Finally Alive by John Piper

Finally Alive by John Piper (Christian Focus: 2009, 192 pp)

I was so happy to hear that John Piper had written this book. I am convinced that much of the confusion about salvation taking place in my context because of a prayer prayed, a fleeting emotional flutter in the heart, an aisle walked, etc., and the confusion that follows about the possibility of ‘carnal Christians,’ all stems from a very anemic view of what actually takes place at the point of regeneration. It was not until I began to understand something of the other-worldly transformative power which is necessary and which is at work during real Biblical  salvation that many other doctrines began to make sense to me as well. I want to do a better job of explaining the necessity of the new birth to my own people and to those I am in conversation with my community as well. I was eager to read Piper’s treatment of it here.

His introduction is as clear as can be. The problem in the evangelical world is a lack of understanding about the radical nature of the new birth, as demonstrated by the Barna surveys that speak of ‘born again Christians’ who have no interest in the Bible or who endorse cohabitation, etc. He aims his guns at these weak views of the new birth, striving to demonstrate from Scripture how miraculous it actually is. The book is broken down into five sections: “What is the new birth?”, “Why must we be born again?”, “How does the new birth come about?”, “What are the effects of the new birth?”, and “How can we help others be born again?” Most of the chapters in each section are Piper’s expositions on a particular passage related to the new birth.

Two sections in particular stand out to me. Piper’s explanation of why the new birth is an absolute necessity is thorough, examining all the right  Biblical texts. Getting a hold of the truths in this section would be a remarkable corrective to the dubious evangelistic methods that have become so commonplace among us.  Further on, Piper does an excellent job of explaining what the connection is between the new birth and our justification by faith in Christ. Belief in Christ and being born of the Spirit cannot be separated; the ministries of the second and third persons of the Trinity are not independent of one another. It has seemed to me in the past that my pre-rehearsed Gospel presentations walk faithfully through 1 Corinthians 15, but fail to give account for the new birth. This often leaves the listener (at least in my context) saying, ’sure, I believe that.’ I have found that explaining the necessity of the new birth to believe in Christ is an essential step for those confident that they already ‘know the story’ and have responded appropriately, and Piper is helpful at precisely this point. 

In terms of accessibility for the average reader, while some of the chapters are as simply and clearly stated as they could be, I found in some of the sections that Piper could be a bit difficult to follow. This is probably just a display of my own simple-mindedness, but I frequently contrasted the organization of Piper’s material with the neat and orderly progression of doctrinal explanations I had just finished in Sinclair Ferguson’s Christian Life. For instance, Piper might begin an argument that has ten points to it in the middle of a chapter, develop eight of  those points, and then pick up the last two in the next chapter, where he deals with something else also. I suppose there is really nothing wrong with this, because Scripture itself often does not present theological truths in rigidly separated categories. I just think it makes the book a bit more difficult to follow and perhaps somewhat intimidating for someone not prepared to “dig in” to a series of semi-complex arguments (ie: “what is the connection between the new birth and the incarnation?”) but just looking for a few basic answers about the new birth.  

In all, it is an excellent book that rightly brings the miracle of regeneration to the forefront of our minds as we preach and share the Gospel.

Bridges on Prayerful Private Bible Study

“This habit of living in the element of the Scriptures is invaluable. To be filled from this Divine treasury; to have large portions of the word daily passing through the mind; gives us a firmer grasp and a more suitable and diversified application of it. Yet this profit can only be fully reaped in retirement. We may read the Scriptures in company. But to search them, we must be alone with God. Here we learn to apply ourselves wholly to the Word, and the Word wholly to us. This enriching study gives a purer vein to sound judgment. The mere reader often scarcely knows where to begin, and he performs the routine without any definite object. His knowledge therefore must be scanty and ineffective. Nor is the neglect of this habit less hurtful to the church. “

Charles Bridges, A Manual for the Young, 1859, reprint ed: Vestavia Hills, AL: Solid Ground Christian Books, 2005.

Meditation on Psalm 21:1-7

On this 21st day of May, Psalm 21 is one of the five “psalms of the day” (alongside 51, 81, 111, and 141). I used Psalm 21 to guide my private prayer this morning, and was struck by the rich imagery of the Messiah rejoicing in the blessing of God. Here are the first seven verses:

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 

1O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,

and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

2You have given him his heart’s desire

and have not withheld the request of his lips.

Selah 

3For you meet him with rich blessings;

you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.

4He asked life of you; you gave it to him,

length of days forever and ever.

5His glory is great through your salvation;

splendor and majesty you bestow on him.

6For you make him most blessed forever;

you make him glad with the joy of your presence.

7For the king trusts in the LORD,

and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

Consider first the original context of this psalm: a prayer from the pen of King David. The anointed one of God, after years of fighting and running for his life, now he stands secure on Mount Zion, is able to proclaim, “O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!” Contrast this devotion to Yahweh with the declaration of a later king, Nebuchadnezzar, as he looked out on the splendor of Babylon: “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Dan 4:30) David recognizes that it is only the faithfulness of God to his covenant promises that have brought him victory and vindication. On how many cold nights in exile had he prayed that God would deliver him from the enemies that surrounded him? Now he stands and says, “You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.” (:2) It is God who has “set a crown of fine gold upon his head.” (:3) David’s glory is not his own, but “is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him.”

But the Holy Spirit would also have us read this psalm in the context of the whole counsel of God. One thousand years later, a Nazarene carpenter would lift his voice in the worship of the small-town synagogue with Psalm 21 on his lips. Jesus would have joined his family and neighbors in the singing of Psalm 21, but perhaps with a quickening pulse and a gleam in his eyes. They were looking back on the faded splendor of the Davidic monarchy, but he was looked ahead to the return to the glory which he shared with the Father before the world began. (John 17:5) It is only reasonable to think that psalms such as this sustained the man Christ Jesus on his march to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these very words as he spoke of being delivered over into the hands of sinful men. After all, the writer of Hebrews tells us that it was “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Heb 12:2) Even as he bore the wrath of the Father for his people on the tree, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later. And this morning, it is not at all difficult to hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb, “He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.”  After passing through death on behalf of his brothers, he has been met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshiping angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death. (Heb 2:9)This is a psalm of a vindicated Messiah.

What does it mean for us? Like Israel of old, whose destiny was bound up with the obedience or disobedience of her king’s, so we look to Christ as our head.  We have confidence today because Christ has prayed for us that all those whom the Father had given to him “may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me.” (John 17:24) And we know that God will give his Messiah all of his heart’s desire, and will not withhold the request of his lips. United with Christ, his salvation is our salvation; because “through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved,” so we also dwell secure with him. In Christ, God has made us “most blessed forever,” giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world. (Eph 1:3-4) My closing prayer in light of Psalm 21 is that, like his beloved Son, the Lord would “make me glad with the joy of his presence,” (:6) that I would seek no other satisfaction apart from himself, that the joyful fellowship of the Triune God would bring more gladness to my heart today than anything else the world can afford. Amen!

Goldsworthy on Wisdom and Folly in Proverbs

Proverbs defines goodness in terms that are wider than morality and ethics. It is the order that underlies the creation. When God made the heavens and the earth and everything in them he made them in relation to one another, and all was good (Genesis 1:31). All was harmony according to the wisdom of God. Proverbs does not speak of the fall of man into sin, but the fall is everywhere implied. Wisdom, righteousness and life are in conflict with folly, wickedness, and death. But despite this intrusion into the good order of God’s universe, the order is not destroyed. The fool is the unredeemed siner who says there is no God (Psalms 14:1, 53:1), who sees the universe as a result of blind chance. Yet, although he refuses to acknowledge a personal, all-wise Creator, he cannot ignore the order that is perceptible in the universe. He has no explanation for it, nor for the disruption of the order of which he himself is a living example along with all other sinners. The wise man fears the Lord and, unlike the fool, is in touch with reality.

(Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Wisdom in The Goldsworthy Trilogy, 424-5)

Nothing like a Little Liberalism . . .

In preparation for an upcoming course in Baptist History, I have been reading through Dr. Tom Nettles’ The Baptists: Key People Involved in Forming a Baptist Identity (3 volumes). As I mentioned previously, reading the accounts of the earliest pastor-theologians in Baptist life has been absolutely inspirational. Their fierce, joyful devotion to the faith once for all delivered to the saints has filled me with a new desire to carry on that legacy of Gospel faithfulness in my own day in the context in which God has placed me. 

Arriving on my chronological journey to the turn of the twentieth century, however, filled me with inspiration of a different sort. Men like William Kiffin and Andrew Fuller had fought some theological battles in their day to be sure, but the battles always seemed to be against threats from the outside – Socinians denying the deity of Christ and the efficacy of his atoning work, Deists who would reject the God of Scripture for a universal moral principle, etc. But by the end of the 1800’s, the fighting increasingly came from within, as men who sprang from the same stock of Bunyan and Keach and Broadus began embracing Darwinian evolution, undermining the inerrancy of Scripture and denying the glory of the cross of Christ. Their teaching was every bit as false as those of Socinus, but far more subversive, for they rejected sound doctrine in the name of orthodox, evangelical Baptists. Sadly, these false teachers became legion. It has been remarkable to read how quickly the God-exalting truths of Scripture were exchanged for man-centered lies, spreading like a poison throughout Baptist life. 

Now, I knew all this was coming. I have been taught enough of a survey of church history to be aware of the liberalism that began to infect even the strongest of American churches during this period. What I wasn’t quite prepared for was the strong emotional reaction I experienced as I read some of the quotations from John Clifford, Harry Emerson Fosdick and the other “Baptist Modernists.” Only a few moments removed from my morning quiet time, I found myself unable to remain a cooly detached observer. I became enraged. I think one blasphemous sampling from Fosdick will suffice to make the point: 

“The world has tried in two ways to get rid of Jesus: first, by crucifying him, and second, by worshipping him . . . let him get back again where he started, walking in the common ways of men and talking about how to live.” According to Fosdick, deification has been “the most successful way of getting rid of Jesus.” 

On the very face of it, this ought to be enough to make any genuine believer’s stomach turn, and yet countless church-going men and women were taken in by these intellectual ’saviors of Christianity.’ Why is that? We could point to a number of factors of course, but surely one of the chief reasons was a decrease in relentless doctrinal instruction through Biblical preaching. I certainly don’t think I would have felt as strongly about all this had I not been immersed in such soul-nourishing, faith-building doctrine of the early baptists for the last two weeks. But I had tasted and seen that there is nothing more beautiful than the truth of the eternal covenant between the Father and the Son for the salvation of the elect. I had experienced the awe of meditating on angels falling prostrate in the presence of the Son of God. I had felt deeply the weight of the statement that Christ had “loved men and gave himself for me” on the cross as he bore the wrath of the Father against me. And to read these magnificent Gospel truths being perverted by wolves in sheep’s clothing was a little more than I could bear on Saturday morning.

More than anything it made me want to preach sound doctrine the next day, extolling the glory of our great Triune God from his Word and exhorting my people to hold fast to that which they have heard from the beginning. In the providence of God, my text was 1 John 2:18-27 . . .

18Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that he made to us— eternal life.

26I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

The lesson in all this? We must abide in the truth of Christ. Knowing and proclaiming the truth about Christ, even what we may consider to be complicated Trinitarian and Christological issues, is not an option in the church. It is a necessity for us and our people to continue abiding in the Son and in the Father. We must be immersed in sound doctrine, that we may grow to love sound doctrine, so that it cannot help but spill over enthusiastically in our sermons. There’s nothing like a little liberalism to get the blood boiling for the pulpit. Maybe I’ve stumbled upon a new homiletical exercise.

Wednesday Night Wisdom: Some Reliable Guides through the Book of Proverbs

We observe the very familiar “Wednesday night prayer meeting” at my church, and try to dedicate half our time to corporate prayer, and half to a brief study or meditation on God’s Word. Because I find it so much less nerve-racking when preparing to work through a book or large portion of Scripture rather than choosing something different each week, we began in one of my very favorite books two weeks ago, the book of Proverbs. This rich, God-breathed call to wisdom has much to offer us in learning the “skill of living,” but it is much more than a collection of handy but secular  how-to’s. It is a roadmap of the Narrow Way (Mat 7:13-14), an urgent plea to seek the One in whom “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.” (Col 2:3) Like every other portion of God’s revelation, Proverbs exalts the beloved Son of the Father. The Way of Wisdom is the Way of Christ.

Here are four books that I find to be useful guides :

Tremper Longman III, Proverbs. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom Literature. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006. Longman seems to be “Mr. Wisdom Literature,” having also written commentaries on Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and a short work on the Psalms. Longman is one of the few conservative OT scholars who makes no apologies for reading the OT in light of the New (the only way it was ever intended to be read, according to the Lord Jesus himself). Geared at seminary students and Bible teachers, this is a very readable commentary with an excellent introduction. I highly recommend it for any one teaching Proverbs .   

Tremper Longman III, How to Read Proverbs. Downer’s Grove: IVP, 2003. This is a wonderful little handbook to read along with Proverbs that deals with most any question the lay reader or teacher might have. Aside from addressing key theological and canonical issues in a non-technical way, he also gives examples of how to do topical studies from the Proverbs. Immensely useful, and accessible enough for a Sunday School class or small group to work through with a capable facilitator / teacher. If you don’t get the verse-by-verse Baker commentary, this would be $11 well spent, and will go a long way in helping you seek wisdom.

Charles Bridges, A Manual for the Young. Vestavia Hills: Solid Ground Christian Books, 2005. (originally published 1845) I love Charles Bridges. He is the author of one of the very best and most comprehensive books on pastoral ministry, The Christian Ministry, but is perhaps better known for his commentaries on Psalm 119 and the Proverbs. Like Ryle and Spurgeon, Bridges is one of those latter-day Puritans (nineteenth century) who has all the best theology and practical application at his fingertips. I ran across a discounted copy of  A Manual for the Young through a great sale Solid Ground was having. It only contains Bridges’ exposition of chapters 1-9, and has convinced me that purchasing his full-length commentary will be a necessity.  Very quotable. 

Graeme Goldsworthy, The Gospel and Wisdom. (The third portion of the Goldsworthy Trilogy. Carlisle, Cumbria: Paternoster, 2000) Goldsworthy has been helping me the last several years to step back and see the small portions of Scripture in light of the big picture of what God is accomplishing in Christ, including the OT wisdom literature. Gospel and Wisdom does not lead you verse-by-verse through Proverbs, but instead offers a philosophy and theology of understanding all of the Wisdom literature in light of the Gospel.  While I would not want this to be my only commentary on Proverbs, I am greatly indebted to the framework he has to offer.  

Finally, Dr. Russell Moore’s 4-Part mp3 series from the book of Proverbs, “Walking the Line” is an excellent meditation on “Glimpses of the Christ Life in the book of Proverbs.”

Three Lessons Learned from Baptist History

All blogging has been put on hold the last few weeks since I received the syllabus for my History of the Baptists class coming up the first week in June. The reading requirement is pretty stout, so I have had to set aside a number of other reading projects I had been working my way through to give my attention to the four volumes of Baptist history we were assigned. I say this not to complain though, because the reading has been excellent! I have learned a great deal already, and am only half-way finished. I’m sure my wife will be happy when I stop peppering her with Baptist facts at the end of each day. John Piper once said that the existence of Hebrews 11 in the canon is tantamount to a divine command to read Christian biography. Besides being merely interesting, I have been encouraged in my work as a pastor in a number of ways through this reading. Briefly (because I have to get back to reading!), here are three ways I have been encouraged:

1. Pastoral Courage: The men about whom I have read were lionhearted in their ministries. They were confident that they were armed with the truth of God’s Word, and so shrunk back at nothing in declaring its whole counsel. What a challenge this is to me, as I know I have breathed in the air of a cowardly culture for far too long. This makes me ashamed of the fear I have felt when preaching hard texts to what I assume  are unwilling ears. How can I cower away from teaching about church discipline, or divorce, or the true marks of conversion, or whatever difficult matter may be at hand because I am afraid I won’t be clapped on the back as much afterward? Some of these men lost their lives for the truth. 

2. Theological Fidelity: Doctrine was not left to the academy for many of these great men. While there were some particularly complicated concepts that were strictly reserved for theological works, the pulpit was the primary broadcasting station for sound doctrine. I am convinced that we (or maybe just ‘I’) shy away from diving into teaching about the Trinity, or election, or the person of Christ, simply because we don’t think it’s worth the effort. It will challenge people to think, and they may not like that. It will challenge us to distill the information in a patient, understandable way, and we might not like that! But when our people can tell you about five ways to have a blessed day, and their eyes glaze over when the Trinity comes up, “this ought not to be so.” Holding to the truth is simply part of what it means to be a Christian, according to the NT letters, and the place where they will learn the truth is from their preachers. This also urges me to place more value on simply reading good theology, without neglecting of other pastoral responsibilities. 

3. Recognition of the Deception of the Human Heart: The most confusing and tragic element of my trip through Baptist history so far has been learning in greater detail about the support of slavery by some of the greatest theologians and preachers in Baptist history. There were men whose doctrine was air-tight, whose personal piety and evangelistic warmth would rival anyone’s, whose powers of communication by pen and in the pulpit were unsurpassed – and yet the defended the institution of slavery publicly, and mourned its passing. To qualify that statement only slightly, they were opposed to the abuse of slaves and rallied for the evangelism and instruction of slaves, but nevertheless, they were defending a morally abhorrent institution. How could this possibly encourage me? It demonstrates the blinding, self-deceiving nature of sin, and so encourages me to ruthlessly examine my own heart in light of God’s Word, and to seek accountability from the church. There is a good chance I am self-deceived about something right now. God help us if we do not heed the words of the book of Proverbs, and seek out instruction and correction constantly, lest we wander away from the path without ever realizing it.