The Reformation and Peace with God (by David Strain)

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Martin Luther was a man racked by the agony of a sin-seared conscience. His spiritual struggles, his Anfechtungen, seemed to have no remedy. And so, Luther said, “I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience, and I had no confidence that my merit would assuage him. Therefore I did not love a just and angry God, but rather hated and murmured against him.” In the Pauline expression “the righteousness of God,” Luther heard only a terrible thunderclap of divine condemnation. It was that righteousness by which God judges the wicked, and thus also that righteousness thwarted his every attempt to find rest for his troubled soul. But then, one day, the storm clouds parted, and shining from that same expression “the righteousness of God,” Luther at last saw not the justice of God to condemn sinners but the gracious provision of God in Jesus Christ to declare sinners righteous in His sight. The words that once seemed to signal only his exclusion from the presence of God became the instruments by which God drew him into His saving embrace, silencing his troubled conscience and giving him peace. Now he saw that through the gospel he could be simul justus et peccator, both sinner and saint by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

By faith, Paul says, we are justified, and because we are counted righteous in Christ, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). The cause of the divine hostility—the guilt of our sin—has been washed away in the wounds of Jesus Christ. The wrath of God is satisfied in the cross for all who believe. “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Rom. 5:10). “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Cor. 5:19). “[Having] sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law,” God makes His enemies into His friends. More than that, we even “receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4–7).

But the great rediscovery of the gospel at the Reformation taught us not only that we may have peace with God, but also that we might have peace from God. Justification by faith alone is a blessed gospel truth, but it is not a truth we experience. It is an objective, legal verdict passed over us in the courtroom of heaven on the basis of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. One does not feel justified. It is a status, not a sense. It is a declaration made over us, not a feeling communicated to us. Yet those who have stood in the dock will tell you of the peace and joy that overwhelms them when the “not guilty” verdict is returned. Precisely because our right standing with God is not based on something in us but is wholly based on the obedience and blood of Jesus Christ, we may have the greatest confidence in it. We have peace from God to assure and comfort our hearts because Christ has established peace with God by His cross.

Sadly, it is here that Christians often go wrong. Much like Luther before his spiritual breakthrough, we too readily establish our belief in the solidity and permanence of our salvation on our subjective experience. If we do not feel peace, we assume there can be no peace. If we do not experience the intimate presence of God, we conclude that we must still be alienated from Him. But this is to rest our hope once again on something in ourselves, on some feeling or quality or sense of spiritual things. In contrast, the gospel recovered at the Reformation declares with joy that our “hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” We have an objective and immovable rock upon which to anchor our confidence before God. It is not to be looked for in the murky depths of our hearts or in the shifting sands of our effort or experience. It is found in Christ crucified, risen, and reigning. We must look to Him for peace.

To be sure, subjectivity is not sin, and the Scriptures themselves call us to self-examination. Paul’s call is to “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5). The “if . . . then” syllogism that fills the first letter of the Apostle John reminds us that there are practical tests we must apply to our hearts and lives that will help us discern evidences of spiritual life. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (2:15). “If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father” (2:24). “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (3:17). One of the tools we have been given to dispel fears and settle our hearts is the discipline of self-examination. Those in whom the Holy Spirit has worked the miracle of new birth are those who bear fruit in keeping with repentance, and we are indeed to seek that fruit in our lives. Yet Robert Murray M’Cheyne was undoubtedly correct to counsel us that for every “one look at self” we should “take ten looks to Christ.”

That is fine pastoral wisdom. If we seek our peace in our own progress in Christian obedience alone, if our gifts and graces are the only source of comfort and assurance in our lives, then we may find ourselves tempted to one of two extremes. Either we will give in to a naive self-congratulation, overestimating the progress we have made and overlooking the sin that still so easily entangles us, or we might find our peace collapsing under the pressure of guilt as we allow our sin and failure, eclipse-like, to obscure all progress and growth. M’Cheyne was right. We must take a look at self, often and carefully. We ought frequently to assess ourselves with sober honesty. But how shall we overcome the danger of false assurance based on a faulty overestimate of our own worthiness if not by looking at the pristine faultlessness of Christ in His obedience to the Father? In the bright sunshine of His perfections, the stains of sin in us are clearly revealed. How shall we answer the accusations of a conscience that sees only failure and sin if not by looking at the Righteous One whose obedience even unto death was for us and for our salvation? His all-sufficient atonement alone can silence the sting of a condemning conscience and humble the boasts of a self-reliant heart. Only by the ballast of the gospel of free grace can the ship of our Christian lives avoid listing to one side or the other. May the Lord help us all to find peace from God because we have first found peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why the Reformation Still Matter (by Michael Reeves)

Last year, on October 31, Pope Francis announced that after five hundred years, Protestants and Catholics now “have the opportunity to mend a critical moment of our history by moving beyond the controversies and disagreements that have often prevented us from understanding one another.” From that, it sounds as if the Reformation was an unfortunate and unnecessary squabble over trifles, a childish outburst that we can all put behind us now that we have grown up.

But tell that to Martin Luther, who felt such liberation and joy at his rediscovery of justification by faith alone that he wrote, “I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates.” Tell that to William Tyndale, who found it such “merry, glad and joyful tidings” that it made him “sing, dance, and leap for joy.” Tell it to Thomas Bilney, who found it gave him “a marvelous comfort and quietness, insomuch that my bruised bones leaped for joy.” Clearly, those first Reformers didn’t think they were picking a juvenile fight; as they saw it, they had discovered glad tidings of great joy.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, Europe had been without a Bible the people could read for something like a thousand years. Thomas Bilney had thus never encountered the words “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). Instead of the Word of God, they were left to the understanding that God is a God who enables people to earn their own salvation. As one of the teachers of the day liked to put it, “God will not deny grace to those who do their best.” Yet what were meant as cheering words left a very sour taste for everyone who took them seriously. How could you be sure you really had done your best? How could you tell if you had become the sort of just person who merited salvation?

Martin Luther certainly tried. “I was a good monk,” he wrote, “and kept my order so strictly that I could say that if ever a monk could get to heaven through monastic discipline, I should have entered in.” And yet, he found:

My conscience would not give me certainty, but I always doubted and said, “You didn’t do that right. You weren’t contrite enough. You left that out of your confession.” The more I tried to remedy an uncertain, weak and troubled conscience with human traditions, the more daily I found it more uncertain, weaker and more troubled.

According to Roman Catholicism, Luther was quite right to be unsure of heaven. The confidence of a place in heaven was considered errant presumption and was one of the charges made against Joan of Arc at her trial in 1431. There, the judges proclaimed,

This woman sins when she says she is as certain of being received into Paradise as if she were already a partaker of . . . glory, seeing that on this earthly journey no pilgrim knows if he is worthy of glory or of punishment, which the sovereign judge alone can tell.

That judgment made complete sense within the logic of the system: if we can only enter heaven because we have (by God’s enabling grace) become personally worthy of it, then, of course, no one can be sure. By that line of reasoning, I can only have as much confidence in heaven as I have confidence in my own sinlessness.

That was exactly why the young Martin Luther screamed with fear when as a student he was nearly struck by lightning in a thunderstorm. He was terrified of death, for without knowledge of Christ’s sufficient and gracious salvation—without knowledge of justification by faith alone—he had no hope of heaven.

And that was why his rediscovery in Scripture of justification by faith alone felt like entering paradise through open gates. It meant that, instead of all his angst and terror, he could now write:

When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: “I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where he is, there I shall be also.”

And that was why the Reformation gave people such a taste for sermons and Bible reading. For, to be able to read God’s words and to see in them such good news that God saves sinners, not on the basis of how well they repent but entirely by His own grace, was like a burst of Mediterranean sunshine into the gray world of religious guilt.

Bible Teaching (Esther 1:1-22)

What is Reformation Day? (Stephen J. Nichols)

A single event on a single day changed the world. It was October 31, 1517. Brother Martin, a monk and a scholar, had struggled for years with his church, the church in Rome. He had been greatly disturbed by an unprecedented indulgence sale. The story has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. Let’s meet the cast.

First, there is the young bishop—too young by church laws—Albert of Mainz. Not only was he bishop over two bishoprics, he desired an additional archbishopric over Mainz. This too was against church laws. So Albert appealed to the Pope in Rome, Leo X. From the De Medici family, Leo X greedily allowed his tastes to exceed his financial resources. Enter the artists and sculptors, Raphael and Michelangelo.

When Albert of Mainz appealed for a papal dispensation, Leo X was ready to deal. Albert, with the papal blessing, would sell indulgences for past, present, and future sins. All of this sickened the monk, Martin Luther. Can we buy our way into heaven? Luther had to speak out.

But why October 31? November 1 held a special place in the church calendar as All Soul’s Day. On November 1, 1517, a massive exhibit of newly acquired relics would be on display at Wittenberg, Luther’s home city. Pilgrims would come from all over, genuflect before the relics, and take hundreds, if not thousands, of years off time in purgatory. Luther’s soul grew even more vexed. None of this seemed right.

Martin Luther, a scholar, took quill in hand, dipped it in his inkwell and penned his 95 Theses on October 31, 1517. These were intended to spark a debate, to stir some soul-searching among his fellow brothers in the church. The 95 Theses sparked far more than a debate. The 95 Theses also revealed the church was far beyond rehabilitation. It needed a reformation. The church, and the world, would never be the same.

One of Luther’s 95 Theses simply declares, “The Church’s true treasure is the gospel of Jesus Christ.” That alone is the meaning of Reformation Day. The church had lost sight of the gospel because it had long ago papered over the pages of God’s Word with layer upon layer of tradition. Tradition always brings about systems of works, of earning your way back to God. It was true of the Pharisees, and it was true of medieval Roman Catholicism. Didn’t Christ Himself say, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light?” Reformation Day celebrates the joyful beauty of the liberating gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is Reformation Day? It is the day the light of the gospel broke forth out of darkness. It was the day that began the Protestant Reformation. It was a day that led to Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and many other Reformers helping the church find its way back to God’s Word as the only authority for faith and life and leading the church back to the glorious doctrines of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It kindled the fires of missionary endeavors, it led to hymn writing and congregational singing, and it led to the centrality of the sermon and preaching for the people of God. It is the celebration of a theological, ecclesiastical, and cultural transformation.

So we celebrate Reformation Day. This day reminds us to be thankful for our past and to the Monk turned Reformer. What’s more, this day reminds us of our duty, our obligation, to keep the light of the gospel at the center of all we do.

A Convert's First Prayer

My Father,

I could never have sought my happiness in Thy love,

unless Thou had’st first loved me.

Thy Spirit has encouraged me by grace to seek Thee,

has made known to me Thy reconciliation in Jesus,

has taught me to believe it,

has helped me to take Thee for my God and portion.

May He grant me to grow in the knowledge and experience of Thy love,

and walk in it all the way to glory.

Blessed for ever be Thy fatherly affection,

which chose me to be one of Thy children by faith in Jesus:

I thank Thee for giving me the desire to live as such,

In Jesus, my brother, I have my new birth,

every restraining power,

every renewing grace.

It is by Thy Spirit I call Thee Father,

believe in Thee, love Thee;

Strengthen me inwardly for every purpose of my Christian life;

Let the Spirit continually reveal to me my interest in Christ,

and open to me the riches of Thy love in Him;

May He abide in me that I may know my union with Jesus,

and enter into constant fellowship with Him;

By the Spirit may I daily live to Thee,

rejoice in Thy love,

find it the same to me as to Thy Son,

and become rooted and grounded in it as a house on rock;

I know but little—

increase my knowledge of Thy love in Jesus,

keep me pressing forward for clearer discoveries of it,

so that I may find its eternal fullness;

Magnify Thy love to me according to its greatness,

and not according to my deserts or prayers,

and whatever increase Thou givest, let it draw out greater love to Thee. ■

From The Valley of Vision—A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust. 1975), p. 53.

How a Minister Can Cultivate a Prayerful Life (Joel Beeke)

Suffering Works for Good

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

To get the full impact of this verse so rich in meaning, and to avoid misinterpreting it, we need to see it in its context. We need to notice three things about it. First, we need to consider the meaning of “all things.” Out of context, we may think this means that all things in this world work together for our good. While this is certainly true, in context the phrase “all things” refers specifically to the things Paul has been discussing, which are the suffering and infirmities of the people of God.

The second thing we need to note is that there is a restriction. God is not promising to bring good out of suffering for all people, but for those who love God. Suffering and agony are not good in themselves, and we need to work to alleviate pain and evil wherever we can. But God promises to His children that He will bring good out of their suffering. Notice that Paul does not say “those who believe in Him” but “those who love Him.” Paul focuses on the fact that in the last analysis the dividing line between the Christian and the unbeliever is not over the issue of simply believing in some God or other, but over the issue of loving God.

The third aspect we need to see is also related to the fact that this promise is only for God’s children, those “who have been called according to His purpose.” Paul speaks not of an external call to the Gospel, but of the inward call of the Holy Spirit. In theology we term this “effectual calling.” No one will love God unless God first changes the disposition of his heart through the work of the Holy Spirit. The capacity to love God is not natural to fallen man, but must be supernaturally granted by the Father, who takes the initiative in restoring us to Himself.

Too often this verse is used as a pat answer for those who suffer. Resist the temptation to use it as an easy answer when ministering to people in the midst of pain. Often the “good” comes long after the pain. Today, focus your prayer time on those who are in pain and under stress.

FREE Book on Johannes Oecolampadius by Diane Poythress

In 2011 Reformation Heritage Books published Diane Poythress's book Reformer of Basel: The Life, Thought, and Influence of Johannes Oecolampadius, which was a condensation from her doctoral dissertation, “Johannes Oecolampadius’ Exposition of Isaiah, Chapters 36-37,” Ph.D. dissertation, Westminster Theological Seminary, 1992. Reformation Heritage Books has now generously consented to give her permission to post it online (click to download PDF). Oecolampadius was the principal Reformer in Basel, Switzerland, in the first generation of the Reformation. He wrote wonderful, insightful, edifying commentaries, which have never been translated. I enthusiastically recommend the book, which gives an excellent introduction to the person and his work.

God Helps in Time of Need

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently" (Romans 8:25).

One of the real difficulties believers face is our call to be patient in the face of suffering. As Christians, we know that God has revealed certain truths. The future is ultimately secure, and when we die we will go to heaven. We also know that God is going to renovate this creation. He is not going to fail in His promises. In the meantime, however, we are suffering tribulation, and it is easy for us to become impatient.

Paul has told us that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Hope sustains us. Hope is not merely wishful thinking, but a confident knowledge that God is going to fulfill His purposes, and that our tribulation will not last forever.

It is not only hope that enables us to endure the problems of this world. In verse 26, Paul introduces another Helper: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” One of the most important ministries of the Holy Spirit is to sustain us in the midst of trial. He is our Helper, the One who stands with us in our moments of darkness. He helps us to persevere.

Paul continues, “We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us.” In the midst of suffering, we may become confused and not know how to pray, or what to pray for. The Spirit, however, prays with us and for us.

Paul is saying that we have not one but two intercessors before the Father. Jesus Christ is our great High Priest and Advocate, who stands for us before God. But Jesus has called another Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to stand with Him and with us. So both the Spirit and the Son are interceding for me, to bring my prayers before the throne of the Father.

Often when we suffer it is difficult (even impossible) to see how our suffering can possibly be beneficial. No matter how trying the circumstances, though, we can know God is with us in our weakness. Think of times when you have needed the Spirit to intercede for you. How have you known He has come to your aid? Anticipate situations facing you this week in which you already know your weakness will require particular intercession by the Spirit.

The Reward of Suffering

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8:17).

The theme of sharing in Christ’s sufferings is an important one in Paul’s letters. As Christians, we are baptized into the death of Christ, and we are called to participate, in a certain sense, in the sufferings of Christ and the tribulations of the kingdom of God. Our sufferings do not earn us merit, but rather their purpose is to solidify our identification with Jesus and to work out the redemptive purposes of God.

Paul states in Colossians 1:24 that Christians fill up in their flesh “what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions.” Some theologians, especially in the Roman Catholic community, have deduced from this that the sufferings of believers are meritorious, adding to a kind of deficiency that exists in the value of the sufferings of Jesus.

Christ’s sufferings, of course, have infinite value, and we can add nothing to them in this regard. What is “lacking” is not lacking in value, but lacking in the full measure of God’s “plan of redemption” as it works itself out in history. God’s method of redemption comes through suffering. Principally (exclusively in the area of merit) this occurs in the person of Jesus; but secondarily in us, as we call attention to the uniqueness of His death and passion by our willingness to participate in it.

Paul goes on now to say that if we suffer with Him, we will also reign with Him. We will participate in the glory that the Father gives the Son. But the glory we receive will be far greater than the suffering we have experienced. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (v. 18).

As Christians we love life and comfort; this is how God has made us. Thus, we naturally shrink back from suffering. The Bible assures us that our suffering is brief compared to an eternity of glory. However, suffering is important for the development of the kingdom of God and the character of the believer. Is there some area in your life where God has, through suffering, already produced character and strength? Do not be surprised if you discover an entirely new dimension to the work of God in your life.

Tom Wright and the Search for Truth: A Theological Evaluation

Dr. Tom Holland, a Research Supervisor at Union School of Theology, has a new book out (available for pre-order on Kindle) which will critically evaluate the writings of NT Wright. Here are some of the reviews ahead of the book's publication on October 31st:

"Tom Holland provides a long overdue and thorough critique of the biblical scholarship of Tom Wright. Holland poses many excellent questions that point to fundamental, unrecognized, and potentially very damaging flaws in many of Wright’s methods and arguments. In an uncomfortable number of instances, Holland argues, Wright is just plain old wrong! Holland particularly identifies how the Second Temple Literature, as well as Hellenism as a whole, provides an unnecessary and unjustified foundation for Wright’s interpretations, especially of Paul. Holland does more than simply show how and where he believes Wright is in error; he presents numerous constructive and viable alternatives that merit further consideration. Regardless of whether one accepts these alternatives, if Holland is right in his fundamental criticisms, then Wright has a lot of explaining (and revising) to do!" -- Stanley E. Porter, President and Dean, Professor of New Testament, , McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 

"I have long felt that someone ought to write a comprehensive, probing critique of N. T. Wright’s theological thought. I’m very grateful to Tom Holland for tackling this challenging, yet much-needed task. Holland rightly, I believe, raises serious concerns regarding Wright’s methodology, which tends to elevate Second Temple literature above the Hebrew Scriptures. While Wright is correct in his efforts to peel back layers of Reformation tradition in reading Paul, Holland shows that Wright’s own methodology does not always live up to the noble aims of the critical realism he espouses. No doubt there is much to learn from Wright’s scholarly contribution. The way forward, however, I believe, is subjecting Wright’s work to the kind of constructive critique Holland has provided. It is my hope that this volume marks the beginning of an even more thoroughgoing scrutiny of Wright’s reconstructed synthesis-with the result that Paul’s thought can be discerned more cogently from the New Testament documents against the most important ancient background, which surely must be the inspired canonical contributions of the Old Testament writers. Even the most ardent followers of Wright, not to mention Wright himself, will want to take note of this measured, yet pointed and sustained interaction." -- Andreas J. Kostenberger, Senior Research Professor of New Testament & Biblical Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Founder of Biblical Foundations (www.biblicalfoundations.org) 

"In this corner we have a veritable library made up of N. T. Wright’s numerous books. And in this corner, now we have Tom Holland’s Tom Wright and the Search for Truth, which offers a ringside view of a sometimes bruising collision of perspectives. Holland presses some issues that echo queries already posed. Yet he offers a sustained critique of Wright’s exegesis and its informing premises that breaks new ground. Particularly insightful is his demonstration of ways Second Temple sources control Wright’s interpretations when New and Old Testament writings more likely furnish interpretive keys. Where Wright prefers a monolithic definition of “covenant,” Holland shows the varying meanings Paul (and other biblical writers) conveys with the word. While Holland is appreciative of Wright at many points, and while there is much more to say in assessment of Wright pro and con, Holland’s probing and robust, Old Testament-based alternatives to Wright’s often shaky and tendentious reconstructions will stimulate scholarship. Holland’s book will free some readers from unwarranted enchantment with Wright and enable them to arrive at more fruitful understandings of especially Pauline texts and their redemptive message." -- Robert W. Yarbrough, Professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, USA

Every Tear Wiped Away

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

The Bible does not give us much direct information about heaven, and this is doubtless because heaven will be more glorious than we can presently imagine. However, one thing that is clear from Scripture is that God will be with us, and that there will be no more suffering.

I remember from my early childhood that when I was hurt, I would come into the kitchen and cry to my mother. She would take the corner of her apron and wipe away my tears. There is probably no more intimate gesture a human being can make than wiping away the tears of another person.

When my tears were wiped away as a child, I would be comforted. But the tears always came back later on when I would be hurt again. In this life the tears will come again and again for each of us. What John shows us here in Revelation, however, is that when God comes to be with us in the world to come. He will wipe away our tears permanently. There will be no death, no mourning, no sickness, no sorrow, and no tears in heaven.

The old order will pass away. The world of pain and suffering will be gone. God Himself pronounces, “I am making everything new!” This is not a philosophical deduction; it is a promise from the King of Kings Himself. Beyond this, He seals His promise by saying, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5).

Then John is shown the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10–22:5). In all its glories the basic image that comes through is that of unveiled light. “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light” (Revelation 22:5). In heaven we will be face-to-face with the light of God Himself.

Throughout the centuries, the firm assurance of heaven has upheld the saints during times of tribulation and suffering. As you look at yourself today, how much real confidence do you feel you have in these promises? Is heaven a reality to you as your future hope? Or does it seem somehow distant and abstract? If so, ask God today to give you a greater sense of the reality of heaven and to enable you to live in the light of its coming glory.

Bible Teaching (Ruth 4:1-22)

A Productivity Catechism (by Tim Challies)

An understanding of productivity needs to begin with an understanding of the reason you exist. Productivity is not what will bring purpose to your life, but what will enable you to excel in living out your existing purpose.

I am going to lead you through a brief Productivity Catechism, a series of questions and answers. Only when you understand these foundational matters about your God-given purpose and mission will you be ready to get to work. Here is the first question:

Q1. Ultimately, why did God create you? A. God created me to bring glory to him.

This is the question every human being wonders at one time or another, isn’t it? Why am I here? Why am I here instead of not here? Why did God create me? The Bible has an answer: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever” (Romans 11:36). All things exist to bring glory to God, and that includes each one of us. That includes you.

God created you so he could receive glory from you and receive glory through you. That is an astonishing truth to consider and a deeply humbling one. When you grasp it and apply it, it transforms everything about your life. The simple fact is, you are not the point of your life. You are not the star of your show. If you live for yourself, your own comfort, your own glory, your own fame, you will miss out on your very purpose. God created you to bring glory to him.

Q2. How can you glorify God in your day-to-day life? A. I can glorify God in my day-to-day life by doing good works.

You may be comfortable with this idea that God created you to bring glory to him, but the question remains: what does it actually mean to do that? If you want to glorify God, do you need to quit your job and become a pastor? If you want to glorify God, do you need to pack up everything you own, move across the world, and serve as a missionary in the farthest and most dangerous regions? Do you only truly glorify God on Sundays when you stand in church and sing the great songs of the Christian faith? Is God only honored through you when you read your Bible and pray? Or is there a way that you can glorify God all day and every day even in a very ordinary life?

Jesus answered this question when he said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Your good works are like a light, and when that light shines, it illuminates God. When people see that light, they aren’t meant to look at you and say, “He’s incredible” or “She’s amazing.” They are meant to look at God and say, “He is awesome.”

You do not glorify God only when you talk about him, or share his gospel with other people, or stand with hands raised in public worship. Those are all good actions, but they are not the only means through which you can bring glory to God. Far from it. You glorify God when you do good works. The apostle Peter wrote, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). Your good works make God look great before a watching world.

Q3. What are good works? A. Good works are deeds done for the glory of God and the benefit of other people.

You know now that good works are important and that they bring glory to God. But what are these good works? Are they feeding the poor and adopting orphans? Are they giving money to the church, volunteering at the food bank, or visiting the elderly in their nursing homes? What are the good works you are called to do? The Bible assures you that good works are any deeds that are done for the benefit of other people and the glory of God.

You are already very good at doing things that benefit you. We all are. From your infancy you have become adept at expending effort toward your own comfort and survival. But when God saved you, he gave you a heart that longs to do good for others. Suddenly you long to do good to other people, even at great cost to yourself. After all, that is exactly what Christ did on the cross. It is what Christ did, and he calls on you to imitate him.

Good works, then, are any and all of those deeds you do for the benefit of others. If you are a mother and you simply cuddle and comfort your crying child, you are doing a good work that glorifies God, because you do it for the benefit of your child. If you are a student and apply yourself to your studies, you are doing a good work that brings glory to God, because what you learn can and will be used someday to benefit other people. If you work in an office environment and do your job with consideration to your clients and coworkers, you are doing good works that bring glory to God, because you are living outside yourself, doing what benefits the people in your life.

There is no task in life that cannot be done for God’s glory. Again, this is what Jesus calls for in these simple words from the Sermon on the Mount: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Q4. But you are a sinful person. Can you actually do good works? A. Yes. Christians are able to do good works because of the finished work of Christ.

As a Christian you are aware of your sin. You know that your motives are never perfectly pure, that your desires are never perfectly selfless, that your actions are never perfectly just. Sometimes you do not even know your motives, and sometimes you do not even want to know them. If all of that is true, can you still do deeds that are good?

Yes, you can do good works. In fact, this is the very reason God saved you: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). It is simple: God saved you so that you could do good works and in that way bring glory to him. Paul amplifies it even more in his letter to Titus: “[Christ] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). Christ gave up his life for you so that you could have a genuine zeal to do good works. Paul calls upon Christians to be good works zealots or good works extremists—to be absolutely committed in every way to doing good for others.

Take heart! You can actually do works that delight God. God is genuinely pleased when you do these works, even when you don’t do them as perfectly or as selflessly as you might wish, or even when you are uncertain about your motives. Though even your best deeds are far from perfect, God is pleased with them and accepts them with joy.

Q5. In what areas of life should you emphasize good works? A. I ought to emphasize good works at all times and in all areas of life.

If you can bring glory to God in all areas, you should bring glory to God in all areas. There is no area of your life where you have no ability to do good to others and where you have no ability to bring glory to God. Paul said, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). To Titus he said, “The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people” (Titus 3:8). To Timothy he wrote specifically of women and said, “Women should adorn themselves…with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works” (1 Timothy 2:9-10), and to the church at Galatia he explained, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Peter even tells you that God has supernaturally gifted you so that you can do even more good to others.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

The Bible is clear: At every time and in every context you are able to do good to others, and so you should do good to others.

Q6. What is productivity? A. Productivity is effectively stewarding my gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God.

Now we come to it: what is productivity? Productivity is effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God. Productivity calls you to direct your whole life at this great goal of bringing glory to God by doing good for others. This call involves using your gifts, the spiritual gifts you were given when the Lord saved you; it involves deploying your talents, those areas of natural strength; it involves managing your time, those 24 hours God gives you each day; it involves making use of your energy, the strength or vitality that ebbs and flows through the day and the week; and it even involves your enthusiasm, the passion and interest you can bring to those works you love to do. God calls you to take all of that and to apply it carefully, faithfully, and consistently to the great goal of doing good to others.

Your Purpose

I trust this maxim establishes your purpose: to glorify God by doing good to others. There is no better plan and no higher ideal. So, ultimately, here is what productivity is all about and, therefore, what this course is all about: doing good to others.

Are you a stay-at-home mom? This is the measure of your productivity. Are you a CEO with a corner office? This is the measure of your productivity, too. Are you a teacher, a toolmaker, a doctor, a driver? The same is true of you. Even while we are talking about tools, software, and systems, you need to remember this high and noble purpose behind it all: bringing glory to God by doing good to others.

The Hope of the Resurrection

"For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost." (1 Corinthians 15:16–18)

Sometimes we hear that people in the ancient world were more superstitious than people of today. Thus, it is maintained that for these unsophisticated people, the idea of someone rising from the dead was not strange. Actually, though, people did not rise from the grave any more frequently in the ancient world than they do today (<chuckle>). The idea of resurrection is no more “strange” to us than it was to them.

There were people in Corinth who doubted the reality of the Resurrection. This doubt had infected the church there, and so Paul addresses the problem in 1 Corinthians 15. In the course of his arguments he touches on something relevant to our consideration of suffering.

In verse 16, Paul states that if it is true that nobody ever rises from the dead, then it inevitably follows that Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead either. Then he draws consequences from such a belief. First, in verse 17 he points out that if Christ was not raised from the dead, then the whole Christian faith is in vain. It is futile and pointless. It is pitiful insanity.

Beyond this, Paul points out that if Christ has not been raised, then there has been no forgiveness of sins. Christ’s resurrection was God’s public declaration that the problem of sin had been vanquished. So, if there is no Resurrection, then there is no forgiveness of sins. Finally, in verse 18 Paul points out that if Christ has not been raised, and if there is no forgiveness of sins, then our friends and relatives who died in faith are all lost. We will never see them again. They have vanished either into non-existence or hell.

Paul uses these negative conclusions to point us to the positive affirmations of the faith: Christ has been raised; therefore, our sins are forgiven, and we and our loved ones who died in faith will be raised from the dead also. This comfort is given to us in the face of suffering and death. Take a few moments to reflect on Paul’s arguments, and make this comfort your own.

Trusting God for Eternal Life

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you" (John 14:1–2).

When we talk with people who are suffering from deadly injuries or illnesses and who may very well die, we are tempted to offer false hope. We are tempted to say something like, “Don’t worry. You’re sure to get better.” Similarly, if someone is dying, we are tempted to withhold that information from them.

Any such response is false hope. Jesus shows us true hope in these verses. It is helpful to remember the context in which He spoke these words. He had just told the disciples that He was about to die (John 13:33) and that He was going to be leaving them. It was in the face of death that He reassured them concerning life after death. Jesus not only tells us that there is a good and happy life for believers after death, but He also tells us that part of His purpose in departing from this world was so that He might prepare a place for us. Our comfort in the face of dying is not only that we are going into a better life but also that Jesus Himself is there waiting for us.

“If it were not so, I would have told you.” Jesus adds these words to assure us that His promise is true. If there were any threat to our future happiness in heaven, He would have told us. In the original Greek this is a very strong statement. The Greek original clearly expresses a condition contrary to fact, and for that reason we translate it in the English subjunctive mood: “If it were,” not “If it is.”

There is no doubt about it. “If it were not so” means that there is not the slightest possibility that the promise is untrue. By using this strong statement, Jesus assures us that in the face of death we can have hope—if not hope for recovery, then hope for something even better.

Have you thought very much about the fact that beyond this life is a better one with Jesus in heaven? Sometimes we as Christians get so concerned with the affairs of this world, important as they are, that we forget about the world to come. Take some time today to think about the life to come, and restore your perspective on the hope that Jesus offers in these verses.

Bible Teaching: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Iain Murray and John MacArthur Discuss Reading in the Ministry

At the 2017 Shepherd’s Conference, in Sun Valley, California, the Banner of Truth hosted a student event for Master’s Seminary Students. Iain Murray and John MacArthur discuss reading in the ministry, asking them if they could share their accumulated wisdom after reading and writing for decades. Here are some of the books mentioned in this video.

The Death of the Christian

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:6–7).

Every man and woman on earth must face death. Only those alive when our Lord returns will escape the moment of physical death. Thus, the question that comes before each of us is: Will we die in faith or in sin? But what does it mean to die in faith?

Faith is a word that has become cheap in our day. For some people, faith is almost the same thing as magic and superstition. In the Bible, however, faith means trust. It is one thing to believe that there is a God, but it is something else to put your trust in this God for life and for death. True faith expresses itself in a life lived as a warrior for God. Notice how Paul expresses this in 2 Timothy 4:7. First he says he has fought the good fight. Of course, the Bible makes it clear that Christians are not to be belligerent people, but at the same time there are certain struggles in which we are called to engage. We are to struggle against the world, the sinful flesh, and the Devil, for instance. And, when we get a serious illness, God is honored when we fight it tooth and nail.

Then Paul shifts to the imagery of a race. Anybody can be a Christian for five minutes or five years, but the recurring theme in the Scriptures is that he who endures to the end is the one who experiences redemption (Matthew 24:13). The race Paul speaks of here is not a 100-yard dash, but a marathon.

As Christians we want to die trusting God, not abandoning hope in Him. The New Testament tells us that the just shall live by faith, but it is also clear that the just shall die in faith. Paul was given a sense that he was about to die, as these verses show. Job was not given such a sense of impending death, but he demonstrated what it means to die in faith when in his awful agony he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him” (Job 13:15).

How do you want to be remembered? What on your tombstone would you like to be a teaching reminder for all who pause to read it? If you died today, would the memory of your life match the message of your epitaph?

The Vocation of Suffering

"So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good" (1 Peter 4:19).

We think of a vocation or calling as a job that we are appointed to do. We speak of a call to the ministry, but we could just as easily speak of a call to run a gas station or to be a homemaker or anything else. We don’t generally think of being called to suffer, but we should. Some people, for some parts of their lives at least, are simply called to suffer.

Of course, the man who was preeminently set aside to suffer and die was our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians, in union with Him, are frequently called to “participate in the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 4:13). The great example of this in the Bible is Job.

Satan, you remember, asked to be allowed to put Job to the test. With God’s permission, Satan arranged for all of Job’s children to be killed and all of Job’s property to be destroyed. Then he afflicted Job with a horribly painful and incurable disease. Then Job’s wife encouraged him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9), which was surely no comfort. To top it off, three of Job’s friends came to accuse Job of sins of which he was not guilty.

Throughout all of this, Job did not renounce the Lord, but instead cried out for an explanation. When God did finally come to speak with Job, He first of all told Job that he would have to answer His questions. He asks Job who created the world, and who orders day and night, feeds the lion, and gives the horse his strength. It almost seems as if God was bullying Job.

But that was not God’s purpose. God never answered Job’s question. God never gave Job an explanation. But God gave Job a Friend! God overwhelmed Job with an awareness of who He really is, and the certainty of His divine presence was enough.

Often when we try to comfort someone we find we have nothing to say that does not seem trite. But simply being there for someone, silently holding his or her hand, means more than words. Just so, even if God does not give us an explanation for our pain, He is there to be our Friend. If you are suffering, read Job 38–42 and let God overwhelm you with who He really is.

The Problem of Suffering

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ" (1 Peter 4:12–13).

The new life in Christ does not eliminate the problems of life. Nor does our new life prevent suffering. For the next several days we shall consider this problem. Christians suffer—often intensely and sometimes for long periods of time. This is a fact of our lives, and one about which the Bible has much to say.

God allows suffering and pain to come our way and He has reasons for it. We are not to count it as some “strange thing,” as Peter tells us, but to understand that “it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God” (1 Peter 4:17). As the author of Hebrews tells us, “The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son” (Hebrews 12:6).

The belief that our labor is in vain, and that it has no purpose makes suffering hardest to bear. Usually we cannot see what the purpose of our pain is, and perhaps in this life we will never know what purpose God has in mind in taking us through such trials. But the Bible shows us a God who is involved with His people in their suffering. It shows us a Jesus Christ who is the “Man of Sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3).

It is impossible that any pain should be without purpose. If God really exists, there is no such thing as meaningless suffering. The sovereign God of the universe has a good purpose in all that He sends our way.

Isaiah says the Suffering Servant will see the travail of His soul and be satisfied (Isaiah 53:11). His substitutionary atonement had the purpose of effecting our salvation. The Cross and therefore our suffering are not in vain. Express your trust in His good purposes as you pray about this today.

Preaching: "Exploring the Evidence for Christ"

Bible Teaching (Ruth 3:1-18)

Questions and Answers on Suffering (R.C. Sproul)

The following questions and answers were taken from RC Sproul's book Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in the Christian Life (Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2010.

1) How would you counsel Christians who are suffering from illness or age-related infirmity and who would rather be in heaven than remain on earth?

First, I would commend such people for their preference. They are certainly in good company. Frequently this sentiment is expressed by biblical heroes and heroines. We remember the aged Simeon who, after waiting years to behold the Messiah, finally was blessed to see the Christ child in the temple. He took the baby Jesus in his arms and spoke the poem known as the Nunc Dimittis: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation” (Luke 2:29–30).

Job, in the midst of his great pain, begged God for the release of death: “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant me the thing that I long for! That it would please God to crush me, that He would loose His hand and cut me off!” (Job 6:8–9). Moses and Jeremiah, among others, made the same plea.

I once heard a man describing the throes of seasickness by saying, “First, I was afraid I was going to die, and then I was afraid I wouldn’t.” What he uttered in jest is a sober reality for many who are afflicted.

Billy Graham has been quoted publicly in recent years as saying that he was tired and longed to go home and be with Christ. Dr. Graham’s remarks echoed those of the apostle Paul when he wrote: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you” (Phil. 1:21–24).

Paul was willing to continue his ministry on earth, but his clear preference was to die and be with Christ. Likewise, we should pray that God would give us the grace to remain fruitful in this world, even if our preference is to die and be with Christ.

There are two basic reasons why Christians at times long for death. The first is our deep longing to arrive at our spiritual destination. The pilgrimage of our souls is not finished until we enter into our rest. The second reason is the desire for relief from affliction.

As I noted earlier in this book, the time of our death is in God’s hands. We must not take steps to hasten the moment of our departure. God is the author of life and is sovereign over both life and death. We may pray for death, but the request may be granted by God alone.

What about suicide? What happens to those who commit suicide?

Historically the church has taken a dim view of suicide. However, many people do, in fact, kill themselves.

I was once asked on a television talk show whether people who commit suicide could go to heaven. I answered with a simple yes. My answer caused the switchboard to light up like a Christmas tree. The host also was shocked by my response.

I explained that suicide is nowhere identified as an unforgivable sin. We do not know with any degree of certainty what is going through a person’s mind at the moment of suicide. It is possible that suicide is an act of pure unbelief, a succumbing to total despair that indicates the absence of any faith in God. On the other hand, it may be the sign of temporary or prolonged mental illness. Or it may result from a sudden wave of severe depression. (Such depression can be brought on by organic causes or by the unintentional use of certain medications.)

One psychiatrist remarked that the vast majority of people who committed suicide would not have done so had they waited twenty-four hours. Such an observation is conjecture, but it is based on numerous interviews of people who made serious unsuccessful attempts at suicide and subsequently recovered from their overwhelming discouragement.

The point is that people commit suicide for a wide variety of reasons. The complexity of the thinking process of a person at the moment of suicide is known comprehensively by God alone. Therefore, God alone is able to render a fair and accurate judgment on any person. Ultimately, an individual’s salvation is dependent on whether he or she has been united to Christ by faith alone. The fact remains that genuine Christians are capable of succumbing to a tidal-wave of depression.

Though we must seek to discourage people from suicide, we leave those who have done it to the mercy of God.

Is it wrong to try to avoid suffering?

There have been times in church history when suffering was looked on as such a virtue that people went out of their way to experience it. The ancient heresy of Manichaeism, which focused on releasing the soul from the evil flesh, had a powerful and lasting influence on the church. Rigorous acts of asceticism, including bizarre forms of self-flagellation, have been seen as ways of accruing merit in the sight of God.

However, suffering merely for the sake of suffering has no particular virtue. The quest for suffering may indicate a psychological disorder, such as masochism. It also may point to an attempt at self-justification whereby a person, out of pride, wants to atone for his sins rather than to receive the grace of forgiveness.

There is no reason to seek suffering. Neither is there anything wrong in trying to avoid it unless avoiding it purposely involves a betrayal of Christ. The early martyrs could have avoided the lions if they had repudiated Christ, but such an avoidance of suffering would have been sin. Such examples are not limited to the early church. In many situations in the contemporary world, notably in totalitarian countries, Christians choose—and in some cases do not choose—to suffer for Christ.

We seek to avoid suffering when we buy food to eat and use medicine to heal our diseases. This is not sin but prudence. God calls us to take care of ourselves in the stewardship of both body and soul.

So the avoidance of suffering may be virtue or sin, depending on the circumstances involved.

Does free will play a role in suffering? For example, if a man smokes and then dies from cancer, is his suffering a call from God as a vocation? Is it a divine judgment? Or is it a result of the man taking his chances?

This question lists three possible explanations for the suffering described. We can eliminate one of them altogether. If God is sovereign, then nothing happens purely by chance. A chance event would be totally outside of the sovereign will of God. If any events were outside the sovereign will of God, it would be a contradiction in terms to call God sovereign. As I’ve written elsewhere, if there is one maverick molecule in the universe running around free of God’s sovereignty, then there is no guarantee that any promise God has ever made will come to pass. That one molecule might be the very thing that disrupts God’s eternal plan. Not just the best-laid plans of mice and men, but those of the Creator himself, might go astray.

If God is not sovereign, then God is not God. A non-sovereign God is no God at all. A non-sovereign God would be like a titular king who reigns but doesn’t rule. To be sure, men have free will, but our free will is limited. It is always limited by God’s free will. God’s free will is a sovereign free will. Our free will is a subordinate free will.

When I speak of suffering being a vocation, I have in mind that God is sovereign over everything that happens to us. That does not cancel out our free will and responsibility.

The question remains, is the suffering mentioned the result of God’s vocation or God’s judgment? Here we face a false dilemma. This need not be an either/or situation. God’s call to suffer may at the same time be an act of judgment.

We remember the nocturnal call that came to Samuel when he served under Eli. God revealed to Samuel that He was going to bring His holy judgment on the house of Eli. Eli then begged Samuel to tell him what God had revealed: “ ‘What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.’ Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, ‘It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him’ ” (1 Sam. 3:17–18).

Eli recognized the judgment of God. He recognized the justice of it. He submitted himself to it. Here he accepted a vocation, a call to bear a chastisement involving suffering.

Likewise, when Nathan told David that David had sinned, David repented. David’s life was spared, but his son’s was not: “So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die’ ” (2 Sam. 12:13–14).

The biblical record informs us that David then pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and prayed. But God said no. On the seventh day, the child died. What was David’s response? “So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped” (2 Sam. 12:20).

David worshiped God in the midst of his suffering. Indeed, he knew he was suffering under the corrective judgment of God. David answered the call of God righteously.

David’s response echoes that of Job when Job declared: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

What can we do when God’s purpose in our suffering is not clear and we feel overcome by fear, anger, or shock?

The example of Job is very instructive here. In the depth of his agony, compounded because he could make no sense out of his tragedy, Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job cried out for God to answer his questions. He desperately wanted to know why he was called upon to endure so much suffering. Finally God answered him out of the whirlwind, but the answer was not what Job expected. God refused to grant Job an explanation of His reasons for the affliction. Ultimately, the only answer God gave to Job was a revelation of Himself. Job was not asked to trust a plan but a Person, a personal God who is sovereign, wise, and good. God deserves to be trusted.

In light of Jesus’ teaching about life after death, why should a believer cry over the passing of a Christian loved one?

It is comforting to know that Jesus was moved to tears by the sadness of grieving people. Tears are a gift from God to heal the deepest hurts that cannot be touched by any medicine, and they are a meaningful tribute to the depth of feelings generated by a loved one. While our culture accepts and honors tears at the moment of death and burial, there is often an unease that develops if someone weeps much later. The pressure to control tears is sad, for deep, strong feelings will remain for a long time, and the need for release remains as well. In most cases, the hardest times come long after the initial shock of loss. There is no shame in continuing to mourn, for grief seems to require all of us to pass through definite stages of recovery, and the process always takes time. There is no more lack of trust in responding to emotional hurts than there is in dressing a wound that afflicts the body. Neither is there any merit in “putting on a happy face” and denying the existence of real sorrow. The true joy and peace of the believer comes through experiencing the Lord’s comfort in the midst of pain, not instead of pain. 

14 Things that May be Spiritual Hindrances

These are personal observations from James Fraser of Brea and reflect his own experience. It is helpful to learn from those that have been many years in the Christian life making a particular effort in exercising themselves to godliness. Perhaps some of Fraser’s observations are surprising or disturbing to us – they will certainly make us think. We need to engage in our own self-examination to consider our own ways.

1. A legalistic spirit

Satan sometimes urges me violently and boastingly to engage in duties in my own strength, overdriving me with thunder and lightning and laying more upon me than I am able to bear. This is like putting new wine in old bottles, seeking such and such duties, and so much, exacting them by weight and measure. It weakens my hands, irritates me and makes me do nothing, seeing I cannot get what is urged done. It makes me act slavishly (Genesis 33:13; Romans 7:11; Hebrews 10:12-13; Luke 19:21).

2. Unspiritual company

The company of carnal, unregenerate people, and graceless, nominal professing Christians has been a hindrance. This has been especially the case if I have been familiar with them, living close to them, or have not challenged or instructed them. When near, they have dispersed their poison and infection and turned my heart carnal. It is like some diseases that are not contracted unless you come near those that have them (1 Corinthians 15:33).

3. Godly company with no spiritual benefit

When it has not been used to best spiritual advantage, I have even found godly company damaging, drawing away my heart from God and rendering it carnal. If we have not sought the Lord through mutual prayer and have had no spiritual conversation or I have stayed too long with them. Hardening takes place when we are not exhorting one another (Hebrews 3:13).

4. Careless talk

I have had my spirit turned out of frame, and quite distempered by loud, violent, hasty and much talk even in good things. I have found “the talking of the lips tend to penury” (Proverbs 14:23) and a breach made in the spirit by perverse speaking (James 3:5-6; Proverbs 17:27; Matthew 15:8).

5. Being out and about too much

I have found going away from home and being in public too much to be damaging. These have been like the devil’s market-days. Let me prepare, pray and watch as much as I will, this still happens. My spirit has been put out of a spiritual condition, especially if I have gone out without great necessity. Going here and there is good for neither soul nor body.

6. Overindulging

I have found excess in the use of food, drink, and other recreations, very prejudicial, and to be the ordinary inlet of many evils. This makes the body is not in the right condition and the spirit utterly indisposed to any good exercise (Luke 21:34; Proverbs 25:27 and 23:20-21).

7. Carelessness about devotions

Omitting private duties or doing them in a careless way. This includes duties such as prayer, self-examination, meditation, and reading (Matthew 26:41; Proverbs 23:21).

8. Neglecting spontaneous silent prayer

Neglecting spontaneous silent prayer when conversing with others; for this is the fountain of waters that drops from heaven, and makes the heart fruitful (Matthew 26:41).

9. Vain thoughts

Vain thoughts in the morning, when riding, and in private spiritual exercises. Even though they are not bad thoughts, I have found these to put my spirit wrong as much as anything and to make me utterly unfit for duty (Jeremiah 4:14).

10. Not keeping the heart

Unwatchfulness and not keeping the heart while in the world. Not being “in the fear of God all the day long,” not keeping guard, or neglecting the continual oversight of my heart, tongue, and actions, but growing careless. I have found that when my heart is unwatched it runs away and engages in sins and temptations. There are many disorders in a city while there is no government and this is the state of my heart at such times (Matthew 26:41). This has done extreme evil; through this, I lose in public what I gain in private.

11. Unbelieving discouragements

Unbelieving discouragements arising from feeling of what I lack, sins and trials. These have weakened my hands (1 Samuel 12:20; Lamentations 1:9; Jeremiah 2:28; Hebrews 12:12-13). It was when Peter started to be afraid that he began to sink.

12. Being Too Absorbed in Temporal Things

Being highly engaged in outward affairs and business and eagerly pursuing them. These have distracted me and made me utterly unable to serve God (Luke 10:4 and 21:34).

13. Pride

Pride and thinking much of myself, self-boasting of myself, seeking the praise of men and seeking to exalt myself by being careful in duties. Seeking to share the glory with Christ in the matter of salvation. This has made the Lord reject me many times, withdrawing me from my resolution to “hide pride”. This made the Jews not obtain righteousness because they sought it “as it were by the works of the law” (Romans 9:31-32).

14. Slothfulness

Slothfulness in sleeping too long and trifling away the time (especially in company) has “clothed me with rags”.