“It was becoming clearer and clearer that if I wanted to come to the end of my life and not say, ‘I’ve wasted it!’ then I would need to press all the way in, and all the way up, to the ultimate purpose of God and join him in it. If my life was to have a single, all-satisfying, unifying passion, it would have to be God’s passion. And…God’s passion was the display of his own glory and the delight of my heart” (page 28).
Piper, John. Don’t Waste Your Life. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2003.
I'm not far into this book, but it is quickly becoming a favourite....!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
pursuing holiness
"But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" 1 Peter 1:15-16
What does it mean to live a holy life, specifically, in the infamously affluent North America? This question has been on my mind for quite some time. Jerry Bridges offers some good, solid reflection material in his book The Pursuit of Holiness. Filled with Scripture, challenges, and encouragement, he walks the reader through the precarious balance between the work Christ already did to make us holy (a promise we can hold to) and the command we must live out to be holy.
I know my quotes won't do justice to his overall message, and there are too many good ones to pick out. :) However, they're a start for your reflection on the command of the Lord to be holy.
"...every time we sin, we are doing something God hates. He hates our lustful thoughts, our pride and jealousy, our outbursts of temper, and our rationalization that the ends justifies the means. We need to be gripped by the fact that God hates all these things. We become so accustomed to our sins we sometimes lapse into a state of peaceful coexistence with them, but God never ceases to hate them" (32).
"The holiness of God is an exceedingly high standard, a perfect standard. But it is nevertheless one that He holds us to. He cannot do less. While it is true that He accepts us solely through the merit of Christ, God's standards for our character, our attitudes, our affections, and actions is, 'Be holy, because I am holy.' We must take this seriously if we are to grow in holiness" (34).
"God has provided all we need for our pursuit of holiness. He has delivered us from the reign of sin and given us His indwelling Holy Spirit. He has revealed His will for holy living in His Word, and He works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose....Surely He has not commanded us to be holy without providing the means to be holy. The privilege of being holy is yours, and the decision and responsibility to be holy is yours. If you make that decision, you will experience the fullness of joy which Christ has promised to those who walk in obedience to Him" (157-158).
Bridges, Jerry. The Pursuit of Holiness. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 1978.
What does it mean to live a holy life, specifically, in the infamously affluent North America? This question has been on my mind for quite some time. Jerry Bridges offers some good, solid reflection material in his book The Pursuit of Holiness. Filled with Scripture, challenges, and encouragement, he walks the reader through the precarious balance between the work Christ already did to make us holy (a promise we can hold to) and the command we must live out to be holy.
I know my quotes won't do justice to his overall message, and there are too many good ones to pick out. :) However, they're a start for your reflection on the command of the Lord to be holy.
"...every time we sin, we are doing something God hates. He hates our lustful thoughts, our pride and jealousy, our outbursts of temper, and our rationalization that the ends justifies the means. We need to be gripped by the fact that God hates all these things. We become so accustomed to our sins we sometimes lapse into a state of peaceful coexistence with them, but God never ceases to hate them" (32).
"The holiness of God is an exceedingly high standard, a perfect standard. But it is nevertheless one that He holds us to. He cannot do less. While it is true that He accepts us solely through the merit of Christ, God's standards for our character, our attitudes, our affections, and actions is, 'Be holy, because I am holy.' We must take this seriously if we are to grow in holiness" (34).
"God has provided all we need for our pursuit of holiness. He has delivered us from the reign of sin and given us His indwelling Holy Spirit. He has revealed His will for holy living in His Word, and He works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose....Surely He has not commanded us to be holy without providing the means to be holy. The privilege of being holy is yours, and the decision and responsibility to be holy is yours. If you make that decision, you will experience the fullness of joy which Christ has promised to those who walk in obedience to Him" (157-158).
Bridges, Jerry. The Pursuit of Holiness. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 1978.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
fighting the lies within
Set up Thy standard, Lord, that we
Who claim a heavenly birth,
May march with Thee to smite the lies
That vex Thy groaning earth.
Yet who can fight for truth and God,
Enthralled by lies and sin?
He who would wage such war on earth
Must first be true within.
O God of truth for whom we long,
O Thou that hearest prayer,
Do Thine own battle in our hearts,
And slay the falsehood there.
~ Thomas Huges
** This poem is exerpted as found in Sinclair B. Ferguson's Discovering God's Will (1982). However, I did notice there are a few variations of Hughes' poem / hymn on the internet...but I just quoted it as it was in the book.
Who claim a heavenly birth,
May march with Thee to smite the lies
That vex Thy groaning earth.
Yet who can fight for truth and God,
Enthralled by lies and sin?
He who would wage such war on earth
Must first be true within.
O God of truth for whom we long,
O Thou that hearest prayer,
Do Thine own battle in our hearts,
And slay the falsehood there.
~ Thomas Huges
** This poem is exerpted as found in Sinclair B. Ferguson's Discovering God's Will (1982). However, I did notice there are a few variations of Hughes' poem / hymn on the internet...but I just quoted it as it was in the book.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
...thoughts abounding...
Go figure.
I decide to take a month off from blogging and feel like I could have written a book every day! :) ("Phew"- you're thinking - "good thing she took a month off or we'd be reading all of those posts..." ha ha ha). I've been deep in thought and prayer (and journals!) about many thing that are dear to my heart. During this month, I've also been blessed to discuss and interact with so many precious Christian brothers and sisters, whose prayers and guidance I deeply cherish! I love the community of the body of Christ.
[I was also lovingly accused of doing too much thinking and introspection, which I find funny but also potentially true! :) I guess sometimes I try to figure things out too much, which leads to my blog for today....].
One theme especially on my mind this past month was the relationship between God's providence and sovereignty as He directs our lives and our human responsibility to make decisions. God knows everything that will happen in our lives and has orchestrated each event. That still (rightly) baffles, humbles, and comforts me! Yet at the same time, we have our individual choices to make. They are to be made in light of the Scriptures and God's revealed will, and always with prayer, but when it comes down to it, we have to make choices.
Why have decisions always made me cringe? I remember getting stressed as a child because I couldn't decide on which ice cream flavour to choose or which game to play at recess. Such trivial things. Yet as I get older, the decisions become more and more "weighty."
I decide to take a month off from blogging and feel like I could have written a book every day! :) ("Phew"- you're thinking - "good thing she took a month off or we'd be reading all of those posts..." ha ha ha). I've been deep in thought and prayer (and journals!) about many thing that are dear to my heart. During this month, I've also been blessed to discuss and interact with so many precious Christian brothers and sisters, whose prayers and guidance I deeply cherish! I love the community of the body of Christ.
[I was also lovingly accused of doing too much thinking and introspection, which I find funny but also potentially true! :) I guess sometimes I try to figure things out too much, which leads to my blog for today....].
One theme especially on my mind this past month was the relationship between God's providence and sovereignty as He directs our lives and our human responsibility to make decisions. God knows everything that will happen in our lives and has orchestrated each event. That still (rightly) baffles, humbles, and comforts me! Yet at the same time, we have our individual choices to make. They are to be made in light of the Scriptures and God's revealed will, and always with prayer, but when it comes down to it, we have to make choices.
Why have decisions always made me cringe? I remember getting stressed as a child because I couldn't decide on which ice cream flavour to choose or which game to play at recess. Such trivial things. Yet as I get older, the decisions become more and more "weighty."
Yet I find incredible comfort in the fact that God does indeed direct our paths when we desire to follow after Him. Decisions may not be clearly laid out, and there may sometimes be equally "right" options from which to choose. But Christians possess the gift of the Holy Spirit within them, and that is an assurance of guidance from the Lord Almighty when we stop to seek and listen.
I know I'm not really saying anything new. I just rejoice that, no matter how agonizing decisions sometimes seem (and there are always decisions), God is a faithful God who does not change!!! He is there. He does guide and lead. He does direct. And He also trusts us to step out in faith as His children, led by His Word and His Spirit.
May you feel the comfort of the Lord's leading hand.
Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:3-4
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