Saturday Summary

Highlights from my weekly webscavations:

American Morality — This classic gem from G. K. Chesterton is right on the money about the weird American tendency to mistake tribal values for abstract morals.

If you're not paranoid, you're crazy — A brilliantly written article from the Atlantic on national and corporate spying, and how we are crazy if we pretend it isn't happening.

German pastor pays price for his faith (video) — A good reminder to have perspective about the cost of discipleship in an increasing hostile West.

My Share in the Pastor's Study — A woman's reflections on sharing in her husband's pastoral.

Theology Thursdays: The justification of works

While reading Michael Horton's Covenant and Salvation, I stumbled upon this provocative thought from Wihelm Niesel:

“If we enjoy union with Christ, not only we ourselves but even our works too are just in God s sight. This doctrine of the justification of works (which was developed in the Reformed Church) is of the greatest consequence for ethics. It makes clear that the man who belongs to Christ need not be the prey of continual remorse. On the contrary he can go about his daily work confidently and joyfully.” (1)

In themselves, our best works are woefully stained with sin. We try our hardest to obey, and are immediately reminded of our need for justification! In this way, Horton comments, “even the third (normative) use of the law is supposed to lead us back to Christ.” Assurance rests in the promise that our whole lives, including our imperfect acts of obedience, are received through the satisfying blood of Jesus. Scented with the holy fragrance of his substitutionary death and imputed righteousness, our weak offerings are able to rise to the Father with a pleasing aroma. Or, to put it in Petrine language, we can “offer sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:5). Thank God for the treasures of union.

1. Wihelm Niesel, Reformed Symbolics: A Comparison of Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism, trans. David Lewis (Edinburgh and London: Oliver & Boyd, 1962), 217, 220-21.

Ministry Monday: How Long Should a Sermon Be

Brian Biedebach, a graduate of The Master’s Seminary, has some useful thoughts on how long a sermon should be. He notes:

"According to at least one recent poll, the most frequent preaching length is 20 to 28 minutes. If that is true, it is a telling indicator about the spiritual shallowness of churches today. Many churches have already done away with their evening services and if the popular trend is to reduce the sermon time on a Sunday morning, our generation is receiving less than half of the biblical teaching our parents received."

Is the problem with pastors, or the people? What can be done to help people hear the Word with interest? Check out Biedebach's post.



Saturday Summary

Here's what I found most interesting this week.

Self-Driving Cars Must Be programmed to Kill — To minimize death tolls, cars are programmed to steer into the lesser of two groups of people when avoiding one is only possible by hitting the other..

What is the Earliest List of the NT Canon? — Michael Kruger answers. (HT: Challies)

The Sad Truth About Airfares — Basically, complex algorithms have done away with predicting the lowest airlines fares, or even if it will be cheaper to buy a roung-trip instead of two one-ways. (HT: Challies)

The Value of a Well-Trained Clergy — Al Mohler explains the need for carefully equipped pastors.

Sunday Devotions: 1 Pet 1:13 and Full Assurance

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Pet 1:13

Peter's words summon me to spiritual discipline. I am to prepare my mind for holy action and to live soberly. Yet it is clear that spiritual activity is not meant to assure myself that I am "good enough to get in." Facing death and judgment, Peter insists that my hope cannot rest in my own faithfulness, but only in the "grace that will be brought to you." The Spirit presents this reality, that full assurance comes only as I set my hope fully on this promise that when Christ is finally revealed, he comes bearing grace to believers. Such assurance does not undermine holy action, but in reality undergirds and inspires it. It frees me to serve God from love and out of respect for my Redeemer.

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Reading Wednesday: Chesterton on Polite Weak-Mindedness

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“The modern habit of saying ‘This is my opinion, but I may be wrong’ is entirely irrational. If I say that it may be wrong, I say that is not my opinion. The modern habit of saying ‘Every man has a different philosophy; this is my philosophy and it suits me’ – the habit of saying this is mere weak-mindedness. A cosmic philosophy is not constructed to fit a man; a cosmic philosophy is constructed to fit a cosmos. A man can no more possess a private religion than he can possess a private sun and moon.”
— G. K. Chesterton, from the Introduction to Job

I highly recommend G. K. Chesterton's Introduction to Job. It will probably change the way you read Job, and perhaps the way you approach living and suffering in this world. If you Spritz it at 350wpm, it's only about ten minutes long.

Ministry Monday: 10 things You Can't Expect from Church Volunteers

Here's a good reminder of what should be obvious. Church Today lists ten unreasonable expectations that officers and pastors often have of our fellow lay servants in the church, who volunteer their gifts, time, and energy. I won't list all ten, but here are three that struck me.

Saturday Summary: Craigslist Writing Gold

I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972. — A Craigslist "Missed Connections" post worthy of a Pulitzer. God writing lives in weird places.

Does Heb 12:4 teach sanctification through works? — Dr. Clark gives a cogent biblical and confessional voice to this important subject. He says, "The power of faith is its object. The object of faith is Christ. It is by faith that we have Christ and all of his benefits (justification, sanctification, and glorification). Works are necessary, as the Reformed writers repeatedly said as the necessary fruit and evidence or the necessary consequence of our salvation. We are not saved through them or by them."

Building a hut from scratch (video) — A fascinating demonstration of primitive technology, and a testament to one man's patience and hard work.