Pilgrim's Progress: Ignorance Falls Behind

Now having had dialog with Ignorance for some time - Ignorance making his Confession of a Fantasy, False and Deceptive Faith - Christian and Hopeful making a good explanation of the True Gospel including in wonderful summary who Jesus IS - The son of God from all eternity manifest in the flesh, and what HE has DONE: Living and Dying and Raised again as our substitute and representative, in whose righteousness we are covered and will be safe and spotless on the judgment day - Ignorance having no stomach for anymore GOOD NEWS falls behind saying as follows:

Ignorance: You go so fast I cannot keep pace with you; do you go on before: I must stay a while behind.

Then they said,

“Well, Ignorance, wilt thou yet foolish be,
To slight good counsel, ten times given thee?
And if thou yet refuse it, thou shalt know,
Ere long, the evil of thy doing so.
Remember, man, in time: stoop, do not fear:
Good counsel, taken well, saves; therefore hear.
But if thou yet shalt slight it, thou wilt be
The loser, Ignorance, I’ll warrant thee.”

I REALLY ENJOY THE POETRY of John Bunyan. Perhaps it because having invested so much in the Pilgrim's Progress these poems are full of meaning. I suggest READ the above poem ALOUD and you to will find it wonderful.

Pilgrim's Progress: The Just God Justly Justifies

Can you sing with our good friend Hopeful, O' for a 1000 Gallons of Blood to Spill...please read on for explanation.

Fearful of falling asleep in the Enchanted Ground, Christian and Hopeful discuss Hopeful's conversion. Christian now directs Hopeful to explain specifically how the Gospel effected his Spirit, "This was a revelation of Christ to your soul indeed. But tell me particularly what effect this had upon your spirit."

Hopeful answers firstly:
"It made me see that all the world, notwithstanding all the righteousness thereof, is in a state of condemnation. -- The WHOLE WORLD IS CONDEMNED.

The secondly:

"It made me see that God the Father though he be just, can justly justify the coming sinner."

Great sentence, the JUST GOD can JUSTLY JUSTIFY the COMING-SINNER! How can this be? How can God be JUST and YET JUSTIFY JUSTLY THE UNJUST?

For answer to this we look back in the conversation where first we see a number of scriptures linked together naturally by Hopeful as he lays out the Gospel he was bidden to believe:
"...as I thought, I saw the Lord Jesus looking down from heaven upon me, and saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31. But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very great sinner: and he answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Cor 12:9. Then I said, But, Lord, what is believing? And then I saw from that saying, “He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst,” John 6:35, that believing and coming was all one; and that he that came, that is, that ran out in his heart and affections after salvation by Christ, he indeed believed in Christ. Then the water stood in mine eyes, and I asked further, But, Lord, may such a great sinner as I am be indeed accepted of thee, and be saved by thee? And I heard him say, “And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. Then I said, But how, Lord, must I consider of thee in my coming to thee, that my faith may be placed aright upon thee? Then he said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Tim 1:15. He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. Rom 10:4, and chap. 4. He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification. Rom 4:25. He loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Rev 1:5. He is the Mediator between God and us. 1 Tim 2:5. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Heb 7:25. "

Oh I HOPE YOU are still reading along BECAUSE I truly want you to CATCH NOW THE EXPLANATION HOPEFUL MAKES and the CONCLUSION HE DRAWS:
"From all which I gathered, that I must look for righteousness in his person, and for satisfaction for my sins by his blood: that what he did in obedience to his Father’s law, and in submitting to the penalty thereof, was not for himself, but for him that will accept it for his salvation, and be thankful."
1) LOOK FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS IN HIS PERSON.

2) SATISFACTION by his BLOOD.

3) He did what he did in obedience to his Father's law.

4) Submitting to the penalty thereof, was not for himself but for the one who believe on HIM....and be thankful.

BUT WAIT... there is more. Not only in the short space of our story do we have the GOSPEL succinctly stated, Penal Substitutionary Atonement wonderful described, biblical support detailed, but there is more......

NOW is the sanctifying power of the GOSPEL on display as Hopeful further describes the effects upon his soul. "It made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and confounded me with the sense of mine own ignorance; for there never came a thought into my heart before now that showed me so the beauty of Jesus Christ. It made me love a holy life, and long to do something for the honor and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus. Yea, I thought that had I now a thousand gallons of blood in my body, I could spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus."

Bunyan I love you, I love you for the beautiful description, instruction, and counsel which again and again and again and again once more you pour into my ears and which by grace is sinking all the way down into my heart.
The effect of the gospel upon my soul is:
1) Make me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life.
2) Confounds me with a sense of mine own ignorance.
3) So great does the gospel show me the BEAUTY of Jesus Christ.
4) It makes me to LOVE a HOLY Life,
5) And puts in me to LONG to do for the HONOR and GLORY of the LORD JESUS.
6) Longing... IF only I had 1000 gallons of blood, I COULD spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus.

The gospel has sanctifying power. Look not to the law for enablement and promise, it's not there. The gospel is the power of God unto Salvation. Rom 1:16.

Christmas Shoe Box and The Gospel

As part of Operation Christmas Child a Ministry of Samaritan's Purse my three little girls each packed a shoe box. Wanting to really love on the child who would recieve her box my 11 year old enclosed the note pictured above. Please click on the picture to enlarge the image.

click here for more on Operation Christmas Child.

Gospel Summary

Read this today on Provocations and Panting, who read it on Ligonier Minstries. Excellent Summary of the Gospel by Jeremiah Burroughs from his book, GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS:

The gospel of Christ is the good tidings that God has revealed concerning Christ. As all mankind was lost in Adam and became the children of wrath, put under the sentence of death, God, though He left His fallen angels and has reserved them in the chains of eternal darkness, yet He has thought upon the children of men and has provided a way of atonement to reconcile them to Himself again.

The second Person in the Trinity takes man’s nature upon Himself, and becomes the Head of a second covenant, standing charged with sin. He answers for it by suffering what the law and divine justice required, and by making satisfaction for keeping the law perfectly. This satisfaction and righteousness He tenders up to the Father as a sweet savor of rest for the souls that are given to Him.

And now this mediation of Christ is, by the appointment of the Father, preached to the children of men, of whatever nation or rank, freely offering this atonement unto sinners for atonement, requiring them to believe in Him and, upon believing, promising not only a discharge of all their former sins, but that they shall not enter into condemnation, that none of their sins or unworthiness shall ever hinder the peace of God with them, but that they shall through Him be received into the number of those who shall have the image of God again to be renewed unto them, and that they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

That these souls and bodies shall be raised to that height of glory that such creatures are capable of, that they shall live forever enjoying the presence of God and Christ, in the fullness of all good, is the gospel of Christ. This is the sum of the gospel that is preached unto sinners.

ht: Timmy Brister

What is the Gospel? D.M. Lloyd-Jones

Found this wonderful quote by D. M. Lloyd-Jones over on Monergism.com. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Rom 1:16

• FULL MESSAGE
• DYING MEN
• FULL ORBED DOCTRINE OF THE GRACE OF GOD
• NOT ONLY ADDRESSING THE HEART BUT BEGIN WITH THE HEAD PRESENTING TRUTH TO IT

Enjoy:

"We must have the full message. . . 'deliver the whole counsel of God'. . . . It starts with the Law. The Law of God ... the demands of a righteous God, the wrath of God. That is the way to bring men and women to conviction; not by modifying the Truth.... We must confront them with the fact that they are men and that they are fallible men, that they are dying men, that they are sinful men, and that they will all have to stand before God at the Bar of Eternal Judgement....And then we must present to them the full-orbed doctrine of the Grace of God in Salvation in Jesus Christ. We must show that no man is saved 'by the deeds of the Law', by his own goodness or righteousness, or church membership or anything else, but solely, utterly, entirely by the free gift of God in Jesus Christ His Son. . . . We must preach the full-orbed doctrine leaving nothing out-conviction of sin, the reality of Judgement and Hell, free grace, justification, sanctification, glorification. We must also show that there is a world view in the Bible ... that here alone you can understand history-past history, present history, future history. Let us show this great world view, and God's Eternal purpose.... Let us at the same time be very careful that we are giving it to the whole man ... the gospel is not only for a man's heart, that you start with his head and present Truth to it ... Let us show that it is a great message given by God which we in turn pass on to the mind, to the heart, to the will. There is ever this danger of leaving out some part or other of man's personality... Let us be certain that we address the whole man-his mind, his emotions and his will."
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones The Weapons of our Warfare pg. 21-22

What is the Gospel? Jeremiah Burroughs

Found this wonderful quote by Jeremiah Burroughs over on Monergism.com:

"The gospel of Christ in general is this: It is the good tidings that God has revealed concerning Christ. More largely it is this: As all mankind was lost in Adam and became the children of wrath, put under the sentence of death, God, though He left His fallen angels and has reserved them in the chains of eternal darkness, yet He has thought upon the children of men and has provided a way of atonement to reconcile them to Himself again...Namely, the second person of the Trinity takes man's nature upon Himself, and becomes the Head of a second covenant, standing charged with sin. He answers for it by suffering what the law and divine justice required, and by making satisfaction by keeping the law perfectly, which satisfaction and righteousness He tenders up to the Father as a sweet savor of rest for the souls that are given to Him...And now this mediation of Christ is, by the appointment of the Father, preached to the children of men, of whatever nation or rank, freely offering this atonement unto sinners for atonement, requiring them to believe in Him and, upon believing, promising not only a discharge of all their former sins, but that they shall not enter into condemnation, that none of their sins or unworthiness shall ever hinder the peace of God with them, but that they shall through Him be received into the number of those who shall have the image of God again to be renewed unto them, and they they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation."
Jeremiah Burroughs

THE WORLD WE ALL WANT

Haven't seen the movie, 22 year daughter did. This article isn't really about the movie, it's about an idea the movie triggered.

On Jan 12, 2010, Over on Church Matters: The 9Marks blog was an article about the recent news piece concerning the apparent affect Avatar was having on some people. After watching Avatar some people were reporting falling into serious depression or even suicidal thoughts. 9Marks, Michael Mckinley quotes one fan as writing:

"Ever since I went to see 'Avatar' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it... I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

Then Michael Mckinley goes on to say:

"...I think the reaction that people are having is completely reasonable; in fact I am amazed that it takes a movie to make them depressed. The world is a broken place. We instinctively know that it shouldn't be this way. Something has gone wrong.

This is why I really like The World We All Want, a small book by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis.

It uses Biblical Theology to communicate the gospel message. I find it particularly helpful because most unbelievers nowadays don't begin with the assumption that they are sinners. There's no "point of contact" there. But people do know that the world's a broken place, and we all feel a desire for a better world to live in. Hence all the Avatar-inspired depression.

TWWAW begins at that point of agreement and works back (or forward) to the idea of sin, redemption, and restoration. We've used it in evangelistic Bible studies and I've used it one on one with people. It's a great resource."

Mckinley's article arrested my attention and I ordered The World We All Want. Received the book yesterday and read it over my lunch hour over the past two days. Short book. I think the main body of the book was 77 pages long. I really liked it.

The book is written for an audience that has no biblical background. The subtitle of the book was "a course on how the Bible really works."

The booklet contains several "biblical extracts." Usually these are about a page to a page and half of text straight out of the NIV translation of the bible and relevant to the aspect currently under discussion.

Writing from memory, here is how I recollect the flow of the book:

(I found the title and bible passages online here)

FIRST:

Title:	God promises the world we all want
Bible Passages:	Revelation 21-22 and Mark 5

A discussion of what kind of world we want, with quotes from Revelation concerning no more tears and no more dying. Kind of an open discussion format also, hoping for a world without sickness and without poverty, without war and famines and tragedies and disasters. A world where we all get along in peace and happiness.

SECOND:

Title:	Jesus shows us God's new world
Bible Passages:	Mark 4-5 and Mark 8

Quotes from the gospel showing how Jesus gives us glimpses of "The world we all want." Jesus raising the dead, Jesus healing the sick, Jesus feeding the multitude. Demonstrating that Jesus, himself, has the power to create "The world we all want."

THIRD:

Title:	We have spoiled God's good world
Bible Passages:	Genesis 1-3

We go to Genesis, to the garden Eden, where we see what happened there. How sin entered into the world resulting in the GREAT FALL. Death entered and disease and hardship through the rebellion of Adam the representative of all mankind. God made the world very good but we messed it up.

FOURTH:

Title:	God promises a new world
Bible Passages:	Genesis 12 and 15 and Romans 4

Next to Abraham and the promise God made. A promise of a people who would believe in him and enjoy a land of plenty. I really liked in this chapter how the authors showed that GOD PROMISED A PEOPLE. Not just that God promised "to a people" but that he promised there would be a people. He made this promise to Abraham saying through the seed of Abraham many Nations would be blessed.

FIFTH:

Title:	We cannot create the God's new world
Bible Passages:	Nehemiah 9 and Ezekiel 36

It must be a world that God will create. To illustrate this we go to the nation Israel. A nation to which were given good laws through Moses. A nation that again and again proved that WE cannot create this world, God must do it. We mess it up. There was some quotes from Nehemiah and others where the long history of Israel is rehearsed.

SIXTH:

Title:	We can enjoy God's new world because of Jesus
Bible Passages:	Mark 15-16

Here is shown how Jesus made the way for his people to come to this world we all want and how therefore it was good that Jesus died. Jesus died in our place and for our sins. He did what he did as a representative so that all that are in Him will be counted as righteous. Some quotes here from the gospels and Romans 4. Also, that he rose from the grave on the third day having accomplished the work he came to do.

The bible is a book about God from beginning to End. And what he is doing here, he does for his own glory. We are even taken to Eze 36, to see how God said "it wasn't for your sakes but for my holy names sake that I will do this."

SEVENTH:

Title:	Christians are God's people waiting for God's new world
Bible Passages:	Acts 1-2

Here there was an emphasis on the community of believers who comprise his people and how this community should be and is intended to be a foretaste of the World we all want. The gospel is tied in with God's Church and God's purposes that his church should be to his glory. In this chapter we read that "Christians are a people who wait for the world God will create."

----------------------------------

I probably haven't done justice to the book here. But perhaps this will provide a flavor of how this book might be used as an evangelistic tool. Part of the methodology used in the book includes intermittent thought provoking questions. And questions to test the comprehension of the reader or student as you discuss your way through the book. Also, the book includes a series of pictures to correspond to each of the seven sections. The pictures were designed simplistically enough that one could draw them up during a course of discussion if so desired. Which is the author's purpose in the picture simplicity.

At the back of the book is about two pages of Leaders Guide material, with suggested methods and web links to talks corresponding to the sections of the book. Talks that could be used straight up as an aid in teaching or simply as a learning device for the leader. The book could be used in a variety of settings including: one on one, home groups, Sunday schools, and especially in these settings as an evangelistic aid. I actually purchased the book with my wife also in mind as a possible help in jail ministry.

I probably enjoyed it most for the reason: the book took me from Genesis to Revelation unfolding the gospel revelation in very simple terms, God-Centered and Gospel rich.

SOME LINKS OF INTEREST RELATED TO THIS ARTICLE:

Online Outline of The world we all Want, plus the pdf's for the talks through the chapters are found also at this link. click here

The Article, itself on 9Marks: http://blog.9marks.org/2010/01/avatar-suicide-and-the-gospel.html

A description of the book: http://www.thecrowdedhouse.org/books/what_we_all_want

The CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/avatar.movie.blues/index.html

Blog Post on Avatar, The Gospel According to James Cameron, http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/12/21/avatar-the-gospel-according-to-james-cameron/

Boomer-in-the-Pew's reaction to Avatar: http://www.boomerinthepew.com/2009/12/avatar-on-imax-3d-pantheism-and-ross-douthat.html

The Gospel in a Box of Love

It was my joy today to lead in praying, dedicating to God's purposes the Christmas Boxes so lovingly prepared by my brothers and sisters in Christ and delivered to our church today soon to be sent off for parts around the world. Praying for our great savior to receive all the glory, for his gospel to enter into the ears and sink down into the hearts of the little boys and girls receiving these boxes. It's exciting to to think what blessing the recipients may enjoy. Some knowing Christ, comforted a little, finding some joy that though we do not know them yet we are loving them for Christ's sake. Others, hearing for the first time the name of Jesus and discovering the glorious gospel revealing just who is Jesus and what great things he has done. With this blessing in mind, my three little girls enclosed brief notes of encouragement to be read by whomever receives their particular box.

So today I want to present to you as a guest blogger, an excerpt from the words which my 13 yr old daughter penned and enclosed in her box hoping to bring eternal joy and present comfort in the 10-14 year old girl soon to be opening the Christmas box.

In the beginning God created us, and we loved Him and served Him. God made a rule, too not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Adam ate it and disobeyed God. When Adam sinned, we sinned. His sin was counted as ours. We are cursed to sin, we are in bondage of sin, slaves of sin. We have to pay for our sins, by dying and going to hell forever.

But there is a second Adam. His name is Jesus. He is our Savior. He can set us free from sin. We don’t have to be in bondage of sin. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life

Our God is so wonderful, sending his son to die for us sinners. Ones who mocked God, disobeyed God, wanted to do evil against God.

And Jesus came to earth willingly. He became flesh, human. He lived a perfect life, without sin. He bore the cup of God’s wrath, for us. He died on the cross and paid for our sins. He was counted sinful even though he never sinned.

That is the Gospel.

I am so thankful that Jesus died for those who believe in Him and will believe in Him. I am so thankful that he can come in us and work in us to want to believe, and to want to be a child of God, and call him, Abba, Father.

Related Posts:
Gospel Thinking - Jim gives a summation of the gospel. click here
Summarizing the Gospel - Gospel in a paragraph. click here

For more on Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child, including videos and pictures click here.

GOSPEL THINKING

Last week we discussed writing out a paragraph or two in our own words describing "What is the Gospel." Click Here to see previous post This has resulted in a couple of good conversations and the following email from my good brother in Christ, Jim who expressing that "it was a joy thinking through the work of God from all creation" wrote the following:

My Short View of the Gospel

Before the foundation of the world (before creation) (Eph 1:4) it pleased God to choose/predestine/foreordain a people for himself from every tribe, tongue, people and every nation, (Rev 5:9) He wrote their names in a book called the Book of Life of the Lamb. (Rev 13:8) God then created the universe including the world and everything in it. He created man in his own image. Adam, the first man, disobeyed God’s command and his disobedience brought the penalty of death to him and all of his descendants. Out of Adam's fallen race would come God’s chosen people, who would be drawn to God by the hearing of His word and would believe and trust God. Trusting God was the evidence that they were His elect. To redeem His people required a payment or ransom for their sin. God gives His people the faith/belief needed for their salvation. (Eph 2:8-9) The evidence that it would require a blood sacrifice for payment of sin can be traced from God's covering Adam and Eve with skin (Gen 3:21) and his promise of a redeemer. (Gen 3:15) The history of God's salvation begins with His mercy shown to Adam and Eve all the way to the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who was fully God and fully man, who came to pay the ransom for God’s people. Jesus is the lamb who was slain in the mind of God before the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:8) Jesus paid the ransom or penal substitutionary atonement by giving His own sinless body as a perfect sacrifice for sin. He died on a cross and His blood was adequate payment for the sin of God’s people.(1Cor 15:3-4) All those whom God has chosen will, by the gift of faith, come to Christ and will receive Him as their Savior and Lord.

Hoping soon to add my own summary I invite you also to email me your own attempts or you may use the comment section below.

Summarizing the Gospel

In the past I've been encouraged to make an attempt to write out a summary of the gospel. It was a profitable exercise - made me think - and strengthened my grasp of the gospel. Only problem - I remember taking several notebook pages to accomplish the task. Afraid of missing anything I tried to include everything. In retrospect, I think I may have included some things that are not technically considered "the gospel" but essential truths none-the-less.

Today I'm prodding myself to make another attempt but with the results hopefully not extending much beyond a paragraph. Maybe you would like to do the same. Feel free to email me your results or use the comment section below. It would be great to have a future post displaying our different attempts at explaining the gospel in a nutshell.

To get us started consider the following which I read recently on Jason Robertson's Fide-O-Blog:

The Gospel Paragraph by Carson

D.A. Carson says that a good exercise for everyone would be to attempt to write a single paragraph putting the gospel into the storyline of Scripture. Here’s how Carson does it:

The gospel is integrally tied to the Bible’s story-line. Indeed, it is incomprehensible without understanding that story-line. God is the sovereign, transcendent and personal God who has made the universe, including us, his image-bearers. Our misery lies in our rebellion, our alienation from God, which, despite his forbearance, attracts his implacable wrath. But God, precisely because love is of the very essence of his character, takes the initiative and prepared for the coming of his own Son by raising up a people who, by covenantal stipulations, temple worship, systems of sacrifice and of priesthood, by kings and by prophets, are taught something of what God is planning and what he expects. In the fullness of time his Son comes and takes on human nature. He comes not, in the first instance, to judge but to save: he dies the death of his people, rises from the grave and, in returning to his heavenly Father, bequeaths the Holy Spirit as the down payment and guarantee of the ultimate gift he has secured for them—an eternity of bliss in the presence of God himself, in a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. The only alternative is to be shut out from the presence of this God forever, in the torments of hell. What men and women must do, before it is too late, is repent and trust Christ; the alternative is to disobey the gospel (Romans 10:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).

ht: fide-o