Nick Roark's Blog, page 124

“We cannot grow too much in grace” by Thomas Watson

“We cannot grow too much in grace.”

–Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity Contained in Sermons Upon the Westminster Assembly’s Catechism (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1692/1970), 275.

“Here joy begins to enter into us, there we shall enter into joy” by Thomas Watson

“‘Is His mercy clean gone?’ (Psalm 77:8). Now, when the soul is in this case, and ready to faint away in despair, God shines upon the soul, and gives it some apprehension of His favour, and turns the shadow of death into the light of the morning…

If God gives His people such joy in this life: O then what glorious joy will He give them in heaven! ‘Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord,’ (Matthew 25:21). Here joy begins to enter into us, there we shall enter into joy; God keeps His best wine till last.”

–Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity Contained in Sermons Upon the Westminster Assembly’s Catechism (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1692/1970), 269, 272-273.

“Through the window of the Scriptures” by John Piper

“We aim to draw our people’s minds and hearts to the world of glory through the window of the Scriptures. The aim of preaching is that people experience the God-drenched reality perceived through the window of biblical words.”

—John Piper, Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 162.

“Our great and glorious Covenant Lord” by Stephen Wellum

“By taking on our humanity, Christ became the first man of the new creation, our great mediator and new covenant head. As this man, Christ reverses the work of the first Adam and forges ahead as the last Adam, our great trailblazer and champion (archégon; Heb. 2:10).

God the Son incarnate is perfectly qualified to meet our every need, especially our need for the forgiveness of sin. According to the storyline of Scripture, only the God-man—the Son incarnate—could mediate the reconciliation of God and man by offering Himself as a sinless, sufficient, substitutionary sacrifice such that God Himself redeems His people as a man (1 Tim. 2:5-6; Hebrews 5-10).

As the divine Son, Christ alone satisfies God’s own judgment upon sinful humanity and demand for perfect righteousness. As the incarnate Son, Christ alone identifies with sinful humanity in His suffering and represents a new humanity as our great and glorious Covenant Lord…

In Jesus, we truly meet God face-to-face; we meet Him, not indwelling or overshadowing human flesh, nor merely associated with it, but in full and wonderful glory.

Although we behold Him as a man, He is much more; He is the Lord, the divine Son who humbles Himself and veils His glory by becoming one with us. It is God the Son Himself who dwells among us to speak, act, live, love, rule, and redeem for our good and His glory.”

—Stephen J. Wellum, God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 434, 435-436.

“Only Jesus” by Stephen Wellum

“Given who Jesus is, we must also be led to worship, adoration, faith in Him alone, and a glad and willing submission to His Lordship in every area of our lives. In Jesus Christ, God the Son incarnate, we see the Lord of Glory, who has taken on flesh in order to become our all-sufficient Redeemer.

By sharing our common human nature, the Son of God is now able to do a work that we could never do. In His incarnation and cross work, we see the resolution of God to take upon Himself our guilt and sin in order to reverse the horrible effects of the fall and to satisfy His own righteous requirements, to make this world right, and to inaugurate a new covenant in His blood.

In Jesus Christ, we see the perfectly obedient Son taking the initiative to keep His covenant promises by taking upon himself our human nature, veiling His glory, and winning for us our eternal salvation.

Our Savior and Redeemer is utterly unique. This is why there is no salvation outside of him. He is in a category all by himself in who He is and in what He does.

In fact, because our plight is so desperate, due to sin, the only person who can save us is God’s own dear Son. It is only as the Son incarnate that our Lord can represent us; it is only as the Son incarnate that He can put away our sin, stand in our place, and turn away God’s wrath by bearing our sin.

Only Jesus can satisfy God’s own righteous requirements, because He is one with the Lord as God the Son; only Jesus can do this for us because He is truly a man and can represent us.”

—Stephen J. Wellum, God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 442-443.

“Altogether worthy” by Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430)

“I know, O Lord, and do with all humility acknowledge myself an object altogether unworthy of Your love; but I am sure, You are an object altogether worthy of mine.

I am not good enough to serve You, but You have a right to the best service I can pay.

Do then impart to me some of that excellence, and that shall supply my own want of worth.

Help me to cease from sin according to Your will, that I may be capable of doing You service according to my duty.

Enable me so to guard and govern myself, so to begin and finish my course that, when the race of life is run, I may sleep in peace and rest in You.

Be with me to the end, that my sleep may be rest indeed, my rest perfect security, and that security a blessed eternity.”

–Augustine of Hippo, Ancient Christian Devotional: Lectionary Cycle C, Volume 3, Eds. Cindy Crosby, Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009), 70.

“Once in Christ, we shall never be out of Christ” by J.C. Ryle

“Once in Christ, we shall never be out of Christ.”

–J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1878/2013), 374.

“He loves me best who loves me in his prayers” by J.C. Ryle

“I commend to you, in the next place, the importance of intercession in our prayers. We are all selfish by nature and our selfishness is very apt to stick to us, even when we are converted.

There is a tendency in us to think only of our own souls,—our own spiritual conflict,—our own progress in religion, and to forget others. Against this tendency we have all need to watch and strive, and not least in our prayers.

We should study to be of a public spirit. We should stir ourselves up to name other names beside our own before the throne of grace.

We should try to bear in our hearts the whole world,—the heathen,—the Jews,—the Roman Catholics,—the body of true believers,—the professing Protestant Churches,—the country in which we live,—the congregation to which we belong,—the household in which we sojourn,—the friends and relations we are connected with.

For each and all of these we should plead. This is the highest charity. He loves me best who loves me in his prayers.

This is for our soul’s health. It enlarges our sympathies and expands our hearts. This is for the benefit of the Church.

The wheels of all machinery for extending the Gospel are oiled by prayer. They do as much for the Lord’s cause who intercede like Moses on the mount, as they do who fight like Joshua in the thick of the battle.

This is to be like Christ. He bears the names of His people on His breast and shoulders as their High Priest before the Father.

Oh, the privilege of being like Jesus! This is to be a true helper to ministers. If I must needs choose a congregation, give me a people that prays.”

–J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion: Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1878/2013), 86-87.

“He is one with us and has taken our place” by Sinclair Ferguson

“Because Christ bears our name and our nature even the weakest believer may look to Christ and find assurance of grace and salvation in Him.

Here Calvin’s exposition of the Gospels’ testimony is profound and telling: Jesus’ ministry reveals to us the humanity of a Saviour who can be trusted, who understands, and who is able to bring reassurance of the adequacy and fittingness of His grace.

Much of what He does and experiences is intended to show us how near to us He came. The revelation of His frailty and weakness is all intended to assure us that He is one with us and has taken our place.”

–Sinclair Ferguson, “Manifested in the Flesh: The Reality of the Incarnation,” in Some Pastors and Teachers (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2017), 81.

“The divine alarm clock” by John Onwuchekwa

“Let the temptation to worry serve as the divine alarm clock reminding you it’s time to pray.”

–John Onwuchekwa, Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 125.