Though many more pitfalls could be listed, I highlighted three observations I’ve made of my own relationship with my electronic gadgets. Media has the ability to shape how we receive and think about information. In turn I mentioned the following things – media has the propensity to: destroy conviction, harden the heart, and give unrealistic expectations of sanctification.

I have thought rather hard about how to deal with these concerns. Is it possible to reverse daily habits formed over the last decade? I hope so! If there is one thing I’ve learned about myself, I have learned that I need a very clear and direct plan of attack to combat things. If I do not have that, things are reduced to idealistic thoughts that have no chance of bearing fruit. Here are some remedies I have thought of to address each problem.

Concern: Media has the propensity to destroy conviction.
Remedy: Reduce the possibility of distractions, increase the possibility for contemplative thought.

I am not sure this is the only or best way to increase my ability toward serious meditation, but it sounds promising in theory. I will say this first, that I have learned that most serious contemplation in my life happens when I set aside a block of time to write, or at least think. That is why I am thankful for blogging as an outlet for my jumbled thoughts. Often times when preparing for a sermon, I take a pad of paper and my Bible outside and mull over concepts, trying to synthesize for the sake of clarity. I realized my soul needs more opportunities to think, not just for the sake of delivery, but for conviction to be wrought in my life.

Therefore my conclusion is simple, and somewhat radical. My aim when I return to Irvine, is to create an internet-free home for myself. Now I am not so selfish to deprive my roommates, so hopefully I can just be ignorant of the password. This is a good compromise for me. I am not hating on the internet because I think it has a tremendous capacity to produce good (or bad), but rather giving opportunity for prayer and productivity to abound. I know that too much of life, including school work, requires the internet thus the necessary clause “internet-free” home.

Basically, when I am on campus, I can use the internet to do whatever I want – study, play, YouTube, fantasy basketball, you name it. However when I am at home I will be compelled to concentrate deeply on schoolwork, or perhaps a book or prayer. Maybe I will have more time to cook and be able to sleep earlier. Plus, I will have my (dumb) phone so I won’t have unlimited internet. It is tough to imagine a scenario when I would so desperately need the internet in my immediate context and not have the patience to walk to a local Wi-Fi connection or to the school library. If things get so crazy I can use my Kindle 3g as an emergency, but surfing on that is a rather atrocious experience.

If I find myself to be incredibly bored in the evening or on a lazy Saturday that should serve as an indictment toward my soul. Soul! Are you saying there is nothing better to do than watch television or check basketball scores? Why not try cooking a new dish or hone a skill? Is there not things to be prayed over or truth to behold? Is there not a church body to strengthen or a risen Christ to worship? May it never be so!

Hopefully this experiment will not be a total fail. Radical change in habit formed by technology must be met by bold measures to restore a sense of meditation and contemplation. I’m just hoping this is a practical enough measure. Much thanks to Jay Lee and his blog for inspiring this project!

Concern: Media has the propensity to harden the heart.
Remedy: Reduce the vast channels of information intake and think deeply on a few, if not a single, thing at a time – essentially, to begin cultivating a spirit that values particular information. Also, write more, preferably on the few things being considered at that particular moment.

This goal is a bit more vague than the last, but certainly crosses path with the distraction free environment. I mentioned in a previous post that I often free too spread out over too much information. This would include sermons on Wednesday/Friday/Sunday, primary reading for self, secondary reading for self, and blogs.  There is no way the preaching of God’s Word will be eliminated which leaves primary and secondary reading along with blogs to go out.

Because the internet will be gone, blogs most likely will also exit. A quick note on blogs: I used to be a huge blog junkie … but I have come to realize some things, at least for myself. My experience is not definitive, so please do not take offense. I still am subscribed to a couple of blogs, though I only check … maybe two to three sites of people I do not personally know. Here are some thoughts!

1. Blogs are more about interesting information than soul-stirring reformation. Something may sound good, perhaps so good that it deserves to be ‘reblogged’ or ‘reposted.’ Rarely does a blog post provoke me onto my knees. It becomes a bunch of information and quotes I quickly scroll through.
2. Blog entries are, for the most part, not memorable. The exception being blogs written by friends … and I praise God for my WordPress friends (Tumblr is more like a colossal twitter) who write soul-stirring discourses. Because they are my real life friends, their entries stick a lot more.
3. Blogs seem to embody the culture of the day, where our thinking is two inches deep but a mile wide. Though they have been useful to me in the past, real books have served my soul much better than a short entry, even if it is from a heavy-weight pastor like John Piper. Why settle for morsels when a feast is offered you?

Another thing that will help hone my affections is writing. I am still not sure if I am inclined to write by hand or by keyboard, but I know that it is helpful for examining my heart and doing away with sin. Hopefully the concentration free environment is better conducive to thinking clearly and writing well.

Concern: Media has the propensity to give us unrealistic expectations of sanctification.
Remedy: Try growing a plant.

Wow, that was pretty simple. I remember being thunderstruck by how Mahaney drew such a drastic line between a culture of technology and a culture of … agriculture thus the clear application.

First off, I imagine this is a lot harder and requires a lot more patience than I think, but that is the whole point of the test! What kind of patience does it take to bear fruit? I imagine I will have all kinds of things to write about as I rejoice over the tiniest sprout when my mind has been trained to expect Jack’s giant bean stalk overnight. If I am going to begin to understand that sanctification is more about daily faithfulness than dramatic changes (i.e. a conference, retreat), then I think this botany business will do me some good.

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Well there you have it! I hope those of you who read this and know me personally will keep me accountable. Ask me how I’m doing … because I am prone to wander, even in my goals.

As many well know, one of the main focuses of the Reformation was to eliminate the divide between secular and sacred and to help people reconcile the entirety of their lives to Christ. No longer were certain professions and lifestyles to be unfit for use by God, rather all were to be trophies of grace reflecting the transforming power of the Gospel. We must take that same mindset and apply it to the Christian life today and bring everything, including media, under the Lordship of Christ.

Discernment in media is something that our generation desperately needs. I only say that because I know what it is like to indulge myself in a world with little Biblical understanding (See, blog title). If anyone has fallen flat on their face while handling technology, I am the foremost … and I have a level 156 Marksman to prove it.

Although there are a lot of thoughts to be mentioned, I wanted to briefly share three thoughts that may be helpful for reflection followed by three attempts at remedies in another post.

1. Media has the propensity to destroy conviction.

If you have grown up in the era of internet and television, you might understand some of the dangers a media culture poses against conviction. I will begin with an illustration.

Let’s say that I was watching a special on World War II on television and the show thoroughly unpacked details of the destruction in places like Hiroshima. The music is sober and the graphics are shocking. It should go without saying that the heart is moved to pity and compassion. There is a deep sense of doing good toward our fellow man after witnessing destruction … and then the show ends. Being a well-trained channel surfer, you pick the pieces of your heart off the floor and try to find something that catches your eye. Hm, Conan is on! Oh, iron chef is on! You flip to that station and there is laughter, bright colors, and (hopefully) tasteful humor. Your heart is mended rather quickly and you head off to bed remembering a lot more jokes than you can recall facts from the documentary. All of a sudden the alarm goes off, you groggily get out of bed, remembering almost nothing of last night.

Okay, I do not watch television, but this is a small example that represents many scenarios in my own life. Perhaps I find a good sermon jam on youtube, but a few clicks later I find a good YouTube cover of a secular song. Now neither of these things are sinful in themselves, but the latter often nullifies the former. This is when a neutral thing becomes a deadly thing. As Matt Chandler once said, “There are things in your life that are morally neutral that will absolutely destroy you if you are not careful.” Often times after hearing a good sermon, my heart wants nothing more than to sit in silence and rejoice in the promises of God … but wait, it is time for post-event fellowship … or people want to see a movie. By the time that event is done, I realize that I may be able to recall the sermon, but there is incredible difficulty to be focused. Since its getting late, I think I will try to mull over the message tomorrow morning.

What I am trying to say is that, personally speaking, media has trained my mind to receive all information equally. Now the initial response may be different, but my mind has been conditioned to move on very quickly from serious moments. All things are filed away, but rarely is a thought out on the table for longer than a day. Things are prayed over for but a moment, but rarely is anything so heavy on my hearts as to consume me. Each day brings enough troubles, and I daresay, distractions of its own. How can we expect to imitate the psalmist, to wait on the Lord? Can my plea be to dwell in the house of the Lord, to gaze upon His beauty, and to inquire in His temple? Everything is reduced to facts but not meditation.

Let me say this: information does not mean reformation. After thinking much on this idea, I realized that I have been an abomination of a steward concerning the preaching and reading of His Word. So many messages intended to build my faith have gone to waste because I have been more excited to check basketball scores and play games afterwards than to be in prayerful consideration of the things of God. As Leonard Ravenhill once said, “God does not care if you have been convicted, He only cares if you have been changed!” Conviction does not mean you are a new creation. Practically speaking, the ability to “amuse” myself (literally, ‘not thinking’, or diverting attention from something heavy to something light) after spending time in the things of God leads to the death of wonder and marvel at doctrine and truth. Truly we are a people who live in a Huxley-esque culture (author of Brave New World) who choose to medicate the mind rather than dwell in the house of God.

2. Media has the propensity to harden the heart.

This idea became clearer to me after getting coffee with my friend, Mike Chen. He was talking about how his heart was breaking for the Jr. High ministry after camp and that he cried for the first time for the souls of those in his ministry. I was moved, but then profoundly disturbed at the state of my own heart. When as the last time it broke for anything? Tears are not the definitive sign of conviction and a broken heart, so we began to discuss how we could soften our hearts. Immediately my mind went back to the Postman book.

One of the reasons why I loved ‘Amusing Ourselves to Death’ was because there was a historical element that mentioned how technology dramatically changed human communication during the last two centuries. It gave insights to how people once lived and how technology can transform a society. He says that two pieces of technology rise above the rest as things that have irreversibly changed society forever: the telegraph and the photograph.

The reason why the telegraph changed the world is profoundly simple. People were able to send messages to each other at incredible rates. Before the telegraph was invented, the Pony Express was by far the fastest mode … so fast that it took ten days for a message to travel from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast. That means that pen-pals were separated by at least twenty days! Imagine if email was that slow. The telegraph allowed there to be stations in major cities that could send and receive messages. Instead of traveling across the country, the Express only had to carry letters from the station to nearby residents. This was indeed a revolution in communications, which the photograph would only reinforce.

Now what does this have to do about the heart? Let me say this first: imagine you lived in the era of the Pony Express. What would you know about the world? What would you know about local matters? Undoubtedly people were much more invested in their immediate context. The biggest drama in California was not a blizzard in Boston but perhaps bad public education or the flood of a creek. Though ignorant of much, people then were able to invest themselves and fix problems because they had the means of realistically changing neighborhood circumstances.

With the introduction of the telegraph came a dramatic shift in how “news” would be defined. Local issues became lost as information from around the nation would captivate communities. Sure the creek was overflowing, but there was a hurricane in Florida. Soon big things around the world would swallow up the small issues.

The problem with this however, is that we often lack giving financial and emotional support because these things are far removed from our local contexts. Again, information does not mean reformation. In this case, the heart is at stake. Not that this means someone can break for far off places, but can the heart realistically spread itself so thin?

I am not against being informed about the world. Events like Norway need to be prayed over. The thing is, what can my hands and words to in such a context? Can I practically be a vessel for the Gospel in that situation?Pragmatism is not the issue here, rather passivity in urgent immediate contexts is the problem.

There was time that I wished to be informed about world events, to grow in my knowledge of how the world works. Most of that desire remains in tact, though discernment has shot through the roof after considering its effects. I realized that it is very convenient for my heart to “break” for a couple of minutes over tragic things happening in the world. Strangely, I would end up on Facebook and Tumblr again. This is another instance of appointing equal value to most information. Sharing the Gospel with a classmate or a non-Christian friend is much more difficult.

I think the reason why Paul was able to give himself wholeheartedly for the ministry was in part, because these small communities were the only things he knew in life. If he had the internet and CNN, perhaps he would have been more distracted, or his heart would be spread thin over the twitter updates of all the churches. Imagine the Corinthians tweeting, “Meeting just finished. Bitter dispute between followers of Paul and Apollos.” Maybe the Galatians would tweet, “Hooray! Another Gentile has been circumcised. Now he can share in the glory of Christ.” I feel like Paul’s heart would be pulling him in all kinds of directions if he lived in our age. He responded well to the crisis when he heard about them, but if he had the constant updates that media allows us to have, I don’t think he would have been able to minister as effectively.

The digital age, or rather, the age of information, is a curse and a blessing. Theological resources and updates on missionaries are definitely good things. However when it causes me to desire a ministry in every part of the world, all it caused me to do … was nothing at all. This has ramifications in and outside the church. Yes, Rob Bell is wrong in how he understand how “love wins,” and it’s important to know, but can we be faithful in practically supporting our ministers? I know I have failed the charge on numerous levels to be faithful locally. My friend Mike would do well to limit how far he stretches himself so he could give himself fully to local church ministry. Let us sift through the information and use it to equip ourselves to be faithful in our immediate contexts!

3. Media has the propensity to give us unrealistic expectations of sanctification.

I will not be referring to the Postman book in this section, but rather a part of C.J. Mahaney’s sermon at the Together for the Gospel Conference entitled “Ordinary Pastors.”

A clear motif of the sermon was to be faithful in ministry, though one may not experience the success of a John Piper or David Platt. Not only will most pastors not write a book, but most pastors will not preach a hit sermon that seems to change the world like “Don’t Waste Your Life” or John MacArthur’s sermon on the prodigal son.

CJ exhorts the pastors to have realistic expectations in the sermons and sermon series. Rarely will a man be radically changed through one sermon (Although I do confess, Steve Lawson’s sermon on the Use of Time destroyed me) or one sermon series. It is a slow process of things clicking over a long period of time that causes a man to mature.

We live in a culture of unfair expectations. We expect conferences, camps, and retreats to make us into super-Christians. However the Bible says nothing about feasting on God’s Word for a season, rather to be faithful in communion with God until we die. CJ makes this clear with an example of, you guessed it, our media world.

This is so simple that it is profound. We live in a world of technology, where things are getting faster and smaller. The days of dial-up are long gone. We click and get results. We use Google and get hundreds of articles, all in a second. If someone wants to check email, watch television, or sneak in some sensual content, everything is at the fingertips. We live in an age where waiting means seconds, thus the age of information/digital world. Even our shipping is fast (Amazon Prime)…

CJ reminds us that we live in two different worlds, and that we would do well to live in the past when Biblical truth is at stake. No matter what era, God’s Word makes bold declarations and demands results. But waiting is not seconds. He made it clear that while we live in a culture of media and instant gratification, the Bible is set in a context of agriculture and perseverance. This is an important distinction that reminded me to have realistic expectations about sanctification.

Upon reflection, it is obvious that growing an apple tree is a lot different than using an Apple product. What is at stake is the same … the results of our labor. Some people believe that they can calculate their growth and envision themselves reaching maturity in almost no time at all. God does not work that way because fruit does not grow that fast on trees. Indeed as I Corinthians 3 says, God causes the growth, and what a tremendous promise that is! There will be maturity, God’s people will be made holy, and the church will be built and advance toward the gates of Hell, yet not on the internet timing, but through the slow grind of killing sin and loving Christ.

There are many applications to this. America is into results, so the alter call and repeat-after-me prayer is not so ridiculous in the wisdom of man because we live in a culture of instant gratification. The wisdom of God however, looks down on the “wise” and “strong” of this world and states that He will use sheep to beat back the wolves. He will cause the growth and His Spirit will bear fruit, in His timing. In one sense, faithfulness in prayer and reading everyday, similar to plowing and watering, will inevitably bear fruit. We have that promise, so let us be faithful men and women!

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Hopefully this post was able to help you think more clearly on the relationship of media (and how it shapes us) and our faith (which is what really matters). These are things that stand out in my life … I dare not say my experience defines reality. I left out a lot of stuff for the sake of space, but hopefully this will pique your interest and help you examine how media has shaped your approach to faith. If you’re ever interested in having a conversation on this topic, I would enjoy that very much!

I wrote this on a whim during the last two hours. Hopefully it’s not too scatterbrained. If anyone has a practical way to write daily, let me know!

The next post will contain three practical solutions I am seeking as a remedy in hopes of reversing some bad habits.

O God, save thy people! Save thy people! A solemn charge hast thou given to thy servant. Ah! Lord, it is all too solemn for such a child. Help him, help him by thine own grace, to discharge it as he ought. O Lord, let thy servant confess that he feels his prayers are not as earnest as they should be for his people’s souls; that he does not preach so frequently as he ought with that fire, that energy, that true love for men’s souls. But O Lord, damn not the hearers for the preacher’s sin. O destroy not the flock for the shepherd’s iniquity. Have mercy on them, good Lord, have mercy on them, O Lord have mercy on them!

There are some of them, father, that will not have mercy on themselves. How have we preached to them and laboured for them.  God thou knowest that I lie not. How have I striven for them that they might be saved! But the heart is too hard for man to melt, and the soul made of iron too hard for flresh and blooed to render soft.

O God, the God of Israel, thou can save. There is the pastor’s hope, there is the minister’s trust. He cannot, but thou canst, Lord. They will not come but thou canst make them willing in the day of thy power. They will not come unto thee that they may have life; but thou canst draw them and then they shall run after thee. They cannot come; but thou canst give them power; for though “no man cometh except the Father draw him,” yet if he draws him, then he can come.

O Lord, for another year has thy servant preached – thou knowest how. It is not for him to plead his cause with thee … But now, O Lord, we beseech thee, bless our people. Let this our church, thy church, be still knit together in unity; and this night may they commence a fresh era of prayer. They are a praying people, blessed be thy name, and they pray for their minister with all their hearts. O Lord, help them to pray more earnestly. May we wrestle in prayer more than ever and beseige thy throne until thou makest Jerusalem a praise, not only here, but everywhere.

But, Father, it is not the church we weep for; it is not the church we groan for; it is the world. O Faithful Promiser, hast thou not promised to thy son thy Son that he should not die in vain? Give Him souls, we beseech thee, that he might be abundantly satisfied. Hast thou not promised that thy church shall be increased? O increase her, increase her. And hast thou not promised that thy ministers shall not labour in vain? For thou hast said, “as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, even so shall thy word be: it shall not return unto thee void.”

Let not the word return void tonight; but now may thy servant in the most earnest manner, with the most fervent heart, burning with love to souls, preach once more the glorious gospel of the blessed God. Come, Holy Spirit, we can do nothing without thee. We solemnly invoke thee, great Spirit of God! Thou who didst rest on Abraham, on Isaac and on Jacob; thou who in the night visions speaketh unto men. Spirit of the Prophets, Spirit of the Apostles, Spirit of the Church, be thou our Spirit this night, that the earth may tremble, that souls may be made to hear thy word, and that all flesh may rejoice together to praise thy name. Unto Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the dread Supreme, be everlasting praise. Amen

-Charles Spurgeon (Quoted from ‘Spurgeon, A New Biography’ by Arnold Dallimore @ pg. 77-78)

I have been blazing through this biography for the last two days, but this quote, which is indicative of Spurgeon’s prayer life, particularly arrested my attention. D.L. Moody was asked after visiting England, “Did you hear Spurgeon preach?” He replied, “Yes, but better still, I heard him pray.”

Tomorrow is Gospel Night for VBS and I am one of the three presenters. One of my greatest fears for myself is that I will relegate the time allotted as a mere exercise of charisma, or a presentation that has no power and is to be forgotten a week later. In short, I am afraid that my heart’s posture would assume that nothing supernatural can occur with elementary kids, that my pragmatism would transcend my faith. On another note, I usually tell people that this is both the most difficult and the sweetest speaking assignment I get all year (harder than CCM, Sunday morning, etc) for reasons I might explain later. All of me joins CHS in this prayer and I plead, so do you.

So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

I Corinthians 3:7

The first quote is brief but the latter is rather lengthy. It took me a good half an hour to type out the quote from Hudson, but it is well worth the read and is undoubtedly the central theme of the book, quoted as, “So great was the deliverance, that from that time onward Mr. Taylor could never do enough to help to make this precious secret plain to hungry hearts wherever he might be.” I anticipate myself returning often to this page to reread Taylor’s truths.

The first quote is a succinct description of my conversion experience while the latter, though it addresses a real struggle in my life, also speaks of the truths necessary to combat my discontentment.

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Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterson (Chapter Title: Maniacs, Page 6)

“For if this book is a joke it is against me. I am the man who with the utmost daring discovered what had been discovered before. If there is an element of farce in what follows, the farce is at my own expense; for this book explains how I fancied I was the first to set foot in Brighton and then found I was the last. It recounts my elephantine adventures in pursuit of the obvious. No one can think my case more ludicrous than I think it myself; no reader can accuse me here of trying to make a fool of him: I am the fool of this story, and no rebel shall hurl me from my throne. I freely confess all the idiotic ambitions of the end of the nineteenth century. I did, like all other solemn little boys, try to be in advance of the age. Like them I tried to be some ten minutes advanced of the truth. And I found that I was eighteen hundred years behind it. I did strain my voice with a painfully juvenile exaggeration in uttering my truths. And I was punished in the fittest and funniest way, for I have kept my truths: but I have discovered, not that they were not truths, but simply that they were not mine. When I fancied that I stood alone I was really in the ridiculous position of being backed by all Christendom. It may be, Heaven forgive me, that I did try to be original; but I only succeeded in inventing all by myself an inferior copy of the existing traditions of civilized religion. The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy on my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy.”

Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, Dr.& Mrs. Howard Taylor (Chapter Title: The Exchanged Life, pg. 158-164)

“So many thanks for your dear, long letter …. I do not think you have written me such a letter since our return to China. I know it is with you as with me – you cannot – no you will not. Mind and body will not bear more than a certain amount of strain, or do more than a certain amount of work.

As to work – mine was never so plentiful, so responsible or so difficult, but the weight and strain are all gone. The last month or more has been perhaps the happiest of my life, and I long to tell you a little of what the Lord has done for my soul. I do not know how far I may be able to make myself intelligible about it, for there is nothing new or strange or wonderful – and yet, all is new!

Perhaps I may make myself more clear if I go back a little. Well, dearie, my mind has been greatly exercised for six or eight months past, felling the need personally and for our mission of more holiness, life, power in our souls. But personal need stood first and was the greatest. I felt the ingratitude, the danger, the sin of not living nearer to God. I prayed, agonized, fasted, strove, made resolutions, read the Word more diligently, sought more time for meditation – but all without avail. Every day, almost every hour, the consciousness of sin oppressed me.

I knew that if only I could abide in Christ all would be well, but I could not. I would begin the day with prayer, determined not to take my eye off Him for a moment, but pressure of duties, sometimes very trying, and constant interruptions apt to be so wearing, caused me to forget Him. Then one’s nerves get so fretted in this climate that temptations to irritability, hard thoughts, and sometimes unkind words are all the more difficult to control. Each day brought its register of sin and failure, of lack of power. To will was indeed “present with me,” but how to perform I could not.

Then came the question, is there no rescue? Must it be thus to the end – constant conflict, and too often defeat? How could I preach with sincerity that, to those who receive Jesus, “to them gave he power to become the sons of God” when it was not so in my own experience? Instead of growing stronger, I seemed to be getting weaker and to have less power against sin; and no wonder, for faith and even hope were getting low. I hated myself, I hated my sin, yet gained no strength against it. I felt I was a child of God. His Spirit in my heart would cry in spite of all, “Abba, Father.” But to rise to my privileges as a child, I was utterly powerless.

I thought that holiness, practical holiness, was to be gradually attained by a diligent use of the means of grace. There was nothing I so much desired as holiness, nothing I so much needed; but far from in any measure attaining it, the more I strove after it, the more it eluded my grasp, until hope itself almost died out, and I began to think that – perhaps to make heaven the sweeter- God would not give it down here. I do not think that I was striving to attain it in my own strength. I knew I was powerless. I told the Lord so, and asked Him to give me help and strength. Sometimes I almost believed that He would keep and uphold me; but on looking back in the evening – alas! There was but sin and failure to confess and mourn before God.

I would not give you the impression that this was the only experience of those long, weary months. It was a too frequent state of soul, and that towards which I was tending, which almost ended in despair. And yet, never did Christ seem more precious; a Saviour who could and would save such a sinner! … And sometimes there were seasons not only of peace but of joy in the Lord; but they were transitory, and at best there was a sad lack of power. Oh, how good the Lord has been in bringing this conflict to an end!

All the time I felt assured that there was in Christ all I needed, but the practical question was – how to get it out. He was rich truly, but I was poor; He was strong, but I weak. I knew full well that there was in the root, the stem, abundant fatness, but how to get it into my puny little branch was the question. As gradually light dawned, I saw that faith was the only requisite – was the hand to lay hold on His fullness and make it mine. But I had not this faith.

I strove for faith, but it would not come; I tried to exercise it, but in vain. Seeing more and more the wondrous supply of grace laid up in Jesus, the fullness of our precious Saviour, my guilt and helplessness seemed to increase. Sins committed appeared but as trifles compared with the sin of unbelief which was their cause, which could not or would not take God at His word, but rather made Him a liar! Unbelief was I felt the damning sin of the world; yet I indulged in it. I prayed for faith, but it came not. What was I to do?

When my agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a litter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed to me the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before. McCarthy, who had been much exercised by the same sense of failure but saw the light before I did wrote (I quote from memory):

“But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One!

As I read, I saw it all! “If we believe not, he abideth faithful.” I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how joy flowed!) that He had said, “I will never leave thee.”

“Ah, there is rest!” I thought. “I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I’ll strive no more. For has not He promised to abide with me – never to leave me, never to fail me?” And, dearie, He never will.

Nor was this all He showed me, nor one half. As I thought of the Vine and the branches, what light the blessed Spirit poured direct into my soul! How great seemed my mistake in wishing to get the sap, the fullness out of Him! I saw not only that Jesus will never leave me, but that I am a member of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. The vine is not the root merely, but all – root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit. And Jesus is not that alone – He is soil and sunshine, air and showers, and ten thousand times more than we have ever dreamed, wish for or needed. Oh, the joy of seeing this truth! I do pray that the eyes of your understanding too may be enlightened that you may know and enjoy the riches freely given us in Christ. Oh, my dear Sister, it is a wonderful thing to be really one with a risen and exalted Savior, to be a member of Christ! Think what it involves. Can Christ be rich and I poor? Can your right hand be rich and your left poor? Or you head be well fed while your body starves? Again, thin of its bearing on prayer. Could a bank clerk say to a customer, “it was only your hand, not you that wrote that check”; or “I cannot pay this sum to your hand, but only to yourself”? No more can your prayers or mine be discredited if offered in the name of Jesus (i.e., not for the sake of Jesus merely, but on the ground that we are His, His members) so long as we keep within the limits of Christ’s credit – a tolerably wide limit! If we ask for anything unscriptural, or not in accordance with the will of God, Christ Himself could not do that. But “if we ask that any thing according to his will … we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

The sweetest part, if one may speak of one part being sweeter than another, is the rest which full identification with Christ brings. I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize this; for He, I know is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest position He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient. It little matters to my servant whether I sent him to buy a few cash worth of things or the most expensive articles. In either case he looks to me for the money and brings me his purchases. So, if God should place me in serious perplexity, must He not give me much guidance; in positions of great difficult, much grace; in circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? No fear that His resources will prove unequal to the emergency! And His resources are mine, for He is mine, and is with me and dwells in me.

And since Christ has thus dwelt in my heart by faith, how happy I have been! I wish I could tell you about it, instead of writing. I am no better than before. In a sense I do not wish to be nor am I striving to be. But I am dead and buried with Christ – ay, and risen too! And now Christ lives in me, and “the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

And now I must close. I have not said half I would, nor as I would, had I more time. May god give you to lay hold on these blessed truths. Do not let us continue to say, in effect, “Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above).” In other words, do not let us consider Him as far off, when God has made us one with Him, members of His very body. Nor should we look upon this experience, these truths, as for the few. They are the birthright of every child of God, and no one can dispense with them without dishonouring our Lord. The only power for deliverance from sin or for true service is Christ.”

It’s been a rather tedious study in terms of time but I’ve already gleaned a lot from the small part of Scripture I’ve covered. This has been tremendously helpful for filling my mind with the Word and personal meditation. If I say anything wrong, please correct me because I did this study without any source help – just what I generally know about Scripture. I realize this is particularly dangerous because I’m skewing Scripture a bit to address purity, lust and the supremacy of Christ, but I’m doing my best to keep things in context while being reflectional. As I read Matthew, I sought to reflect on points I thought were pertinent to the title.

The original goal was to go through the entire book of Matthew while I entertained the lofty goal of going through the entire NT. I stopped after Chapter 7 mostly because I became busy with school. I never intended to publish the work, but in light of the recent Berean sermons on purity, my only hope is to be of some assistance in the daily fight for holiness. I’ll publish it in four separate posts because this is a 12 page single-spaced word document …

I actually extended it to five parts because I realized each SOTM chapter is rather long …

Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 1
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 2
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 3
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 4
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 5

I’m basically talking/interrogating to myself. I think my conscience inherited this strange internal dialogue from being a tennis player. Also, I realize the title is very Piper-esque.

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Matthew 6:1-6, 6:16-18 – The paramount theme of this section is secrecy, or rather to do all things to please the Lord. Note how Christ affectionately says Father. Oh what a powerful phrase, to be able to call the Lord of glory, father. How you should treasure this privilege, to have a Father who will never fail. Why would you desire to be noticed by men when your heavenly Father is ever before you? He sees your motives in public and in private. Will you make it your aim to please Him? What you do in secret reveals much about your character. Secrecy is not limited only to times when you are alone, but also every thought you entertain, for man is often under the impression that no one will ever know the mind. Man is deceived! There are no secrets withheld from the Father; you are transparent whether you like it or not. Who cares about man’s opinion… it will lead you down a dangerous path of contention and comparison, a fellowship rooted in the law. Moses looked to the reward in the midst of suffering and self-denial – will you not also do the same? You must do so in a secret place. Do not sound the trumpets of self righteousness and do not claim falsehood in the streets – seek to be pure in holy communion before God.

Matthew 6:9 – This is an important concept that must be understood if you are to combat impurity. Remember that your Father is in heaven and that he lords and sees all in His divine realm. Where will you hide from the creator? He is a place that is beyond your highest thought and resides in a place of purity surveying the land for a faithful man. Will you be one or will you play the two-fold adulterer against man and God and act in firm contrast to His Word? He sees you. You would be a fool to believe you can escape His gaze. He is the God who is above all and is worthy of honor, reverence, and praise. See the phrase “Hallowed be Your name.” Your lips may say one thing but your mind and your deeds can be a thousand miles away running in the opposite direction. Hallowed be the name of God in your life as an act of worship! You idiot! He who is above all ought to reign over your adulterous heart. From where do these emotions come from? Don’t you have a new heart with His laws? Are you succumbing to the devil’s lies? Why don’t you consider the implications of a hallowed God and do away with the foolishness of impurity.

Matthew 6:10 – Where is God’s kingdom? Is it Israel? Is it the entire world? Certainly there will be a day when Zion will be established in all its glory but consider your soul. Who is its captain? Who governs and rules your faculties? You are not your own and you were bought with a great price! Christ’s kingdom is in your heart for He resides in you. Will you let Him work in you or will you abuse Him as the permanent resident of your life? Your body is on earth and your flesh will soon pass away but that does not mean that Christ cannot be your master! So often you think that the kingdom is “out there” in some distant place but He resides inside! Oh Lord my heart longs to be a habitation fit for thee! Let the Lord rule righteously with justice and mercy in the small nation of Anthony Locke. Sing, “Let Your Kingdom come” in your own life as well as for the nations. Pray that He will quicken His pace to make you more like Christ and thus have His will be done in this passing world. Pray that He will make your faculties His own. Heaven is a wonderful place but you ought to earnestly pray that Heaven will touch earth in your life and that you may do all to His glory through His power. What goes on in heaven that demands our prayers and attention on earth? Genuine worship. God is seeking those who will worship Him on earth as the holy creatures sing in heaven. Will you join in the cry and let Him govern your all?

Matthew 6:11 – Man shall not live on bread alone but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of your glorious God. God is the provider for the flesh and the sustenance of the soul and both are necessary for life. Plead from the father for nourishment knowing that those who ask in faith receive according to His will. It is His will to feed you but you must ask lest you starve. How will you ward off impurity and lust? Fill your mind with the Word of God and set it unto heavenly things. You battle the deceit of sin with the Word of truth, just as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil. The devil cannot manipulate your reality if you feast on the Bible daily. Do not fall into the pleasure of sin but remind yourself of the delightful promises of Scripture which offer real hope for the here-and-now and the life to come.

Matthew 6:12 – Your debt may be paid but your intentional transgression still tramples on the Savior. Come and plead with Him to restore you anew and give you the means and the power to fight sin. Your chains are gone and you have been set free but your union with the flesh makes you prone to sin. Prone to sin but it has no power over you! Christ has seen it fit to deliver you from such a life. You have a new nature and the old man has been put away but the devil is the master of twisting the Words of God and using them for his pleasure – just look at Eve in the garden. You can be bold to enter the throne room of Christ but you cannot bring your sin that encumbers with you. Pray for forgiveness for He is a God who grants new mercies every morning.

Matthew 6:13 – How will you be delivered? How will you be able to discern the narrow way that glorifies God in all actions? You pray earnestly to God, through Jesus, by the Spirit to understand the truth of the Word so that you may destroy speculations and see through deception. Do not pray while you are being tempted but pray for the God-given ability to avoid what is idolatrous and deceiving. You are to flee idolatry, but you ought to never see it in the first place if you abide in Christ and His Word. Resist the devil and he will flee from you! Note how the prayer ends, with a sense of victory and joy. Your confidence is grounded that God has the power and will justly rule His kingdoms for His glory. As mentioned earlier, that kingdom includes your soul! The power of God keeps your soul and writes His commandments on the fleshy tablets of your heart. Will you remember your purpose in your prayer as well, to glorify God? This is a prayer of adoration, a plea for governance, a cry of dependence and a shout of victory. It is possible to defeat sin so long as you live in the power of the triune God. Pray, pray, pray!

Matthew 6:19-21 – Anthony Locke, where is your treasure? Does it rest in what is eternal or does it pursue the whimsical fancies of the flesh that only entertain for a moment? See what the divine Schoolmaster says – “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven!” Heaven is where the imperishable pure worship of God resounds forever. What is symbolic of the use of the terms “moth” and “rust”? It indicates that with each passing day the earthly treasure will give into decay and be destroyed. As time marches on the earthly things that once felt new and shiny slip into obscurity never to be acknowledged by man. Is that not what lust is – a momentary prize to please for a short while? Why indulge in what will not last when there is a wealth of treasure to be found and preserved at and through the glorious work of the Gospel? Seek to lay up possessions in a place where the one who steals and destroys has no power to enter. The devil cannot gain a foothold when your thoughts are so filled with future grace. Behold the gems of Calvary in its unchangeable nature; nothing Satan puts before you can forfeit the greatest of prizes. Where does your heart desire to be? It cannot be divided and it cannot serve two masters. Let your treasure be with God.

Matthew 6:22-23 – Notice how the eye imagery occurs again. Blessed be the pure in heart for they will see God. Let the eye be cast away if it causes the body to stumble, for it is better to be blind and abstain from sin so that the soul may be preserved. Here we see that clear eyes not only have eternal motivations but also incentives for the sojourner passing through a passing world. Let your body be filled with light, as one on a hill that cannot be extinguished. Will you smother your lamp with lust? Will you quench the God-given light with bad eyes, prone to wander thus leading the mind to stumble? Bad eyes result in a great darkness, which has ramifications in this life and the next. In such a pitch black night, will there be hope for you to find your way out? If you find yourself with impure eyes, plead for the mercy of God for He has already brought you out of darkness into His marvelous light so that you may praise Him! Praise God not only with your heart and mind but also with your eyes. You can know all the doctrine and practice all the good deeds you want but if your eyes are not pure then surely you are greatly deceived.

Matthew 6:26, 30-31 – Okay you need to break down motives and be honest with yourself. Why do people indulge in fanciful lusts, to deceive the body into believing it is engaging in something real? It is because men lack faith. Will not the Lord provide in His sovereignty the sanctifying joy of life called marriage? If He does not, isn’t that by His perfect plan to His praise? Do not worry about tomorrow, for today has enough in itself to worry. Will you be like the prodigal son who demands the future in the present? Look at how that man squandered the riches dedicated to some future time. You insult the Father with such a request! Wouldn’t it be better to put your hope in the Father’s inheritance and His provision? Don’t be selfish! Lust is the embodiment of greed so put it to death. God’s provision is enough for the birds and it will be enough for you, for Christ was sent not to shed His blood for the animals but for men. Cut off the head of unbelief and let faith reign in your mortal body!

Matthew 6:32-33 – You are no Gentile, Anthony Locke. You have been joined to the nation of Israel through the marvelous work of the cross so you abide by a new and better law. The Gentiles are the ones that pursue and indulge their flesh and pursue beauty that is fleeting, but you serve a new master! Your God created you with the bodily functions and cravings that you desire but will provide them in due time. Will you be patient with your body but earnest to seek the Lord? Put the Lord at the forefront of your thoughts and affections and surely God will work all things for your Christ-like conformity. How does one seek first the kingdom? Recall Matthew 5:3 for it is the poor in Spirit who seek and inherit the kingdom of heaven. Will you humble yourself before the Lord, cast aside the filth of pride, and trust in the Lord’s daily provision? Do not say that you plan on doing certain things thus allowing you to take the future for the present, but set a desperate pace daily unto the glory of God.

Matthew 6:34 – Are you anxious for tomorrow? Are you worried that your ungodly desires will not be fulfilled before you die or the Lord takes you? Why do you assume the position of the prodigal? See that your sin rebels against the Father and takes the future for the present only to be squandered. You are wasting a God-given gift by devaluing what God has sanctioned from heaven. Why live in the future when you have the present to live? Tomorrow will take care of itself. Seek the Lord while He is near! Call upon Him while He may be found. Do not be like the prodigal who seeks the future apart from the Father but long for the daily provision of heaven from daily communion with an Almighty God. Have faith, dear sir and God will surely deliver you.

It’s been a rather tedious study in terms of time but I’ve already gleaned a lot from the small part of Scripture I’ve covered. This has been tremendously helpful for filling my mind with the Word and personal meditation. If I say anything wrong, please correct me because I did this study without any source help – just what I generally know about Scripture. I realize this is particularly dangerous because I’m skewing Scripture a bit to address purity, lust and the supremacy of Christ, but I’m doing my best to keep things in context while being reflectional. As I read Matthew, I sought to reflect on points I thought were pertinent to the title.

The original goal was to go through the entire book of Matthew while I entertained the lofty goal of going through the entire NT. I stopped after Chapter 7 mostly because I became busy with school. I never intended to publish the work, but in light of the recent Berean sermons on purity, my only hope is to be of some assistance in the daily fight for holiness. I’ll publish it in four separate posts because this is a 12 page single-spaced word document …

I actually extended it to five parts because I realized each SOTM chapter is rather long …

Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 1
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 2
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 3
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 4
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 5

I’m basically talking/interrogating to myself. I think my conscience inherited this strange internal dialogue from being a tennis player. Also, I realize the title is very Piper-esque.

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Matthew 5:2, 7:29 – Why should you care for the Sermon on the Mount and the gems contained inside? These are the words of Christ for living and they wield an authority unheard of in both secular and religious worlds. Did not Christ claim to be God? Why don’t you sit under the teaching of the perfect school master and take notes? This is no ordinary lecture but it is open for all to attend. There is no paper test but your exam is the life you live and the motives which governed it. He has much to say concerning purity of the mind and body so let Him open His mouth as you open your heart.

Matthew 5:3 – Who inherits the kingdom of heaven? It is those who count themselves poor, even bankrupt and look to the one who has creator rights and thus possesses everything. You must understand that everything is a gift and your riches are found in your restored purpose, to give God glory. Sinful desires, in particular sensual sin, are selfish; they seek to serve the flesh in a passing world. Will Christ be a sufficient and sustaining joy or will you turn to paths that fail? Seek to join the poor in spirit, for their hearts and minds are focused on the heavenly kingdom from which all blessings and good gifts flow.

Matthew 5:5 – What is the nature of sexual sin? It is violent. It is the act of forcing someone against their will and without their knowing to submit to fanciful lies projected by media. What does the schoolmaster say here? Those who are gentle will inherit the Earth. Be kind in thought and deed, for that is the will of your Father – to love others! Where is your sense of meekness? There is no place for rough housing unless you are seeking to do away with the devil and mortify sin. Let your mind focus on the heavenly things and do not harm your fellow man, which also wages war against the soul.

Matthew 5:6 – There is an appetite that is pleasing to the Lord; let your natural being crave for righteousness. Lust is but a desire to gratify the flesh, a hunger that is altogether repulsive toward the Lord. Do not forget that your obedience is no longer to sin nor to the flesh, but you are a new creation in Christ. Your heart has been changed and your desires follow a new master. Sexual perversion and sin only satisfy for a moment though the trickery of the devil would have you believe otherwise. Do you want to be satisfied? Lay hold of the truth that the cross and its accomplishments are sufficient, that they fill up the new man so that there can be no competing affections. Through the Gospel you have come to know the righteousness of God!

Matthew 5:8 – What is the hope of heaven? Is it in the heavenly mansion? Is it in the streets of gold or seeing those who have gone before? They are all great blessings, but the privilege of faith is that the invisible becomes visible, that you shall see God in all His splendor. The human imagination can scarce entertain such grand thoughts, to gaze upon Love and to walk with Him for an eternity. Who does Christ say can see God? It is those who are pure in heart that will dwell in the temple of the Lord forever. Remind yourself of the purpose of these reflections. It is not something to be produced and given to others for encouragement, but it is to cut off a sin that clings much too tightly. The goal is purity in all its dimensions. The means is mortification of sin through thoughtful and correct reflection on the Word of God, and while you are at it, go to war on your knees! Will you give the Spirit His sword so He can do His work? Do you desire to look upon Beauty and esteem it worthy? Strive to be pure in heart.

Matthew 5:16 – How did Christ’s light shine forth? His good works pointed away from self and to eternity’s shore. Take a step back though – what is this sermon about? It is not so much about action or abstaining from deed but this is about the motives which drive a man. How can one have good works when their heart is yearning for darkness, for that abyss of indulging the flesh and satisfying ungodly pleasure? You may be able to encourage people apart from good motives but that is because God works in spite of your secret life. Will you let the light of Christ shine bright in your life? It can only come from a pure heart, for you may know a man according to the deeds and words that proceed from such a place. Let your light shine into the darkness of souls and fill your brethren with the joy of Christ.

Matthew 5:17-19 – The law says that a lazy glance and a capricious thought is deserving of hellfire. You are guilty beyond measure and deserve the chief death, one of eternal duration. Yet look at this glorious statement, that Christ came to fulfill the law that cursed and condemned you. Is the law a bad thing? Is it oppressive that the law leaves no place for sensual sin and heathen cravings? May it never be so, for the law points you to proper living and more importantly, to the cross where your punishment was served and your Savior died. Oh, but my Savior lives and he has returned to the glorious existence from before time to reign not only over the earth, but also your mortal body. Let Him fulfill His purpose in you as He fulfilled His purpose for you, down to the last letter and the smallest stroke. Jesus Christ has dotted the I’s and crossed His T’s so that you might know righteousness, not lewdness. Will you be like the unblemished lamb? The requirement is to keep and teach the commandments of Scripture and you have been given the Spirit to do so in love. Praise God that He would perfectly fulfill what you could not even start to pursue.

Matthew 5:21-25 – What exactly is murder? At first glance it is the physical death of another wrought by guilty hands and sinful intent. A double-take shows that anger is the murder of the heart. Look again, and the slip of the tongue which is genuine in spite grants you an eternal death sentence. Is the Lord being extreme or have you lost sight of the law and reduced it to lip service and formality? It is about the heart! This is why lust is such a horrid thing. It kills its object because it dehumanizes them and reduces them to the level of obedient beast. If you goad an ox, it will move. A good dog will shake on command. Is not sensual fabrication degrading, even murder? Aren’t you reducing people to the level of an animal, essentially robbing them of their humanity? Stop killing them with your pride, your harmful words, and your thought life! Do you want to worship and offer your best to God? Let your conscious be clear and confess your sin to the Most High. Remember you have sinned against the Lord! Surely there is no escape from the eternal prison

Matthew 5:27-30 – You must first consider what is more heinous: murder or adultery? Alright, perhaps they are equal in weight in the sense of condemnation, but which one do you think the Lord feels is worse? The language of Scripture betrays the mystery for surely adultery is the more treacherous sin. Survey the Bible and see how often Israel is portrayed as an adulterer and painted as a harlot. Man cannot kill God, but he can choose to love another when that love ought to be reserved for the Lord. Adultery paints a picture that contains a message that is an all-too clear reflection of man’s spiritual condition. God chooses an image of a whore to explain much of the Old Testament. Can you see the disgust of God toward lust? It destroys the vertical and the horizontal. By playing the harlot with a woman you commit cosmic treason against your First Love! You betray one to love something that will entertain but for a short while and the deadening of your conscience to sin is certain. Look at how stiff your neck will become! Why is the divine Schoolmaster so strict concerning wandering eyes? Why not stripes instead of mutilation? The Savior wants you to see the gravity of a careless gaze from both the eyes of the flesh and the eyes of the heart. Look at the reaction of the man in Jesus’ illustration. He is quick to identify his sin and is swift to cut it off so he may remain pure. The man’s eyes may be put out but it is the pure in heart that will see the Lord! Blind in one life to gaze upon an unchanging beauty in the next. Is your desire to have your eyes opened to glory or to vanity? That phrase ‘stumble’ carries far more weight than you will understand in this life. To stumble is to sin and to sin is to offend a holy God. One rogue thought should lead a man to repentance. Two rogue thoughts should lead a man to tear out his reality in this life to ensure a Christ-exalting future one. How will you guard yourself from stumbling? Fill your mind heavenly things and spiritual truths. Leave no place for wandering thoughts. How can a young man keep his way pure? Store up the Word in your heart and keep the commandments! Put away your lewd music and the mire of Hollywood, for they invade the thought life by planting destructive images – you know for yourself that one moment can undo weeks of study. Let the Bible light the way for it shines forth the light of heaven. Let God call you out of your sinful darkness and if necessary, your physical darkness for the promise of marvelous light holds true to the pure in heart.

Matthew 5:31-32 – Unchasity is a word that has described the human race and your existence since the day you were born. Let a man divorce his wife if she is found unfaithful! Let no one marry the harlot, but wait! Is that not the Gospel? The God of the universe has joined himself with a shameful people and let no man separate what God has put together! Has God committed adultery? How can a good God be in the presence of wicked men, or how can God be just and the justifier of man who is but dust? Is it possible? Yes, by a new and living way! The Gospel reveals that God is no adulterer but shows that He is rich in mercy and grace according to His divine wisdom. What is the goal? Worship. Glory. Praise. Will you let them reign in your mortal body? Lay aside your vertical and horizontal unchasity and set your mind on the Gospel for He clothes adulterers in spotless robes.

Matthew 5:33-37 – Why should you be faithful to your word? It is because anything beyond this is evil. To commit evil is to sin. Do you remember the consequence of Adam’s small sin? It took nothing short of the precious blood of Christ to remedy the elect. To go back on your word and to recant your confession of sin reveals your unfaithfulness to the Lord. To fall back into sensual sin is to commit at least two sins, both which find their root in unfaithfulness. Will the Lord find a faithful man on this earth? Trust that the Lord is enough in thought and deed, for if He does not fill your soul then something else will. God knows that oaths are too great for a man to carry out but expects you to be a good steward of your words, which in turn reflects the heart. The Lord is looking for a bride and it is up to you to say, “Yes.”

Matthew 5:48 – Why do you love Christ? You may be able to list a host of reasons but never forget that He is glorious because He did all things perfectly. You cannot gloss over the perfection of Christ because it is His spotless righteousness that God sees instead of your filthy rags. What is the great goal of God before the beginning of time? To make you like Christ, to enable you and your mind to do things unto the glory of God.  In light of the first five chapters of Matthew, there is abundant reason to cast off sensual desire and wary thoughts but the chief motivator ought not to be negative but positive in that you may become more like your Savior. Will you fall short? Sure you will, but the Gospel picks you up and gives wings that bring you closer to Christ-likeness.

I am not sure I am well-read enough to say that I have favorite authors. Some names that come to mind are Malcolm Gladwell, C.S. Lewis, Andrew Murray, and of course, Charles Spurgeon. I started reading his sermons toward the end of high school, but I confess that I was not much of a reader back then (Darn you Maplestory!). However since then I have always been struck by his uncanny ability to unearth hoards of gems from a single passage. It is no wonder some call him the ‘prince of preachers!’

One of the primary reasons why I enjoy him so much is his mastery of the English language, which allows him to speak of Christ-exalting doctrines with unmatched imagery and clarity. Often when I read Spurgeon, I am not nearly as  interested in learning new things as I am hoping to be powerfully reminded of things long forgotten. As one who aspires to think true, clear, and grand thoughts on the Gospel, I can think of few men better to read (another example I like) and I cautiously daresay, emulate.

I wanted to share with interweb readers a parable that Spurgeon composed to close his sermon entitled ‘Why are Men Saved?’ His primary text was Psalm 106:8 which reads: “Nevertheless, He saved them for His name’s sake.” My hope is that your affections for Christ would be stirred by this short story. I know mine certainly were by this Narnia-esque narrative (:
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I have detained you too long. Let me close by noticing obstacles removed, in the word “nevertheless.” I shall do that in somewhat of an interesting form, by way of parable.

Once on a time, Mercy sat upon her snow-white throne, surrounded by the troops of love. A sinner was brought before her, whom Mercy designed to save. The herald blew the trumpet, and after three blasts thereof, with a loud voice, he said–”O heaven and earth, and hell, I summon you this day to come before the throne of Mercy, to tell why this sinner should not be saved.” There stood the sinner, trembling with fear; he knew that there were multitudes of opponents, who would press into the hall of Mercy, and with eyes full of wrath would say, “He must not, and he shall not escape, he must be lost!”

The trumpet was blown, and Mercy sat placidly on her throne, until there stepped in one with a fiery countenance; his head was covered with light; he spoke with a voice like thunder, and out of his eyes flashed lightning! “Who art thou?” said Mercy.

He replied, “I am Law; the law of God.”

“And what hast thou to say?”

“I have this to say,” and he lifted up a stony tablet, written on both sides; “these ten commands this wretch has broken. My demand is blood; for it is written, ‘The soul that sinneth it shall die.’ Die he, or justice must.”

The wretch trembles, his knees knock together, the marrow of his bones melts within him, as if they were ice dissolved by fire, and he shakes with very fright. Already he thought he saw the thunderbolt launched at him, he saw the lightning penetrate into his soul, hell yawned before him in imagination, and he thought himself cast away forever. But Mercy smiled, and said, “Law, I will answer thee. This wretch deserves to die; justice demands that he should perish–I award thee thy claim.”

And oh, how the sinner trembles. “But there is one yonder who has come with me to-day, my king, my Lord; his name is Jesus; he will tell you how the debt can be paid, and the sinner can go free.”

Then Jesus spake, and said, “O Mercy, I will do thy bidding. Take me Law; put me in a garden; make me sweat drops of blood; then nail me to a tree; scourge my back before you put me to death; hang me on the cross; let blood run from my hands and feet; let me descend into the grave; let me pay all the sinner oweth; I will die in his stead.”

And the Law went out and scourged the Saviour, nailed him to the cross, and coming back with his face all bright with satisfaction, stood again at the throne of Mercy, and Mercy said, “Law, what hast thou now to say?”

“Nothing,” said he, “fair angel, nothing.”

“What! not one of these commands against him?”

“No, not one. Jesus, his substitute, has kept them all–has paid the penalty for his disobedience; and now, instead of his condemnation, I demand as a debt of justice that he be acquitted.”

“Stand thou here,” said Mercy, “sit on my throne; I and thou together will now send forth another summons.”

The trumpet rang again. “Come hither, all ye who have ought to say against this sinner, why he should not be acquitted;” and up comes another–one who often troubled the sinner, one who had a voice not so loud as that of the Law, but still piercing and thrilling–a voice whose whispers were like the cuttings of a dagger. “Who art thou?” says Mercy.

“I am Conscience; this sinner must be punished; he has done so much against the law of God that he must be punished; I demand it; and I will give him no rest till he is punished, nor even then, for I will follow him even to the grave, and persecute him after death with pangs unutterable.”

“Nay,” said Mercy, “hear me,” and while he paused for a moment, she took a bunch of hyssop and sprinkled Conscience with the blood, saying, “Hear me, Conscience, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin;’ Now hast thou ought to say,?” “No,” said Conscience, “nothing. Henceforth I will not grieve him; I will be a good conscience unto him, through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The trumpet rang a third time, and growling from the innermost vaults, up there came a grim black fiend, with hate in his eyes, and hellish majesty on his brows. He is asked, “Hast thou anything against that sinner?”

“Yes,” said he, “I have; he has made a league with hell, and a covenant with the grave, and here it is signed with his own hand. He asked God to destroy his soul in a drunken fit, and vowed he would never turn to God; see, here is his covenant with hell!”

“Let us look at it,” said Mercy; and it was handed up, whilst the grim fiend looked at the sinner, and pierced him through with his black looks.

“Ah! but,” said Mercy, “this man had no right to sign the deed; a man must not sign away another’s property. This man was bought and paid for long beforehand; he is not his own; the covenant with death is disannulled, and the league with hell is rent in pieces. Go thy way Satan,”

“Nay,” said he, howling again, “I have something else to say: that man was always my friend; he listened ever to my insinuations; he scoffed at the gospel; he scorned the majesty of heaven; is he to be pardoned, whilst I repair to my hellish den, for ever to bear the penalty of guilt?”

Said Mercy, “Avaunt, thou fiend; these things he did in the days of his unregeneracy; but this word ‘nevertheless’ blots them out. Go thou to thy hell; take this for another lash upon thyself–the sinner shall be pardoned, but thou–never, treacherous fiend!”

And then Mercy, smilingly turning to the sinner, said, “Sinner, the trumpet must be blown for the last time!” Again it was blown, and no one answered. Then stood the sinner up, and Mercy said, “Sinner ask thyself the question–ask thou of heaven, of earth, of hell–whether any can condemn thee?”

And the sinner stood up, and with a bold loud voice said, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” And he looked into hell, and Satan lay there, biting his iron bonds; and he looked on earth, and earth was silent; and in the majesty of faith the sinner did even climb to heaven itself, and he said, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? God?’

And the answer came, “No; he justifieth.”

“Christ?”

Sweetly it was whispered, “No; he died.”

Then turning round, the sinner joyfully exclaimed, “Who shall separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And the once condemned sinner came back to Mercy; prostrate at her feet he lay, and vowed henceforth to be hers forever, if she would keep him to the end, and make him what she would desire him to be. Then no longer did the trumpet ring, but angels rejoiced, and heaven was glad, for the sinner was saved.

Thus, you see, I have what is called, dramatized the thing; but I don’t care what it is called; it is a way of arresting the ear, when nothing else will. “Nevertheless;” there is the obstruction taken away! Sinner, whatever be the “nevertheless,” it shall never the less abate the Saviour’s love; not the less shall it ever make it, but it shall remain the same.

It’s been a rather tedious study in terms of time but I’ve already gleaned a lot from the small part of Scripture I’ve covered. This has been tremendously helpful for filling my mind with the Word and personal meditation. If I say anything wrong, please correct me because I did this study without any source help – just what I generally know about Scripture. I realize this is particularly dangerous because I’m skewing Scripture a bit to address purity, lust and the supremacy of Christ, but I’m doing my best to keep things in context while being reflectional. As I read Matthew, I sought to reflect on points I thought were pertinent to the title.

The original goal was to go through the entire book of Matthew while I entertained the lofty goal of going through the entire NT. I stopped after Chapter 7 mostly because I became busy with school. I never intended to publish the work, but in light of the recent Berean sermons on purity, my only hope is to be of some assistance in the daily fight for holiness. I’ll publish it in four separate posts because this is a 12 page single-spaced word document …

Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 1
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 2
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 3
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 4

I’m basically talking to myself. I think my conscience inherited this strange internal dialogue from being a tennis player. Also, I realize the title is very Piper-esque.

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Matthew 3:8 – What exactly do you take repentance to be? It is the posture of turning away from a particular sin that glorifies God. If you find yourself turning away multiple times that only demonstrates a false confession. Does that mean the believer is exempt from sinning? By no means! However we are commanded to keep with repentance and be faithful to our commitment to put away sin. Let grace carry you to victory, but when you fall remember that there is still more grace for you in Christ. Bear the fruit of the Spirit in purity, apart from sin – thus a life that imitates the Savior.

Matthew 3:11 – Here we see the contrast of baptism and a difference in respective laws. The commandments of the Lord have not been written on the people’s hearts yet and they struggle through the valleys of obedience and disobedience. God has seen that the law cannot justify and that people are powerless to remain faithful in their limited capacity so He promises a Spirit that will sustain us and enable us to faithfully obey the commands of the Lord. Is that not the goal of sanctiication? There will be purity in obedience, in deed and thought – just like our savior. Are you not filled with the Holy Spirit? Why do you so freely choose lewd and defiled thoughts that hijack the mind to be dull to truth? You know what is right but your heart has become callous. Is the Spirit working in you? If you cannot sense His presence, pray unto God for deliverance from a hardening of heart for that is neither the goal nor the promise of Scripture. John is not fit to remove His sandals and yet he was the beloved prophet. What sort of posture ought you to assume toward your holy friend who faithfully intercedes for you, fulfilling the requirement of trial and test? You are not worthy but you are made worthy.

Matthew 3:16-17 – What is the declaration of heaven concerning Christ? “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” What is the title that a wretched sinner can audaciously proclaim? He can cry, “Abba, father!” for he is the son of the Most High. Are you not heirs with Christ? Yet you know the title comes not on your own merit but through the virtue of another. Is there not an expectation in light of the promises of Scripture, to be perfect and righteous as Christ is? There is no place for the wandering mind, for our goal is to please Him. We are pleasant in His sight because of Christ’s work, yet Paul says that our aim is to be a sweet aroma unto the Lord. Let us not take this title lightly and let Christ govern our faculties for it is then where He looks glorified and God can utter this powerful phrase toward rebels and haters of God.

Matthew 4:3-4 – First note the name of the adversary, tempter. He entices the believer with deceptions, to distort naturally good things and elevate the gift above the giver. Temptation is meant to lead the believer off the path that he knows to be the center of God’s will. It caresses at first but then it clings so tightly. It seeks to plant an idea into the head of the fool, to endeavor into the unknown and do something apart from the Word. It can be a subtle thing in our estimation but a destructive enterprise for the devil. Secondly, think upon the nature of the first temptation, the challenge to remain sober in the physical faculties. As Leonard Ravenhill once said, “The greatest possession is self-possession,” and so was Christ’s trial – to refuse the gratification of bodily function. Is not lust in part a desire to please the flesh from things apart from God? The challenge of appetite is real, whether food of sex but can be combated. “With what?” you ask. We gain victory over human appetites through a proper understanding and faith in the sufficiency of God’s Word, just as Christ did. The body cannot hope to contend with the devil apart from truth. This temptation combines the battle of the mind with a fight to control the body. How will you win in the face of three forces assaulting the truth? You must remain steadfast in all things knowing that this brings God glory and pleasure when His children look to His word and count it reliable to be lived out. Remember that you do not live for self, whether in motive or in the body, so there are no excuses to gratifying the flesh out of bodily necessity. Jesus uses the tested word of God and finds it faithful to deliver Him from all the devil’s blazing volleys. Yes, man can live on bread but how can he live unto the glory of God apart from the Word. It cannot be done so build upon the rock in anticipation of the windy days of temptation and bad doctrine. Let your battle cry be, “It is written!”

Matthew 4:5-7 – Do not misuse the Word of God. Seek to be the unashamed workman who handles it with accuracy and truth, not like the devil who uses it for his own wiles. Can you justify sexual sin and sinful desire with Scripture? Sure you can, if passages are taken out of context. Remember that you have an intelligent adversary who (to your shame) knows your source of defense better than you. Isn’t this a great motivation to study the Scriptures and to fill your mind with it? A smart soldier should know his equipment better than the enemy and so may you study right interpretation. You may read, “There is no condemnation,” but that is no license to sin. Do not let the devil rationalize your sin according to your refuge in God’s Word, for that is a dangerous ground to be treading if he manages to find holes in your faulty understanding. How may you fight lust and ward off fleshly desires? You shall wield the truth of the Scriptures.

Matthew 4:8-10 – Is it not a great comfort that Christ has been tempted in all things so that he may intercede as a perfect high priest? Look at the devil’s last ploy, to gain the momentary riches of pleasure, power, and glory in exchange for worshipping the chief murderer. The devil whispers, “You will feel as if you conquered the whole world… no, you will have everything your heart desires. The cost is small and the reward is great.” Is not this part of the attraction of lust – the authority of the fanciful imagination? It is to take what is not yours and to enslave what is free. You may feel like a ruler, but you have forgotten who governs your faculties. It is Christ! Look to the book of Revelation! Why would you exchange the glory of the slain lamb to worship the one who finds residence in the lake of fire? Why do lend the devil an ear when he offers you greater heights when your God is in the highest? What are you to do when Satan offers you vain glory? Look to the place where eternal glory finds meaning in your life – look to the cross.

Matthew 4:18-22 – Look at how the disciples of Christ so eagerly leave behind their livelihoods and follow Christ! Surely Christ elects and that grace is irresistible, so shouldn’t you abandon your filthy garments and put on the spotless robes? A servant ought to reflect his master and a pupil should represent the teaching of his school. Note the response time of those called; you see the word ‘immediately.’ What are you waiting for? Are your sinful desires holding you back? Do you wish to bury the dead or finish a business deal? Your calling is to be fishers of men, not to make them subservient to sinful and sexual desires. Will you heed Christ’s calling and his following promise or will you abuse the grace found in the cross? Do not tarry in your response to divine authority.

It’s been a rather tedious study in terms of time but I’ve already gleaned a lot from the small part of Scripture I’ve covered. This has been tremendously helpful for filling my mind with the Word and personal meditation. If I say anything wrong, please correct me because I did this study without any source help – just what I generally know about Scripture. I realize this is particularly dangerous because I’m skewing Scripture a bit to address purity, lust and the supremacy of Christ, but I’m doing my best to keep things in context while being reflectional. As I read Matthew, I sought to reflect on points I thought were pertinent to the title.

The original goal was to go through the entire book of Matthew while I entertained the lofty goal of going through the entire NT. I stopped after Chapter 7 mostly because I became busy with school. I never intended to publish the work, but in light of the recent Berean sermons on purity, my only hope is to be of some assistance in the daily fight for holiness. I’ll publish it in four separate posts because this is a 12 page single-spaced word document …

Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 1
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 2
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 3
Reflections on the Foolishness of Lust and the Supremacy of Christ Part 4

I’m basically talking to myself. I think my conscience inherited this strange internal dialogue from being a tennis player. Also, I realize the title is very Piper-esque.
___________________________________________________________

Matthew 1:21 – Why did Jesus come into the world? Was it to establish an earthly kingdom or reveal the full extent of divine power? No, it was to save His people from their sins. It was a process that honored God that achieved a means for us to fulfill our original purpose, to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever as the Westminster Catechism dictates. You have been saved by an all-sufficient and glorious Christ from the clutches of sinful desire – you have a new master, should not you act accordingly?

Matthew 1:22 – The summation of the prophets is that you might be cleansed from filth of mind and deed through the manifold wisdom of God. Look to the Old Testament and how it points to Christ and the purity wrought by the divine transaction that He might become your righteousness! God has written a new law upon your heart as dictated by the prophets – where is the obedience? Where is the faithfulness? The prophets were not blessed with such a privilege, to witness the Savior and turn away from sin.

Matthew 1:23 – God is with us in a two-fold manner: in His divine omniscience and intimate fellowship paved by the blood of Christ. God revealed Himself in His fullness of deity in Jesus Christ and it is by faith that he dwells and possesses us. Is this not a fearful thing, that God dwells in and among His people, His eyes able to see the actions but more importantly, the heart? It will not be the actions but the motives that will be judged. Is not that a powerful case to deal with sin and seek purity in thought and deed? Should you not also be humbled that your life is laid bare before the Almighty and that you cannot hide, for He is indeed with His people.

Matthew 2:2 – The magi look upon a mere sign pointing to the Christ and you have witnessed the transforming work of the Savior in your life. They searched the night skies for a sign and you have seen the light that shines forth in the eye of the believer. You know the details and intricacies of the appointed hour when Christ would become a curse for you. Will you look upon Christ and His cross and use it as a license for sin so that grace may abound? By no means! Learn from the example of the Magi who had but a glimpse of Jesus and look at their desire to worship. They are earnest to deliver their praise, to traverse miles to honor a babe – but how glorious this babe was, the incarnate Christ. You have seen the power of the risen Christ and received His Spirit – can you also join them in a whole-hearted pursuit to glorify the Messiah? Worship with body and soul and do not violate those with the sinful desires of the flesh.

Matthew 2:3-4 – Do not be like the Pharisees. They knew the signs pointing to the birth of the Messiah and you see no urgency or desire to find the holy infant. Can you say why? Perhaps they were blinded by pride or apathy so that they did not care for the things of God as their lips often professed in front of the crowds. Will you be hindered by selfish motives when the signs point otherwise?  Do not desire comfort apart from Christ! Will you be burdened by apathy? Look to the truth of the incarnation (Philippians 2:5-11) and see the marvelous work. Do not live in your laziness, lusts, or youthful passions but seek Christ whom is worthy of worship.

Matthew 2:6 – Christ is the ruler and shepherd of Israel. Have you not been brought near into the glorious kingdom of Israel through the work of Christ? Should Christ not take His proper throne in your life, governing both thought and deed? There is no place for lust, for you listen to the decrees of a king and follow the voice of your beloved Shepherd. Let him govern and bring you back when you have gone astray. Though different in role, they are unified in love for the chief goal of making you more like the Savior who brought you out of darkness and into his marvelous light. Heed His commandments and give way for His correction for surely that leads to a life of holiness and purity. Remember: He rules your body and he rules your mind, for He is ‘God with us.’ Does that mean something to you? If not, pursue your flesh but you know that is a displeasing and even damning endeavor.

Matthew 2:10 – Do you exceedingly rejoice over anything? The shepherds were blessed to behold the infant Savior and they esteemed him a superior joy. Does this not make your lust look foolish? You have born witness to the Gospel, to that which is of first importance. Why seek something that brings the deceit of pleasure? Why not rejoice over what is eternal, which is the Word of God in pen and in divine being. The joy of Christ is greater than the fleeting pleasure of this world. An impure thought life can entertain but it cannot bring a lasting happiness. Will you think much upon Leonard Ravenhill’s quote which goes, “Entertainment is the devil’s substitute for joy!” Is that not all lust is – entertainment? It is the rogue thought of the flesh that seeks to damn a soul that cannot be condemned. It is for a moment but the consequences are hard to shake off. Seek to be captivated by the Savior and seek to be like the magi who experienced little compared to the knowledge revealed in Scripture available to you.

Matthew 2:11 – Gold, frankincense and myrrh are gifts fit for a king. Prostration in the face of royalty is fit for a king. According to the prophecy in Matthew 2:6, you see Christ as the divine Ruler. The implications of this are obvious, that our best is to be offered to the king in gift and in presence. Have you not just studied that the precious presence is with you wherever you desire to go? A spirit of giving everything in gratitude and reverence ought to be your posture, whether you are before the babe or beholding the One whose name is above all names. Recognize that these are both external expressions of the heart bent on praising one who is worthy. Can you offer your best when your motives are half-hearted or encumbered by sin? Will not lust and its associated actions bring about the downfall of the mind? Seek to offer your best to the king!

Matthew 2:16 – There will always be deliverance from the deceptions of the Devil and his schemes. Herod sought to use the motives of honest worship to put Christ to shame by means of trickery. He presumed that the magi were earnest people, yet fools that could further his selfish ambition. Can you see how the devil’s motives shines in light of Herod’s crude actions? What is the response of the worshipper of God? He will heed the word of God. What is the purpose of this study? The purpose is to hear the voice of God and to not fall into the deceit of the great deceiver. Do not feed the devil’s pride by fulfilling the purpose of the flesh whether by lust or vanity and seek the way of escape through the eternal hope of God’s Word. Trick the trickster!

This has been an awesome year. I usually take mid-December or so to reflect on the year and think upon the abundance of blessings God has given and shown me before I set goals for next year. There is a lot to be thankful for so I set up a list of topic to cover over the next couple of weeks. If you found yourself in love with the same things as myself, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me a message!