Questioning God?

We cannot remain faithful and question God’s own faithfulness. His love for those who are in Christ is beyond question. His character is a constant and his love never fails. He is not loving and gracious toward believers at one moment, only to turn into a malevolent deity the next. He never changes.

In this light, it would be sin to question . . . whether God really loves us, or if He is really faithful to his promises. This is not the questioning worthy of a believer, but of an unbeliever.”

- Albert Mohler, “Is it Legitimate to Question God?“

Grace is Jesus!

Grace is Jesus

“There is no such ‘thing’ as grace! Grace is not some appendage to Christ’s being. All there is is the Lord Jesus Himself. And so when Jesus speaks about us abiding in Him and He abiding in us – however mysterious it may be, mystical in that sense – it is a personal union.

Christianity is Christ because there isn’t anything else. There is no atonement that somehow can be detached from who the Lord Jesus is. There is no grace that can be attached to you transferred from Him. All there is is Christ and your soul.”

- Sinclair Ferguson on John 15 at the 2007 Banner of Truth Ministers’ Conference in Grantham, PA.

“Rest in the glorious fact that we are loved”

“If we are to change we must be regularly preaching the gospel to ourselves and believing it. We must be continually showing ourselves, and those we counsel, the depths and greatness of God’s love for them. We must stop wasting our time trying to convince ourselves that we are lovable, and instead rest in the glorious fact that we are loved. It is this message which God uses to change us at the motivational level.”

—Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Group Handbook, 9

Chapter 11 Responding Humility to trials

This chapter raises several provoking questions to all Christians when faced with battle of sufferings:

“When you encounter trial and suffering, what’s the content of your prayer?” And in turn, how do you respond?

CJ insightfully points to Habakkuk’s experience with suffering through his bleak circumstances to his transformation from despair to rejoicing in the Lord. But how does this happen?

The book of Habakkuk is relatively short (only 3 chapters) yet there is a clear view of the sanctification of a man who was absolutely disheartened by his dark situation, where he doubted God’s goodness and had forgotten about His salvation. The story continues to unfold as Habakkuk’s man-centered approach turns to God-centered approach through remembering and acknowledging what God has ALREADY done and what He will continue to do through His promises and faithfulness, and ultimately placing his trust in God and rejoicing in Him. That is the nutshell of it.

But this chapter had things that provoked my thoughts and my sinful patterns when facing difficult circumstances: do I ultimately want God to remove my sufferings for the sake of relief or is it to earnestly seek God in patience and humility? In other words, is my greatest desire God Himself or my well-being? While it is NOT unbiblical to pray for relief during sufferings or times of trouble, often times my initial reaction and greatest desire are relief from these tough circumstances. Outwardly, this may look somewhat spiritual because I may be praying to God and that is a good thing. However, my attitude is often filled with entitlement and pride as though God is not doing His job of making my life easier. There is no sense of remembering what He has done for His continual provision for me. Thus, in many ways, there is this false implication that God is ignoring me and He isn’t good anymore, and He simply cannot execute His sovereignty over my situations. Thus, not only am I forgetting God’s great salvation in Christ, there is also the deceiving heart that is ultimately man-centered prayer.

BUT thank God it doesn’t end there. I love what CJ says about what Habakkuk learned through his trials:

“Those who know true joy in the midst of suffering are those who recognize that, in this life, our suffering is never as great or as serious as our sins.”

And the quote from J. Edwards:

“How far less [are] the greatest afflictions that we meet with in this world…than we have deserved!”

Indeed, that is the divine and Biblical perspective of suffering that I need to remind myself daily. So practically what can we do?

1) We need to remember what Christ has accomplished through the Cross. We need to go here again and again to explore how great our sins are and how great His mercies and grace is to us in Christ!

2) Actively waiting in patience. CJ says waiting is NOT resignation but an active trust in God to provide fulfillment in His perfect timing. Remembering that God is indeed sovereign over every path that I take on earth and He will forever be in heaven! (Phil. 1:5-6)

3) That I may find comfort and rest in that sovereignty and in turn, leading to rejoicing. We should all read Habakkuk 3:17-18 and pray through this Scripture together because it is amazing that one can actually and genuinely rejoice when he is about to face great desolation. Habakkuk isn’t insane nor was he part of the Moonies. God was so gracious to Him as Habakkuk remembered God’s promises and thus engaged in God-centered faith (which I really believe that it is the only way to battle through).

Sorry folks, once again I’m too verbose here but I would like to hear your thoughts on this chapter. So please share! God bless.

A great blog regarding suffering...

by Tim Challies. I highly recommend reading this post.

I was recommended by a friend to read Tim's blogsite and I've been blessed and encouraged through his writings and posts.

I also recommend Sam Shin's site (if you don't have it linked). Another great resource for your soul!

Justification and Sanctification

From "Of First Importance"

Justification and Sanctification

Posted: 16 Jul 2008 12:32 AM CDT

“But now there are two special branches of salvation, namely, justification and sanctification; and these being two differnet things, faith acts upon Christ for them in a different manner. Faith acts upon Christ for justification, as he is a Jesus, or by receiving him as a Jesus; faith acts up Christ for sanctification, as he is a Lord, or be receiving him as Lord.

In justification we receive him as a Jesus, to be saved from the guilt of sin; in sanctification we receive him as a Lord, to be delivered from the power of sin. Now, though both these acts of faith go together, to make up saving faith, though they be inseparable from one another in the same faith, yet they differ, as the eye and the ear in the same head; for, as we do not see with the ear, nor hear with the eye, so neither are we justified by that act of faith that receives Christ as a Lord, for sanctification, but by that act of faith that receives him as a Jesus, for justification; we are not justified by that act of faith that receives Christ as a King, but by that act of faith that receives Christ as Priest.”

- Ralph Erskine, “And Walking in Him, Opened,” in The Works of Ralph Erskine, p. 243, vol. 24

One Appeal: His Mercy

From subscription "Of First Importance"

“When I come to the Lord after I’ve blown it, I’ve only one argument to make. It’s not the argument of the difficulty of the environment that I am in. It’s not the argument of the difficult people that I’m near. It’s not the argument of good intentions that were thwarted in some way.

I come to the Lord with only one appeal; his mercy. I’ve no other defense. I’ve no other standing. I’ve no other hope. I can’t escape the reality of my biggest problem; me! So I appeal to the one thing in my life that’s sure and will never fail. I appeal to the one thing that guaranteed not only my acceptance with God, but the hope of new beginnings and fresh starts. I appeal on the basis of the greatest gift I ever have or ever will be given.

I leave the courtroom of my own defense, I come out of hiding and I admit who I am. But I’m not afraid, because I’ve been personally and eternally blessed. Because of what Jesus has done, God looks on me with mercy. It’s my only appeal, it’s the source of my hope, it’s my life. Mercy, mercy me!”

—Paul David Tripp, Whiter Than Snow (Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 2008), 22