The Buck Stops Here

From the account of Lazarus in John 11 we learn about a man who was completely unable to do anything whatsoever for himself because he was dead. Jesus Christ miraculously brought him back to life. I truly doubt when Lazarus awoke from the dead he took any credit for his alive status. I don't think he said to Jesus, "Thanks for the help. I just about had it. Another couple of minutes and I would have regenerated myself."

I imagine he fell at the feet of Jesus and gave Him full credit. To suggest that Jesus isn't worthy of full credit is ridiculous. But many of God's children are guilty of this folly and rob God of His honor by claiming they particpated in some way in their salvation. Many claim that they performed some righteous act on their own that God was pleased with and then He saw fit to save them the rest of the way.

God's children were saved because it was God's will to save them and not because they possessed any good, God pleaseing traits (see Romans 8:28, Romans 3:11, 2 Timothy 1:9).

We are all like Lazarus in that we are all spiritually dead and unable to do anything for ourselves (see Genesis 2:17, Ephesians 2:1-5, Colossians 2:13).

Clearly, God's children, like Lazarus, were made alive and given the ability and desire to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. You see all the credit for our salvation belongs to God -- even our decision to follow Christ (see John 1:13, Romans 9:16, James 1:18, Ephesians 1:4-5, Ephesians 1:11).

This means that those who don't follow Christ have not been regenerated and given the abilit y or the desire to follow Him. In fact, they hate God (see Deuteronomy 29:4, Genesis 6:5, John 3:19, John 3:20, Romans 1:30, Romans 3:11, Romans 10:20).

God is sovereign over everyone's eternal destiny. Let's give Him all the credit and praise for saving us. He could have justly chosen to save none of us, as we all deserve Hell. Instead He freely chose to redeem a people for Himself so that we will worship and praise Him. He is so gracious and merciful and worthy! Amen.

Isaiah 59:1,2

I came across these verses in Isaiah the other day and they have stuck in my brain pan like a bullet.

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; or His ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."

What struck me as so profound in these two verses was the effect that sin has in our relationship with God. I've always known from personal experience...dear, painful experience that when I am in a season of sinfulness I have a difficult time praying, I don't want to read the Bible, and talk of Christ is no longer sweet to me. I always knew that there was a relationship between my sinfulness and those effects but I never realized how it works.

The verses above start off by reminding us that God is sovereign no matter what. Regardless of the amount of sin I'm washed in at the time, God can reach in and snatch me out of it, slap me around, and bring me back into His light. He can also hear my cries for repentance at the end of my sin and He can, with His long hand, grant me the grace of repentance. The second verse makes it clear that it is not God who puts this wall between Himself and me when I sin...it is my very sin that creates that stinky cloud through which God may reach or look. He can...but He may not. If I continue in my sin party and dally with my destroyer as if I lived in a consequence free environment God is free and sovereign to ignore my pleas. Much like Esau who sought repentance with tears but did not find it.

John Piper is right when he says, "Do not dally with your destroyer."

My sin can cause a separation between me and God...a horrible and scary separation.

Now if I am saved by God's hand I am truly saved. But if I continue to live content with sin in my life how am I to know if God will reach through that cloud to pull me out? It is better for me to submit to Him and pray for Him to manifest the fruits of His Spirit in me than to dip my toe in the water of sin.

Better...yes.

But so difficult.

Oh what a wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

See Romans 7:25 for the answer.

Soli Deo Gloria.

The Mortifying of Your Darling Sings by Thomas Brooks

The Mortifying of Your Darling Sins

by

Thomas Brooks (Heaven on Earth 1667)

Most professing Christians have not the right art of mortifying sin. All their attempts are to hide a lust, not to quench it. A great motive to provoke you to the mortifying of your darling sins, is solemnly to consider, that the conquest and effectual mortifying of one bosom sin, will yield a Christian more glorious joy, comfort, and peace--than ever he has found in the gratifying and committing of all other sins. The pleasure and sweetness which follows victory over sin, is a thousand times beyond that seeming sweetness which is in the gratifying of sin.

The joy which attends the subduing of sin--is a noble joy, a pure joy, a special joy, an increasing joy, and a lasting joy. But that joy which attends the committing of sin--is an ignoble joy,a corrupt joy, a decreasing joy, a dying joy. The truth is--if there were the least real joy in sin, there could be no hell-torments, where men shall most totally sin, and be most totally tormented with their sin. Ah! Christians, be restless, until, in the spirit and power of Jesus, you have brought under control, that sin which sticks so close unto you! Remember this, nothing below the conquest of bosom sins can make a jubilee in the heart. It is not a man's whining and complaining over sin--but his mortifying of sin, which will make his life a paradise of pleasure!

If, notwithstanding all that has been said, you are still resolved to dally with sin, then you must resolve to live as a stranger to God; you must expect sad trials without, and sore troubles within; this shall be your just wages for playing with sin! If you like the wages, then dally with sin still; if otherwise, then sacrifice your Isaac! Ah! souls, of all unpardoned sins, your bosom sins will be presented by God, conscience, and Satan at last--as the most filthy and ugly, as the most terrible and dreadful. Your bosom sins at last will appear to be those monsters, those fiends of hell--which have most provoked God against you, which have shut up Christ's affections of love and compassion from you, which have armed conscience against you, which have barred the gates of glory against you, which have prepared the hottest place in hell for you, and which have given Satan the greatest advantage eternally to triumph over you!