Paul and James: Enemies or Allies?

When laid side by side, Romans 3:28 and James 2:24 stir up a lot of questions, not to mention a lot of controversy.

Here is what Paul has to say about justification:

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:28)

Now compare that with what James has to say about justification:

“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24)

The careful and close reader of these passages wonders, “Are Paul and James in conflict or in agreement? Are they enemies or allies?”

To show that James and Paul are allies with one another rather than enemies combating one another, consider this fictional dialogue between the two. In this fictional dialogue imagine that they’ve each just written their respective letters of James and Romans and are sitting down to read what the other has written before they send it off.

James: Paul, I’ve just read in Romans where you say “we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law,” what is your focus in that statement?

Paul: I’m focused on the root of justification, what theologians in centuries to come will call the instrumental cause of justification. And funny you should ask me about that, because I’ve just read in your letter where you say, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” what is your focus in that statement?

James: I’m focused on the fruit of justification, what theologians in centuries to come will call the primary evidence or consequence of justification. I’d imagine that people will find it a bit odd that we use the same word to focus on two different things. In what sense are you using the word “justified”?

Paul: I’m using justified in its “legal” sense, as in the legal declaration that God makes about our status before Him, namely that a sinner by faith in Christ is declared by God to be righteous. How about you, in what sense are you using the word “justified”?

James: I’m using justified in its “practical” sense, like when we say, “wisdom is justified by her deeds.” In that sense, we don’t mean wisdom is legally declared righteous by her deeds. We mean that the deeds of wisdom give practical evidence of the reality of wisdom. The deeds don’t declare wisdom to be wisdom, they demonstrate that wisdom is in fact wisdom. Now Paul, when you write this section in Romans what is the main question that you are seeking to answer?

Paul: I’m seeking to answer the question “What saves us? Is it faith or works?” How about you, what’s your driving question?

James: The question you’re seeking to answer is a good and necessary one, but I am seeking to answer a different question. My question is “what kind of faith saves us? Is it a faith without works? Or a faith that works?”

Paul: James, it seems like you’re combatting some serious error in your argument, what error would that be?

James: I’m seeking to combat the Antinomian, who regards works too little, by denying that the roots of faith necessarily produce the fruits of good works. It seems you’re combatting a serious error as well, care to explain?

Paul: Not at all. I’m seeking to combat the Legalist, who regards works too much, by affirming that our works can somehow merit the grace of God. I noticed that, you used Abraham as an example to make your case. I did the same thing. I was pointing out the occasion when Abraham was declared righteous namely by faith. How does your example of Abraham function in your argument?

James: I’m using a different episode in Abraham’s life to make a different point. I was pointing out the occasion when Abraham demonstrated his faith, namely through his works, through the obedience of faith.

Paul: I’m glad to hear that were in total agreement, even though we’re addressing different questions and combating different errors.

James: Me too. Time to send off the letters. I can’t imagine anyone getting confused by what we each have to say.

In summary, there is no conflict between James and Paul. They each have a different focus, a different question they’re answering, a different error they’re combating, one is looking at the roots of salvation, and one is looking at the fruits of salvation.

James is concerned that we have a faith that works, not just talks a big talk, or thinks big thoughts, but a faith that bears much fruit.

This is an excerpt from the sermon “Faith and Works: James 2:14-26”

Show No Partiality (Mark Murnan)

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (James 2:1-9)

In this section of James’ epistle, the brother of the Lord Jesus makes an argument against a common practice which seemed to be taking place in the Jerusalem churches, the practice of showing favoritism to the rich man and his family attending worship services and neglecting the poor person who also comes in. He reminds the Jewish believers that this act of making distinctions between persons, and demonstrating deference to one party while discriminating against another is evil and needs to be repented of.

This practice of discrimination is “common to man” in every generation, and it comes from within our hearts and it defiles us. When Samuel went to the home of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint one of his sons as king in place of Saul, Samuel was impressed with the appearance of Eliab, the oldest son of Jesse. Yet the Lord warned Samuel, saying, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him.” 

One of the often overlooked attributes of God is His impartiality. God in His infinite knowledge, power, wisdom, justice and holiness, is completely unimpressed with anything outside Himself. The Lord simply does not see as man sees. 

We, as fallen people, can see no further than the outward appearance; we see someone’s clothing, height, weight, stature, hair style, vehicle, home, jewelry and accessories, we see her smile or his frown, we pay attention to an accent or a manner of speaking, and we make distinctions and judgments about that person. We presume to know their education or lack thereof; their likely position in life or career; we even make snap decisions about their family or their faith. 

It is this sinful practice of partiality, of showing personal favoritism, that James warns against. His example of the rich and poor visitors is merely one application. 

In our hyper-sensitive culture, with its insistence on showing favoritism and partiality to every marginalized group, we must avoid the twin ditches of denying or ignoring the injustices of the past and institutionalizing injustices in the present and future. 

Only God can look upon the heart. And this merciful, mighty, magnificent God has looked upon your heart and my heart, with all the wickedness and vileness within, and determined to save us from ourselves and despite ourselves. 

And as we are the undeserving beneficiaries of His love and kindness, we are also granted the privilege of looking beyond the surface of the skin and into the hearts of men and women, to see them more accurately, because God has revealed to us something about ourselves. 

Because God has revealed to us what we are really like, and our great need for Him, we of all people can know what others are really like, and display God’s mercy and kindness to one another as He has displayed to us.

Consider confessing this sinful tendency using the following prayer:

Our great, mighty and awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribes,

Forgive us, for we too often look upon the face of someone and make judgments about them. 

We show favor and seek to please those we imagine can benefit us, and we ignore or dismiss those who we judge to be “unworthy.”

Remind us, Lord, that You do not see as we see, for we look upon the outward appearance with eyes of flesh, but You look upon the heart with perfect knowledge and righteous judgment.  

Cause us to remember that You show mercy and kindness to the just and the unjust.

Soften our hearts with mercy toward those we might dismiss, just as You have shown mercy and patience toward us in Christ, who died for the ungodly. 

We ask these things in the name of Jesus, amen.

In light of this sinful tendency in your heart and actions, cling to this good news of forgiveness from God:

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

(Psalm 32:1-2)

Would You Be Holy? (J.C. Ryle)

No one can grow in holiness except he abides in Christ. Christ is the great root from which every believer must draw his strength to go forward. The Spirit is His special gift, His purchased gift for His people. A believer must not only “receive Christ Jesus the Lord” but walk in Him, and be rooted and built up in Him (Col 2:6-7).

Would you be holy? Then Christ is the manna you must daily eat, like Israel in the wilderness of old.

Would you be holy? Then Christ must be the rock from which you must daily drink the living water.

Would you be holy? Then you must be ever looking unto Jesus—looking at His cross, and learning fresh motives for a closer walk with God—looking at His example, and taking Him for your pattern.

Looking at Him, you would become like Him.

Looking at Him, your face would shine without your knowing it.

Look less at yourself and more at Christ, and you will find besetting sins dropping off and leaving you, and your eyes enlightened more and more every day. (Heb 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18.)

J.C. Ryle, Holiness.

The Sum of All Blessing is in Christ (John Calvin)

“When we see salvation whole— its every single part
is found in Christ,
we must beware lest we derive the smallest drop
from somewhere else.

If we seek salvation,
the very name of Jesus
teaches us
that He possesses it.

If other Spirit-given gifts are sought— in His anointing they are found;
strength— in His reign; and purity— in His conception;
tenderness— expressed in His nativity,
in which He was made like us in all respects, that He might feel our pain:

Redemption when we seek it, is in His passion found;
acquittal— in His condemnation lies;
and freedom from the curse— in His cross is known.
If satisfaction for our sins we seek— we’ll find it in His sacrifice.

There’s cleansing in His blood.
And if it’s reconciliation that we need, for it He entered Hades;
if mortification of our flesh— then in His tomb it’s laid.
And newness of our life— His resurrection brings and immortality as well come also with that gift.

And if we long to find that heaven’s kingdom’s our inheritance,
His entry there secures it now
with our protection, safety too, and blessings that abound
—all flowing from His kingly reign.

The sum of all for those who seek such treasure-trove of blessings,
These blessings of all kinds, is this:
from nowhere else than him can they be drawn;
For they are ours in Christ alone.”

–John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.16.19, 1559 Latin ed., translation and versification by Sinclair B. Ferguson, as quoted in The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance—Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 55-56.

HT: Tolle Lege

The Sabbath that Shall Never End

The day is coming when there shall be a congregation that shall never break up, and a Sabbath that shall never end, a song of praise that shall never cease, and an assembly that shall never be dispersed. In that assembly shall be found all who have “worshipped God in spirit” upon earth. If we are such, we shall be there.

Here we often worship God with a deep sense of weakness, corruption, and infirmity. There, at last, we shall be able, with a renewed body, to serve Him without weariness, and to attend on Him without distraction.

Here, at our very best, we see through a glass darkly, and know the Lord Jesus Christ most imperfectly. It is our grief that we do not know Him better and love Him more. There, freed from all the dross and defilement of indwelling sin, we shall see Jesus as we have been seen, and know as we have been known. Surely, if faith has been sweet and peace-giving, sight will be far better.

Here we have often found it hard to worship God joyfully, by reason of the sorrows and cares of this world. Tears over the graves of those we loved have often made it hard to sing praise. Crushed hopes and family sorrows have sometimes made us hang our harps on the willows. There every tear shall be dried, every saint who has fallen asleep in Christ shall meet us once more, and every hard thing in our life-journey shall be made clear and plain as the sun at noon-day.

Here we have often felt that we stand comparatively alone, and that even in God’s house the real spiritual worshippers are comparatively few. There we shall at length see a multitude of brethren and sisters that no man can number, all of one heart and one mind, all free from blemishes, weaknesses, and infirmities, all rejoicing in one Saviour, and all prepared to spend an eternity in His praise. We shall have worshipping companions enough in heaven.

Armed with such hopes as these, let us lift up our hearts and look forward! The time is very short. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Let us worship on, pray on, praise on, and read on. Let us contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, and resist manfully every effort to spoil Scriptural worship. Let us strive earnestly to hand down the light of Gospel worship to our children’s children. Yet a little time and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Blessed in that day will be those, and those only, who are found true worshippers, “worshippers in spirit and truth!”

J.C. Ryle

How Ancient Liturgy Can Renew Your Walk with Jesus Today

Listen to this wonderful interview with Jonathan Gibson as he describes the beauty and benefit of an intentional liturgy in corporate and personal worship:

Speaking of the benefits of liturgy and intentional patterns for ordering worship, listen to these insightful words from C.S. Lewis:

Every service is a structure of acts and words through which we receive a sacrament, or repent, or supplicate, or adore. And it enables us to do these things best – if you like it, it “works” best – when, through long familiarity, we don’t have to think about it. As long as you notice, and have to count, the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don’t notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about eyes, or light, or print, or spelling. The perfect church service would be the one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.

But every novelty prevents this. It fixes our attention on the service itself; and thinking about worship is a different thing from worshiping. The important question about the Grail was “for what does it serve?” “‘Tis mad idolatry that makes the service greater than the god.”

A still worse thing may happen. Novelty may fix our attention not even on the service but on the celebrant. You know what I mean. Try as one may to exclude it, the question “What on earth is he up to now?” will intrude. It lays one’s  devotion to waste. There is really some excuse for the man who said, “I wish they’d remember that the charge of Peter was Feed my sheep; not Try experiments on my rats, or even Teach my performing dogs new tricks.”

Thus my whole liturgiological position really boils down to an entreaty for permanence and uniformity. I can make do with almost any kind of service whatever, if only it will stay put. But if each form is snatched away just when I am beginning to feel at home in it, then I can never make any progress in the art of worship. You give me no chance to acquire the trained habit.

from The Joyful Christian by C.S. Lewis.

Spurgeon on How to lead a Church to Sing

O sweet singer of Israel, remember that the song is not for your glory, but for the honour of the Lord, who inhabiteth the praises of Israel; therefore, select not anthems and tunes in which your skilfulness will be manifest, but such as will aid the people to magnify the Lord with their thanksgivings. The people come together not to see you as a songster, but to praise the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Remember also, that you are not set to sing for yourself only, but to be a leader of others, many of whom know nothing of music; therefore, choose such tunes as can be learned and followed by all, that none in the assembly may be compelled to be silent while the Lord is extolled. Why should so much as one be defrauded of his part through you? Simple airs are the best, and the most sublime; very few of the more intricate tunes are really musical. Your twists, and fugues, and repetitions, and rattlings up and down the scale, are mostly barbarous noise-makings, fitter for Babel than Bethel. If you and your choir wish to show off your excellent voices, you can meet at home for that purpose, but the Sabbath and the church of God must not be desecrated to so poor an end.

True praise is heart work. Like smoking incense, it rises from the glowing coals of devout affection. Essentially, it is not a thing of sound: sound is associated with it very properly for most weighty reasons, but still the essence and life of praise lie not in the voice, but in the soul. Your business in the congregation is to give to spiritual praise a suitable embodiment in harmonious notes. Take care that you do not depress what you should labour to express. Select a tune in accordance with the spirit of the psalm or hymn, and make your style of singing suitable to the words before you. Flippantly to lead all tunes to the same time, tone, and emphasis, is an abomination; and to pick tunes at random is little less than criminal. You mock God and injure the devotions of his people if you carelessly offer to the Lord that which has cost you no thought, no care, no exercise of judgment. You can help the pious heart to wing its way to heaven upon a well-selected harmony; and you can, on the other hand, vex the godly ear by inappropriate or unmelodious airs, adapted rather to distract and dishearten, than to encourage intelligent praise.

The Time is a very primary consideration, but it is too often treated as a matter of no consequence. Large bodies move slowly, and hence the tendency to drawl out tunes in numerous assemblies. We have heard the notes prolonged till the music has been literally swamped, drenched, drowned in long sweeps and waves of monotonous sound. On the other hand, we cannot endure to hear psalms and solemn hymns treated as jigs, and dashed through at a gallop. Solemnity often calls for long-drawn harmony, and joy as frequently demands leaping notes of bounding delight. Be wise enough to strike the fitting pace each time, and by your vigorous leadership inspire the congregation to follow en masse. May we in the very gentlest whisper beg you to think very much of God, much of the singing, and extremely little of yourself. The best sermon is that in which the theme absorbs the preacher and hearers, and leaves no one either time or desire to think about the speaker; so in the best congregational singing, the leader is forgotten because he is too successful in his leadership to be noticed as a solitary person. The head leads the body, but it is not parted from it, nor is it spoken of separately; the best leadership stands in the same position. If your voice becomes too noticeable, rest assured that you are but a beginner in your art.

One of your great objects should be to induce all the congregation to join in the singing. Your minister should help you in this, and his exhortations and example will be a great assistance to you; but still as the Lord's servant in the department of sacred song you must not rely on others, but put forth your own exertions. Not only ought all the worshippers to sing, but each one should sing praises with understanding, and as David says, "play skilfully " unto the Lord. This cannot be effected except by instructing the people in public psalmody. Is it not your duty to institute classes for young and old? Might you not thus most effectually serve the church, and please the Lord? The method of Mr. Curwen, and the use of his Sol-fa Notation, will much aid you in breaking ground, and you can in after years either keep to the new method, or turn to the old notation as may seem best to you. Thousands have learned to sing who were hopelessly silent until the sol-fa system was set on foot. The institution of singers, as a separate order is an evil, a growing evil, and ought to be abated and abolished; and the instruction of the entire congregation is the readiest, surest, and most scriptural mode of curing it. A band of godless men and women will often instal themselves in a conspicuous part of the chapel, and monopolise the singing to the grief of the pastor, the injury of the church, and the scandal of public worship; or else one man, with a miserable voice, will drag a miserable few after him in a successful attempt to make psalms and hymns hideous, or dolorous. Teach the lads and lasses, and their seniors, to run up and down the Sol-fa Modulator, and drill them in a few good, solid, thoroughly musical tunes, and you, O sons of Asaph, shall earn to yourself a good degree.

C. H. Spurgeon, The Sword and the Trowel 1870, “How Shall We Sing?”, 277-278.

A Prophet's Job Description

The following is an excerpt for the sermon “The Word of the Lord” on Zephaniah 1:1:

Being a Prophet of the Lord was far more dangerous than it was prestigious, because you had to deliver messages to hostile people that did not want to hear what you had to say and if what you prophesy doesn’t come true, the people can stone you. Needless to say the hiring line was short and the mortality rate was high.

The job description for a Prophet really boils down to three tasks:

(i) The first task is to proclaim God’s Word as He gives it to you without modification or alteration. In a sense, a prophet took an oath like a witness does in court: “Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” 

There were “prophets” running around all over the place, claiming to have a word from the Lord and the people loved them because they only prophesied good and nice things. 

They gave the people what they wanted to hear, rather than being faithful to what the people needed to hear, namely God’s untainted and uncontaminated Word.

(ii) The second task of the prophet is to prosecute God’s people for how they have violated the covenant He made with them. This is the part of the job that really makes them popular with the people. 

The prophet essentially gathers the people of God into a courtroom and confronts them with the Law of God and all the ways that they have violated it. He reminds the people that they entered into a solemn binding relationship with God that they are not being faithful to. 

“God promised to be your God and you promised to be His people - but you are going after other gods.”

In one hand it’s as if the prophet is holding out a scroll with God’s Law from Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy and in the other hand he is holding out a mirror for the people to look into and is saying “these do not match up.”

But the Lord’s goal in sending a prophet to prosecute His people for their unfaithfulness to the covenant is different than the goal of an actual prosecutor in a courtroom today. A prosecutor in a courtroom is seeking to secure a guilty verdict, but God through His prophet is seeking to secure His peoples repentance and restoration. The guilty verdict has already been secured, the people saw to that. God is about the mission of reconciliation. He wounds in order to heal.

1 John 1:8-9 was as true in the Old Covenant as it is in the New:

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

It’s important to see that in the very middle of the book of Zephaniah, amidst all of the prosecuting work that He is doing, there is this invitation to repentance and reconciliation in chapter 2 verse 3:

“Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land,

who do his just commands;

seek righteousness; seek humility;

perhaps you may be hidden

on the day of the anger of the LORD.”

The goal of Zephaniah’s prosecuting work is that the people might embrace this invitation.

(iii) The third job description of the Prophet is the one that we are most familiar with: A Prophet is to prophesy about God’s future actions - both His coming judgment and His future salvation.

Through the prophet the people are given a window into the future to see what God is about to do. 

In His justice and wrath, God is about to bring the covenant curses on the people, which He clearly laid out for them in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and warned them about with over and over, and patiently delayed imposing them time after time.

Yet in His unfailing steadfast love, God is going to bring about a new act of redemption that will far exceed all previous ones. 

That’s the dual-vision of the future that the people see through the Prophet Zephaniah. When God gives us a window into the future, it’s not so that we would be given to speculation but that in the present, right here and right now, we would seek transformation.

Navigating Christian Liberty

The road of Christian Liberty is a narrow road to navigate and there are dangerous ditches on each side. 

On one side of the road is the ditch of Legalism, where Christian Liberty is in danger of being destroyed by man-made commandments and a works-righteousness religion.

On the other side of the road is the ditch of Antinomianism, which is a fancy and technical word for Lawlessness. In this ditch, Christian Liberty is in danger of being destroyed by taking the Word of God out of the driver seat and replacing it with my wants, my desires, and my preferences.

If Antinomianism were a hymn it would sound like this: 

Free from the law—oh, happy condition!

I can live as I please and still be forgiven!

Because the road is narrow and the ditches are dangerous, we need a good navigational system that can help keep us safely on the road of Christian Liberty.

Most new vehicles come equipped with these wonderful navigational systems that help you drive more safely. The car beeps at you if you’re in Reverse and there is an object behind you, or you if you are drifting off the road, or if you are about to hit an object, some cars even do most of the driving for you.

I want to give you 4 questions to consider in regards to Christian Liberty. Think of these questions as the Bible’s safety features for navigating the road of Christian Liberty. Each question is designed to help you keep the car of your Christian life on the road of Christian Liberty.

(1) The first and most foundational question as you navigate the road of Christian Liberty is “What does the Word of God have to say about this matter?” 

God is the one who designed the road of Christian Liberty and His Word is the map we need to guide us and govern us so we stay on the road. Our feelings are not the map, the latest opinion poll is not the map, what you read yesterday on the internet is not the map. Believe it or not, a Christian Mentor or Pastor or Theologian that you have great respect for is not the map. They can be a resource to help you read the map better but they are not the map. Sola Scriptura means that the Word of God is the ultimate and final guide for navigating the road of Christian Liberty.

(2) The second question is this: “Am I being motivated by the glory of God?”

The Bible does not directly address a number of areas of life that we have to navigate. And often when we analyze these areas we only ask the question of permission, “Can I? or Can’t I?,” but rarely do we stop to ask the question of motivation, “Why do I want to do this?” 

For example, the Bible does not give a dress code and a swimwear code. This is an area of Christian Liberty. But as we purchase clothes and pick out our wardrobe and prepare to go to the beach, the dominant question we should ask is not “Am I allowed to?” but “Am I motivated by the glory of God?” As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

(3) Question number 3: “Is this spiritually beneficial for me?”

This question comes right from Paul’s own counsel on the topic of Christian Liberty in 1 Corinthians 6:12: 

“‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be enslaved by anything.”

Media and entertainment is an area of Christian Liberty. But too often the only question we ask of our media and entertainment is “Will I enjoy this?” it would serve our freedom in Christ far better if we asked “Will this be spiritually beneficial for me?”

(4) The fourth question is this: “How will this affect my Christian witness?”

This question is drawn from Paul’s example in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a servant to everyone, to win as many as possible…I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”

The driving ambition for Paul was not “My Rights!” but “My Savior!” And because of that he would gladly lay them down and set them aside for the sake of witnessing about His Savior.

We are never more aligned with Christian Liberty, then when we are conformed to the character of our Savior, who did not count His rights as equal with God a thing to be used for His own advantage but laying them aside He freely and willingly took on the form of a servant, to be obedient for you, and die on the cross in place of you, so that you could be freed from all the shackles of sin and showered with every spiritual blessing. And those who the Son sets free are free indeed.

This was an excerpt from the sermon “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”

"No Home Like Christ" by J.C. Ryle

No home like Christ! In Him there is room for all, and room for all sorts.
None are unwelcome guests and visitors, and none are refused admission. The door is always open, and never locked. The best robe, the fatted calf, the ring, and the shoes are always ready for all comers. What though in time past you have been the vilest of the vile, a servant of sin, an enemy of all righteousness, a Pharisee of Pharisees, a Sadducee of Sadducees, a tax collector of tax collectors? It matters nothing: there is yet hope. All sins may be pardoned, forgiven, and forgotten. There is a home and refuge where your soul may be admitted this very day. That home is Christ. "Come to Me," He cries: "Knock and the door will be opened to you." [Matthew 11:28; 7:7]
No home like Christ! In Him there is boundless and unwearied mercy for all, even after admission.
None are rejected and cast out again after probation, because they are too weak and bad to stay. Oh no! Whom He receives, those He always keeps. Where He begins, there He brings to a good end. Whom He admits, them He at once fully justifies. Whom He justifies, them He also sanctifies. Whom He sanctifies, them He also glorifies. No hopeless characters are ever sent away from His house. No men or women are ever found to be too bad to heal and renew. Nothing is to hard for Him to do who made the world out of nothing. He who is Himself the Home, has said it, and will guarantee it: "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away." [John 6:37]
No home like Christ! In Him there is unchanging kindness, patience, and gentle dealing for all.
He is not "a harsh man," but "gentle and humble in heart." [Matthew 11:29] None who applys to Him are ever treated roughly, or made to feel that their company is not welcome. A feast of the best foods is always provided for them. The Holy Spirit is placed in their hearts, and dwells in them as in a temple. Leading, guiding, and instruction are daily provided for them. If they sin, they are brought back into the right way, if they fall, they are raised again; if they sin willfully, they are disciplined to make them better. For the rule of the whole house is love.
No home like Christ! In Him there is no change.
From the youngest to the eldest He loves all who come to Him, and is never tired of doing good to them. Earthly homes, I am sorry to say, are full of fickleness and uncertainty. Favor is deceitful. Courtesy and civility are often on men's lips, while inwardly they are weary of your company and wish you were you gone. You seldom know how long your presence is welcome, to what extent your friends really care to see you. But it is not so with Christ. "He is the same yesterday and today and forever." [Hebrews 13:8]
No home like Christ! Communion once begun with Him will never be broken off.
Once joined to the Lord by faith, you are joined to Him for an endless eternity. Earthly homes always come to an end sooner or later: the precious old furniture is sold and dispersed; the dear old heads of the family are gathered to their fathers; the dear old nest is pulled to pieces. But it is not so with Christ. Faith will in time be swallowed up in sight: hope will at last be changed into certainty. We will one day see with our eyes, and no longer need to believe. We will be moved from the lower chamber to the upper, and from the outer court to the Holy of Holies. But once in Christ, we will never be out of Christ. Once let our name be placed in the Lamb's book of life, and we belong to a home which will continue forevermore.

From “Our Home” by J.C. Ryle: https://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/pr17.htm

“Three simple rules for hearing a sermon” by J.C. Ryle

“It is not enough that we go to Church and hear sermons. We may do so for fifty years, and ‘be nothing bettered, but rather worse.’ (Mark 5:26) “Take heed,” says our Lord, “how ye hear.” (Luke 8:18)

Would any one know how to hear aright? Then let him lay to heart three simple rules.

For one thing, we must hear with faith, believing implicitly that every word of God is true, and shall stand. The Word in old time did not profit the Jews, “not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (Heb. 4:2)

For another thing, we must hear with reverence, remembering constantly that the Bible is the book of God. This was the habit of the Thessalonians. They received Paul’s message, “not as the word of men, but the word of God.” (1 Thess. 2:13)

Above all, we must hear with prayer, praying for God’s blessing before the sermon is preached, praying for God’s blessing again when the sermon is over.

Here lies the grand defect of the hearing of many. They ask no blessing, and so they have none. The sermon passes through their minds like water through a leaky vessel, and leaves nothing behind.

Let us bear these rules in mind every Sunday morning, before we go to hear the Word of God preached.

Let us not rush into God’s presence careless, reckless, and unprepared, as if it mattered not in what way such work was done.

Let us carry with us faith, reverence, and prayer. If these three are our companions, we shall hear with profit, and return with praise.”

–J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1858/2012), 1: 197. Ryle is commenting on Luke 8:16-21.

We Must Always Be Accepted for Christ's Sake (B.B. Warfield)

Here is the noted theologian B.B. Warfield on our need to daily embrace the Gospel:

There is nothing in us or done by us at any stage of our earthly development because of which we are acceptable to God. We must always be accepted for Christ’s sake or we cannot ever be accepted at all. This is not true of us only “when we believe,” it is just as true after we have believed. It will continue to be true as long as we live. Our need of Christ does not cease with our believing nor does the nature of our relation to Him or to God through Him ever alter no matter what our attainments in Christian graces or our achievements in Christian behavior may be. It is always on His “blood and righteousness” alone that we can rest. There is never anything that we are or have or do that can take His place or that takes a place along with Him. We are always unworthy, and all that we have or do of good is always of pure grace. Though blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ, we are still in ourselves just “miserable sinners.” “Miserable sinners” saved by grace, to be sure. But “miserable sinners” still deserving in ourselves nothing but everlasting wrath.

We are sinners, and we know ourselves to be sinners lost and helpless in ourselves; but we are saved sinners, and it is our salvation which gives the tone to our life — a tone of joy which swells in exact proportion to the sense we have of our ill-desert. For it is he to whom much is forgiven who loves much and, who loving, rejoices much. Thus, through every moment of his life, the believer is absolutely dependent on the grace of Christ, and when life is over, he still has nothing to plead but Christ’s blood and righteousness.

“Miserable Sinner Christianity,” Works of B. B. Warfield, vol. 7.

Why We Value Children in Worship

The following is an excerpt from Let the Children Worship, in which pastor Jason Helopoulos makes a reasoned and biblical case for including children in worship:

We pulled into our driveway exhausted. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but this morning felt like anything but. It was tiring not because of an early start with a meeting before church, the dressing of children, rushing out the door, conversations after the service, or even the disheartening news about a church member’s diagnosis. We were exhausted because our two kids couldn’t sit still or quiet in the worship service. It felt liked we’d experienced a tour of combat duty without any medals. 

The hour-and-a-half service could’ve been four hours with all the negotiations, warnings, and discipline that were required. The sermon consisted of three points, and between the two of us, my wife and I could recall one.

Unfortunately, this week wasn’t unique. Hadn’t we just performed this seven days ago? Hadn’t we worked with our children each day since, so that his week’s worship would be better than last week’s catastrophe? Was it all for nothing?

In the early days of bringing young children into worship, it can feel like self-inflicted torture with no end in sight. But as much as it may prove a struggle, the effort is worth it. Church services provide numerous opportunities for blessing. Here are three.

1. They’re present in the midst of the means of grace.

The most important part of a local church’s life is corporate worship, because in the weekly worship the Lord uniquely meets with his people by his Word and Spirit. He ministers to us by the ordinary means of grace. Churches and parents can chase after innovative programming to influence their kids, but corporate worship is what the all-wise God has ordained.

These ordinary means of grace are effective for everyone, including children. The more we place kids in the way of them, the more opportunities they have for their souls to encounter the God of grace.

God attaches promises to his Word. 

The Word does not return void (Isa. 55:11). It’s at work as we hear it read and preached. It’s living and active, sharper than a sword (Heb. 4:12), and it alone sparks faith (Rom. 10:17). We want our children to hear it proclaimed with power.

The sacraments are visual presentations of spiritual truths. 

We can see, taste, smell, and feel the realities of God’s grace. This fact isn’t lost on our children as they see these sacraments practiced. The children of Israel asked their parents while they participated in the Passover, “What does this mean?” (Exod. 13:14; Deut. 6:20). In a similar way, our children will have questions about what they see and hear. We answer by pointing them to a Savior who willingly died for his own.

Prayer shapes and aligns our hearts with the will of God. 

As our children bow their heads and listen to the congregational prayer or the prayer of confession, they can’t help but hear of truth and grace. It’s beautiful when they eventually join in. 

It’s important for kids to participate in the corporate worship every week. The constant routines of our life possess a formative power, and children who attend church every week will be formed by the means of grace. 

2. They’re present in the midst of the whole congregation.

Corporate worship is corporate; the entire body gathers. As the congregation sings, all the voices of the church unite. When God’s people read the confession of faith, they confess the same truth in unity. When God’s people hear the public prayers, they voice a loud “Amen” together. Children benefit from witnessing and participating in this unity. 

Children pay special attention to their parents. They learn by observing their parents and discerning what their parents deem important and what gives them delight. Bringing our children into worship lets them observe the importance and delight of corporate worship in the life of their parents. If they aren’t in worship, they won’t ever see that delight, and few things have greater effect on our children’s spiritual lives. 

Children learn from their parents and the rest of the congregation, but they also set an example for the covenant community. When Jesus blesses the children, he says: “For to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:14–15). Many consider children a distraction in corporate worship, but in Christ’s eyes, they’re an example.

3. They’re present in the midst of God’s story.

The Bible clearly articulates the duty of parents to instruct their children in the things of the Lord. Psalm 78 provides one of the most beautiful statements of this calling. Asaph reminds his generation that they must pass on the glorious story of their faith to their kids. We tell this story each Lord’s Day morning as we gather—and as our children participate in the worship, they hear this story. They can’t miss it. 

Our children take part in the practices of the covenant community, which picture God’s mighty acts and his relationship with his covenant people. They enter the great academy of the Christian faith. We teach, instruct, and form our children into worshipers. Of course, only God can call people to himself and make hearts of stone into hearts of flesh (Ezek. 36:26), but participating in the worship of God shapes our children. 

Our children also learn that God is for them. When we include children in worship, we communicate that they can worship the one true God. Christianity isn’t an adults-only religion, and worship isn’t adult-only either. God calls on all people to worship. When we exclude our children from worship, we communicate that the things of God and his story aren’t for them. 

Let’s Nourish Them

My kids love candy, so I never need to encourage them to eat candy. Vegetables present another story, but my wife and I labor to see them eat vegetables daily. Why? We do so because we know the benefits that flow from eating them. The fiber, vitamins, and nutrients found in vegetables encourage us to fight the good fight of getting a little green in their diet.

We know the benefits from such a diet could influence their lives for the next 20, 40, 60, or even 80 years. It’s worth the struggle. And the benefits that flow from including our children in corporate worship can affect their lives not just for 80 years, but for eternity. If green beans and broccoli are worth the struggle, a season or two of difficulty in the pew is more than worth it.

Editors’ note: This is an adapted excerpt from Jason Helopoulos’s book Let the Children Worship (Christian Focus, 2016).

How to Listen to Charles Spurgeon Preach (Kind of)

Technically, you can’t hear Spurgeon preach. He never recorded a single sermon on audio or video. Technology had not come that far in his day. But many people have taken the manuscripts of Spurgeon’s sermons and made recordings of them, kind of like an audiobook of sorts. I recently listened to the first sermon of Spurgeon’s that was ever transcribed and written down. It’s called “The Immutability of God” and it’s based on the text Malachi 3:6. The recording was very well done and I commend it to you.

The Seven A's of Confession (Ken Sande)

If you really want to make peace, ask God to help you humbly—and thoroughly—admit your wrongs. One way to do this is to use the Seven A’s of Confession:

Address everyone involved.

Real confession begins by admitting your sin to everyone directly impacted by it. 

Since every wrongdoing offends God, start your confession with him. Whether or not you admit a sin to other people depends on whether it was a ‘heart sin’ or a ‘social sin.” A heart sin takes place only in your thoughts and doesn’t directly affect others, so it only needs to be confessed to God. A social sin involves other people. Confess those wrongs to anyone affected—a single individual or a group, and people you hurt or who just witnessed your wrongdoing. The general rule? Your confession should reach as far as your offense. Suppose you were really angry with your spouse, and your kids were in the car and heard your angry outburst. You need to confess to your spouse, but you also need to talk to the kids.

Avoid “if,” “but,” and “maybe.”

It’s really difficult to find a confession that doesn’t use ‘if,” “but,” or “maybe.” 

It’s so hard to give an unqualified apology. The quickest way to wreck a confession is by using words that shift the blame to others or minimize or excuse your guilt. The classic bad confession is, “I’m sorry if I’ve done something to make you mad.” The word “if” ruins the confession, because it implies that you don’t know whether you did something wrong. It sounds like you just want someone off your back.

Admit specifically.

The more detail you provide when you confess, the more likely you are to get a positive reaction. 

Specific admissions help convince others that you are honestly facing up to what you have done, a signal that makes it far easier to forgive you. Not only that, but being specific helps you identify the actions, words, or attitudes you need to change.

Acknowledge the hurt.

If you want someone to respond positively to your confession, make it a point to acknowledge to him/her the hurt you caused. 

Aim to show that you understand how the other person felt as a result of our words or actions. “You must have felt really embarrassed when I said those things in front of everyone. I’m so sorry I did that to you.” If you aren’t sure how the other person felt, then ask. It can be dangerous to assume you know how or how much you hurt someone. You can say, “Have I understood how I’ve hurt you?”

Accept the consequences.

Accepting any penalty your actions deserve is another way to demonstrate genuine repentance. 

You might have to correct a piece of gossip you passed on. Or you might have to work extra to pay for damages you caused to someone’s property. The harder you work to make restitution and repair any harm you have caused, the easier it is for others to trust your confession.

Alter your behavior.

You don’t really mean that you are sorry if you don’t commit to not repeating the sin. 

Sincere repentance includes explaining to the person you offended how you plan to change in the future by God’s grace—what you will say, how you will act, or the attitude you will convey. Be specific. Find someone to hold you accountable. Explain that you are relying on God’s help.

Sometimes it helps to put your plan in writing. 

It shows you take the matter seriously and are willing to spend time planning how to change. Listing specific goals and objectives helps you remember your commitment. It provides a standard by which your progress can be measured. And your ongoing effort will continue to demonstrate your confession was genuine.

Ask for forgiveness (and allow time.)

If you talk through each of those steps with someone you have offended, many will be willing to forgive you and move on. 

If the person you have confessed to doesn’t express forgiveness, however, you can ask, “Will you please forgive me?” Your question signals that you are now awaiting their move. Don’t be surprised if some people need time to forgive you. Reconciliation doesn’t always happen right away, and pressure from you won’t help.

If someone isn’t ready to forgive you, make sure you have confessed thoroughly. If you sense that the person to whom you confessed is simply not ready to forgive you, it may be helpful to say something like this: “I know I hurt you, and I can understand why it might be hard to forgive me. I want us to be okay with each other, so I hope you can forgive me. In the meantime, I will pray for you and do my best to repair the damage I caused. With God’s help, I will work to overcome my problem. If there’s anything else I can do, please let me know.”

The Danger of "I" in Christian Prayer (Al Mohler)

There is No “I” in Prayer: Combating Individualism in Our Prayers

Over the past several decades I have noticed that many Christians tend to begin their prayers by presenting their needs. Of course, in some sense, I understand why we naturally turn to petition almost immediately upon entering into prayer. We tend to begin with petitions because prayer reminds us of our deep need for God to sanctify us in our circumstances and save us from our trials. Additionally, our circumstances and trials are often the very thing that drives us to pray in the first place. Thus the tyranny of the urgent has a remarkable way of consuming our intellectual life and our thought patterns. As a result, our prayers, from beginning to end, are often marked by petition.

But the Lord’s Prayer begins in a very different place. Petitions certainly are a part (a major part, in fact) of the Lord’s Prayer, but Jesus does not begin with requests. He begins, instead, by identifying the character of the God to whom he prays while at the same time challenging our individualism in prayer. Jesus does all of this in the first two words, “Our Father.”

The word “our,” at first glance, seems like an insignificant little pronoun. But Jesus is making a tremendously powerful theological point by beginning his prayer with the word “our.” Jesus is reminding us that when we enter into a relationship with God we enter into a relationship with his people. When we are saved by Christ, we are saved intohis body, the church. In fact, this emphasis on our place in the corporate identity of the church is reiterated throughout the prayer. One way to notice this emphasis is simply to read through the prayer and stress each personal pronoun:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Do you notice what is stunningly absent? There is no first-person singular pronoun in the entire prayer! Jesus did not teach us to pray, “My father who is heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give methis day my daily bread and forgive me my debts as I also have forgiven my debtors. And lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil.” The point is not to deny our own sins or our own needs, but never to leave ourselves there.

One of the besetting sins of evangelicalism is our obsession with individualism. This obsession with individualism chronically besets us as evangelicals. The first-person singular pronoun reigns in our thinking. We tend to think about nearly everything (including the truths of God’s Word) only as they relate to me. This is why when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, he emphasizes from the very outset that we are part of a corporate people called the church. God is not merely “my Father.” He is “our Father”—the Father of my brothers and sisters in the faith with whom I identify and with whom I pray.

If we are honest, even many of our prayer meetings fail to take into account Jesus’ emphasis on the corporate character of prayer. Yet we must never lose sight of the fact that even when we pray by ourselves, we must pray with an eye toward and with love for Christ’s church. We must remember the pattern of our Lord’s speech in the model prayer and recall not only the words he used, but the words he didn’t use. The first-person singular (I, me, my, mine) is completely absent from the Lord’s Prayer. Evidently, prayer should not center on you or me.

The problem of overemphasizing ourselves in our prayers reminds me of G. K. Chesterton’s famous answer to a question put forth by a major London newspaper, “What is the problem with the world?” This question was sent to many public intellectuals in Victorian England, many of whom sent back long essays delineating the complexities of everything wrong with the world. Chesterton, however, responded with a simple handwritten note that read, “I am. Sincerely yours, Chesterton.”

What is the biggest problem with our prayers? Perhaps the most fundamental answer mirrors Chesterton’s: “I am.” One of our greatest problems and deficiencies in prayer is that we begin with our own concerns and our own petitions without regard for our brothers and sisters. Many of us falter in prayer because we begin with the wrong word: “I” instead of “our.” Jesus reminds us that we are part of a family, even when we pray. Thus the first word of Jesus model prayer is the word “our.” We are in this together.

To be a Christian is to be a part of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. By God’s grace we are incorporated into the body of Christ so that our most fundamental spiritual identity is not an “I” but a “we.” This runs against the grain of our fallen state. This also runs against the grain of American individualism—an individualism that has seeped into many sections of evangelicalism. But we must be normed by Scripture. Jesus teaches us to drop the “I’ and start with “our.”

This article is an excerpt from Albert Mohler’s book, The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down: The Lord’s Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution.

Why We Are Intentional About Having a Plurality of Elders

The following is a helpful explanation from author Dave Harvey on why we, at Sand Harbor, are very intentional about having and functioning as a plurality of equal elders:

As we study the Scriptures, we see that a plural-leadership model is foundational for the local church. Plurality not only reflects the coequality, unity, and community expressed by the Trinity (2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4–6; 1 Pet. 1:2; Jude 20–21). It not only is the prominent and essential feature of New Testament church polity. But it also serves the church in at least six other ways:

  1. Plurality embodies and expresses the New Testament principle of interdependence and the diversity of gifts among members of Christ’s body (Rom. 12:4–6; 1 Cor. 12).1

  2. Plurality acknowledges human limitations by recognizing that no one elder or bishop can possess the full complement of gifts God intends to use to bless and build the church (1 Cor. 12:21). This approach, in fact, discourages narcissistic personalities who look to exercise unique and exclusive authority or control within a team. 

  3. Plurality creates a leadership structure where men must model the unity to which God calls the whole church (John 17:23; Rom. 15:5; Eph. 4:3, 13; Col. 3:14). Plurality calls forward timid leaders to share the weight of governing responsibility. 

  4. Plurality creates a community of care, support, and accountability that guards the calling, life, and doctrine of the leaders (1 Tim. 4:14, 16; Titus 1:6–9; James 5:16). Where plurality truly exists, pastors and elders remain appropriately engaged, loved, guided, and harnessed together. 

  5. Plurality provides a mechanism to deal wisely and collaboratively with the institutional necessities of the local church.

  6. Finally, plurality contradicts the idea of a singular genius and replaces it with what the Bible calls an “abundance of counselors” (Prov. 11:14; 24:6; see also 15:22) who collaborate, lead, and guide the church together. This isn’t simply a clever constitutional maneuver. It’s a recognition of the New Testament pattern. According to the biblical authors, the authority for the local church was given to the entire eldership, not just to one gifted leader. In other words, the responsibility inheres in the group, not the man.

The strength, unity, and integrity of this shared leadership model infuse the church with durability for its mission and care. The church can’t afford to sidestep this vital issue. Plurality is God’s means of leading the church to fulfill its purpose, but it’s also a means of growing its leaders.

source: https://www.crossway.org/articles/6-purposes-for-plural-leadership/