Required reading Knots Untied by JC Ryle (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 12 (Confession). My summary Now Ryle looks at the subject of confessing sins.
Firstly Ryle teaches us that everyone ought to confess sin because everyone is guilty. And without confession there is no salvation and no inward peace.
Secondly Ryle instructs us to confession our sin to God through Christ. This is because Christ is a High Priest: (i) of almighty power; (ii) of infinite willingness to receive confession; (iii) of perfect knowledge; (iv) of matchless tenderness; (v) who can sympathise with all that confess.
To finish off the second point, Ryle rejects the teaching of the Roman Catholic church that it is right to confess sin to ministers. What grabbed me Ryle made a good point about how fearsome it is to confess sin to God: 'Can vile sinners like us ever dare to confess our sins to a holy God? Will not the thought of His infinite purity shut our mouths and make us afraid? Must not the remembrance of His holiness make us afraid ? Is it not written of God, that He is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity "? (Hab. i. 13.) Is it not said, that He "hates all workers of iniquity"? (Psalm v. 5.) Did He not say to Moses, " There shall no man see My face and live"? (Exod. xxxiii. 20.) Did not Israel say of old, " Let not God speak with us, lest we die " ? (Exod. xx. 19.) Did not Daniel say, "How can the servant of my Lord talk with this my Lord "? (Dan. x. 17.) Did not Job say, "When I consider, I am afraid of Him "? (Job xxiii. 15.) Did not Isaiah say, " Woe is me, for I am undone : for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts " ? (Isa. vi. 5.) Does not Elihu say, " Shall it be told Him that I speak? If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up " ? (Job xxxvii. 20.) These are serious questions. They are questions which must and will occur to thoughtful minds. There are many who know what Luther meant, when he said, " I dare not have any thing to do with an absolute God." But I thank God they are questions to which the Gospel supplies a full and satisfactory answer. The Gospel reveals One who is exactly suited to the wants of souls which desire to confess sin.'
No wonder people want to confess their sin to man rather than to God - it is far less threatening.
Next week's reading Read Chapter 13 (Worship).
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Desiring God by John Piper (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 5.
My summary Today Piper tells us to kindle joy using the Bible.
Piper outlines the benefits and power of holy scriptures: (i) the Bible is your life; (ii) faith comes by hearing the Scriptures; (iii) God supplies the spirit through hearing of faith; (iv) the Scriptures give hope; (v) the truth shall make you free; (vi) the testimony of the Lord makes wise the simple; (vii) the scriptures are written that you might have assurance; (viii) the evil one is overcome by the word of God; (ix) the Scriptures are an earnest exhortation to delight in the Bible; (x) to wield it we must wear it.
What grabbed me Certainly can tell that Piper loves his Bible.
I particularly appreciated the encouragement to memorise the Bible: 'But if we intend to wield it, we must wear it. We must be like Ezra: "The good hand of God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel" (Ezra 7:9,10). And we must get a heart like the saint who wrote the great love song to the law in Psalm 119, "Oh, how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day" (verse 97). Let us labor to memorize the Word of God-for worship and for warfare. If we do not carry it in our heads, we cannot savor it in our hearts or wield it in the Spirit. If you go out without the kindling of Christian Hedonism, the fire of Christian happiness will be quenched before mid-morning.'
Earlier this year I began a serious attempt to memorise the New Testament and parts of the Old Testament. If Muslims can memorise the Koran, why shouldn't I be able to memorise the New Testament?
It is hard going and not all that much is sticking so far, but just the process of repeating verses again and again out loud to memorise it has certainly opened my eyes up to things I'd never noticed through ordinary reading.
Next week's reading Read Chapter 6.
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
This post is a shameless plug for another blog I recently launched: Reformed Reading List.
I had been prompted to make a reading list by a few people and had the project on the back burner.
Finally I have gotten around to it and the blog is designed to gradually evolve into a reading list of excellent Reformed Christian books. The list will initially grow at the rate of one book per week.
To read more about the reasoning behind the list go to the blog's FAQs.
To see the list with all of its two titles, go to the Master Reading List post.
Required reading An all-round ministry by CH Spurgeon (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 2 (Forward) by reading points III to VI.
My summary Today we finish Spurgeon's chapter exhorting us to go forward.
Last week we were encouraged to move forward in mental acquirements and oratorical qualifications. This week we are firstly urged to move forward in moral qualifications. We are told to: (i) put away self-indulgence; (ii) put away self-importance; (iii) have our tempers well under restraint; (iv) conquer our tendency to levity; (v) avoid everything like the ferocity of bigotry; (vi) have integrity of spirit; (vii) possess the grand moral character of courage; (viii) be gifted with an unconquerable zeal; (ix) excel in the power of concentrating all your forces upon the work to which you are called.
Next Spurgeon teaches us to go forward in spiritual qualifications. We must: (i) know ourselves; (ii) know man, in Christ, and out of Christ; (iii) know him who is the sure remedy for all human diseases; (iv) be conformed to our Lord.
Then Spurgeon tells us to go forward in actual work: do something!
Lastly we are encouraged to go forward in the matter of the choice of your sphere or action. Spurgeon here places particular emphasis on considering international missions.
What grabbed me After just spending Christmas overeating, it was good to be reminded to have self-control: 'Self-indulgence has slain its thousands. Let us tremble lest we perish by the hands of this Delilah. Let us have every passion and habit under due restraint; if we are not masters of ourselves, we are not fit to be leaders in the Church of Christ.'
If I expect people to take me seriously when I preach on self-control, I must exhibit it in my own body.
Next week's reading Read Chapter 3 (Individuality, and its opposite). Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Ten virgins by Thomas Shepard (Available from Amazon or free here). Read Chapters 15 and 16.
My summary Today we finish Shepard's teaching that there are hypocrites in the best and purest churches. Shepard gave us his first two observations about this last week, this week we see his last two observations.
The third observation is that there are certain special, saving qualifications of heart, whereby arises a great internal difference between sincere-hearted virgins and the closest hypocrite. Four reasons are given why this is so: (i) in regard to the infinite love of the Father; (ii) in regards to the death and blood of the Lord Jesus; (iii) because the true Christian's graces are the same with Christ's; (iv) if there should be no difference, then evil would follow.
The fourth observation is that the main principle of evangelical sincerity or hypocrisy lies in the understanding or mind of man. Two reasons are given why this is so: (i) Because all divine light of glory is ever powerful to change the heart; (ii) Because the mind is the first inlet of all sin and grace.
What grabbed me I particularly liked one of Shepard's warnings: 'Never enter into dispute with Satan, or thine own self, about thy estate, but taking and making Scripture and word to be the judge of the controversy. Fears come in you shall never have mercy, never have power. Who told you so ? Doth the word say that? The Lord never gave himself to me, I fear it! Doth the word say so ? Never was any as I. Doth the word say so? or, doth not the word say so? God delights to pick out the vilest, to send the physician to them that be sick. I can not see nor conceive any mercy. Doth the word say so? Are not the Lord's thoughts above thine? I have not that peace that others have, therefore the Lord intends none toward me. Doth the word say so? O, but others, if they knew me, would loathe me. Doth the word say so? Look on Paul warring against Christ,, and yet the law of Christ in him also. Luke xiv. 25.'
Never trust your own thoughts which tell you that you are too vile to come to Christ.
Instead trust the Word which tells you that no man was ever too vile to come to Christ.
Next week's reading Read Chapter 17.
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Attributes of God by Charnock (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Commence Chapter 1 (The existence of God) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'Reason 2. It is a folly to deny that which all creatures or all things in the world manifest.' My summary Firstly I should apologise for slightly adjusting today's assigned reading from that which I gave last week at the end of the last Augustine post. I think it is going to take a little while for me to figure out how Charnock outlines his arguments so that I can assign appropriate readings.
That aside, today we begin the chapter defending God's existence.
After making some preliminary remarks, Charnock asserts his primary thesis: every atheist is a grand fool. He then proceeds to give four reasons - one of which is our subject for study today.
Thus the first reason that every atheist is a grand fool is because it is folly to deny or doubt of that which has been the acknowledged sentiment of all nations in all places and ages.
Charnock supports this reason with three points:
(i) It hath been universally assented to by the judgements and practices of all nations in the world;
(ii) It hath been a constant and uninterrupted consent;
(iii) It hath been natural and innate, which pleas strongly for the perpetuity of it.
What grabbed me I liked Charnock's teaching that there is a secret atheism in us all: 'No man is exempted from some spice of atheism by the depravation of his nature, which the psalmist intimates, ' there is none that doeth good:' though there are indelible convictions of the being of a God, that they cannot absolutely deny it; yet there are some atheistical bubbfings in the hearts of men, which evidence themselves in their actions. As the apostle, (Tit. i. 16.) 'They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him." Evil works are a dust stirred up by an atheistical breath. He that habituates himself in some sordid lust, can scarcely be said seriously and firmly to believe that there is a God in being; and the apostle doth not say that they know God, but they profess to know him.: true knowledge and profession of knowledge are distinct.'
So true. If I really believed God exists, I would not disobey him. But each day I find myself being disobedient demonstrating my atheistic inclinations.
Next week's reading
Continue Chapter 1 by reading Reason 2 (It is a folly to deny that which all creatures, or all things in the world manifest).
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading
The life of John Knox by Thomas M'Crie (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Period 4.
My summary Today we finish another period in Knox's life.
Firstly we tidy up the loose end of Knox leaving the English congregation that basically fired him in Frankfort.
Knox then moves back to Geneva and spends an enjoyable time there with his good friend Calvin.
But before long Knox is back in Scotland, preaching, teaching and even writing a letter imploring the queen to support the reformers.
Then he receives a call to pastor an English congregation in Geneva and accepts it. In his absence the clergy in Scotland pass sentence against him and condemn his body to the flames - but have to settle for burning an effigy.
What grabbed me Today we were given a tight summary of Knox's theology: 'He taught, that there was no other name by which men could be saved but that of Jesus, and that all reliance on the merits of any other was vain and delusive; that He, having by his one sacrifice, sanctified and reconciled to God those who should inherit the promised kingdom, all other sacrifices which men pretended to offer for sin were blasphemous ; that all men ought to hate sin, which was so odious before God, that no other sacrifice than the death of his Son could satisfy for it; that they ought to magnify their heavenly Father, who did not spare Him who is the substance of his glory, but gave him up to suffer the ignominious and cruel death of the Cross for us ; and that those who have been washed from their former sins are bound to lead a new life, fighting against the lusts of the flesh, and studying to glorify God by good works. In conformity with the certification of his Master, that he would deny and be ashamed of those who should deny and be ashamed of him and his words before a wicked generation, he further taught, that it was incumbent on those who hoped for life everlasting, to avoid idolatry, superstition, and all vain religion ; in one word, every mode of worship which was destitute of authority from the word of God. '
You have to admit that Knox was definitely Reformed in his theology!
Next week's reading Commence Period 5 by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'Through the exertions of our Reformer, during his residence among them in the beginning of the year 1556...') Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Tracts and Letters (Volume 1) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here). Conclude 'Reforming the church'.
My summary Today we complete Calvin's letter to Charles V.
Calvin continues to answer the charge that the Protestant church has interrupted the peace of the Christian world. Calvin reasons that the Protestants are justified in disrupting the peace because of: (i) the corruption of the Roman Catholic church, particularly the clergy; (ii) the fact that the Roman Catholic church is not the true church; (iii) the impotency of the papal office and general councils.
Calvin closes the letter urging Charles to act against the Roman Catholic church and uphold the Protestant faith.
What grabbed me When Calvin denies the validity of the Roman Catholic church, he gives the best possible defence against the attack that he is disrupting the church: 'It is not enough, therefore, simply to throw out the name of Church, but judgment must be used to ascertain which is the true Church, and what is the nature of its unity. And the thing necessary to be attended to, first of all, is, to beware of separating the Church from Christ its Head. When I say Christ, I include the doctrine of his gospel, which he sealed with his blood. Our adversaries, therefore, if they would persuade us that they are the true Church, must, first of all, show that the true doctrine of God is among them; and this is the meaning of what we often repeat, viz., that the uniform characteristics of a well-ordered Church are the preaching of sound doctrine, and the pure administration of the Sacraments.'
Doctrine is of vital importance, for once you lose sound doctrine, you cease to have Christ as your head and you cease to be his body.
Next week's reading Read 'A paternal admonition by the Roman Pontiff'.
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Knots Untied by JC Ryle (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 11 (The Priest). My summary Today Ryle poses the question 'Do Christians have a priest?' He answers this question by answering three further questions about Jesus.
The first question is 'Where is Jesus Christ now?' The answers are: (i) as God, he is everywhere; (ii) as man, he is in heaven and not in the grave; (iii) as man, he is in heaven and not on the communion table.
The second question is 'What is Jesus Christ doing now?' The answers are: (i) ever presenting the merits of His sacrifice for us before God; (ii) ever interceding for us in heaven; (iii) presenting the names of His people continually before His father; (iv) presenting the prayers and services of His people before God; (v) ever doing the work of a Friend; (vi) continually doing the work of a Receiver of sinners and a mediator between God and man.
The third question is 'What is Jesus Christ going to do before the end of the world?' The answers are: (i) he will come bodily; (ii) he will come with power and great glory; (iii) he will come to judge. What grabbed me Ryle (and Owen) made an interesting comment about Satan's hatred for Jesus' office of high priest: '"There is no office of Christ," said John Owen, "that Satan labours so hard to obscure and overthrow as His priestly one." Satan cares little, comparatively, for Christ the Prophet, and Christ the King, so long as he can persuade man to forget Christ the Priest. For ever let us stand fast on this point. That Christ is carrying on the office of a Priest in heaven, is the crown and glory of Christian theology.'
If you forget Jesus' priesthood all is lost and you are dead in your sins!
Next week's reading Read Chapter 12 (Confession).
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
