Identity Theft - Reclaiming the Truth of Who We are in Christ

 

This book was so encouraging, as it reminded me of who I am in Christ. There are 10 chapters, each an essay on the truth of who we are as Christ followers. Each chapter is written by a different female author, which was really nice.    

Here are the chapter headings and authors:

1.   Free: Rescued by Grace - Jen Wilkin
2.   Reflection: Made in God's Image - Hannah Anderson
3.   Child: Beloved by the Father - Courtney Doctor
4.   Saint: Redeemed by the Son - Melissa Kruger
5.   Fruitful: Filled with the Holy Spirit - Jasmine Holmes
6.   Member: Connected to the Church - Megan Hill
7.   Beautiful: Clothed in Splendor - Trillia Newbell
8.   Servant: Reaping a Reward - Betsy Childs Howard
9.   Worshiper: Shining Brightly in the Darkness -Lindsey Carlson
10. Citizen: Longing for Home - Jen Pollock Michel


I thought I'd share a quote from each chapter that stood out for me.

 

From chapter 1 - Free: Rescued by Grace:

"...I wonder if for many of us, our problem was not with salvation itself, but with our understanding of how salvation brings freedom. Not until my early 20's did I gain any clarity on this issue. I knew I served a God who was and is and is to come, but I had yet to learn that I possessed from Him a salvation of which the same could be said.

Salvation from sin can be broken down into three categories: justification, sanctification, and glorification. For the believer, our justification was, our sanctification is, and our glorification is to come. We were saved, we are being saved, we will be saved."

 

From chapter 2 - Reflection: Made in God's Image:

"You may find as you begin to center you identity more fully on God that little about your life changes - at least externally. Most likely, you will still use certain categories to explain how you spend your days. You will work your job, love your family, and serve others. But while life around you may not change, centering your identity on God will make you a different person in it."

 

From chapter 3 - Child: Beloved by the Father:

"Is everyone a child of God? The answer is, no, not in the sense we're talking about. Every person is a creation of God, and He, as the Creator, certainly plays a fatherly role in many ways. But what we are talking about here is a special relationship that the New Testament uses two different terms to convey: new birth and adoption. They are two ways of looking at one reality - we have to become children of God.

 John tells us, 'But to all who did receive Him (Jesus), who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God' (John 1:12-13). Adopted and born again. Children of God. If you've believed in Jesus through the work of the Spirit, then you can rest confidently in the truth of your identity - beloved child of the Almighty God."

 

From chapter 4 - Saint: Redeemed by the Son:

"...how we think about ourselves greatly affects how we live as we wait for Jesus to return.  

Living as a saint who struggles with sin is profoundly different from living as a sinner who's desperately trying to be a saint."

"We're saints not because of anything we've done, but because of who Jesus is." 

 

From chapter 5 - Fruitful: Filled with the Holy Spirit:

"Are you abiding in Christ, or are you abiding in the security of the work of your hands? Are you abiding in Christ, or are you walking in shame at the lack of the work of your hands? Neither will do. And neither is what we are called to. 

Our identity is found is abiding in Christ. If we're fruitful, it's because He has given us increase, and we praise Him for that. If we're floundering, we rest in the fact that our true worth comes from His work on our behalf, and we praise Him for that.

In either season, we press toward the mark, resting and working for His glory alone. That is where our identity lies."

From chapter 6 - Member: Connected to the Church:

"The church is not a human invention - a group of people who thought it would be a good idea to get together since they share the same beliefs and spiritual practices. The church is established by Christ, and exists for the glory of Christ."

"The church is fundamental to the identity of everyone who belongs to Christ."

From chapter 7 - Beautiful: Clothed in Splendor:

"Psalm 100:3 'Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.'

We are His! We are God's creation (Eph.2:10). Each intricately designed cell, every single strand of hair - everything - was designed by God (Matt. 10:30), made for His glory (Isa. 43:7), and therefore intrinsically beautiful. But far more beautiful in His sight is the person we are becoming as we pursue holiness and follow Jesus in this world."

"The only beautiful thing that will ever truly satisfy isn't a 'thing' at all. It's a person - Jesus."

From chapter 8 - Servant: Reaping a Reward:

"Imagine you're a first-century indentured servant. Day after day, you wash your mistress's clothes in the river. You dry them in the sun to bleach the natural fibers. You hope she will notice the care you take to please her, but she never notices. In fact, she takes out her bad moods on you by mocking you and speaking harshly.

In this situation, you're faced with a choice. You could stop trying so hard since you're never going to be appreciated. Or you could choose to do your best because you know the Lord of all the earth will see your efforts and be pleased by them."

From chapter 9 - Worshiper: Shining Brightly in the Darkness:

"Through His Word, His Son, and His Spirit, we've been afforded a front row seat to view endless examples of His kindness and mercy, so that in response, we might praise Him."

 

From chapter 10 - Citizen: Longing for Home:

The author of this chapter shares this quote from C.S. Lewis:

"Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy (my desire), but only to arose it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, those earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy or echo or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country...I must make it the main object of life to press on to the other country and to help others do the same."

I hope these quotes piqued your interest in this book! It also contains questions for group discussion at the end of each chapter. It was very good and I highly recommend it.

You're Not Enough (and that's ok)

When I was Allie Beth's age, almost 25 years ago, Oprah was in her heyday and I sadly watched. At this time, Oprah was encouraging women to put themselves first, and if they didn't, she informed, they would be useless to help anyone else. I knew this was wrong thinking, but no one was correcting her. Of course this isn't anything new. The enemy has been trying to convince women since the beginning, to question God and look to self.

In the introduction Allie Beth says here:

"If self-love isn't a new phenomenon, if we've been taught for decades that our lives will be made better just by loving ourselves more and feeling confident, why hasn't it caught on? Why aren't we all happier?

In fact, it seems we're less happy than ever before. Americans under forty are more depressed, anxious, lonely, and suicidal than any generation before us. We report stronger feelings of purposelessness than any other generation too. We are isolated and unsure of what we want to do with our lives. Many of us feel empty."

This book sets out to stand up against this way of thinking, but most importantly this book stands up for what God says in His word about this and about us. We aren't enough, and that's ok.

If we were enough than we wouldn't need a Savior.

Also from the introduction:

"The answer to the purposelessness and hollowness we feel is found not in us, but outside of us. The solutions to our problems and pain aren't found in self-love, but in God's love.

The God who created us, who created the universe, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, is the one who provides us with the purpose and satisfaction we're seeking. While self-love depletes, God's love for us doesn't. He showed us his love by sending Jesus to die for our sins so that we could be forgiven and live forever with him. Self-love is superficial and temporary, God's love is profound and eternal."

This book has five chapters which talk about these 5 myths:

Myth #1 - You Are Enough

Myth #2 - You Determine Your Truth

Myth #3 - You're Perfect the Way You Are

Myth #4 - You're Entitled to Your Dreams

Myth #5 - You Can't Love Others Until You Love Yourself

 

I thought I'd share a few bits and pieces from each chapter.

 

Myth #1 - You Are Enough

Allie Beth says here:

"The first step to getting out of whatever unhealthy cycle you're currently in is realizing just how not enough you are. That means letting go of the responsibility to be your own source of fulfillment - a responsibility that was never yours in the first place."

As Christians we know that we couldn't have come to Christ without seeing our sinfulness first. Repentance comes from a heart that knows its own sinfulness and repentance always leads to joy. It's never been our responsibility to make ourselves happy or enough, It's always been God who can solely do this.

She continues here:

"There's a reason Jesus describes himself as Living Water and Bread of Life: He satisfies. The searching for peace and for purpose stops in Him alone. He created us; therefore only He can tell us who we are and why we're here."

"And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."  John 6:35

 

Myth #2 - You Determine Your Truth

This chapter talks about the false way the world looks at truth.

Allie Beth says here:

"While it's true that we have experiences and trauma that shape us, these things don't equate to moral truths. They just happened. And maybe they were significant, and maybe they taught us something. But in order to know whether these lessons we learned are truths worth building our lives on, we have to compare them to the standard of truth, God's Word."

This chapter talks a little bit about the false teachings of prosperity and how it teaches us to love self first.

She continues here:

"The prosperity gospel and Hipster Jesus Christianity are self-worship disguised as genuine faith. They focus on what we think we deserve rather than who God is. They obscure the true Gospel in exchange for a message that appeals to our natural self-centeredness. As John Piper says of the prosperity gospel, they are doctrines that... 'clothe the eternal gospel of Christ in the garments of worldiness.'"

Allie says here of true church:

"The hours we spend in church should be defined by self-forgetfulness, not self-fulfillment."

Amen!

"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."  Ephesians 4:17-24

 

Myth #3 - You're Perfect The Way You Are

In this chapter she brings up the Enneagram, a type of personality test that has distracted thousands from the true living God and encouraged them to turn their focus onto self. The man who designed it and its number system says he received it from automatic writing, an occultic practice. (I have left a link at the bottom of this post to a video on the Enneagram with Doreen Virtue, who Allie Beth has interviewed in the past) 

This was very interesting and disturbing to read about. Her point in sharing about the Enneagram was to show how its basic premise is to find the perfection within yourself and how misleading that is. 

She says here:

"The world of self-love tells us that knowing ourselves is essential happiness. We're told that our inner perfection, once found and unleashed, will empower us to succeed and have peace. God tells us something different: that knowing Him gives us the peace we're looking for and that His love gives us the confidence we're looking for.

Once we realize just how not perfect we are, and how little self-discovery contributes to our fulfillment, we begin to see just how unreliable we are as masters of our own fate and rulers of our lives.

This means that rather than follow our hearts, as we're so often encouraged to do, we should question them."

“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?"  Jeremiah 17:9 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. 

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7

 

Myth #4 - You're Entitled To Your Dreams

This quote pretty much sums up this chapter:

"God made us for Him, not the other way around. He exists as a king to be worshiped, not a genie who grants us our dreams and wishes. When we follow Him, He promises us not to give us everything we want but something far better - Himself." 

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.' " Matthew 16:24

 

Myth #5 - You Can't Love Others Until You Love Yourself

Allie Beth says here:

"Our minds have so intertwined self-affirmation and success that we're afraid that if we stop telling ourselves how great we are, our lives will take a nosedive into misery. We'll start to wallow in self-pity, our relationships will grow toxic and codependent, and we'll fail at work because we'll be crippled by our own self-doubt.

But that fear ignores the reality that as Christians, our options aren't boiled down to high self-esteem versus low self-esteem, or self-love versus self-hatred. We choose neither. Instead, we operate out of total self-forgetfulness."

She than quotes Tim Keller from his book The Freedom of Self-forgetfulness (which I highly recommend! I'll leave a link to my thoughts on that book at the end of this post)

Tim Keller says here: "the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less."

Allie Beth goes on to say: 

"Believing the lie that we have to love ourselves before we love other people will cause us to miss out on the most joyful experiences of our lives. And even more important, there are people whose needs won't be met because we're too busy meeting our own needs to pay attention to theirs." 

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."  Philippians 2:3-4

This was such a great book! I highly recommend it to those who may be confused by all the self-love philosophies in the world and unfortunately have seeped into the church. Also to those who would think this book would help someone they know caught up in the self-love phenomenon. 

I'll leave you with this quote from John Piper I recently found in his book 'What Jesus Demands from the World'...

"Look away from yourself. Seek from God what He alone can do for you. Moral improvement of the old you is not what you need. New life is what the whole world needs. It is radical and supernatural. It is outside our control. The dead do not give themselves new life. We must be born again - 'not...of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.' John 1:13 That's what Jesus demands of the world."

*Note - Link to my post on Tim Keller's book... The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness

*Note - Video link... Talking About the Enneagram: Is it Dangerous? Things Christians Should Know

 

Buy it HERE on Amazon 

 

 

Epic: An Around-The -World Journey through Christian History

This was such an interesting idea for a book! Tim Challies took a trip around the world, visiting places of Christian significance and writing about Christian history through objects he observed. The book also contains many photos, which added to the meaning of each story he was telling.

I thought I'd share a few that I found extremely interesting.


The Book of Kells

Tim visited Scotland to learn of the history of this unique book, which is now displayed in Ireland where he traveled next. 

He says here of the book:

"There is nothing quite like it anywhere in the world. It's a manuscript containing the four gospels in Latin, and it dates all the way back to around AD 800. What first stands out to those who view it is its sheer beauty. The pages are made of fine vellum, and nearly every page is adorned with beautiful, intricately designed illustrations. The Book of Kells is an ancient Bible, but it is also a stunning work of art."

Out of all the objects he talks about in his book this is the one I would love to see the most. I think the care and love that went into it, not only shows us the beauty and majesty of its words, but how highly the makers of it appreciated its truth and wanted it carried on to the next generation.

Jan Hus's Cell Door

Years ago I read the letters that Jan Hus wrote while in prison. They were inspiring and uplifting, written by a man who put his trust in God and His Word.

Jan Hus was one of the first to protest against the errors of the Catholic church at the time. He was from Bohemia (the modern Czech Republic), born around 1370. As a preacher He encountered the writing of John Wycliffe of England and the rest is history.

Tim Challies says here:

"Eventually Jan Hus encountered these teachings, and they changed his life... He began to read the Bible with fresh eyes, and he adopted much of Wycliffe's theology, including the belief that the church is made up of all of God's elect for all of time and that the church's rightful head is Christ rather than the Pope."

This later got him imprisoned and later tied to a stake and burned to death. Some of his last words were:

"In the truth of the gospel I have written, taught, and preached; today I will gladly die."

 

Charles Wesley's Organ 

Charles Wesley wrote over 6000 hymns, some still sung today. One of his best known is 'Hark! the herald angels sing' This organ is where he wrote so many beautiful songs to the Lord. Songs sung by millions of believers, all over the world, ever since.

Tim Challies quotes one particular verse from a song called 'And Can it Be?'

"And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love?! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?"

 

The Slave Bible

This chapter took me aback. I had never heard of the Slave Bible. I found this appalling, that men, who claimed to be Christians, could take the Word of God and twist it for evil gains.

Tim Challies says here:

"Not all of the objects I saw on my travels had a positive story to tell. The Slave Bible is one of those. It's a story that warns us of the dangers of compromising the message of the gospel to accommodate our sin. And it's a timely reminder that sinful human beings can use good things - even the precious Word of God - to commit great evil."

The Slave Bible omitted Scripture that pertained to freedom for all in Christ. How horrifying is that?

Scriptures like:

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 
 
 And as Tim describes here:

"The great future promise of Christ's gospel is a day when God's people will gather before him as 'a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language.' Revelation 7:9

This reminded me of how important it is to honor God's Word as a whole.

George Muller's Collection Box

I love George Muller's story. I read his book 'Answers to Prayer' and was amazed at how he trusted God. In a world of greedy TV preachers, it's hard to imagine a man like George Muller. A man who never asked for a penny, but bowed before God and petitioned to Him for all his needs. And God provided so much, and for so many, because of his obedience.

George Muller instead put out collection boxes for whoever God moved to give. Never asking or pleading for money. God worked through his obedience and many orphans were given a home from the streets of England in the 1800's.

Tim Challies says here of the boxes:

"The front says simply, 'For the orphans.' Muller would not ask people to give money but instead would pray for the Lord to provide. One of these boxes was placed within each of the orphan houses so that people could give as the Lord directed, each one perhaps inadvertently providing an answer to those earnest prayers. Those simple boxes aptly tell about the simple but expansive faith of a great man."

 

*note - I couldn't find a picture of the collection box so I've inserted a picture of George Muller

She Came To Slay - The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman

A few months ago I watched the movie 'Harriet' which was based on the life of Harriet Tubman. She was considered the Moses of her time, and I was curious to learn more about her. This book was a great introduction to her life and work, and what an extraordinary life she led.

With all that's going on in the world, we desperately need the Lord, and Harriet was a great example of someone who depended solely on Him in hard times. It was so encouraging to read her story. A story of going deep into the heart of slavery to rescue her family, to working with the abolitionists of the time, as well as being a spy and nurse during the civil war.

As I read about her accomplishments they almost seemed impossible, but they reminded me of Matthew 19:26...

"But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

And John 15:5...

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing"

God worked through her because she abided in Him and therefore many were saved from a life of slavery.

And Harriet always gave Him the glory.

Harriet suffered much during her life. One struggle being severe headaches for most of her life caused by an angry overseer in her youth.

The author relates the story here:

"...Araminta (Harriet) and an enslaved cook from the same farm were sent on an errand for what was supposed to be a quick, uneventful trip to the store to pick up a few items needed for the house....An overseer was in hot pursuit of the man who had the audacity to abandon his post, as if he were free. And his pursuer had every intention of whipping him. Tension was palpable within the walls of the store. The overseer ordered Araminta to help tie down the enslaved man, but she refused, allowing the slave the opportunity to slip out of the store. In fury, the overseer picked up a two-pound weight off the counter and hurled it in the direction of the runaway. Araminta's head received the full force of the iron weight instead. The impact broke her skull, as she later recalled...

"It cut a piece of that shawl clean off and drove in into my head. They carried me to the house all bleeding and fainting. I had no bed, no place to lie down on at all, and they lay me on the seat of a loom, and I stayed there all that day and the next."

She was never treated for her injury and was forced back to work. Harriet is quoted again here:

"I went to work again and there I worked with the blood and sweat rolling down my face till I couldn't see."

 And yet miraculously she went on to accomplish much.

Harriet persevered when most would have given up. Her strength was incredible and her determination brought much change. We can learn a lot from her - to have faith and dependence on God, a strong work ethic, and to never give up on the good fight.

Harriet was a woman to look up to, but more importantly her life showed how to look to God for strength and direction and to put our trust in Him for all things.

1868

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to finding new reads that share her extraordinary life.

I highly recommend this book!



Buy it HERE on Amazon

His Indwelling Spirit

I loved this book! Filled with truthful and beautiful teachings on who the Holy Spirit is and what He does, simply written in quotes.

Here are the chapter headings:

1. Who He Is: God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity
2. What He Does: Leading Us From Glory to Glory
3. Why we Need Him: Imbuing Us With Power
4. Where He Protects Us: Strengthening Our Inner Being
5. How He Transforms Us: Conforming Us to the Likeness of Christ
6. When He works Through Us: Bearing Eternal Fruit

This book is made up of excerpts taken from many of Charles Stanley's writings on the Holy Spirit. Each page contains a quote relating to the chapter as well as a Scripture verse.

Often the Holy Spirit can be over or under emphasized. I loved that this book was balanced and gave us a biblical view of who He is and what He does.

I thought I'd share a few quotes from each chapter here.


1. Who He Is: God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity

"We don't worship three gods. We have one God who exists with three unique functions. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit live in perfect agreement and oneness, with all the same attributes. Each is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, unchanging, equal, and fully God." 

'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.' 2 Corinthians 13:14


"The Holy Spirit is not an apparition, floating about here and there and manifesting Himself in a mysterious, now-you-see-Him, now-you-don't manner...The Holy Spirit is the living personhood of God...the full personality and identity of God resident in us as believers."

'Who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.' 1 Corinthians 2:11


"The word 'helper' is parakletos, which means, 'one who walks alongside, assists us, and is our steadfast companion.' Scripture teaches that every believer has a constant, unending, faithful companion - that is the person of the Holy Spirit."

'The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.' John 14:26


"The Holy Spirit is not a force. He is as much a person as Jesus is. He is the One who walks beside us, our Helper and Comforter. He is the One who gives us assurance of our relationships to the Father. He testifies to each believer, 'You are one of God's children. you have been adopted into the kingdom forever."

'The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.' Romans 8:16


2. What He Does: Leading Us From Glory to Glory

"The Holy Spirit takes up residency in believers - forever. He doesn't just pass through. He makes us His home. He comes to stay." 

'Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body.' 1 Corinthians 6:19-20


"Receiving the Holy Spirit is a onetime event - we receive the Holy Spirit when we receive Christ as our Savior...The decision to grow and to keep on growing is a decision that we must continue to make every day of our lives. We must choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit each and every day." 

'For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.' Colossians 1:9-10


"The Helper sees the depths of your difficulties. He translates your feelings more accurately than you could articulate them yourself. And He comforts you with the knowledge that He understands what you need."

'The Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.' Romans 8:26


"The Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God. And He imparts (that) knowledge to believers."

'We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.' 1 Corinthians 2:12


"The Holy Spirit strengthens your intimacy with the Father by continually drawing you into His presence. However, He does not usher you to the throne of grace simply so you can give the Lord a list of demands. This means He encourages you to share your heart with God but also directs you to pay attention to what the Father is teaching you."

'Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.' Ecclesiastes 5:1-2


3. Why We Need Him: Imbuing Us With Power

"You were saved because God's Holy Spirit moved in you, opened your blind eyes, exposed the Word of God to you, and gave you enough truth by which you could be saved." 

'No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.' John 6:44


"You cannot interpret the Word of God properly, you cannot live a godly life, and you cannot serve the Lord adequately apart from the power of the Holy Spirit working in you."

'To us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.' 1 Corinthians 2:10


"None of us can do the ministry God gives us on our own. That is part of God's plan. We must have His Holy Spirit at work in us." 

'I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.' Luke 24:49 


"When you confront others with the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God speaks through you, taking the Word of God and illuminating their minds to understand the truth. He convicts them of their sins, shows them that the death of Christ was for their forgiveness, and grants them the gift of faith through which they receive Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. It is not up to you to convince anyone. It is God's supernatural work in them that does so." 

'Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.' 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 


4. Where He Protects Us: Strengthening Our Inner Being

"Anything that clashes with what is true is not of the Spirit...Therefore, to walk in the Spirit, we must get serious about guarding our minds." 

'Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.' Proverbs 19:21
  

"The sword of the Spirit - the Word of God - is our defense against satanic attacks. When we face battles, we're not to argue or debate with the enemy. We simply say, 'Here's what God says.' and Scripture teaches that when we do this, the Devil flees." 

'Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm...and take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' Ephesians 6:13,17 


"Stay clear of any teacher, preacher, or anyone else who encourages you to do something, read something, or say something to harness the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's power cannot be harnessed. His power cannot be used to accomplish anything other than the Father's will."

'No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.' 2 Peter 1:21 


"Men and women who claim to be doing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, but who are doing it in such a way to draw attention to the miracle rather than to Christ, are deceivers. Jesus wouldn't have a part of it then, and He will have no part of it now." 

'False Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.' Mark 13:22-23 


"Although you may be facing a situation that makes you feel isolated, helpless, or directionless, understand that you're never alone. The Holy Spirit is with you, to live the life of Christ through you - helping you face every challenge in a godly, victorious manner." 

'The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all...The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will  be condemned.' Psalm 34:18-19,22 


"We live under the protection of the Holy Spirit; nothing can happen to us that God does not allow, and we know that whatever He permits - no matter how bad it may seem - He can turn for our good."

'We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.' Romans 8:28


5. How He Transforms Us: Conforming Us to the Likeness of Christ

"Whereas before you had a general sense of right and wrong, the Holy Spirit began renewing your mind to more specific and complete truths...You participate in this renewal process every time you read your Bible, attend worship, memorize a verse, or pray."

'Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.' Romans 12:2


"It wasn't enough for the Holy Spirit to inspire men to write the Bible. He knew each of us would need someone to lead us through the test as well. So every time a believer opens his or her Bible, the Spirit goes to work to illuminate the Scriptures. In that way, He is able to minister to each of us, at the right pace, according to our particular needs."

'Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.' Romans 15:4


"The Spirit-filled life is a life of faith...The Spirit-filled life is not a formula; it is a relationship, a relationship with a Person - the Holy Spirit."

'We are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.' Philippians 3:3


"Once a person becomes a child of God, the conscience takes on new significance. It becomes a divine tool. It functions as a megaphone in the hands of the Holy Spirit. It becomes the means through which the Holy Spirit reveals the will of God to the mind."

'Our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially towards you.' 2 Corinthians 1:12


6. When He works Through Us: Bearing Eternal Fruit

"The people who do God's work God's way don't wait until their efforts fail before they begin trusting Him. They begin their projects as dependent people. And in most cases, they maintain their dependent spirits until the end."

'Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.' 1 Corinthians 3:7-9


"The Spirit-filled life begins when we are absolutely and thoroughly convinced that we can do nothing apart from the indwelling strength of the Holy Spirit."

'Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.' 2 Corinthians 3:5-6


"It is Christ's life pouring into us that enables us to live the Christian life and to bear the hallmarks of character that we call the fruit of the Spirit."

'I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.' Galatians 2:20 


"This is the will of God: That He can reveal Himself in and through you as a result of the Holy Spirit living within you. This means that from you flows love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - all the fruit of the Spirit that demonstrates His character."

'My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and prove to be My disciples.' John 15:8


"The Holy Spirit has already been poured in...You have all of Him you are ever going to get. The question is, How much of you does He have?"

'My dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.' 1 Corinthians 15:58


"The Spirit is calling out to us to carry out the ministry God has given us. His responsibility is to prepare the Body of Christ - sending us out, motivating us, and empowering us to do the work of getting this world ready for the Lord Jesus to return. "

'The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come, let the one who wishes take th water of life without cost." Revelation 22:17



I really enjoyed reading through this book. I highly recommend it!



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Reflections on the Psalms

In this book, C.S. Lewis shares his thoughts and reflections on the book of Psalms. I've always liked, that through his writings or talks, Lewis gets us thinking, and by so, showing us the way to Jesus. This book is no exception. It will get you thinking on some heavy topics.

For example in chapter four, he talks about death in the Psalms and how it's Jewish poets thought on it and expressed it through their poetry. Lewis reminds us of the nations around Israel (such as Egypt) that were often obsessed with the afterlife and how he felt God didn't want them, or us for that matter, to be as concerned.

Here is what he says of it:

"Is it possible for men to be to much concerned with their eternal destiny? In one sense, paradoxical though it sounds, I should reply, Yes.

For the truth seems to me to be that happiness or misery beyond death, simply in themselves, are not even religious subjects at all. A man who believes in them will of course be prudent to seek the one and avoid the other. but that seems to have no more to do with religion than looking after one's health or saving money for one's old age. 

The only difference here is that the stakes are so very much higher. 

And this means that, granted a real and steady conviction, the hopes and anxieties aroused are overwhelming. But they are not on that account the more religious. They are hopes for oneself, anxieties for oneself. God is not the center. He is still important only for the sake of something else. Indeed such a belief can exist without a belief in God at all. Buddhists are much concerned with what will happen to them after death, but are not, in a true sense, Theists.

It is surely, therefore, very possible that when God began to reveal Himself to men, to show them that He and nothing else is their true goal and the satisfaction of their needs, and that He has a claim upon them simply by being what He is, quite apart from anything He can bestow or deny, it may have been absolutely necessary that this revelation should not begin with any hint of future Beatitude or Perdition. 

These are not the right points to begin at. An effective belief in them, coming too soon, may even render almost impossible the development of ( so to call it) the appetite for God; personal hopes and fears, too obviously exciting, have got in first. Later, when, after centuries of spiritual training, men have learned to desire and adore God, to pant after Him 'as pants the hart', it is another matter. For then those who love God will desire not only to enjoy Him but 'to enjoy Him forever', and will fear to lose Him."             Pgs. 45-47

It's easy to get caught up in the hope of heaven, which is a gift, and end up turning it into an idol. When instead, we should be desiring the gift-giver, God Himself.

As Christians, we should look to the Lord and rejoice in who He is.

And desire to enjoy Him forever.


"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:18


"It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:9


"May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!” Psalm 70:4


Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4




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Church History in Plain Language

I finally finished reading this book! And it was a good one. It was set up with short chapters with different time periods and stages of the church, which was ideal for reading a chapter here or there.

Why is church history important? Because it's important to God. Many times in Scripture God uses reminders of times gone by to bring His people back to Him.

History is important. Especially church history, it helps us learn and discern what has pleased God and what hasn't. Every story told in Scripture is to bring us closer to Him, to see His love for us and to show us who He is.

History is important because it contains our brothers and sisters in Christ. Those who went before us and stood for truth and justice. They weren't perfect, but our God is and they trusted Him.

The author says here in the prologue, of the importance of church history for the Christian:

"Many Christians today suffer from historical amnesia. The time between the apostles and their own day is one giant blank. That is hardly what God had in mind. 

The Old Testament is sprinkled with reminders of God's interest in time. 

When He established the Passover for the children of Israel, he said, 'Tell your son...it will be like a sign...that the Lord brought us out of Egypt' (Ex. 13:8,16, NIV). And when he provided the manna in the wilderness, he commanded Moses to keep a jar of it 'for the generations to come' (Ex. 16:33, NIV)."

This book is a great start to learning about church history.

I thought I'd share a few interesting historical church facts here, from this book.

How the church was called the church:

"The disciples called their new movement 'The Way,' emphasizing their belief that Jesus would lead his followers to the kingdom of God. Before long, however, the Jerusalem community came to speak of itself  by an Old Testament term used to refer to the assembly of Israel. The Greek equivalent was ekklesia (or church in English) and meant a gathering of people, God's people." Page 18

Explaining theology: 

"Theology comes from two Greek words: theos, meaning God, and logos, meaning word or rational thought. So theology is rational thought about God. It is not identical with religion. Religion is our belief in God and our effort to live by that belief. Theology is the attempt to give a rational explanation of our belief: it is thinking about religion. 

When we err in our thinking we call it heresy or bad theology. Heresy is not necessarily bad religion, but like all wrong thinking it may lead to bad religion.

Heretics, in fact, served the church in an unintended way. Their pioneering attempts to state the truth forced the church to shape good theology: a rounded, well-organized statement of biblical revelation... Page 50

...But theology, don't forget, is not synonymous with God's revelation and effort to express it clearly in teaching and preaching. Theology is using our own language and our own way of thinking to explain God's truth. and we know that people belonging to different times and cultures simply think and speak in different ways." Page 52

On Orthodoxy:

"Good theology we call orthodox, a term that always seems to stir emotions. It is that form of Christianity that won the support of the overwhelming majority of Christians and that is expressed by most of the official proclamations or creeds of the church... Page 50

...Much of orthodoxy was articulated because some heresy had arisen that threatened to change the nature of Christianity and to destroy its central faith... Page 51

About Constantine's conversion, the first Christian leader of Rome: 

 "Some historians have considered Constantine's 'conversion' a purely political maneuver. Plenty of paganism remained. He conspired; he murdered; he even retained his title Pontifex Maximus as head of the state religious cult. 

But a purely political conversion is hard to maintain in the light of his public and private actions. From the year 312, he favored Christianity openly. He allowed Christian ministers to enjoy the same exemption from taxes as the pagan priests; he abolished executions by crucifixion; he called a halt to the battles of gladiators as a punishment for crimes; and in 321 he made Sunday a public holiday. Thanks to his generosity, magnificent church buildings arose as evidence of his support of Christianity... Page 100

...This public Christianity was matched by changes in Constantine's private life. Making no secret of his Christian convictions, he had his sons and daughters brought up as Christians and led a Christian family life." Page 101

How earthly freedom can bring false converts:

Whatever Constantine's motives for adopting the Christian faith, the result was a decline in Christian commitment. The stalwart believers whom Diocletian killed were replaced by a mixed multitude of half-converted pagans. Once Christians had laid down their lives for the truth; now they slaughtered each other to secure the prizes of the church." Page 127

At a time when heresies were abounding about who Jesus was (325-451), some saying he was created, some that he was not fully God, and others saying he wasn't fully human, the church fathers at the time wrote this creed at the forth General Council of Chalcedon. One most Christians believe today:

"We all with one voice confess our Lord Jesus Christ one and the same Son, at once complete in godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man,...acknowledged in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, or without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way abolished because of the union, but rather the characteristic property of each nature being preserved, and coming together to form one person." Page 122

The pros and cons of the monastic life of the middle ages:

"...the Benedictine conception of the Christian life was essentially unnatural. 'To enter a monastery was to separate from the world, to abandon the ordinary relationships of social life,' to shun marriage and all that the Christian home signifies. and supporting the whole endeavor was an erroneous view of man. The soul, said the monk, is chained to the flesh as a prisoner to a corpse. That is not the biblical view of human life, and it created a fundamental flaw in monasticism. 

To recognize these errors today, however, is not to say that the faults were apparent to the men of the declining Roman Empire or the Middle Ages. For them, generally, the monastic calling seemed the truest form of the Christian life. Nor should we, in noting the evils of monasticism, underrate in the least the immense service the monks rendered in the spread and development of Christianity and of civilization in a trying period of European history." Page 132

On the Roman Church and the pope:

"The papacy is a highly controversial subject. No other institution has been so loved and so hated. Some Christians have revered the pope as the 'Vicar of Christ'; others have denounced him as the  'Anti-Christ.' 

All sides agree, however, that Leo (*the first official pope 440AD) represents an important stage in the history of this unique institution. He demonstrates the papacy's capacity to adapt to different environments in its long history: the Roman Empire, the Germanic kingdoms of the Middle Ages, the national states of modern times, and today the developing worlds of Asia and Africa...

...According to the official teaching of the Roman Catholic church, defined at the First Vatican Council (1870), Jesus Christ established the papacy with the apostle Peter, and the bishop of Rome as Peter's successor bears the supreme authority (primacy) over the whole church, Both Eastern Orthodox churches and Protestant denominations deny both of these claims...

...Our primary concern, however, is neither the vindication nor the refutation of the Roman Catholic claims. It is a survey of Christian history. Whatever the absolute claims of church authorities, history indicates that the concept of papal rule of the whole church was established by slow and painful stages. Leo is a major figure in that process because he provides for the first time the biblical and theological bases of the papal claim. That is why it is misleading to speak of the papacy before his time." Page 142

 On the Orthodox Church in Russia:

"Over the years Russia made the aesthetic glories of Orthodox Christianity her own. Gradually Moscow came to see herself as the leader of the Orthodox world. A theory developed that there had been one Rome, in Italy, that had fallen to the barbarians and to the Roman Catholic heresy. There had been a second Rome: Constantinople. And when that fell to the Turks, there was a third Rome: Moscow. The emperor took his title from the first Rome - Tzar is the same word as Caesar - just as he had taken his religion from the second." Page 160

Martin Luther in 1517 shook the religious world by protesting against the evils within the Catholic Church and proclaiming, by Scripture, that man was saved by faith alone:

"Luther saw it clearly now. Man is saved only by his faith in the merit of Christ's sacrifice. The cross alone can remove man's sin and save him for the grasp of the devil. Luther had come to his famous doctrine of justification by faith alone...

...The implications of Luther's discovery were enormous. If salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, the intercession of priests is superfluous. faith formed and nurtured by the Word of God, written and preached, requires no monks, no masses, and no prayers to the saints. The mediation of the Church of Rome crumbles into insignificance." Page 249-250

"Good works do not make a man good, but a good man does good works." Martin Luther

On Protestantism:

What is Protestantism? The description from Ernst Troeltsch has served as a standard. In the early twentieth century he called Protestantism a 'modification of Catholicism' in which Catholic problems remain but different solutions are given. The four questions that Protestantism answered in a new way are, 

(1) How is a person saved? 
(2) Where does religious authority lie? 
(3) What is the church? and 
(4) what is the essence of Christian living?... Page 248

...Luther took four basic Catholic concerns and offered invigorating new answers. 

To the question, how is a person saved? Luther replied, 'not by works but by faith alone.' 

To the question, where does religious authority lie? he answered, 'not in the visible institution called the Roman church but in the Word of God found in the Bible.' 

To the question, what is the church? he responded, ' the whole community of Christian believers, since all are priests before God.' 

And to the question, what is the essence of christian living? he replied, ' serving God in any useful calling, whether ordained or lay.' 

To this day any classical description of Protestantism must echo those central truths." Page 257

 On Denominations:

"Denominationalism, as originally designed, is the opposite of sectarianism. A sect claims the authority of Christ for itself alone. It believes that it is the true body of Christ; all truth belongs to it and to no other religion. So by definition a sect is exclusive.

The word denomination by contrast was an inclusive term. It implied that the Christian group called or denominated by a particular name was but one member of a larger group, the church, to which all denominations belong.

The denominational theory of the church, then, insists that the true church cannot be identified with any single ecclesiastical structure. No denomination claims to represent the whole church of Christ. Each simply constitutes a different form, in worship and organization, of the larger life of the church.

The Reformers had planted the seeds of the denominational theory of the church when they insisted that the true church can never be identified in any exclusive sense with a particular institution. The true succession is not of bishops but of believers." Pages 318-319

These quotes are barely the beginning of the information about the Church found in this book, but I'd be typing for days if I added everything I'd like to share!

I highly recommend this book! I'll leave you with this final quote from the author:

"Its (*the church's) confidence is in a person. And no other person in recorded history has influenced more people in as many conditions over so long a time as Jesus Christ...

...Truly, he is a man for all time. In a day when many regard him as irrelevant, a relic of a quickly discarded past, church history provides a quiet testimony that Jesus Christ will not disappear from the scene. His title may change, but his truth endures for all generations." Page 521



Note: *added my me. 



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All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment

"The goal of discernment is not to simply avoid the evil in this life; it is to learn what is good so that we might embrace and enjoy it." Hannah Anderson
 
This book started out talking about pies.

And I thought...'I don't know if I'm going to get through this one!' But I'm so glad I stuck with it. It was filled with such wisdom and truth.

This book addresses the commands of Philippians 4:8...

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." 

Here are the chapter headings:

1. Taste and See
2. The Good Earth
3. Worldly Wise
4. Whatever is True
5. Whatever is Honorable
6. Whatever is Just
7. Whatever is Pure
8. Whatever is Lovely
9. Whatever is Commendable
10. Every Good Gift
11. Our Common Good

I thought I'd share a bit from chapter 9: Whatever is Commendable.

The author says here of what is commendable:

"When someone blasphemes, they denigrate or speak inappropriately about things that deserve honor and respect, including things of a religious or sacred nature...

...By extension then, seeking whatever is 'commendable' means giving attention to both what we talk about and how we talk about it.

Becoming discerning people includes developing a taste for things that should be communicated and avoiding things that are best left unsaid or unuttered. It's understanding that what a person chooses to talk about reveals as much about them as what they say about it. 

It's knowing that what we give attention to will shape us and the world in which we live. It's aligning ourselves with people who speak well and becoming those people ourselves."

And here:

"...when the Scripture calls us to whatever is commendable, it is calling us to something greater than niceness - it's calling us to speak what is right and good. It is calling us to speech that is richer and more robust than either platitudes or silence. 

Remember that discernment is not concerned primarily with our social comfort. It is concerned with goodness. And sometimes pursuing goodness will lead us outside the boundaries of polite conversation."

When we think about Philippians 4:8 we often skim over this word. It's easier to think about what is true, what is lovely, what is just, but we often forget about what is commendable.

Commendable means we must speak out.

The author says here:

"When we simply won't speak against evil - whether because we have a vested interest in maintaining status quo or because we're preserving our own sense of comfort - we enable it to continue. 

When we refuse to expose the things done in secret, when we are silent in the face of wrongdoing, we become party to it by the simple fact that we have done nothing to stop it. 

As Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel observes, 'Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentors, never the tormented.' 

Instead of encouraging silence. Paul calls us to use our words to expose evil, to literally call it out."

I can think of many evil things going on in the world right now, things unspeakable, yet the world tells you these evils are good. Speak out. Encourage each other to think on what is commendable.

Embrace what is good and teach it to your children.

I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.



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Devoted: Great Men and Their Godly Moms

This book consists of eleven chapters about the devoted mothers of great Christian men. These were originally postings, Tim Challies the author, had written on his blog. Each chapter also includes a section called 'A Mothers Reflection', which was written by Melissa Edgington.

Here are the chapter heading:

1.   The Hidden Strength of a Weak Mother - John Newton
2.   The Prayer of a Godly Mother - Hudson Taylor 
3.   The Unbreakable Bond of Training and Tenderness - J. Gresham Machen 
4.   The Perseverance of a Godly Mother - Christopher Yuan
5.   The Power of a Godly Mother's Surrender - William Borden
6.   The Lasting Influence of a Mother's Devotion - Charles Hodge
7.   The Quiet Grace of the Ordinary - John Piper
8.   The Virtue of a Pleading Mother - Charles Spurgeon
9.   The Patience of a Godly Mother - Augustine
10. The Impact of a Hard-Working Mother - D. L. Moody
11. No Greater Accolade - Timothy

One thing these mothers had in common was prayer. They prayed for their children.

I thought I'd share one of Melissa's reflections that I found encouraging:

"One thing we can remember, especially in light of this story, is that even when you are at your absolute weakest as a mother - when you feel like a complete failure, when you feel you aren't doing anything right, when you feel that you are lacking most everything you need in order to show your children how to live for Christ - you can always pray. 

That is one thing that even a little child can do. You can always sit at Jesus' feet and pour out your sorrows, your anxieties, and you can take those precious babies that you feel you are royally messing up and lay them at his feet, knowing that you are too weak and too imperfect to bear the weight of saving them yourself.

Any mother who is at the end of her parenting rope and is all out of strength and ideas and just about out of hope for her children, can pray. She can find all the power and strength that she needs there, not in herself, but in Christ."

Later, in chapter eight,Tim Challies says this of prayer:

"...our prayers really do make a difference, and they're the ultimate way to love our children." 

This is what stood out for me in this small book of 124 pages: The power of a praying mother, more accurately, the power of Christ in a praying mother.

I really enjoyed these stories and highly recommend this book!


Note: Here is a link to another post I shared about prayer from Oswald Chambers... Prayer: A Holy Occupation





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Respectable Sins

"Now after John (the baptist) was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  Mark 1:14-15

Sin is something we don't like to think about.

And often Christians refuse to even talk about it, worried they may offend. But it's something we all do and something we all can find forgiveness for.

Sin is basically rebellion against God and His character. For example when we hate, we are going against God who is - love, when we are impatient or prideful or selfish or unfaithful we are in conflict with God, who is patient, humble, selfless and faithful. In other words everything that is good is of God and anything that rebels against His goodness is sin.

And all sin grieves God.

This book deals with those sins we all commit but often sweep under the carpet and try to justify by saying, 'everyone does them.'

But the truth is they still need to be dealt with, within our own hearts.

Jerry Bridges says here:

"This book, as the title announces, is about sin - not the obvious sins of our culture but the subtle sins of believers, the target audience of this book. So let me say up front that I am not without the sins addressed in this book. In fact, you will find that I sometimes use my own sad experiences as examples of some of these sins.

The motivation for this book stems from a growing conviction that those of us whom I call conservative evangelicals may have become so preoccupied with some of the major sins of society around us that we have lost sight of the need to deal with our own more 'refined' or subtle sins."

The good news is the gospel. God sent a way for our sins to be forgiven and forgotten. To be wiped away as far as the east is from the west through His son Jesus Christ.

He continues here:

"While seeking to address these 'respectable' sins, however, I also want this to be a book of hope. We are never to wallow hopelessly in our sins. Rather, we are to believe the gospel through which God has dealt with both the guilt of our sin and its dominion over us...

...Many Christians think of the gospel as only for unbelievers. Once we trust in Christ, so the thinking goes, we no longer need the gospel. But as I seek to bring out in this book, the gospel is a vital gift from God not only for our salvation but also to enable us to deal with the ongoing activity of sin in our lives. So we still need the gospel every day."

Here are the chapter headings:

 1. Ordinary Saints
 2. The Disappearance of Sin
 3. The Malignancy of Sin
 4. The Remedy for Sin
 5. The Power of the Holy Spirit
 6. Directions for Dealing with Sins
 7. Ungodliness
 8. Anxiety and Frustration 
 9. Discontentment 
10. Unthankfulness
11. Pride
12. Selfishness
13. Lack of Self-Control
14. Impatience and Irritability
15. Anger
16. The Weeds of Anger
17. Judgmentalism
18. Envy, Jealousy, and Related Sins
19. Sins of the Tongue
20. Worldliness
21. Where Do We Go from Here?

There were chapters in this book which were hard to read. I think everyone will find at least a few they don't like! But it's because they deal with the sins we struggle with the most.

Reading through this book made me appreciate the grace of God and how wonderful and amazing it really is. He truly is good!

This is the first book I've read by Jerry Bridges and I'm looking forward to reading more by him. His writing style was easy to get through and his humility was apparent throughout the book. I really appreciated that. Instead of pointing the finger, he included himself with us, as a sinner who needed the grace of God daily.

He understood the power of God and how He can change a heart through repentance, and he gave the glory to Him.

I'll leave you with this quote from Charles Spurgeon on repentance and grace. It's a reminder that we need God's grace on a daily basis...

“Repentance grows as faith grows. Do not make any mistake about it; repentance is not a thing of days and weeks, a temporary penance to be got over as fast as possible! No; it is the grace of a lifetime, like faith itself. God's little children repent, and so do the young men *(and women) and the fathers *(and mothers). Repentance is the inseparable companion of faith.” 



NOTE: *italics added by me.

Faithfulness & Holiness: The Witness of J.C. Ryle

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very interesting to learn about J.C. Ryle (1816-1900), and what he taught.

His book 'Holiness,' which is included in this biography, is one of my favorites.

J.I. Packer, the author of this bio, expressed a fondness and respect for J.C. Ryle and I could tell he looked up to him as a leader in the church.

J.C. Ryle was an Anglican pastor in Victorian England, who had a passion for Christ and His Word. A man who stood his ground when it came to orthodoxy, as well as loved his people and family well. One thing that fascinated me, was Ryle's love of the Puritans and their teachings. I haven't read a lot of Puritan literature but this book piqued my interest and I'm looking forward to adding some to my TBR!

J. I. Packer says here:

"Ryle looked to the seventeenth-century Puritans as classic evangelicals, and made no secret of being 'a thorough lover of Puritan theology.' "

J.C. Ryle says here:

"For myself, I can only say, that the very reason why many in this day dislike the Puritans is the very reason why I love them... They deserve honor, in my opinion, on account of their bold and outspoken Protestantism. They deserve honor on account of their clear, sharply-cut, distinct Evangelicalism. I want to see their writings more widely read, and their conduct more fairly judged and duly appreciated by English Churchmen...As long as I live, I hope I shall never be ashamed to stand up for them."

In the last chapter of this book Packer expresses and explains his love of the puritan writers as well.

After finishing this book I have a greater appreciation for J.C. Ryle and what he taught. He held Scripture up to the highest of standards and honored God with his devotion to His truth. The gospel of Jesus Christ was the center of his preaching and of his own life.

J.C. Ryle says here of what should be taught from the pulpit:

"All the simplicity in the world can do no good, unless you preach the simple gospel of Jesus Christ so fully and clearly that everyone can understand it. If Christ crucified has not his rightful place in your sermons, and sin is not exposed as it should be, and your people are not plainly told what they ought to believe, and be, and do, your preaching is of no use."

Strong words, but desperately needed in our churches today.

I also loved that J.C. Ryle was a reader. : ) He loved to think about what he read and how it could be applied.

He says here of reading great Christian books:

"...books in which Scripture is reverently regarded as the only rule of faith and practice - books in which Christ and the Holy Ghost have their rightful office - books in which justification, and sanctification, and regeneration, and faith, and grace, and holiness are clearly, distinctly, and accurately delineated, and exhibited...are books which do real good."

I agree. Christian books that center on Christ, do real good.

If you are looking for a masterpiece on Christian living, I highly recommend 'Holiness' by J.C. Ryle, and if you would like to get to know this man better, I recommend this book on his life as well.

I will leave you with one of my favorite J.C. Ryle quotes from his book 'Holiness.' It shows his heart, and that his heart is with Christ:

"Christ loves His people to lean on Him, to rest in Him, to call on Him, to abide in Him.

Let us all learn and strive to do so more and more. 

Let us live on Christ. Let us live in Christ. Let us live with Christ. Let us live to Christ. 

So doing, we shall prove that we fully realize that 'Christ is all.' So doing we shall feel great peace, and attain more of that 'holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.' (Heb. 12:14)"



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