Enjoying God Blog

I recently returned from a five-day ministry trip to England and would like to share a few observations on the spiritual condition of evangelicalism there. Continue reading . . .

I recently returned from a five-day ministry trip to England and would like to share a few observations on the spiritual condition of evangelicalism there. Since 2005 I have participated almost annually in the Life in the Spirit conference and have been blessed to serve on the leadership team with a number of like-minded believers. LITS was birthed over 30 years ago by a small group of men who had been greatly influenced by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, longtime senior pastor at Westminster Chapel in the heart of London. In fact, one of this year’s speakers was Greg Haslam, current lead pastor at the Chapel who succeeded R. T. Kendall in that role. LITS is not only a conference but an ever-growing, somewhat informal, network of Christians and churches who are committed to Reformed theology, complementarianism, and a continuationist view of spiritual gifts. There is also a strong emphasis on missional outreach and healthy relational accountability and mutual encouragement.

LITS is not a large conference, at least by American church standards, but it is every bit as vibrant and gospel-centered as anything on this side of the big pond. It meets during the last week of February and I strongly encourage anyone within reach of it to plan on attending in the future. The new website for LITS will be released in about a month for those of you who wish to learn more about it.

Here I would simply like to draw attention to the fact that, notwithstanding the overall weakened state of the church in England as a whole, there are numerous spiritually strong and vibrant leaders and local churches scattered throughout the U.K. These men have not capitulated to pressures from the larger culture nor do th

Is there healing in the atonement? Continue reading . . .

Here in 1 Peter 2:24-25 the apostle is very clearly alluding to Isaiah 53:4-5. There the prophet declared:

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”

In order to understand what Peter had in mind in quoting this OT passage, I need to address a very controversial question: Is there healing in the atonement?

Some believe that just as God the Father made Jesus to be “sin” for us on the cross he also made him to be “sick” for us on the cross. Word of Faith advocate Gloria Copeland once wrote: “Jesus bore your sicknesses and carried your diseases at the same time and in the same manner (emphasis mine) that he bore your sins.” Another author put it this way:

"When Jesus stood bearing the lashes from the Roman soldiers, all our physical pain and sicknesses were being heaped upon him. . . It is as if one lash was for cancer, another for bone disease, another for heart disease, and so on. Everything that causes physical pain was laid on Jesus as the nails were driven into His hands and feet” (Colin Urquhart).

What is being said is that Christ bore our sicknesses in the very same way that he bore our sins. Another once wrote that “Christ endured vicariously our diseases as well as our iniquities.”

We know what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God “made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf." He was declaring that the guilt of our sins was imputed to Christ and that it was because of that guilt that he was punished in our place. Bu

Rock of Ages is one of those older hymns of the Christian faith that one rarely hears anymore, even in churches that are more traditional in their approach to worship. It was written by Augustus Toplady who died in 1776. Continue reading . . .

Rock of Ages is one of those older hymns of the Christian faith that one rarely hears anymore, even in churches that are more traditional in their approach to worship. It was written by Augustus Toplady who died in 1776. I’ve always been fascinated by the lyrics in the first verse.

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,Let me hide myself in Thee;Let the water and the blood,From Thy wounded side which flowed,Be of sin the double cure;Save from wrath and make me pure.”

It’s those last two lines that I have in mind: “Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.”

Toplady is obviously trying to tell us that in his view sin has caused us two massive problems, both of which are overcome by the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. We need, says Toplady, a double cure from the debilitating and destructive power of sin. First, we need to be saved from divine wrath: “Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.”

In other words, sin has exposed us to divine wrath. We have violated, in thought, word, and deed, the will of God. We are alienated from our Creator. We have incurred the penalty for breaking the law of God, namely, suffering the wrath of God. The appeal in the hymn is for the blood of Christ to save us from divine wrath and judgment.

But then Toplady makes a second appeal. “Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.” It isn’t enough to be delivered from the penalty of sin. We must also be set free from the power of sin. We need the redemptive work of C

Why does Peter call on Christians to humbly endure unjust suffering? He gives at least three answers to that question. Continue reading . . .

We’ve been looking at 1 Peter 2:18-25 where Peter writes:

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:18-25).

Why does Peter call on Christians to humbly endure unjust suffering? He gives at least three answers to that question.

First, he goes so far as to say that this is our calling as Christians! That’s right, our calling! V. 21 says, “for to this you have been called.” To be hurt and treated unfairly and to be put upon and slandered and yet not to return evil for evil is part of our calling as the children of God.

Peter says it again with even greater force and clarity down in 3:9, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called that you may obtain a blessing.”

The one th

There is probably only one thing in life that feels as natural and unavoidable as breathing, and that is getting even. Continue reading . . .

There is probably only one thing in life that feels as natural and unavoidable as breathing, and that is getting even. I’m serious. It’s instinctive to fallen human nature. We don’t have to think about it or plan it or write into our daily calendars: “Get even today, preferably before noon.” We just do it.

I suppose one of the things that makes it feel so natural and so hard to resist is that it seems justified. Exacting revenge feels right.

Think about it. As I talk with people who are experiencing anger or resentment or perhaps a critical and unforgiving spirit toward another person, they will almost always defend themselves by speaking of the unjust treatment they’ve received. They will explain how badly they’ve been treated or how others let them down or abandoned them or took advantage of their kindness and used it against them, or manipulated them in some way.

There is deeply entrenched in our souls a belief that if I’ve been exploited or unfairly treated I have the right to expose that person and bring them to some form of justice. And I can use any means at my disposal: slander, public rebuke, an angry e-mail, perhaps threatening them in some intimidating way. “After all, they deserve this, don’t they? There is such a thing as justice, you know.”

It feels so understandable. And it’s so easy. It doesn’t take much effort to get even. Furthermore, it doesn’t feel “safe” to just let it go and decide to bless the offender rather than curse them. After all, what if they take advantage of my kindness and repeat the offense?

It is precisely this situation that Peter addresses in 1 Peter

1 Peter 2:18-25 is one of those remarkable passages in God’s Word that interweaves deep and profound theological truth with practical, life-shaping guidelines for how to conduct ourselves as Christians in a world that doesn’t know Jesus. Continue reading . . .

1 Peter 2:18-25 is one of those remarkable passages in God’s Word that interweaves deep and profound theological truth with practical, life-shaping guidelines for how to conduct ourselves as Christians in a world that doesn’t know Jesus. Peter writes:

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:18-25).

There are people in the professing church who scoff at the idea that understanding the nature of Christ’s atoning death and all that he endured on behalf of sinners could be helpful in how we live our lives and especially how we respond to and interrelate with people who mistreat us. The Apostle Peter, on the other hand, wouldn’t ev

I don’t know when Jesus will return, but it had better be soon. Don’t read that as if I’m dictating to God when he should send his Son to wrap things up. Rather, it’s born of my own personal frustration and ever-deepening disillusionment when it comes to the rapidly decaying condition of our world. Continue reading . . .

I don’t know when Jesus will return, but it had better be soon. Don’t read that as if I’m dictating to God when he should send his Son to wrap things up. Rather, it’s born of my own personal frustration and ever-deepening disillusionment when it comes to the rapidly decaying condition of our world.

I’ve often said that as the end of history approaches we will see a decrease in the presence and influence of common grace and a corresponding increase in the operation of God’s special grace. By “common grace” I refer to the non-saving influence of the Holy Spirit common to all mankind by which he restrains the innate depraved tendencies of fallen human nature. As bad as it currently is, it would be much worse were it not for the Spirit’s exertion of restraint on the sinful impulses of fallen humanity. My sense is that the closer we get to the return of Christ we will witness a gradual withdrawal of the Spirit’s work in this regard.

Simultaneous with the decrease in common grace will come the increase of God’s redemptive and sanctifying “special grace.” That is to say, in order to strengthen, preserve, and expand the witness of the Church in the latter days, and perhaps to facilitate a global spiritual awakening, the Spirit will intensify his empowering work in God’s people, energize the witness Christians bear to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and impart more pervasively the many supernatural spiritual gifts so essenti

A new book has just been released that I believe will prove to be an incredibly helpful tool for you and the people in your church during Holy Week (beginning with Palm Sunday, extending through Easter Sunday). Continue reading . . .

A new book has just been released that I believe will prove to be an incredibly helpful tool for you and the people in your church during Holy Week (beginning with Palm Sunday, extending through Easter Sunday). The book is co-authored by Andreas J. Kostenberger and Justin Taylor and is titled, The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), 217 pp.

The book walks the reader through each day of the final week of Jesus’ life, providing descriptive portrayals of the major events, dates, people, as well as maps and time flow charts that will enable you to get a grasp on everything that transpired. All of this is tethered to and grounded in the various texts in all four Gospel accounts. I don’t know of another source quite like this one. It is thorough, yet written in a way that is accessible to the average adult-educated Christian. Above all else, it is spiritually rich and Christ-centered.

The authors make this suggestion on how the book might be used by you individually and in your church corporately:

“We envision that churches, families, small groups, and individuals will benefit from reading through the biblical material and accompanying commentary in sequence on each day of Holy Week, though certainly this subject is worthy of meditation throughout the year. Naturally, some days contain less material than others; Good Friday is particularly lengthy, so it would be good for you to plan on setting aside additional time to work through the material. The study could culmina

Often times when people finally get real and acknowledge how far they have yet to go in Christian maturity, they get discouraged and quit. Not Paul. And I hope not you either. Instead of easing off the gas pedal of Christian living and drifting along as if nothing more were at stake, Paul expresses his determination or resolve in two important statements. Continue reading . . .

Often times when people finally get real and acknowledge how far they have yet to go in Christian maturity, they get discouraged and quit. Not Paul. And I hope not you either. Instead of easing off the gas pedal of Christian living and drifting along as if nothing more were at stake, Paul expresses his determination or resolve in two important statements.

(1) “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil. 3:12b).

This word translated “press on” belongs to the world of the hunter. It doesn’t merely mean run but pursue, chase, hunt down! Far from our salvation being a reason to relax, Paul sees it as a motive to press on. There are obviously deeper dimensions of what God has done for us in Christ that Paul wants to experience. New vistas of beauty to behold, fresh revelation of the majesty God’s character, deeper experiences of intimacy with Christ, greater joy in the Holy Spirit, more power for life and ministry, and the list could go on endlessly. Paul wants it all! And so should we!

But note especially what it is that drives him. I want to make it my own, says Paul, “because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (v. 12b)! The word ought to be more literally rendered, “Christ Jesus seized me” or has “grasped” me and made me his own. His point is that he’s pursuing these realities of spiritual experience

Someone finally found the courage to say it, so I will too. Continue reading . . .

Someone finally found the courage to say it, so I will too.

Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of my favorite actors. I first saw him in the film Twister. Given the fact that much of the film was produced here in Oklahoma and that he wore an OU cap throughout endeared him to me immediately! His character, “Dusty”, was a classic. There were other films in which he appeared that were of greater quality, such as Moneyball, and his performance as Truman Capote, which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor, was of the highest order of excellence.

Hoffman was found in his apartment a few weeks ago, dead of a heroin overdose. I grieve for all those who knew him and who have suffered such great loss. Please don’t take my comments that follow as disrespectful or disdainful of him. Drug addiction is a horrible affliction and our compassion for those caught up in it ought to be deep and sincere. But in all the media buzz about whether we should change our drug laws or who might have supplied him with the heroin, I didn’t hear much about the family he left behind. Until today.

In this week’s issue of The Week (February 21, 2014), there is an excerpt from Joseph Curl’s column in The Washington Times, titled, “The victims of Hoffman’s addiction.” They summarize what Curl had to say in this manner:

“After the news of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death from a heroin overdose broke last week, everyone agreed it was ‘sad’ and ‘tragic,’ said Joseph Curl. What a shame, people said, that such a talented actor had died so young, at 46, overcome by the ‘disease’ of addiction. The implication: His relapse and death were &lsquo