It's Too Easy to Become a Tool of the Devil

In a recent sermon on how families profit from sermons, Dr. Beeke was working from the parable of the soils in Luke 8. Many of us have just been through that parable in the M'Cheyne readings in Mark 4. One of the points that he makes is how hard Satan works to distract us from the Word. I'd encourage you to listen to the whole thing. The following clip from 19:35 may whet your appetite:

"Remember children, Satan will oppose your listening to God's word with might and main, knowing that if you truly hear it, and you truly bow under it, and you truly go out to live it, He will lose you. So Satan will do everything he can to try to disturb you before the sermon begins, to distract you during the sermon, and to dismiss the sermon from your mind as soon as it's finished. Oh, he loves it when you go right out into the vestibule and talk about the score of a ball game last week or something like that, some crazy thing like that, when you've just been in the presence of Almighty God and you've just heard a matter of life and death and you shake it off like that hearer who just cast it away as soon as the seed was sown." (emphasis mine)

That bit about the conversations after worship struck me. Consider Jesus's own explanation of the parable (nearly identical in all parallels): "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved." (Luke 8:11–12)

It's been some time since we emphasized having Lord's-Day-appropriate conversations, but I had never quite thought of it from the angle of the parable of the soils. When we hear the Word, Satan labors to snatch those thoughts right away from us. But if we immediately distract each other with whatever's new out in the world, he doesn't have to labor so much, does he? From Jesus's own explanation of the parable, that would make us tools of the devil.

That's sobering in both directions, isn't it? Both that we might be tools of the devil, and that someone who seems quite friendly could actually be acting as an enemy to our soul in the moment.

One of my great joys, in recent Lord's Days, has been to hear snippets of conversations in which so many are being friends to one-another's souls. What a glad privilege it is to be used by the Lord, to help the Word take root and bear fruit! But it's so easy to become a tool of the devil. The Lord give us grace to tremble at His Word (cf. Isa 66:2). 

Different levels of functional legalism

When correcting moral defects, how is your approach different from an unconverted but outwardly pious Jew? If it isn't, you are functionally anti-Christian and should be concerned about whether you are converted at all.

When correcting moral defects, how is your approach different from a converted Jew before the revelation of the Son, conscientious union with Him, and the outpouring and indwelling of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of the ascended Christ? If it isn't, you may be converted, but you are functionally sub-Christian.

Col 4:6

Wouldn't it be wonderful if our highest horizontal priority in every relationship was to do the other person spiritual good? And how would our speech and conduct change, if that was the case?

Christian Nationalism? First Things First.

By all means, let nations be Christian. Christ is not only Prophet, and Priest, but King. And the government of every nation owes explicit allegiance and submission to Him.

But as transgression of the first table of the law is rampant in their homes and congregations, men who are waking up about the second table are in danger of letting zeal run without knowledge. 

It is a trap to think that one can make a nation Christian, when the home and the church have yet to recover the right worship of God as the rhythm of our days and weeks, and the heartbeat of lives lived in communion with Him, and therefore diligently offered as sacrifice unto Him.

"Christian" Music?

I got to work from a beautiful conference room in a hospital most of today. When I turned to go home, the maps app told me that the drive would be 20 minutes longer if I returned at that time, due to traffic. So I got a $1 bottomless drink and worked from a Wendy's. 

They're playing what I assume are the current "Christian hits." Even when quoting or alluding to Scripture, the songs don't sound at all like Scripture (generally) or the Psalms (specifically). Many of these songs are even unintentionally blasphemous. Musically, the timbre is so indulgent of the self rather than expressive of greater realities. It's been quite the experience (enough to take the time to break from work to post this).

And to listen to it, you would think that man's biggest problem is that his feelings have been hurt and that he feels badly about himself. It occurs to me that American Christianity is ultradistorted, not experiencing "real" suffering like the vast majority of the church throughout the whole of history. And, of course, we are theologically distorted by our ignorance of the immensity either of God's glory or of the evil of the guilt/power/presence of our sin.

The Sum of the Law

In opening WSC 42 to my children yesterday, we noted that the sum of the law is our relation to the Lawgiver. The second great commandment flows from the first because man is made in God's image. 

One thing I forgot to tell them this time (though we have done, many times) is that man's being made in God's image is because of how God had decreed to make the ultimate display of Himself and His glory in the Son: as the incarnate God and Savior. 

In this way, the sum of the law is intimately tied to knowing Jesus as God, glorifying Jesus as God, loving Jesus as God, and enjoying Jesus as God. 

Apart from this, there is neither loving God nor loving neighbor. The proper way to love God is to know and love Him especially through His Son. The proper way to love oneself is to love God in this way. And the proper way to love our neighbor is to aim, in all of our law-keeping, at his loving God in this way.

Impietism More Widespread and Dangerous than Pietism

I realize that there is a possible danger of becoming so reflective about spiritual things that one does not labor well in this life—to be a soul without a body, here, so to speak. And I understand that there is an introspection that is not spiritual at all, for it dwells little upon the Lord Himself and much upon the labyrinth of one's own thoughts and affections. Yes, there is such a thing as false piety. And it may or may not be helpful to call it "pietism" (aside from the fact that this is a technical term for splinter-movements within Lutheranism).

But I don't think I have ever met such a person. Ours is an age of epidemic, lethal impiety. The visible church is full of those who profess faith but have little thought of God, take little time with Him, make much of the temporal and little of the spiritual. They treat the means of grace as if they have little effect upon real life, spiritual pleasures and blessings as if they are worth much less than temporal. Of such the churches are full. And yet there are many who constantly warn against "pietism" in the churches, warning against too much of an emphasis upon certain habits and realities that actually comprise a necessary and crucial biblical piety. 

So, dear reader, watch out for those who are always railing against "pietism." It may be that they are selling you a soul-destroying impietism, by which you will assure yourself of spiritual life and forgiveness and godliness, where there really is none.

Does the ARP Form of Government Really Give the General Synod the Right to Dissolve a Presbytery?

In my recap of Day 2 of the General Synod, I wrote of the two options that were before us at the time: "(1) General Synod dissolves Second Presbytery (which it has the right to do, for any reason, without process, in the form of government)."

I must clarify, now, and admit that I was simply relaying what we were told on the floor of the General Synod meeting.

2024 General Synod, Day 3 Recap

Thank you, especially to the brethren of the Hopewell congregation, for the keen interest in how things go with our Lord's church in the ARP, and for giving yourselves to prayer for it. Since these include my own personal observations, I'm posting these summaries here, rather than on the church blog. If you'd like to try to keep up with the General Synod, you can see the Synod materials here, and watch the live streams here.

2024 General Synod, Day 2 Recap

Thank you, especially to the brethren of the Hopewell congregation, for the keen interest in how things go with our Lord's church in the ARP, and for giving yourselves to prayer for it. Since these include my own personal observations, I'm posting these summaries here, rather than on the church blog. If you'd like to try to keep up with the General Synod, you can see the Synod materials here, and watch the live streams here.

2024 General Synod, Day 1 Recap

Thank you, especially to the brethren of the Hopewell congregation, for the keen interest in how things go with our Lord's church in the ARP, and for giving yourselves to prayer for it. Since these include my own personal observations, I'm posting these summaries here, rather than on the church blog. If you'd like to try to keep up with the General Synod, you can see the Synod materials here, and watch the live streams here.

WCF 21.1, Off the Cuff, on the Regulative Principle [a tech-test that was worth keeping]

It was really just a feed-check for new settings on the Hopewell live streaming. But rather than just stand there, I read and explained WCF 21.1 on the Regulative Principle, having just written an article on it for the upcoming edition of the ARP Magazine. Maybe it will be helpful to you.

Salt, Light, and Social Justice

In the context of Matthew 5:10–12, it is clear that in vv13–16 the Lord having made us to be (not commanding us to become) salt and light means NOT that we should be Christian enough to make a societal difference, but that we should be Christian enough to be persecuted by society. 

Love for neighbor, the power of God, and His pleasure to give revival by the Spirit's use of gospel preaching all agree to form in us a desire to see and participate in societal change. But let us be compelled by appropriate Scripture, and seek it by His means. 

I had been meaning to write this for a while, but finally had time today and was prompted by the following video. It contains helpful historical truth, and near the end identifies a problem with social gospel that it has in common with reconstructionism and liberation theology (each of which misuse this Scripture text):

Counsel for a Father Who Is Looking to God to Help Him Lead His Family Out of Household Observance of the Feast Day of the Nativity

When a head of household, comes to the conviction that the religious observance of a feast (or feast day) of the nativity is unwarranted in the church, he sometimes comes to the further conviction that it is also not pleasing to God in his home, or an appropriate shepherding of his family's souls. 

This is especially the case if he is one of those blessed men who understands that what is profitable to his family's souls is not so much what he himself does, but which God alone can do. He understands that the reason that we do what we do is not that it somehow mechanically benefits the eternal souls of our dear ones, but because we are entirely dependent upon God to bless it to them. And therefore man's wisdom in application takes a distant, back seat to God's wisdom in prescription with regard to what we do for family discipleship.

From time to time, I receive an inquiry (in this case a prayer request) from a man who is already convicted about religious observance, and has begun to come under the conviction about family observance. Today, I took time that I did not really have for "only" one household's benefit, to give counsel at greater length—in hope that it might be used to benefit many households. And, of course, the strengthening, gladdening, and maturing of one household has a reinforcing benefit to the body as a whole (cf. Eph 4:11–16, 1Cor 12:18–26).

Note well (n.b.!): this is not intended or expected to convince who have not gotten there by Spirit-powered sitting under the Word in secret worship, family worship, or especially(!) preaching in public worship. Yet, such as are not convinced are welcome to read and see if the Lord may help them, while understanding that it is really "someone else's mail" as it were.

The following is my advice to a father whom the Lord is already bringing to conviction and is looking to the Lord for wisdom and grace for how to carry it out, and how to communicate it to his family. May the Lord bless it to you, as well, gentle reader.

John Murray on manmade holy days

"Here I am alone in the library and apparently everyone has gone from Machen Hall until Friday morning. Now it is 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday. You may think this dismal. Well, I love it. It is a delightful change from the usual stir. I have had two good days in the Library. Monday was taken up with committee meetings, forenoon and afternoon. I hope to be here all day tomorrow. I have not even accepted a dinner engagement for what they call ‘Christmas.’ I hate the whole business." — 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐲, December 1958 Letter in 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, Vol. 3, p. 120

[ht: Log College Press] 

Samuel Miller on manmade holy days

 "The observance of uncommanded holy-days is ever found to interfere with the due sanctification of the Lord's day. Adding to the appointments of God is superstition. And superstition has ever been found unfriendly to genuine obedience." — 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑏𝑦𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑦 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 (1835, 1836), p. 77 [pictured: Howard Pyle, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝐺𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑢𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝑆𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠 (1883)]

JG Vos on manmade holy days

 "In former times the Reformed Presbyterian Church was solidly opposed to the religious observance of Christmas, East­er and other special days of the same kind. But in recent years this opposition has be­gun to weaken and here and there a Coven­anter congregation is beginning to copy the big denominations and do more or less as others do in this matter of observing days.

Three hundred years ago the Westmin­ster Assembly of Divines met in London, England, to compile the Confession of Faith, Catechisms and other standards that have become the heritage of all churches of the Presbyterian family throughout the world. Let me quote what the Westminster Assem­bly said about the observance of holy days. It is found in the Appendix to the Directory for Worship which they prepared. This is what they said: 'There is no day command­ed in Scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord’s Day, which is the Christian Sabbath. Festival-days, vulgarly called ‘holy-days’, having no warrant in the Word of God, are not to be continued.' 300 years ago that was the accepted belief of all Presbyterians. Since then, the majority have gradually adopted the customs of the Episcopalians and Catholics, and today they observe a variety of special days in their re­ligious services. But we should realize that we Covenanters, in opposing the observance of Easter and other 'holy' days, are only holding to the original principle which was once held by 𝐚𝐥𝐥 Presbyterians everywhere. It is not the Covenanters that have changed." — 𝐉.𝐆. 𝐕𝐨𝐬, "The Observance of Days" in 𝐵𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 (Jan.-March 1947), pp. 17-18

[ht: Virginia is for Hugenots]

Warfield on manmade holy days

"There is a certain passionate intensity in the way in which Christmas is now celebrated among us. But after all, what can be said for the customs to which we have committed ourselves. There is no reason to believe that our Lord wished His birthday to be celebrated by His followers. There is no reason to believe that the day on which we are celebrating it is His birthday. There is no reason to believe that the way in which we currently celebrate it would meet His approval. Are we not in some danger of making of what we fondly tell ourselves is a celebration of the Advent of our Lord, on the one side something much more like the Saturnalia of old Rome than is becoming in a sober Christian life; and, on the other something much more like a shopkeeper’s carnival than can comport with the dignity of even a sober secular life?" — 𝐁.𝐁. 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝, 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑔 𝑅𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑙, Weihnachten in Kirche, Kunst und Volksleben (1903) [pictured: Franz Skarbina, 𝑊𝑒𝑖ℎ𝑛𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑡𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑡, 𝐵𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛 (1892)] 

[ht: Log College Press]

On DW, KDY, Self-Owning in the Reformed Blogosphere, and Self-Owning in Our Own Lives

I chuckled as I typed "Reformed Blogosphere." It's a paper-weight sized snow globe—buried in the tiny pile of what is left of religion—in the cluttered attic that is America. The whole attic, taken collectively, has an inflated view of itself. But, even among men and history, it is not so big as it thinks it is. And before God, all of the nations are as a drop in the bucket.

If you don't know who DW is, you don't need to. There's nothing that he's said that hasn't been said better, by someone patently godlier, so that if the student will become like his teacher, you have better options. And if you don't know who KDY is, all you need to know for the purposes of this little note is that KDY made the "mistake" of writing an article about DW.

KDY noted that DW has a cultic following who follow DW's self-caricature in taking a flame thrower to anyone who critiques him. The article points out that as helpful as some of what DW has written might be, his fleshly demeanor and conduct should warn us off from becoming disciples, and that if we find ourselves attracted to that demeanor, then that should be its own warning sign about our own hearts.

Predictably, the DWdisciples immediately went scorched-earth, digging up things about the church that KDY serves, which predated him and which will outlast him unless the Lord grants a surprising reformation there. KDY is something that I am not, in part because his conscience apparently tolerates things in worship and ministry that mine wouldn't. So, this isn't a defense of KDY. It's just an observation that the response of the DWdisciples is something of a self-own. KDY said "this is how they tend to act." And they responded by acting that way.

True story: I was preaching on Rom 9:19–24 last night, roughly 24 hours after reading the KDY article. The introduction was crafted around the respondent in v19 thinking that he's come up with a such a clever argument, but that his presentation is actually such a revelation of his character that it ends up being a "self-own." I was very tempted to use DW as an illustration, because he's often had clever points to make (and only rarely are they as invalid as the rhetorical questioner in v19), but the cleverness of the point ends up being beside the point because his character is such that the presentation of it ends up being, before God, a self-own.

One great "tell" that we know little of the greatness and nearness of the Lord is that we still see ourselves (or anyone else) as very large. Genuinely knowing the nearness of the Lord will always compel us to make our lowliness known to all (cf. Phlp 4:5).

Another great tell that we know little of the greatness and nearness of the Lord is when first-table issues are smaller to us than second-table issues. When we obsess over statutes about how to treat each other but are largely unbothered by those laws of God that tell us what it is, specifically, to regard Him as holy when drawing near to Him.

DWdisciples rabidly attacking someone who says they tend to attack rabidly is a self-own. A sinner "finding fault" with God for finding fault with sinners is a self-own. Pride in a Christian is a self-own. Anything manmade or earthly in a church's worship is a self-own.

The Need for Excellence in Worship—But What (Who!) Is the Excellence of Worship, and What Is it to Worship Excellently?

I was surprised to see an organization that I esteem promoting a conference on the need for excellence in worship that emphasizes music and aesthetics, featuring a hymn sing. 

I don't think anyone is for bad singing, bad lighting, casual dressing, slovenly grooming, or doing anything poorly in worship. But the excellence of NT worship is especially in heaven, and this is communicated by a simplicity on earth that says, "the great Excellence is in glory." 

In other words, "more outwardly attractive" is not the same as "more excellent," when God Himself has set for us the aesthetic of simplicity. NT worship is to be excellently simple in the congregation on earth.