None of us ever have a complete understanding of the Gospel, but we must have a clear idea of what the basics of our message are, and we must be clear in our expression of them.  If there is a likely misunderstanding, we should address it.  We should speak in such a way as to be understood.  (“Contextualization” is the big theological word for this.)  So when we talk about justification (and we should) we should make sure to define it.  Justification is being declared right with God.  But we sin, we’re not right with God.  So how can we be declared right?  We can’t, if God is truly good.  Unless, that is, we have someone act as a substitute for us.  “Justification” then gets us talking about all kinds of issues right at the heart of the Gospel.

For the rest of the article go here.


Technorati Tags: evangelism, mark dever, t4g

A previously unknown work by JohannSebastian Bach has turned up in a crate of 18th-century birthday cards removed from a
German library shortly before it was devastated by fire last year,
researchers said.

Bach composed the work for a solo soprano, to be accompanied by strings
or a harpsichord, to mark the 52nd birthday of Duke Wilhelm Ernst of
Saxony-Weimar, whom Bach then served as court organist

The soprano was to sing a 12-stanza poem beginning with the duke's
motto "Everything with God and nothing without him" written by the
theologian Johann Anton Mylius.


Technorati Tags: Bach, Baroque, Classical, Music

Proverbs 18:24 A person who has friends may be harmed by them, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (NET)

World oldest shoe got it own seat.
Watching televangelists makes you fat?

Evil is the feeling and
thinking and acting that treats God as less than infinitely
valuable and satisfying... The essence of sin is falling short of the glory of God, that
is, not treating the glory of God for what it really is - the most
valuable reality and the most satisfying treasure in the
universe.

-John Piper (from The Effect of Hypocrisy Part One)

Archaeologists in Israel have unearthed an ancient water system which
was modified by the conquering Persians to turn the desert into a
paradise.

The network of reservoirs, drain pipes and underground tunnels served
one of the grandest palaces in the biblical kingdom of Judea.

Technorati Tags: archaeology biblical-archaeology

From Riddleblog - "One More Time--Islam Is No Religion of Peace"
From Gospel Driven Life - "The Law looks to Messiah
From Out of Ur - How the drive for “excellence” is driving young adults from the church




Technorati Tags: quick-stuff

From John Piper at Desiring God

The O.T. believers experienced the new birth and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When Nicodemus was bewildered about Jesus' demand for new birth by the Spirit Jesus responded (John 3:10), "Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand this?" In other words, I'm not teaching or requiring anything new. Any Israelite who has ever been saved had to be born again by God's Spirit. Otherwise how would they ever overcome their natural hostility to God? How could they have ever submitted to God's law and pleased him—as many did, like Abel and Noah and Abraham and Moses and Rahab and Ruth and Deborah and David? Paul says in Romans 8:7-9, "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed, it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit if the Spirit of God really dwells in you." There are two groups of humans: those in the flesh (born of the flesh) and those in the Spirit (born again of the Spirit). Those in the flesh are devoid of the Spirit and cannot submit to God's law or please God. Those in the Spirit are indwelt by the Spirit and are enabled by him to fulfill the just requirement of the law.
 
 This means that all the saints of the O.T. who trusted God and followed his ways in the obedience of faith were born again by the Spirit and indwelt by the Spirit. For example, Numbers 14:24 says of Caleb, "My servant Caleb, because he has a different Spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into this land." And Numbers 27: 18 says, "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Take Joshua the son of Nun in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him …"' The O.T. believers were saved the same way we are: they were born of the Spirit, they trusted in God's promises, and they followed his commandments in the obedience of faith.


Technorati Tags: OT Old-Testament Old-Covenenat

Technorati Tags: crazy-Christian-stuff stooges theology

Ok, here is the answer from Together For The Gospel...

What am I? Well, here is what I am. I am the worst sinner I know. And by the grace of God I am doing better than I deserve. For I deserve the righteous wrath of God because of my sin. I deserve to be punished eternally. But in the mystery of His mercy, God sacrificed and crushed His Son on the Cross--as my substitute--so that I might be forgiven of my sin and know God as my Father rather than my Judge. What am I? I am truly amazed by the grace of God. That’s what I am.
 
 Of much lesser importance, I have the privilege to serve and lead Sovereign Grace Ministries in its mission to plant and support local churches. And I am especially blessed to be a member of Covenant Life Church, “the dearest place on earth.”


Technorati Tags: reformed t4g grace

...and he's back with a vengeance!  Well not really a vengeance.  It just sounded too much like a movie trailer and I couldn't resist.

But actually, now back from his sabbatical, John Piper is tossing the hat into the ring and ready to confront the New Perspective on Paul teachings.  Here are some quotes from Justin Taylor and Denny Burk.



John Piper's sermon on justification, delivered this past Sunday upon his return from Cambridge, is now available on line. An excerpt:

"Do you see why I would spend weeks of my sabbatical laboring to understand why so many teachers in the church today are replacing the righteousness that Christ has in himself with the righteousness that Christ creates in us as the basis for our justification? People who trust in the righteousness that God has worked in them for the basis of their acceptance and acquittal and justification do not go down to their house justified. People who really believe that the righteousness that God helps them do in this life is a sufficient basis for their justification, Jesus says, will not be justified. Bethlehem, this is serious. We are not justified by the righteousness that Christ works in us, but by the righteousness that Christ is for us."

In particular, Piper confronts the imputation-denying theology of N. T. Wright. In a letter posted on the Desiring God website last week, Piper announced his plans for a book that would challenge Wright’s views. But this first sermon offers a foretaste of the forthcoming work that will be a more thoroughgoing rebuttal of Wright. I just finished listening to the sermon, and I commend it to you for your careful consideration: “The Man Went Down to His House Justified (Luke 18,9-14)” (mp3 audio).

I think that Dr. Piper has grasped what is the heart of the matter in this controversy. Many evangelical proponents of the New Perspective (NP) have argued that God produces righteousness within a Christian (be it faith, faithfulness, obedience of faith, etc.) which then becomes the “basis” for one’s justification. NP advocates claim that this is not a Pelagian or semi-Pelagian stance because the righteousness is God-produced.

(H.T.) http://theologica.blogspot.com/2006/08/piper-sermon-on-justification.html
(H.T.) http://www.lifebloodproject.com/denny/wordpress/?p=433



Technorati Tags: John-Piper, Justification, New Perspective