They may be a great joy or a great bitterness to their parents. They may be filled with the Spirit of God or possessed with the spirit of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one prescription for the curing of all their ills, "Bring [them] unto me." Oh, for more agonizing on their behalf while they are yet babies! Sin is there, so let our prayers begin to attack it. Our cries for our offspring should precede those cries that announce their actual advent into the world of sin. In the days of their youth, we will see sad indicators of that dumb and deaf spirit that will neither pray aright, nor hear the voice of God in the soul. Still, Jesus commands, "Bring [them] unto me." When they are grown up, they may wallow in sin and display enmity against God. Then, when our hearts are breaking, we should remember the Great Physician's words, "Bring [them] unto me." We must never cease to pray until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives. The Lord sometimes allows His people to be driven into a corner so that they may know how necessary He is to them. Ungodly children, when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, drive us to flee to the Strong One for strength, and this is a great blessing to us. Whatever our ... need may be, let it, like a strong current, bear us to the ocean of divine love. Jesus can soon remove our sorrow. He delights to comfort us. Let us hasten to Him while He waits to meet us.

Confessing Lust

In the following video, biblical counselor David Powlison answers a tough question: how specific should a husband be in confessing sins of lust to his wife? (Our thanks to Tim Challies for posting this on his blog.)

No Distinction

This morning I came across a great quote by Charles Spurgeon in his devotional classic Morning and Evening. He said, "God makes no distinction in His love for His children."

As soon as I read that, the glorious reality of it was impressed on my heart. God loves all His children equally. This means that God loves me every bit as much as He does Billy Graham, John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, Joni Eareckson Tada, the most committed missionaries, Bible expositors and Christian authors. God loves me as much as the precious orphan in the third-world country that has given his or her heart to Christ.

The Bible teaches that God loves all people, but He does not love all people equally. There is a great divine love that God has for all humanity. "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son . . ." (John 3:16). Yet the love that God has for His elect is so far greater than the general love He has for the world in general, that the latter is hatred by comparison. "As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated'" (Rom. 9:13; cf. Mal. 1:2-3). God's love toward His people, as suggested by the term "elect," is a love of choice. It refers to God's sovereign grace, His special favor that He bestows on those whom He chose in Christ

before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

- Ephesians 1:4-5; italics added

We see from this text of Scripture (and numerous others) that our adoption is based not on our performance, our personality, or anything else that made us more worthy than the non-elect. Scripture makes it clear that God's choice to love us, redeem us, and make us His people was all according to His purpose and therefore "to the praise of His glorious grace."

My children have different gifts, skills, personalities, failures and successes. But I love them all the same. Nothing will ever change the fact that they are my children. If this is true of me as a very imperfect parent (even an "evil" parent compared to God the Father - see Matt. 7:11), then how much more so is it true of our heavenly Father?

Yet how prone I am to think that God loves other of His children more than He loves me. Actually, I suppose that I don't necessarily "think" this so much as I feel this, especially when I fail (which is often!). How glad I am to be reminded that God loves me as much as He does any of His other children. That love is unconditional and will never cease. Indeed, in the ages to come, God will continue to show me, and every blood-bought child of His, "the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

No wonder the apostle Paul earnestly prayed that every believer would "know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:18).

George Matheson, a godly 19th century pastor and hymn-writer, was born with an eye defect that resulted in his becoming blind by the age of eighteen. Shortly thereafter his fiancee left him, deciding that she wouldn't be content to be married to a blind man. Having been spurned by what he thought was true love, Matheson lifted up his broken heart to heaven and found solace in the unchanging love of God. As a result, Matheson penned one of his greatest hymns, O Love That Will Not Let Me Go. The first stanza goes like this:

O love that will not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee.

I give thee back the life I owe

That in thine ocean-depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

May we, like Matheson, find our solace and security in the love of God. There is no greater love, and to have it is to be filled with all the fullness of God.

A Mosque Near Ground Zero?

As you've probably already heard, "a New York City panel voted unanimously to reject landmark status for a building in downtown Manhattan, paving the way for its demolition -- and for the construction of a 13-story, $100 million mosque near the World Trade Center site" (via Fox News).

This has created quite a stir among Americans. Though I usually steer clear of politics on this blog site, I thought it would be good to take an opinion poll from the TruthWalk readership, to get an idea of where you stand on this issue. Most of us would claim to have a "Christian worldview" which would affect our political views. As a Christian, and as an American, what are your thoughts on this matter?

I'll borrow the same question and options put forth by the Fox News poll:

Should New York Allow Mosque Near Ground Zero?

1. No, of all the places to build a mosque, don't allow one there.
2. Yes, the Constitution protects freedom of religion, so government can't stand in the way.
3. Don't prohibit it, but work with the mosque backers to find a more appropriate location.
4. Other (leave a comment).

In the 'Comments' section below, simply put 1, 2, 3, or 4. Then, if you wish, add any comments to further explain your position or rationale (especially if you chose option #4).

I broached this subject with one of our associate pastors this morning and discovered that we held essentially the same view. Once we've received some significant feedback, we'll add our two cents.

Ambitious for the Church

I just finished reading a terrific book by Dave Harvey entitled Rescuing Ambition. The main idea is that ambition has gotten a bad rap over the years. While Scripture clearly warns us against selfish ambition, there is such a thing as spiritual ambition. We are all "glory-chasers"; God has wired us this way. Says Harvey, "We will always pursue glory. The only question is, Where will we find it?" The fact is, we pursue what we value. Mankind fell into sin when he pursued his own glory ("you will be like God") instead of his Creator's. "But the good news of the gospel," Harvey declares, "is that we aren't trapped by the tragedy of misplaced glory. While our ambitious impulses led us to vain pursuits, the Lord of glory has come to rescue our ambition. He has come to redeem us and recapture us for his glory."

The remainder of the book explores at a deeper level the above themes and goes on to speak of ambition's path, contentment, failure, and a host of other related issues. One of my favorite chapters, which appeared near the end of the book, was "Ambitious for the Church." Though Dave Harvey has served for two decades as a pastor, he is not speaking primarily to pastors but to God's people as a whole. The basis for our ambition for the church is Christ's ambition for the church. He gave His life for her. He promised His disciples, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).

As we live in community with God's redeemed people, we exalt Christ's purposes. We see for ourselves what Scripture clearly conveys:

Though sin once isolated us, the cross now unifies us. As citizens of a new kingdom and members of the household of God (Eph. 2:19), we're not longer merely individuals concerned only with ourselves. We're now "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession" (1 Pet. 2:9). . . .

Christ's promise introduces us to a radical, countercultural idea: the satisfaction of individual ambition is linked to our collective identity as the people of God. The individual Christian simply cannot understand his purpose, and therefore his ambition, in purely individual terms.

Did that last paragraph sink in? Perhaps you should read it again! The New Testament knows nothing of isolated Christianity. The local church occupied an essential place in the life of God's people:

• The very first believers "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. . . . And all who believed were together" (Acts 2:42, 44).
• Teaching and preaching were experienced publicly. Timothy, as a pastor, was commanded to devote himself "to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching" (1 Tim. 4:13).
• Believers were exhorted "to meet together . . . encouraging one another" (Heb. 10:25).
• They were repeatedly called to "serve one another" (Gal. 5:13; 1 Pet. 4:10).

Our commitment to the local church - or lack thereof - is indicative of our ambitions. In his book, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, Donald Whitney warns us against being "spiritual hitchhikers" who want "all the benefits but no responsibility; all take and no give; no accountability, just a free ride."

Instead, why not commit yourself to the church that Jesus loves? Be faithful in attending its worship gatherings. Encourage your fellow believers. Serve others to the glory of God! Also, while doing so, beware of the "My-Church-Is-for-My-Ministry" mentality. In making this point, Dave Harvey quotes the psalmist, who testified to the Lord, "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness" (Ps. 84:10). One guy captured the point well by saying, "What you're a part of is more important than the part you play."

That's a good principle to keep in mind, isn't it? Dave Harvey reminds us that such an attitude stirs ambition for the church and frees us to "savor the fruit that accompanies the doorkeeper's devotion: first in, last to leave."

If you are looking for a good book to read before summer's end, I would heartily recommend Rescuing Ambition. You'll be glad you read it, as will others who will benefit from your godly ambition.

A Bug's Life

I don't know if it's the heat wave or what, but the last few days I've come across more bugs than usual. The latest encounter took place in my office bathroom. I saw the small insect making its way slowly across the floor. I don't know what kind it was, but it was the size of a lady bug.

Anyway, I watched it for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly it was, where it was going, and what it must have been thinking. But after thirty seconds or so I got bored and squashed it with my foot. Then somewhat to my own surprise I said, "Sorry, pal."

Afterwards I thought, "Boy, I'm glad I'm not a bug ... and I'm glad God is not like me!" Imagine Him sitting there in heaven thinking, "Who is this guy? What's he doing? Where does he think he's going?" Squish!

Thankfully, God is not like that! He knows me better than I know myself. In fact, He "formed my inward parts [and] knitted me together in my mother's womb" (Ps. 139:13). Furthermore, God knows exactly what I'm up to, every second of the day, every day of my life. He sees the good and the bad, my ups and my downs, my best days and my worst days -- and He loves me through it all. Why? Not because I'm great, but because of His grace!

God's understanding of me is so much greater than my understanding of a bug. His love for me is so much greater than my love of a bug. (Love of a bug? You gotta be kidding me! And let's not even talk about spiders!) My life won't end with a squish under some divine shoe. Rather, my great God and Savior will transform my lowly body so that it will be like his glorious body (Phil. 3:21).

Boy, I'm glad I'm not a bug.