Nick Roark's Blog, page 5

“A humble and prayerful spirit” by J.C. Ryle

“We all need enlightenment of our understandings.

“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14)

Pride, and prejudice, and love of the world blind our intellects, and throw a veil over the eyes of our minds in the reading of the Scriptures.

We see the words, but do not thoroughly understand them until we are taught from above.

He that desires to read his Bible with profit, must first ask the Lord Jesus to open the eyes of his understanding by the Holy Ghost.

Human commentaries are useful in their way. The help of good and learned men is not to be despised.

But there is no commentary to be compared with the teaching of Christ.

A humble and prayerful spirit will find a thousand things in the Bible, which the proud, self-conceited student will utterly fail to discern.”

–J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1858/2012), 2: 383-384. Ryle is commenting on Luke 24:44-49.

“Let them fix their thoughts on the faithful Son” by Peter O’Brien

“If other emissaries had been sent by God to function as intermediaries between Him and humanity, then Jesus fulfills this role in a pre-eminent way.

As pioneer (Hebrews 2:10) and apostle (3:1), Jesus was sent to bring deliverance and lead His people into the Promised Land (3:7-4:11).

As high priest He makes atonement for sin (2:17-18).

Although the two roles differ, they serve a common goal, namely of enabling the listeners to reach their destination, the city that is to come (13:14).

The listeners are privileged to be addressed as ‘holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling’ (3:1).

Let them fix their thoughts on Jesus the faithful Son who is the perfect model, and hold firm to Him as ‘our apostle and high priest’ (3:1).

And they are to avoid, at all costs, the negative example of the Israelites who, by their disobedience to God, fell in the wilderness and failed to reach the promised rest (3:7-19).”

–Peter T. O’Brien, God Has Spoken in His Son: A Biblical Theology of Hebrews, ed. D. A. Carson, vol. 39, New Studies in Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL; London: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press; Apollos, 2016), 64-65.

“God’s majesty” by Mark Jones

“God’s attributes, especially His majesty, should in some sense cause great fear and awe among His people. Job chastises his friends for misunderstanding God: “Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?” (Job 13:11).

Here Job connects God’s majesty with our response to it. Later in the book, Elihu grasps this appropriate reverence:

Out of the north comes golden splendor;
God is clothed with awesome majesty.
The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is great in power;
justice and abundant righteousness He will not violate.
Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit. (Job 37:22–24)

God’s majesty should strike a holy fear into the hearts and minds of God’s people. Why? Because we know that His majesty is His power is His justice is His dominion.

The majestic God cannot dwell with or tolerate the proud, and His dominion over them means He can and will judge them. Thus God challenges Job to act like God:

Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and tread down the wicked where they stand.
Hide them all in the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below.
Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own right hand can save you. (Job 40:10–14)

Of course, Job cannot do this, but God can. He does not merely judge the proud; He majestically judges them in his dominion over them. He shows the vast difference between himself and them. He challenges Job to perform that which is impossible.

God highlights his majesty by the fact that he alone is clothed with “glory and splendor.” The psalmist praises God: “O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent” (Ps. 104:1–2). When Job does what God (alone) can do, then Job may compare himself with the Majestic One…

What makes Christ majestic? His gracious speech (Psalm 45:2), military power (vv. 3–5), eternal throne (v. 6), Spirit-anointed moral holiness (v. 7), and adored position (vv. 8–9) do so. God has given him the name that is above every name (Phil. 2:9).

Thus, he can command his disciples to bless the nations, because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him (Matt. 28:18). As the receiver of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33), Christ can subdue the hearts of sinners, a work more powerful and majestic than creating a thousand worlds of loving creatures.

When the officers came to arrest Christ, they were unsuccessful. Why? In part because, as they recognized, “no one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46).

In Christ’s words was a majesty that confounded his enemies to the point that he caused them to fall back: “When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6). These words of Christ connect to Psalm 9:3, “When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence.”

Peter was an eyewitness of Christ’s majesty: “But we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’ ” (2 Pet. 1:16–17), Peter tasted what we shall one day experience from God through his Son.

In other words, we shall experience God’s majesty in Christ one day by sight, just as Peter did but in a better way, because we will sinlessly and ceaselessly gaze on that majesty for all eternity.

As we contemplate the one clothed with majesty (Ps. 93:1), we must be filled with awe—indeed, a submissive awe. When we worship, we must do so with “reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28). In the Christian life, God does not settle for second place. Sometimes we may intellectually assent that he should be first, while our actions betray our true theological convictions, which lack the awe God deserves. We must prefer God above all things, because he is above all things. His majesty demands such reverential preference.

When we consider the infinite demerit of our sin against an infinitely majestic God, we should be totally humbled that we are utterly unable to remedy this problem in ourselves. We cannot make satisfaction or restitution for the smallest sin we have committed against such a God. Calvin beautifully expresses the humility that should come over us when we consider God’s majesty:

Hence that dread and wonder with which Scripture commonly represents the saints as stricken and overcome whenever they felt the presence of God. Thus it comes about that we see men who in his absence normally remained firm and constant, but who, when he manifests his glory, are so shaken and struck dumb as to be laid low by the dread of death—are in fact overwhelmed by it and almost annihilated.

As a consequence, we must infer that man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God’s majesty.

Anselm famously affirmed concerning God, “We believe that thou art a being than which nothing greater can be conceived.” Such remains true not only in regard to God’s majesty but also in regard to his works toward us in Christ. God does such majestic works through his Son that none greater can be conceived. His majesty is stamped all over his works of redemption through Christ, the God-man.

Through the necessary path of humiliation, Christ arrived at the place of glory and honor (Heb. 2:9).

We too come to the place of glory and honor through the path of suffering. We share in Christ’s majesty as the King of kings. We are “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37).

Thus, our faith leads us to hope in our future reward of being crowned with glory and honor in Christ’s kingdom.

When God challenged Job to adorn himself with majesty, he absolutely could not rise to the occasion. But when God grants to us the gift of his Son, we are then blessed with a share in Christ’s majesty. What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

–Mark Jones, God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 110-115.

“His compassion, mercy, and power are infinite” by John Newton

“The Lord, by His Spirit, manifests and confirms His love to His people. For this purpose He meets them at His throne of grace, and in His ordinances.

There He makes Himself known unto them, as He does not unto the world. There He causes His goodness to pass before them, and opens, applies, and seals to them, His exceeding great and precious promises, and He gives them the Spirit of adoption, whereby, unworthy as they are, they are enabled to cry ‘Abba, Father.’

He causes them to understand that great love wherewith He has loved them, in redeeming them by price and by power, washing them from their sins in the blood of the Lamb, recovering them from the dominion of Satan, and preparing for them an everlasting kingdom, where they shall see His face, and rejoice in His glory.

The knowledge of this, His love to them, produces a return of love from them to Him. They adore Him, and admire Him. They make an unreserved surrender of their hearts to Him. They view Him and delight in Him, as their God, their Saviour, and their portion.

They account His favour better than life. He is the sun of their souls: if He is pleased to shine upon them, all is well, and they are not greatly careful about other things.

But if He hides His face, the smiles of the whole creation can afford them no solid comfort.

They esteem one day or hour spent in the delightful contemplation of His glorious excellencies, and in the expression of their desires towards Him, better than a thousand. And when their love is most fervent, they are ashamed that it is so faint, and chide and bemoan themselves that they can love Him no more.

This often makes them long to depart, willing to leave their dearest earthly comforts, that they may see Him as He is, without a veil or cloud.

For they know that then, and not till then, they shall love Him as they ought.

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. He deals familiarly with them. He calls them not servants only, but friends; and He treats them as friends.

He affords them more than promises; for He opens to them the plan of His great designs from everlasting to everlasting.

He show them the strong foundations and inviolable securities of His favour towards them, the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of His love, which passeth knowledge, and the unsearchable riches of His grace.

He instructs them in the mysterious conduct of His providence, the reasons and ends of all His dispensations in which they are concerned. And solves a thousand hard questions to their satisfaction, which are inexplicable to the natural wisdom of man.

He teaches them likewise the beauty of his precepts, the path of their duty, and the nature of their warfare. He acquaints them with the plots of their enemies, the snares and dangers they are exposed to, and the best methods of avoiding them.

And He permits and enables them to acquaint Him with all their cares, fears, wants, and troubles, with more freedom than they can unbosom themselves to their nearest earthly friends.

His ear is always open to them. He is never weary of hearing their complaints, and answering their petitions.

The men of the world would account it a high honour and privilege to have an unrestrained liberty of access to an earthly king.

But what words can express the privilege and honour of believers, who, whenever they please, have audience of the King of kings, whose compassion, mercy, and power are, like His majesty, infinite?”

–John Newton, The Works of John Newton, Volume 1 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1988), 1: 309-311.

“The Scriptures are the treasury of Christ” by Thomas Goodwin

“If the gospel and the riches of it be this great, then buy it.

‘Buy the truth, and sell it not.’ (Prov. 23:23)

He names no price, for you are not likely to lose by it, cost what it will.

This place (i.e. Cambridge) has been the greatest marketplace of truth, and of the mystery of the gospel, that I know under heaven.

Wisdom hath as it were cried all her wares at this great cross.

This truth has been purchased for you, and that dearly.

It cost the blood of many martyrs to derive it to you, the sweat of many preachers, the prayers of many saints, and cost God the riches of his patience to see it contemned.

Buy it therefore at any rate.

Especially you who are scholars, you come hither and live under those, read those who are wholesale men, and you should, while you are here, treasure up as much and as many precious truths as you can, and grace withall to vent by retail in the country, when you are sent abroad.

Inquire and learn where these treasures are to be had, even in the Scriptures.

The merchant who knew the pearl, was fain to buy the field.

Timothy, from a child had known the Scriptures, and so should you do, ‘they are able to make a man wise unto salvation, and make the man of God perfect.’

As the books of nature, when thoroughly known, make a perfect physician for the body, so does this book of Scripture make a perfect divine.

‘Search the Scriptures,’ says Christ, ‘for they speak of me.’

As Christ is the treasury of all knowledge, so the Scriptures are the treasury of Christ.

These treasures lie scattered in all the veins of the prophets and apostles.

Dig for them as for silver, take pains and travel to understand them.”

–Thomas Goodwin, The Works of Thomas Goodwin, Volume 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 1861/2006), 4: 246-247.

“Read in His presence” by Fred Sanders

“A Gospel is a life of Christ, written in His presence, to be read in His presence.”

–Fred Sanders, Union With Christ and the Life of Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2025), 36.

“The world would be a happier world if there was more practical Christianity” by J.C. Ryle

“The lesson of this part of the parable is plain and unmistakeable. The kindness of a Christian towards others should not be in word and in tongue only, but in deed and in truth.

His love should be a practical love, a love which entails on him self-sacrifice and self-denial, both in money, and time, and trouble. His charity should be seen not merely in his talking, but his acting,—not merely in his profession, but in his practice.

He should think it no misspent time to work as hard in doing good to those who need help, as others work in trying to get money. He should not be ashamed to toil as much to make the misery of this world rather smaller, as those toil who hunt or shoot all day long.

He should have a ready ear for every tale of sorrow, and a ready hand to help every one in affliction, so long as he has the power. Such brotherly love the world may not understand.

The returns of gratitude which such love meets with may be few and small. But to show such brotherly love, is to walk in the steps of Christ, and to reduce to practice the parable of the good Samaritan.

And now let us leave the parable with grave thoughts and deep searchings of heart.

How few Christians seem to remember that such a parable was ever written! What an enormous amount of stinginess, and meanness, and ill-nature, and suspicion there is to be seen in the Church, and that even among people who repeat the creed and go to the Lord’s table!

How seldom we see a man who is really kind, and feeling, and generous, and liberal and good-natured, except to himself and his children!

Yet the Lord Jesus Christ spoke the parable of the good Samaritan, and meant it to be remembered.

What are we ourselves? Let us not forget to put that question to our hearts.

What are we doing, each in our own station, to prove that this mighty parable is one of the rules of our daily life?

What are we doing for the heathen, at home and abroad?

What are we doing to help those who are troubled in mind, body, or estate?

There are many such in this world. There are always some near our own doors.

What are we doing for them? Anything, or nothing at all? May God help us to answer these questions!

The world would be a happier world if there was more practical Christianity.”

–J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1858/2012), 1: 289. Ryle is commenting on Luke 10:29-37.

“There is always some blue sky as well as black clouds, if we will only look for it” by J.C. Ryle

“We should observe the one instance on record of our Lord Jesus Christ rejoicing. We read, that in ‘that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit.’ (Luke 10:21)

Three times we are told in the Gospels that our Lord Jesus Christ wept. Once only we are told that He rejoiced.

And what was the cause of our Lord’s joy? It was the conversion of souls. It was the reception of the Gospel by the weak and lowly among the Jews, when the “wise and prudent” on every side were rejecting it.

Our blessed Lord no doubt saw much in this world to grieve Him. He saw the obstinate blindness and unbelief of the vast majority of those among whom He ministered.

But when He saw a few poor men and women receiving the glad tidings of salvation, even His heart was refreshed. He saw it and was glad.

Let all Christians mark our Lord’s conduct in this matter, and follow His example. They find little in the world to cheer them.

They see around them a vast multitude walking in the broad way that leadeth to destruction, careless, hardened, and unbelieving. They see a few here and there, and only a few, who believe to the saving of their souls.

But let this sight make them thankful. Let them bless God that any at all are converted, and that any at all believe. We do not realize the sinfulness of man sufficiently.

We do not reflect that the conversion of any soul is a miracle,—a miracle as great as the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

Let us learn from our blessed Lord to be more thankful. There is always some blue sky as well as black clouds, if we will only look for it.

Though only a few are saved, we should find reason for rejoicing. It is only through free grace and undeserved mercy that any are saved at all.”

–J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1858/2012), 1: 276. Ryle is commenting on Luke 10:21-24.

“What a friend we have in Jesus!” by Joel Beeke

“Christ’s sonship preceded His mission and is the foundation of it. He lived in a relationship of love with His “Father” even “before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).

The Bible not only calls Jesus the Son of God, but also names Him God (Hebrew El or Elohim, Greek theos). Isaiah prophesied that the child to be born to us would be “the mighty God” (Isa. 9:6), a title of the Lord God, Jehovah (10:20–21; cf. Jer. 32:18).

The psalmist addresses Christ as “God” when attributing to Him an eternal dominion (Ps. 45:6), which the New Testament cites to prove Christ is superior to the angels (Heb. 1:7–9). John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Thomas reverently addressed the risen Christ as “My LORD and my God” (20:28). There are other Scripture passages that, when analyzed in the Greek text, also appear to use “God” for Christ.

The New Testament often calls Christ the Lord. Sometimes “Lord” (kyrios) may mean “master” or “sir” (Matt. 10:24; 13:27). However, Christ is “the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8), the “Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16), and the “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36).

These are titles of deity. The centurion of Capernaum addressed Christ as “Lord” when the soldier said he was not worthy for Christ to enter his house, but Jesus could heal his sick servant merely by speaking the word (Luke 7:6–7).

Christ was already Lord at His birth, was still Lord on the cross, and was manifestly Lord on the third day after that, when it was proclaimed, “The Lord is risen indeed” (2:11; 23:42; 24:34).

“Lord” is the term used to translate the divine name Jehovah (YHWH) from the Old Testament. When the New Testament quotes Old Testament statements about Jehovah and applies them to Jesus as “Lord,” it is clear that God’s Word is calling Jesus “Jehovah.”

Other names attributed to Christ also reveal His deity. He is Immanuel (Isa. 7:14), which means “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) said, “Believer, he is God with thee, to protect thee; thou art not alone.”

Especially, Spurgeon said, Christ is God with us “by the influence of the Holy Spirit” to illuminate, convict, convert, and comfort us. He is called The LORD Our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6), a name that combines the divine name (YHWH) with the promise of a Davidic king who would reign in justice and righteousness (v. 5).

Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am [egō eimi]” (John 8:58). The striking use of the present tense for Christ’s existence in the distant past identifies him as I Am, the One who revealed himself to Moses, saying, “I AM THAT I AM” (egō eimi ho ōn, Ex. 3:14 LXX), the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (v. 15).

Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Rev. 22:13; cf. 1:17; 2:8), the titles of the Almighty (1:8), the only God (Isa. 44:6).

By claiming the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, Christ asserted Himself to be the Creator who made all things, the One whom all things will ultimately glorify, and the Lord who calls into existence every generation in between in an orderly manner (41:4).

It is a tremendous comfort to know that Jesus is our Lord and our God, Immanuel, the Alpha and Omega. In Him perfect majesty and meekness meet for our benefit. Godefridus Udemans (c. 1581–1649) said, “If we believe in Christ as Lord, He is also our friend and brother (John 15:15; 20:17).”

What a friend we have in Jesus!

The experiential knowledge of the Lord’s names ignites saving faith in our hearts. Psalm 9:10 says, “They that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”

Psalm 91:14 says, “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.” Therefore, use Christ’s names like windows in which you can see the face of your Savior, so to speak.

Trust Him to be what He says He is and love Him supremely for the sake of His name.”

–Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology, Volume 2: Man and Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 2: 751–753.

“What sweetness is there in God?” by Thomas Watson

“Did God make this glorious world? Did He make every thing good? Was there in the creature so much beauty and sweetness?

Oh! Then what sweetness is there in God?

The cause is always more noble than the effect. Think with yourselves, is there so much excellency in house and lands—then how much more is there in God, that made these!

Is there beauty in a rose? What beauty then is there in Christ, the rose of Sharon!

Doth oil make the face shine? Ps. 104:15. How will the light of God’s countenance make it shine!

Doth wine cheer the heart? O what virtue is there in the true vine! How doth the blood of this grape cheer the heart!

Is the fruit of the garden sweet? how delicious are the fruits of the Spirit!

Is a gold mine so precious; how precious is he who founded this mine! What is Christ, in whom are hid all treasures? Col. 2:3.

We should ascend from the creature to the Creator. If there be any comfort here below, how much more is there in God, who made all these things!

How unreasonable is it, that we should delight in the world, and not much more in him that made it?

How should our hearts be set on God, and how should we long to be with God, who hath infinitely more sweetness in him, than any creature!

Did God create the world? Let us wisely observe those works of creation.

God hath given us not only the book of the scriptures to read in, but the book of the creation.

Look up to the heavens, they shew much of God’s glory,—the sun gilds the world with its bright beams,—behold the stars, their regular motion in their orbs, their magnitude, their light, their influence.

We may see God’s glory blazing in the sun, twinkling in the stars. Look into the sea, and see the wonders of God in the deep, Ps. 107:24.

Look into the air, there the birds make melody, and sing forth the praises of their Creator.

Look into the earth, there we may wonder at the nature of minerals,—the power of the loadstone,—the virtue of herbs; see the earth decked as a bride with flowers; all these are the glorious effects of God’s power.

God hath wrought the creation as with curious needle-work, that we may observe His wisdom and goodness, and give him the praise due to Him, Ps. 104:24., “O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all.'””

–Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity Contained in Sermons Upon the Westminster Assembly’s Catechism (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1692/1970), 117.