Knowledge is Everything!

I've been trekking through a book called The Glory of Christ by John Owen (who is becoming "my favorite" the more I read him). It is the glory of Christ, but the book could rightly be titled The Glories of Christ because each chapter is about a facet of Christ's glory.

I make this distinction because of why I'm reading the book; someone told me that all sin is disbelief in a particular attribute of God. So, usually, when I see an area of weakness (i.e. love, patience, humility v. pride) or a discipline (i.e. prayer, meditation, writing) that is lacking I try to trace it back to an aspect of God's character and an area of the Gospel that I lack belief in. One of the things that I love about the Apostle Paul is that he talked about this kind of thing a lot in his letters (Eph 3:14-21; Phil 3:7,8)--to know Jesus is to grow in Jesus!

"The Glory of Christ? I need to read that. That's what I need," I said to myself. That's my first reason.

My second reason is because I live and go to church in Philly, and my heart really is that they would know know know Jesus! So many know so much about a few small things and so little about the One who made and makes all things (myself included). There are times when I'm walking or driving through a section of the hood (it doesn't matter which one) and I can see the proverbial cloud of deception and sin that cloaks people; I want to scream to hold back my tears.

How can I love my wife and others, serve others and speak truth into the life of the people in our church and community group, that actually affects them, if I'm not growing in my knowledge of Jesus? I can't. If I'm growing more in my knowledge of the Philadelphia Sports beat and where the best restaurants are downtown than I am in my knowledge of Jesus, I am not being culturally relevant or culturally helpful, I'm blending in and as a result, I'm killing my culture. I really believe that. When I sit down to talk with someone or end up having a conversation with someone on the street, I want to have more to offer them than a summary of the sports column, a little tidbit on the recent snowfall or a concurring comment on what the suits at City Hall need to get better at.

I thought, "Other people are looking for answers--ones that are filled with hope and substance and truth. Some of those people are looking to me and others close to me. What will give them? The Glory of Christ? I need to read that."

While I was reading Owen's chapter on 'The Glory of Christ's Work as Mediator' I was convicted of my lack of knowledge of Him and thus my lack of love for others, and hopeful and prayerful that the people in my city and our church would know Him, and grow. Here is what I read. I welcome your thoughts and comments:

When Adam sinned, he stood ashamed, afraid, trembling, as one ready to perish for ever under the severe displeasure of God. Death was what he deserved, and he fully expected the sentence to be carried out. In this sate, the Lord CHrist in the promise comes to him, and says, 'Poor creature! How terrible is your condition! How deformed you are now! What has become of the beauty, the glory of that image of God in which you were created . . . Eternal distress lies before you. But now, look up and behold me. . .do not continue to hide from me. I will take your place. I will bear your guilt and suffer that punishment which would sink you eternally into the hideous depths of hell. I will pay for what I never took. I will be made a curse for you so that you may be eternally blessed.' In the same vein the Lord Christ speaks to all convicted sinners when he invites them to come to him.

The Glory of Christ, Owen, p.60,61

Pick it up here:

That's NOT The Gospel!

The Apostle's Astonishment At Us

Cindy and I are working our way through Galatians at home and in the first chapter we see Paul mention to his brothers and sisters in Galatia that he's astonished that they've begun deserting Christ and following a different gospel (Gal 1:6). There are two ways to approach Paul's astonishment in the text; you can, and should read it in context and only discuss what specifically astonished Paul about the Galatians, or you (we) could consider that we are "foolish Galatians" (Gal 3:1) and search our hearts for reasons why the Apostle Paul might be astonished at us for following a different Gospel. We did the latter and it served our time in the Scriptures well.

Here's the truth--all of us, everyday, are tempted to, wrestle with and sometimes obliviously believe a "different gospel". What I mean by this is that we fail to see the true Gospel's applicability to every single area of our lives and in that momentary blindness we trust in something else as our righteousness, justification, satisfaction, joy, contentment, fulfillment, affirmation, identity, etc. All of the things in that list are truly and wholly realized in the person and work of Jesus Christ, not in how disciplined we are, how entertaining the movie is, how many people "accept us", how much stuff we have, how nice we are, how we look or how long we've been a Christian.

Paul is preaching to us in his epistle. We would do well to listen because we are foolish Galatians who daily desert the true gospel and need the truth of the real Good News to remind us again of the infinite value and worth of the gift of Christ, and what His blood has truly purchased for those who believe and trust in Him (2 Cor 5:21).

Why Does This Matter?

My city is filled with millions of people who believe bad news is good news everyday. My neighborhood is filled with thousands if not millions who believe the gospel of saving money is better than the Gospel of saving grace. My street is filled with hundreds who believe in the waning satisfaction of religious duty over the increasing joy of justification apart from works of the law, and my building is filled with tens, who we know, are boxing and bandaging the ills and wounds of a fallen, broken world with coffee, sports and entertainment, sex and sleep. Oh that we might believe and proclaim with our lives, the true Gospel of King Jesus to those who cannot see it yet!

For Your Consideration

Here are some questions and thoughts that might help you look at Paul's first chapter of Galatians in a more applicable light. I pray they bless you and feel free to leave a response.

1) Don't all of us, so quickly turn to another gospel? What gospel have you been turning to lately? How do you "preach" this gospel to yourself and to others? (Gal 1:7,8)

2) Paul says that those who preach a false gospel are to "be accursed". Have you ever thought of the fact that Jesus, at the cross, was accused and punished by His Father as if He he were a false preacher of the Gospel, a Gospel that belonged to and is only realized in Him, and all so we could believe and preach the true Gospel to ourselves and others? Christ became and bore the damning sin of being a false preacher so that we could believe and profess the truth.

3) How do the false gospels we preach to ourselves seek the approval of man? (Gal 1:10)

4) What is your response when you consider the truth that it pleased God, in His sovereignty to reveal His Son to you? (Gal 1:15-16)

Books and Commentaries that I'm using in our family study of Galatians (click on the books for great deals):

"The Buzz" Through Blood Stained Eyes

Unless you don't watch the news, don't read the news or don't browse the various news sites on the internet then you've probably heard about the unfortunate update on world famous golfer Tiger Woods. For many, his situation has been a source of entertainment, for others it's been a chance to hop on a soap box with finger pointing accusations of, "What's his problem! I would never!. . ."

I personally don't tune into stories like this, they sadden me and only serve to remind me of all the work my wife and I and other brothers and sisters in our city have to do in our own community if we want to see the Gospel of Grace transform people from unforgiven adulterers into redeemed lovers of Christ who have a high and holy view of marriage and build their understanding of sex around Christ, and not their lust or want for "companionship".

I do however listen to sports radio on occasion and amidst the buzz about A.I. coming back to town, Tiger's story has been on the radio. After playing football tonight with some friends, I got to talk with one specific friend and we both found that, big or small, we were struggling with being entertained by this story. It's obviously wrong. Were it not for the grace of God, that would undoubtedly be us--running from attention instead of chasing it.

Before our conversation was over he directed me to a blog he'd read recently that helped him with his view on this. It helped me as well; not only with this particular story but with how I'm seeking to see and do all things to the glory of God, watching the news included.

I pray that this blog encourages you and aids in your sanctification in all areas of life.

Some great books on related topics. Get them here: