G. Wright Doyle's Blog, page 2

On Bearing the Cross

Those whom the Lord has chosen and honored with his companionship must prepare for a hard, laborious, troubled life, a life full of many and various kinds of evils, [since it is] the will of our heavenly Father to exercise his people in this way while putting them to the proof [of their faith]. Having begun this course with Christ the first-born, he continues it towards all his children. For though that Son was dear to him above others, the Son in whom he was “well pleased,” yet we see, that far from being treated gently and indulgently, we may say, that not only was he subjected to a perpetual cross while he dwelt on earth, but his whole life was nothing else than a perpetual cross. The apostle assigns the reason, “Though he was a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

Why then should we exempt ourselves from that condition to which Christ our Head thought it necessary to submit; especially since he submitted on our account, that he might in his own person exhibit a model of patience?

Hence it affords us great consolation in hard and difficult circumstances, which men deem evil and adverse, to think that we are holding fellowship with the sufferings of Christ; that as he passed to celestial glory through a labyrinth of many woes, so we too are conducted thither through various tribulations.

               Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III. 8.1

True Religion

“True religion is not a matter of feeling. It embraces the entire man with all his thoughts, feelings, and volitions. It has its seat in the heart… All the soul’s motions of life proceed from it and react upon it.”

-from Zen – Existentialism: The Spiritual Decline of the West, published by Wipf and Stock.

 

For the life story of Lit-sen Chang (Zhang Lisheng), go to http://www.bdcconline.net/en/stories/z/zhang-lisheng.php.

Here is a brief introduction to him from the China Horizon web ste:

“Dr. Lit-Sen Chang, Chinese apologist and theologian and scholar in Far Eastern philosophy, gave his life to the exposition and defense of the historic Christian faith. He was born in 1904 in China. From a young age he received a through education in the Confucian classics. As he witness his country on the verge of extinction, he cried out for national salvation through individual endeavor. He became a prolific writer.

“He immersed himself in Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. He felt called to regenerate Chinese culture and the religions of the East. He planned to visit India and strategize with scholars there to revive the traditional religions of Asia. At that point he heard the gospel, repented of his sin and committed his life to Jesus Christ. He gave up all his ambitions and studied at Gordon Divinity School. He was 53 by that time. He graduated summa cum laude, and served as professor of missions for many years. He was honored with Doctor of Literature degree from Wheaton College, and as ‘Distinguished Lecturer in Missions Emeritus’ by Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.

“God Called Dr. Chang to the propagation of the Christian faith through literature. He wrote day and night in order to ‘give the reason for the hope”‘within us, and to ‘contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saint.’. Dr. Chang boldly proclaimed the infinite God of the Bible, and critiqued humanistic thinking East and West. He lived a simple and diligent life, tirelessly writing with no regard for return or reward. His works in Chinese and English totaled over eighty volumes. His mature thought is seen in the four-volume Apologetics and the eight-volume Systematic Theology. These are not only valued for their scholarship, but form a unique treasure for the Body of Christ, as they edify the reader’s heart and inform the mind.”

 http://www.chinahorizon.org/lit_sen_chang.htm

 

 

 

 

 

The Power of Prayer

Prayer is an all-sufficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, and the mother of a thousand blessings. It exceeds a monarch’s power . . . I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of zeal. I speak of that which proceeds from a mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted – this is the prayer which mounts to heaven. . . The power of prayer has subdued the strength of the fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum, prayer has power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good. I speak not of the prayer of the lips, but of the prayer that ascends from the inmost recesses of the heart.

            John Chrysostom, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God, Homily 5.44, 46, 57, 58, quoted in The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Mark, 154.

The Danger of Neglect

“They made me keeper of the vineyards;

But my own vineyard I have not kept.” (Song of Solomon 1:6)

Our attention is here drawn to a danger which is pre-eminently one of this day: the intense activity or our times may lead to zeal in service, to the neglect of personal communion [with Christ]. Such neglect will not only lessen the value of the service, but will also tend to incapacitate us for the highest service. If we are watchful over the souls of others, and neglect our own – if we are seeking to remove motes [splinters] from our brother’s eye, unmindful of the beam in our own, we shall often be disappointed with our powerlessness to help our brethren, while our Master will not be less disappointed in us.

Let us never forget that what we are is more important than what we do, and that all fruit borne when not abiding in Christ must be fruit of the flesh and not of the Spirit. As wounds when healed often leave a scar, so the sin of neglected communion may be forgiven and yet the effect remain permanently.

 

            J. Hudson Taylor, Union and Communion. Dimension Books, Bethany Fellowship, 25

God’s Kingdom Is Invincible

God’s purposes and Christ’s kingdom are therefore invincible. God has sovereignly so disposed the course of the universe and of history that even the severest hostility to his will instrumentally displays and promotes his sovereignly redemptive plan… God himself guarantees that eternal hell will subordinate the powers of evil and subjugate the impenitent wicked, that unreconciled freedom will not forever frustrate love, and that ultimately the created universe will be totally in the service of righteousness.”

Carl Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority, 5. 330, quoted in G. Wright Doyle, Carl Henry: Theologian for All Seasons, 49.

 

 

 

 

Late Have I Loved You

 

“Late have I loved you, beauty so ancient, so new, late have I loved You. And see: You were within, inside me, and I was outside; and out there I sought you, and I—misshapen—chased after the beautiful shapes You had made. You were with me, but I was not with You. Beautiful things kept me far off from You—things which, if not in You, would not be, not be at all. You called and shouted out and shattered my deafness. You flashed, You blazed, and my blindness fled. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and panted for You. I tasted You, and hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for Your peace.”

            Augustine, Confessions, 10.27.38.

 

 

 

 

Lessons from Cyrano deBergerac

“Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. Although there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, the play is a fictionalization of his life that follows the broad outlines of it.

“The two most famous English translations are those by Brian Hooker and Anthony Burgess.”

“Cyrano de Bergerac is a 1990 French comedy drama film directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau and based on the 1897 play of the same name by Edmond Rostand, adapted by Jean-Claude Carrière and Rappeneau. It stars Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet and Vincent Pérez. The film was a co-production between companies in France and Hungary.

“It was ranked #43 in Empire magazine’s ‘The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema’ in 2010.”

(From the Wikipedia)

My wife and I saw the play last week at the Shakespeare Theatre in Staunton Virginia. The movie had totally captivated me two times already, but the play, especially the final scene, did not disappoint.

Some obvious lessons from Cyrano de Bergerac:

Older men can fall in love with younger women.

Younger women usually fall in love with young men, but surprisingly, they sometimes look favorably on an older man, especially one with unusual ability, virtue, or kindness.

Men fall for feminine beauty.

Foolishly – though not in the case of Cyrano and the young Christian – they forget that “charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,” and that a lovely face does not always go with a beautiful mind.

Women respond to tender words of affection.

Most men are incapable of speaking such words, except perhaps when they are pursuing a woman. They lose even this limited ability soon after the wedding.

Foolishly, women tend to believe what men say to them in the heat of passion.

True love sacrifices for the sake of others. This hurts. A lot. But it is very noble.

Sometimes, love should cherished in silence. I tell young men not to say, “I love you” until they are actually proposing, on bended knee and with ring in hand. Otherwise, the poor girl will give her heart to him, then perhaps herself, and the whole thing gets incredibly messy. Heartbreak often follows, especially for her.

Parents, especially mothers, should express affection for their children, even if they are unlovable. Unspoken love, or open rejection, can wreak lifelong damage. Witness poor Cyrano with his ugly nose.

We are all desperate for some words of affirmation.

There are times when we should speak, if it will benefit another. Don’t let your self-doubt and fear hold you back. Yes, you might be rejected, but you will have done what is right and, – who knows? – you might be surprised by the response.

We men could all learn a lot from Cyrano the poet, the friend, the leader, the thinker, the warrior.

Finally – guys, when all else fails, pull out some panache.

 

 

 

 

 

Giving Up Isaac

Giving Up Isaac (Genesis 22)

“Isaac, your only son, the one whom you love.”

The words rang in Abraham’s ears and revolutionized his inner world. Isaac, the son whom God had promised he and Sarah would bear in old age; Isaac, the one through whom all future promises – a great people, land, blessings for the whole world – would come. How could Yahweh now require that he offer Isaac on an altar as an offering to this unseen Lord?

Surely, the aged patriarch would gladly sacrifice his own life rather than that of his cherished offspring. His pilgrimage lay behind him, while a bright future awaited Isaac. Why could he not die instead?

But, no, God’s ultimate summons had come for Isaac, not Abraham. The “friend of God” faced the horrible fact that his hitherto-faithful Lord now demanded something that not only broke a father’s heart but also seemed to nullify all that Yahweh had spoken to him about the future.

That future now looked terribly bleak, hopeless, barren; filed with doubt and despair, rather than the faith and hope which had carried Abraham all these years since leaving Ur.

Nevertheless, he knew that God is God and must be obeyed. After decades of walking with Yahweh, he also believed – as his actions show – that this God is also good. He will keep his promises, somehow. What he has given, he has the right to withdraw. Despite the looming catastrophe, Abraham must have been convinced that his son, and the future which he embodied, would be restored to him. Hebrews 11:19

“So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and a rose and went to the place of which God had told him.” Genesis 22:3

At the summit, just as the father raised the knife to slay his son, the Angel of the LORD stopped him: “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then God provided a ram to be offered in Isaac’s place, and renewed his promises to bless Abraham and all the world through him and his descendants.

….

“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” John 12:24

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-38

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1

“The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:2

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Ephesians 5:25

“We groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. . . Likewise, the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:23, 26

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.” Romans 8:28

“[Nothing in all creation] shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

In the Cross

In the cross is salvation, in the cross is life, in the cross is protection from enemies, in the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness, in the cross is strength of mind, in the cross is joy of spirit, in the cross is highest virtue, in the cross is perfect holiness. There is no salvation of soul nor hope of everlasting life but in the cross. . .

Take up your cross, therefore, and follow Jesus, and you shall enter eternal life. . .

Behold, in the cross is everything, and upon your dying on the cross everything depends. There is no other way to life and to true inward peace than the way of the holy cross and daily mortification. . .

Realize that you must lead a dying life; the more a man dies to himself, the more he begins to live unto God.

Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book Two

The Chrisitian Walk

It is not the ordinary but rather the unusual experience of the consecrated Christian believer that in the ethical decisions of life he is stalemated as to what to do. The final word is not one of indecision and uncertainty about the will of God. In a time of almost universal fluctuation and relativism of standards, where the Bible prevails as a lamp unto the feet of the devout, they walk with sure step.

At the same time, there need be no pretense about infallibility of Christian life anywhere on earth. . . The Christian life is a growth, not an automatic machine; it is a spiritual walk, in which one advances in insight into the claims of revealed ethics, a walk in which conscience, still fallible even in the lives of the regenerate, is progressively conformed to what is good and right. . .

In the Christian life, grace and conduct are everywhere correlated. When the believer is aware of his failure before the moral standard, he is not doomed by the Law, since he knows salvation by grace. In the midst of his shortcomings he looks to the shed blood of Calvary and is thankful . . . The regenerate heart does not gain acceptance with God by good works, but rather expresses gratitude to God for the forgiveness of sins by doing them.

Carl F. H. Henry, Christian Personal Ethics, 349.