“The Expulsive Power of a New Affection”

(Old Facebook Post – Revised)

Do you long for victory over sin–for yourself, or for those you love? Here is some great reading from an old Scotsman. Read it slowly, enjoying every drop. Enjoy the presentation of the gospel of Christ–for what you love, you will serve.

The Expulsive Power of a New Affection,” by Thomas Chalmers. (Thanks to Tim Keller for alerting me to this old essay.)


My reflections after reading the essay:

How do we try to motivate people to live holy lives? Often the motivations we use, while they are true and even useful, fall short of the gospel. Sometimes the motivations we use actually reinforce sinful patterns in our hearts.

For example, how might we motivate a person to live honestly? We might warn him that lying to his wife may cost him his marriage, that shady business practices can lead to lost profits, that lying under oath can lead to prison time, and that little white lies will cost you your reputation in the community. All these warnings are true, and all of them are useful and valid when used wisely. But when cut loose from the gospel, they only reinforce the idolatry of our hearts, strengthening sinful motivations of fear and pride—the very motivations that cause us to deceive in the first place! These warnings may help some people choose good behavior (though see Chalmer’s essay), but when they become our primary motivations for good behavior, they will not form a Christ-like character in us or in those we love.

A grace and gospel-based motivation might look more like this: We will remind ourselves that it is impossible to hide anything from God, but that God has extended his love toward us even while knowing the worst about us—while knowing the fear and pride that cause us to deceive. We might ponder the absolute honesty of Christ, both in his own relationships with the Father and with others, and in his manner of dealing justly and lovingly with our sin. We would meditate on the wonderful assurance provided by the certainty that it is impossible for God to lie. Our hearts would become so captivated by the integrity of God that fear and pride would drain out of our hearts, removing all motivation for dishonesty and reshaping us in the image of Christ.

 

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Are you being trained by grace?

(Old Facebook Post – Revised)

Are you being trained by grace today? What does that training look like in your situation? How do you discipline yourself to undergo grace’s training? How does the fact that you have been saved by grace change you so that you engage in godly behaviors?

“The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who 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 2:11-14 ESV)

“When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 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. (Titus 3:4-8, ESV.)

Note how the second passage parallels the first one, with “goodness and loving kindness” matching “grace.” Both of these first “appear,” then “save” us (fleshed out in much greater detail in the second passage), and finally lead to “good works.”

I think one way we can cooperate with grace’s training is to regularly meditate on all the aspects of how grace has saved us (as begun in the second passage). This is the “knowledge of the truth that accords with (or leads to) godliness,” see Titus 1:1. Martin Luther counseled pastors to preach the gospel of grace and “beat it into people’s heads” continually.

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Deuteronomy–heart of the Old Testament, hints of the New

(Old Facebook Post – Revised)

Let me recommend these sermons on Deuteronomy. (Find HDT Deuteronomy 2007, Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3, by doing a search for the preacher “Paul Barker” and the book “Deuteronomy.”)

If you want to understand the big story of the whole Bible well, and only have time to seriously examine 4 or 5 Old Testament books, Deuteronomy should probably be one you include in your study. It basically summarizes or predicts everything crucial from Moses to Malachi. In other words, most of the rest of the OT is commentary on and contemporary application of Deuteronomy. Plus, it clearly foretells Christ and his heart-changing work!

Paul Barker is an Australian Anglican who did his PhD thesis on Deuteronomy, and his sermons are models of how to present insightful scholarship in a very understandable form, as preaching that convicts. If you listen, notice also how he demonstrates Christian application of OT Law and how he continually and authentically traces the connection from the text at hand to Christ. God, give us more able and faithful preachers of your Word!

 

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