The Significance of the "Free Will" Debate

Luther did not mess around when it came to defending God’s freedom in grace:

I condemn and reject as nothing but error all doctrines which exalt our “free will” as being directly opposed to this mediation and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. For since, apart from Christ, sin and death are our masters and the devil is our god and prince, there can be no strength or power, no wit or wisdom, by which we can fit or fashion ourselves for righteousness and life. On the contrary, blinded and captivated, we are bound to be the subjects of Satan and sin, doing and thinking what pleases him and is opposed to God and His commandments.”

(Plass, What Luther Says, vol. 3, pp. 1376-1377).

Luther had little patience for anyone who would rob God of his glory by upholding man’s will as the ultimate determining factor in salvation. In opposition to such people, he was quick to reveal God as the all-powerful, grace-giving benefactor, and man as the powerless, grace-needing beneficiary. John Piper writes:

This is why prayer is the root of Luther’s approach to studying God’s Word. Prayer is the echo of the freedom and sufficiency of God in the heart of powerless man. It is the way Luther conceived of his theology and the way he pursued his studies. And it is the way he died…His last recorded words were, ‘Wir sein Bettler. Hoc est verum.’ ‘We are beggars. This is true.’ God is free—utterly free—in his grace. And we are beggars—pray-ers. That is how we live, that is how we die, and that is how we study, so that God gets the glory and we get the grace.

(Legacy of Sovereign Joy, 110-111)

Where one stands in the free-will debate inevitably affects their doctrine of God and man. It affects how we think, how we pray, how we read our Bibles, how we evangelize, and much more. This was quite evident this past week when two friends were grieving.

Cory and Heather Wessman lost Micah, their 9-month old baby, less than two weeks ago. How he died was nothing less than a “freak” incident. It started on a Thursday when he fell off his high chair and inhaled a pea while crying (which they didn’t find out until later). The next day he developed pneumonia. After many hospital visits and an x-ray with no findings, Micah stopped breathing on Sunday at their home. Heather and a few others did CPR for quite some time, but he was without oxygen for about an hour when he reached the hospital. Micah was kept alive by machines until Monday, when his parents had to make the horrific decision to take him off life support since he was completely brain dead.

As one would guess, Cory and Heather are going through much grief. But I must say, even with all the weeping, that they are acting as mirrors used by God to display His glory. My wife and I, along with two other couples in our small group (Cory and Heather are in our small group), brought dinner over to their house last Thursday and visited with them for a few hours. Throughout our conversation it was clear that they are clinging to a sovereign God, which can be shown in two ways.

1) It has been said to the Wessman’s that God is not to blame in this incident. In other words, God is somehow not in control, or didn’t ordain Micah’s death. This is a prominent view in modern evangelicalism. We want to somehow get God “off the hook.” But the Wessman’s are not clinging to a God who simply sets the clock in motion and removes himself from everyday events. They are clinging to the God who “works all things according to the counsel of his will,” and know that “for those who love God all things work together for good” (Ephesians 1:11 and Romans 8:28). In fact, right after Cory and Heather pulled Micah off life-support, Cory’s brother read this from Rom. 11, to which the Wessman’s whole-heartily agreed:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?"
Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?"

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

2) Others who know the Wessman’s—or simply their story—have wondered how they still have faith…or how they are so strong. Cory and Heather respond in the same manner as above. Heather has told people, “It’s God, all from Him.” They are more than willing to vocalize their dependency upon Jesus, knowing that he gives strength. Although in grief daily, they love verses such as Psalm 30:5,

For his anger is but for a moment,
And his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
But joy comes with the morning.

The same God who “works all things according to the counsel of his will,” is the one who is carrying them through the night, and will give joy in the morning. And they also know that the most prominent way this occurs is by giving faith. Like Luther, they see faith as a merciful gift of God that is sustained by His sovereign grace (Philippians 1:6). And they are glad that their faith is not dependent on their strength of will, but on His mercy. They find joy in magnifying Christ by boasting of their need for Him, knowing that in this He is seen as the merciful sustainer who upholds His people at all times.

The precious doctrines of grace become all the more significant when we see the impact they have on living a God-glorifying life. Luther saw this, and considered his Bondage of the Will to be, perhaps, his most important work. Cory and Heather have also seen this, and now feel it all the more. They are quick to proclaim God’s free grace in all that He does, which was crystal clear in the songs they chose for the funeral. I’ll end with the first verse one of them:

Day By Day

Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best;
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Grace, The Heart, and Our Children

The church service this morning was full of spiritual meat. God is so gracious to reveal sin and point our straying hearts back to the cross. In straying, my tendency is too often to “white-knuckle” my way through life. I somehow think that if I try harder at following Christ my holiness increases—this is not grace. But I was blessed pierced, convicted, and brought to repentance this morning. The last song in the service was “Oh Great God of Highest Heaven” by Bob Kauflin. I was only going to put the last verse down but couldn’t help myself:

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
For You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
Oh great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name in me

The antithesis of everything natural (sinful) that resides in me is to live in God’s grace by the Spirit. I feel so prone to slip into the mindset that I am somehow a benefactor of God, as though I could give something to Him. Rather, as the last verse states, even my life lived unto God—for His glory—is a result of divine grace.

After the service I went to Bethlehem’s bookstore to look around, and Emily wanted me to check out Shepherding a Child’s Heart. So I did. And after purchasing it and reading through the first 10-12 pages, I am very pleased. Ted Tripp makes it clear from the beginning that children need heart changes and not simply behavioral fixes. Obedience from children is not an end in itself, but parents ought to seek obedience only as it reflects a heart that hopes in Christ. Christ is the goal.

This is how Tripp puts it:

God is concerned with the heart—the well-spring of life (Proverbs 4:23). Parents tend to focus on the externals of behavior rather than the internal overflow of the heart. We tend to worry more about the “what of behavior than the “why”…

When we miss the heart, we miss the subtle idols of the heart. Romans 1 makes it clear that all human beings are worshipers; either we worship and serve God, or we make an exchange and worship and serve substitutes for God—created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:18-25). When parenting short-circuits to behavior we miss the opportunity to help our kids understand that straying behavior displays a straying heart. Our kids are always serving something, either God or a substitute for God—an idol of the heart.

When we miss the heart, we miss the gospel. If the goal of parenting is no more profound than securing appropriate behavior, we will never help our children understand the internal things, the heart issues, that push and pull behavior. Those internal issues: self-love, rebellion, anger, bitterness, envy, and pride of the heart show our children how profoundly they need grace…

When we miss the heart, we miss the glory of God. The need of children (or adults) who have fallen into various forms of personal idolatry is not only to tear down the high places of the alien gods, but to enthrone God. Children are spring-loaded for worship. One of the most important callings God has given parents is to display the greatness, goodness, and glory of the God for whom they are made. Parents have the opportunity, through word and deed, to show children the one true object of worship—the God of the Bible. (This was in his Preface to the Second Edition, pg. xi, xii).

As we anxiously await the birth of our little boy, our prayer is that God will continually point our hearts back to the Gospel, so that we depend on His grace more, living a life of faithfulness and praise because of Christ’s incomparable worth—and in so doing that all of our children might see the worth of Christ as all-glorious, counting everything else as garbage that they might gain Him.

John Piper on TV and Movies

John Piper recently wrote an excellent article on his stance regarding television and movies. I have known for some time that he does not own a TV, but because he makes a point to never condemn television watching this is the most I've seen or heard him write on the topic. Here's a large chunk of the article:

I can’t give an answer for what Mark (Driscoll) means by “buy extra DVRs,” but I can tell you why my advice sounds different. I suspect that Mark and I would not agree on the degree to which the average pastor needs to be movie-savvy in order to be relevant, and the degree to which we should expose ourselves to the world’s entertainment.

I think relevance in preaching hangs very little on watching movies, and I think that much exposure to sensuality, banality, and God-absent entertainment does more to deaden our capacities for joy in Jesus than it does to make us spiritually powerful in the lives of the living dead. Sources of spiritual power—which are what we desperately need—are not in the cinema. You will not want your biographer to write: Prick him and he bleeds movies.

If you want to be relevant, say, for prostitutes, don’t watch a movie with a lot of tumbles in a brothel. Immerse yourself in the gospel, which is tailor-made for prostitutes; then watch Jesus deal with them in the Bible; then go find a prostitute and talk to her. Listen to her, not the movie. Being entertained by sin does not increase compassion for sinners.

There are, perhaps, a few extraordinary men who can watch action-packed, suspenseful, sexually explicit films and come away more godly. But there are not many. And I am certainly not one of them.

I have a high tolerance for violence, high tolerance for bad language, and zero tolerance for nudity. There is a reason for these differences. The violence is make-believe. They don’t really mean those bad words. But that lady is really naked, and I am really watching. And somewhere she has a brokenhearted father.

I’ll put it bluntly. The only nude female body a guy should ever lay his eyes on is his wife’s. The few exceptions include doctors, morticians, and fathers changing diapers. “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1). What the eyes see really matters. “Everyone who looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Better to gouge your eye than go to hell (verse 29).

Brothers, that is serious. Really serious. Jesus is violent about this. What we do with our eyes can damn us. One reason is that it is virtually impossible to transition from being entertained by nudity to an act of “beholding the glory of the Lord.” But this means the entire Christian life is threatened by the deadening effects of sexual titillation.

All Christ-exalting transformation comes from “beholding the glory of Christ.” “Beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Whatever dulls the eyes of our mind from seeing Christ powerfully and purely is destroying us. There is not one man in a thousand whose spiritual eyes are more readily moved by the beauty of Christ because he has just seen a bare breast with his buddies.

But leave sex aside (as if that were possible for fifteen minutes on TV). It’s the unremitting triviality that makes television so deadly. What we desperately need is help to enlarge our capacities to be moved by the immeasurable glories of Christ. Television takes us almost constantly in the opposite direction, lowering, shrinking, and deadening our capacities for worshiping Christ.

May we all think of the glory of Jesus in everything that passes before our eyes.

Happy Birthday Emily Anne Tarter!

Throughout Desiring God, John Piper makes it very clear that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. I have thought of this phrase quite a bit lately—particularly in regard to its parallels with my marriage. I praise God the most when I am most joyful and content in my relationship with Him. When God makes me most happy and I am enjoying the glories of Calvary, His worth is magnified in me. Likewise, as I ponder how to make the most of my wife on her 22^nd birthday, I intend to simply proclaim the joy I have in her. For it is in the expression of my joy and satisfaction in Emily that I can show to all who read how incredible she is!

Emily turns 22 tomorrow, June 26^th. Every year her birthday is a time of fun and relaxation for us both. We take a few days off work and do something out of the ordinary. Last year, we went to Duluth—it was a marvelous time. This year, however, we do not have the funds to do anything “out of the ordinary,” with the exception of a few days off work. Of course, I have some plans that I cannot disclose at this time, but for the most part we are staying home and enjoying each other. And oh how excited we are!!! At the end of the day when I get done with work (or whatever I am doing) and I think about the evening, I get an instantaneous feeling of gratification just knowing it will be spent with my wife. I absolutely love just being with her—and this 4-day weekend will be filled with “just being together.”

I want to make it plain however—before you jump to conclusions—that this is not an extension of the “newly-wed” bliss that young married couples often feel. Emily and I have been married for 2 and half years, and although this is a relatively short amount of time, it is more than enough to know that the honeymoon is over. In fact, I would say (and Emily would concur) that the first year of marriage was by far the hardest we’ve had. It took 1 day after the honeymoon for me to realize that I couldn’t spend my time doing whatever I please whenever I please (I was dumb). It took a couple weeks for me to get tired of “snuggling” at night—I was used to my own bed and sleeping on my schedule. It took 6 months for financial troubles to occur, causing many fights and much distress. Throughout all these times, there was little joy.

Now is a much different story. It’s not that all these things have completely changed (especially our financial situation), but our hearts have changed—my heart has changed. By God’s grace I’ve learned that I am to love Emily as Christ loves the Church, and in my pleading for help from my Father, He has transformed the way I look at Emily. I now count it pure joy whenever I can spend time with Emily. I enjoy simply watching her mannerisms in every situation, and even have to refrain from smiling because she is so unbelievably cute when frustrated and annoyed. I can now even proclaim that I can’t stand it when Emily is NOT in bed with me—and she is the one who has to tell me to stop “snuggling” when I get overbearing! The Lord has blessed Emily and me to find joy in our marriage through the fellowship of “just being together,” and I am therefore oozing with excitement to serve Emily in every way possible this weekend. I have so much more that I wanted to say (in particular all the mannerisms and expressions of Emily that me feel such joy), but I have to leave my current post and pick Emily up from work. But I am not disappointed, because I get to be with her! Happy Birthday Emily!

Joy Lost—And Found!

It has been too long since my last blog post…please forgive me! There has been so much going on in my life—both inwardly and outwardly—that I had a difficult time choosing what exactly to write about. But alas, I must choose one thing to write about—for now—and as I learned in Bryan Chapell’s Praying Backwards, “As long as the matters we are considering are righteous, we can even pray for and choose the most delightful “apples” (i.e., options) he grants” (149). And so, of the many options the Lord has bestowed upon me these last 10 days, I have chosen to write upon the most foundational. Namely, how God took away and restored my joy!

About a week ago, I was really struggling with joyfulness. Now before you perceive this struggle to be of the “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” variety, just know that it wasn’t. In fact, this was the very problem. I was not un-joyful for any particular reason. That is, there was not an event that brought sorrow upon me while I was still undergirded by the joy of hoping in God. For this hoping in God was the joy that I could not find. And I was mad. I thought, “Why doesn’t God give me the joy that I long for?” “What is causing this state of spiritual restlessness?”

I didn’t quite know how to feel. It’s hard to say at what point this all started, but I know that last Monday was the culmination of these feelings. I went to work crabby and instead of working alone (which occurs 50% of the time) I was paired with 2 other guys to have a nice, long day.

Working with these guys wasn’t the problem, however. It was still me. I had no joy in the small sorrows and victories that occur throughout this (and every other) day. I was depressed. And it worsened. In the last 3 or 4 months the Lord has blessed me with multiple opportunities to talk about Christ and the gospel with many of my co-workers. He has continually put me in situations where it’s do or die—I either talk about Jesus or show how little I care about Him. And, in His mercy, He has supplied the grace to be bold and courageous in these conversations.

This Monday, however, was different. Toward the end of the day I was put in a position to talk about Jesus as my greatest Treasure, but failed. I could candy-coat the scenario by revealing that it wasn’t as much of a “do or die” situation as were the previous instances. But truthfully, it doesn’t really matter. When there was a perceived opportunity to joyfully proclaim my joy in Jesus to my co-workers, I backed away from the opportunity instead of attacking it head on. I revealed that I (at least in that moment) don’t care enough about Jesus to make much of Him above all else. I ended the day looking in the mirror and hating what I saw. I was depressed, deprived of joy, and ashamed of the gospel.

When I got home that day, Emily and I began to talk about these things. She was experiencing some of the same feelings about her failure and how it applies to her future motherhood, while I sat in my pink rocking chair with no idea what to do with myself. And then, we had to face the dilemma of small group. This past year Emily and I have been in a small group Bible study through our beloved church—Bethlehem Baptist Church. The Lord has been gracious to surround us with people who love us, love His Word, and ultimately—love Jesus. But this particular evening we were not too thrilled about going. The temptation to skip was strong, but we decided to attend, knowing how encouraged we always are by our friends. And we were! Emily in particular. But the Lord was still working on me.

I awoke on Tuesday feeling a little better, but the issues were not resolved. After work, I was debating whether to go with Josh (our small group leader) to evangelize in downtown Minneapolis. I decided that it would be good for me to go, so I did. After Josh had a 10 minute conversation with a guy named Jerry, he asked me what I thought, and if I was praying. I answered, “Well, uhh, I got caught up in the conversation and…well I went and talked to this guy while you were talking but he wasn’t interested…” As we walked along I began to feel the weight of my self-love. I wasn’t praying. I didn’t even think about. I turned the conversation into glorifying me instead of admitting my failure—how gross! Shortly after, I talked to a guy about life, death, and the gospel. I thought to myself, “The conversation went good…I thought I did alright….the guy wanted to come to church.” Then, perhaps more felt than thought: “My words were sufficient…but I want to speak so well, with all the right intellectual arguments, that Josh won’t even think about helping out.” We walked along, had a few more conversations, and I went home—somewhat feeling my sin in repentance, but still needing grace.

Then Wednesday came! Finally, sweet Wednesday! For whatever reason, the Lord woke me up on the right side of the bed this morning. I had some joy! But as I made my way to work the joy became full—and real! I was thinking about the previous evening and the Holy Spirit struck me dead with the weight of my sin, as if saying, “Don’t you see Zach! Don’t you see the deceitfulness of sin! These past few days your joy was gone because you were not rooted in the gospel! You were hoping in self…trusting in self! From Saturday when you sought pleasure in your comfort, to Monday when you sought pleasure in how well you serve ME at work, and even Tuesday when you were proclaiming good news about ME…it was all rooted in you! But take heart my child. I paid for this. I died for these past few days of self-seeking so that you might find your joy in full—in ME! You are weak Zach…but I am strong! You are a failure Zach…but I have never failed you and never will! So look to the cross and behold your Savior! Be restored…for I have been longing for this day that I might return to you the joy found in the only One who can ever fulfill your desires—ME!”

The thick layer of tint that blinded my eyes from seeing the joy right in front of me was removed by the Spirit, renewing my joy in God. And it was and is wonderful. So until the next time that I fall and need to be renewed, I will bask in the glories of Calvary…for His glory and my JOY!

Psalm 32
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Finding Ultimate Joy In Wedding Festivities—Hoping In Him To Whom They Point

This past Monday (Memorial Day), after much anticipation, my sister was married to Daniel Reissig. Everything went off very smoothly from the Rehearsal to the Reception. There was much joy expressed in smiles, laughing, dancing, and tears. Emily and I were thrilled to take part in the celebration.

As I’ve thought of the wedding as it encompassed the entire weekend, there were many thoughts that came to mind about the unique gathering of God’s elect. My dad touched on this reality at the Reception, calling it “a little taste of heaven.” These tastes were evident from the moment we arrived in Louisville. I will not soon forget the reunion between my mother and her best friend Sonja at the Country Inn & Suites parking lot upon arrival. Hugs and smiles were going all around when Sonja mentioned to everyone present how much they love to laugh together—and there was much laughing this weekend.

Another reality in the weekend’s festivities was the willingness to make much of Christ in marriage. At the end of the bachelor party, everyone encouraged Daniel through words of wisdom and creativity. My dad, for example, gave Daniel a gravestone, signifying the necessity of him dying for his bride the way Christ died for the church. I mustered up all the creativity in me to buy Daniel “Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God,” by C.J. Mahaney (which, by the way, I would recommend to all MARRIED men). Creativity or not, the heart expressed through these words and gifts was to lift up the name of Christ through the marriage of Daniel and Courtney.

This same desire was particularly evident in the 2 hymns we all sang at the ceremony. The songs, “Before the Throne of God Above” and “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,” greatly magnify the glory of God and set the stage for the vows of a man and woman who rest in the finished work of Christ. I even heard Daniel briefly mention to a groomsman that those songs make him cry in a normal setting, how much more on his wedding day when the emotions are so high!

Daniel was not the only one crying however—we were all in tears throughout the day. Perhaps the most emotional time was when my dad danced with Courtney to “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapman. The love my dad has for his only daughter runs very deep and seemed to culminate in this dance where his “giving her away” was actualized. At the ceremony, the father gives his daughter away in a few moments, but the reality that she is no longer under him seems to climax when they dance. Courtney will no longer call my dad when she’s in a pickle, or needs protection or provision—this is now Daniel’s job—which is how it is meant to be.

In pondering marriage and all it entails, it is really an altogether strange phenomenon. That is, there is so much transitioning. Courtney is no longer a Tarter but a Reissig. She is no longer defined as a daughter primarily, but as a wife. Both of their friendships with others will also never be the same, for the energy expended in these relationships will now be largely directed toward each other.

Scripture bears witness that these transitions find their meaning in Christ. Although there will be major transitions for Courtney—from being a daughter and friend primarily, to being a wife primarily—there will be no transitions in Christ. For when we are saved by the cross of Christ, God will never cease to be our friend, our father, and our groom. For when Jesus comes again and claims His sheep, we will come to Him as a glorious Bride, as friends, and as sons of the Father. So whenever there is a wedding or any type of Christian gathering, may we enjoy our brothers and sisters in Christ—not merely because it is a glimpse of heaven in our human relationships, but because they point to the culmination of our relationship with God. For it is only in this, when Christ is our hope, that our relationships with loved ones will have the joy and fellowship they are designed to have in bringing glory to God.

We love you Daniel and Courtney! And Emily and I will be praying that you will find more joy and satisfaction in Christ so that you will find more joy and satisfaction in each other!

“No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends.” (John 15:15)

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish…This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the Church.” (Eph. 5:25-28, 32)

"24", Self-Actualization, and Postmodern Entertainment

In recent years there appears to be a pervasive development within the entertainment culture. Shows are considered more artistic if they bring up provocative questions and fail to provide any answer or conclusion. As far as I can tell, this was not always so. My knowledge of older movies is tiny, to say the least, but I have seen an ethical standard inherent to the purpose of many movies. Such a standard was to be upheld, not diminished. I have watched 3 or 4 John Wayne movies in the past year or so and he rarely fails to honor women, be a man of his word, or uphold the law of the land—when he’s a law enforcer. Apparently, this has been cast by the wayside in favor of bringing up ethical issues and blurring (or throwing out) the standard. Take the recent season finale of 24 (one of my favorite shows).

Throughout the season the issue of saving lives as the “greater good” has been increasingly present. Tony was bad, but only pretended to be to accomplish the greater good. Then Jack broke Tony out of FBI in order preserve the greater good. Then a whirlwind of who’s good, who’s bad ensued, culminating in a very stressful scenario. Tony was a good guy turned bad, but then turned back to good, but actually bad, until this scene showed him to be somewhere in the middle. He was playing all sides the whole time to eventually get to the “kingpin” of evil-doers and avenge his wife, while simultaneously saving more lives at the end of the day. Such actions received Jack’s stern rebuke and climaxed when Jack stopped Tony from killing the “kingpin.” Tony screamed at Jack for stopping the justice that was to be reckoned and Jack was left to dwell on whether or not Tony was right (as were all of us viewers).

The next scene saw Jack and FBI’s Rene Walker talking through these things. In answering how one knows what is right, Jack gives a decent answer about making an oath and following the law—ultimately, keeping our word. Then, he concludes by stating that at the end of the day, “You have to do what you can live with.” Really?! What we can live with?! Jack Bauer apparently goes away from an objective standard of any sort and succumbs to the pagan notion of the autonomous “I”. In other words, Truth is not out there—which, for Christianity, means in our Sovereign Creator—but Truth is in us. We make Truth subject to the standards which best suit us. 24 has created a postmodern Jack Bauer…but it gets worse.

Past seasons have seen Jack struggling with living—he often wants to die. But now, as Jack lays on his death bed, he suddenly struggles with death. He wants peace from all his evil acts as he takes his last breaths. So he brings in an Islamic spiritual leader who sits next to him and says, “Let us pray together that we can forgive ourselves.” Forgive ourselves?! Why? When we are before God’s judgment seat will it really help us to say to God, “It’s OK God, I’ve forgiven myself”?

To finish it off, Kim Bauer comes in to see her Dad and save the day. Before she does so, however, the Islamic leader assures her, “He has found peace with himself,” apparently alluding to his self-forgiveness. And so, the last 10 minutes of 24 reveal that we must be able to live with ourselves, and when we fail to do so we can forgive ourselves in order to find ultimate peace. This philosophy rivals Buddhist enlightenment. It begins and ends with “I”. I make the rules…I follow in such a way that makes me feel good about myself…and I can find final peace in self-forgiveness. Where this leads in the next life is beside the point, for we must find inward peace in the present.

We live in an increasingly relativistic world and it should not shock us to see postmodernism reflected on secular TV shows. But I think what irks me so much is not necessarily the postmodernism…I expect that. Rather, it’s the coating of postmodernism in the vague religious notion of self-actualization that is so excruciating to watch. But it is really all over the place. Another show my wife and I enjoy watching is “The Biggest Loser.” In the show, contestants strive to lose weight over a 20 week period (or so) and whoever hasn’t been voted off the show and has lost the most weight wins. But what the trainers preach to those on the show is that it’s ultimately about finding yourself. It’s about feeling more content in our bodies and in ourselves to somehow attain the highest possible standard of living. Self-actualization is the greatest good.

Interestingly, 24 reveals that the greatest good that Jack Bauer fights for (saving lives) is not really good at all if people do not use there time on earth to accomplish the even greater good of self-actualization. For what Jack Bauer holds is that one must do what they feel, forgive themselves, and find inner peace to attain some sort of personal salvation. 24 doesn’t reveal, however, why the standard of the “bad guys” would then be considered evil. For they could do what they felt, forgive themselves, and even find inner peace while simply having a little different view of right and wrong than Jack Bauer’s. So if they’re self-actualized through the process of terrorism, what makes that evil? Can we tell them that they are wrong and fight against them?

It is sad to see the increasing drift from biblical standards of good and evil in entertainment. We ought to appreciate the artwork of older films for still upholding some sort of standard, in that they reflect the common grace of God in implanting a conscience in our hearts. The accommodation of postmodernism in entertainment has resulted in upholding of the “self” as the most precious thing on earth and self-actualization as the greatest good. Shows like 24 show this accommodation and reveal the importance of being drenched in the Word of God and surrounded by Bible-saturated believers so that we might not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2).

God As Wholly Pleasurable—And The Greatest “Good News”

Caedmon’s Call has blessed me tremendously during my drive to and from school (or work). Their songs are rich with substantial doctrinal content and filled with humility. One such song titled “You Created,” is perhaps my favorite in that it strikes the core of our eternal need and purpose. Here are the lyrics:

Who is like unto the Lord our God
Who dwelleth on high, Who dwelleth on high
Who is like unto the Lord our God
Who dwelleth on high, Who dwelleth on high

You dwell in glory
The heavens are Your home
You began the story
And made Your beauty known

But You created nothing
That gives me more pleasure than You
And You won't give me something
That gives me more pleasure than You

You hung the planets
In Your image You made man
I'm overcome and broken
At the wonders of Your hand

But You created nothing
That gives me more pleasure than You
And You won't give me something
That gives me more pleasure than You

This song became particularly meaningful to me as I read through John Piper’s God is the Gospel. His basic thrust is that the ultimate “good news” of Jesus’ death is not ultimately that he was punished for us so that we can avoid wrath. It’s not even that in Christ we can be in a place called heaven with our loved ones and no tears, etc. Rather, the greatest good news is that through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can be reconciled to God. Escaping wrath is good, and so are the blessings of heaven, but what makes the gospel (and even heaven) so indescribably glorious is that in Christ, the barrier of sin is taken away so that we can enjoy God forever—“In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Piper explains it this way:

My point in this book is that all the saving events and all the saving blessings of the gospel are means of getting obstacles out of the way so that we might know and enjoy God most fully. Propitiation, redemption, forgiveness, imputation, sanctification, liberation, healing, heaven none of these is good news except for one reason: they bring us to God for our everlasting enjoyment of him. If we believe all these things have happened to us, but do not embrace them for the sake of getting to God, they have not happened to us. Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It’s a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we don’t want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel. (Pg. 47)

So we must ask ourselves, what are we looking forward to in the next life? Would we be happy if we had all the blessings of heaven with no God? The Psalms bear witness that King David would. He understood that there is nothing satisfying to go after in this world except for God Himself. For example:

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

“Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.” (Psalm 33:20-22)

“May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!” (Psalm 67:1-3)

May God give us the grace to take hold of eternal life, even now, by knowing God more fully. For “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). May we treasure Jesus like the man who found a treasure in a field and covered it up, “then in his joy he goes and sells everything and buys that field” (Matt. 13:44). May we get our eyes off ourselves and our fleshly desires so that we might see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). For it is only within this heart before God, cherishing Him as most pleasurable, that we will be most satisfied and He will be most glorified.

You created nothing
That gives me more pleasure than You
And You won't give me something
That gives me more pleasure than You

Mother's Day: Round Two!

Currently, my beautiful wife is in bed. Her stomach is aching over the 1 lb. little boy inside of her. What’s going on? What is it that is causing such pain? Perhaps it is the fact that his crushing kicks nearly penetrated her belly this morning. Perhaps he is already showing his depravity by purposefully causing pain. Who knows? Well, in all likelihood, Emily’s growing tummy is not in pain because of David’s little feet. Nevertheless, she is already learning the sacrifice of being a mom. In fact, as her stomach has hurt all morning, she still smiles when he moves. She never stops enjoying their growing bond as he flips and kicks inside of her. She loves it. She loves him. She would willingly take this pain any day to provide for her little one. She is, indeed, already a mom…and a great one. Being concerned about his spiritual state, she has sung hymns aloud in his hearing. She reads her Bible out loud as well, so that even from a young age he may know the Word. At times, Emily will question herself, wondering if she will be fit for this God-given task. “Will I know all the right things to say?” “What if he asks me something I can’t answer?” Ironically, these very questions are what prophesy of her fitness for this calling. Emily will be a broken mother. A soft-hearted mother. She will strive to tell David about his need for Jesus, knowing that anything good that comes from her mouth will be the Lord’s doing. She will lean on her Savior, looking to the cross for strength.

As Emily feels already the physical pain of motherhood, she is being prepared for the emotional and spiritual pain that is to come. David will sin; he will disobey; he may even say to his mom, “I hate you!” Nevertheless, the strength that my wife will find shall not be in her children, but in the God who cares for their soul far more than she ever will. And then, by God’s grace, in 10, 15, 20, or even 30 years down the road, David will join with his daddy to say, “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”

I love you sweetie, and couldn’t be more thrilled and blessed to have you as my wife and the mother of my children…even now. Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother's Day

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates" (Proverbs 31:30-31).

Five years ago, one month before my high school graduation, I broke my mother's heart by doing the opposite of praising my mother. Both my parents taught me the Truth growing up—that I was a sinner in need of Jesus. What is more, they also lived radically different than the outside world by identifying themselves with Jesus, allowing Him to infiltrate every facet of life...including parenting. So when they found out that I was lying to them and secretly partying behind their backs—getting drunk, smoking weed, fooling around, etc.—they gave me a just ultimatum. I could continue to enjoy all the benefits of living at home while abiding by their rules, or I could move out. I chose the latter. At the age of 17, I put my belongings in a few large trash bags and walked to a friend’s house. The next 8 months saw me fulfilling the proclamation of Romans 1:32: "Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they do not only do them but give approve to those who practice them."

While I was in my sin, however, my brokenhearted mother never stopped thinking of me. She prayed daily, almost always in tears. Although asking why God would allow this, she unceasingly put her hope and trust in the One who works all things to the good of those who love Him. While I was out partying, willingly handing my life over to the Ruler of this world, she continually cast her burden on King Jesus. She feared the LORD, knowing that apart from His will, not one hair would fall from my head.

God worked through the prayer of my mom to bring me to my knees, ultimately committing my life over to Jesus. I am eternally thankful to my mother for her trust in God, which is what I intend to bring to the forefront this Mother’s Day. While many moms are like Martha, striving to make the house more neat, more clean, etc., God has blessed me with a Mary, who is always seated at the feet of Jesus (while still keeping the house in order!). Not only have I been blessed by her prayers while I was in rebellion, but am still blessed as I see her humility before her Savior. Like Mary, she is not afraid to weep at Jesus feet in recognition of her brokenness, giving me a greater gift than all the clean dishes in the world. Through her, I have seen how my heart ought to be before my God, and only hope and pray that I, too, can pass this on to my children. May we never cease to praise such women who make Jesus their greatest desire, and I just want you to know mom, that I have, and still do, take notice of His work in you! I love you!

Numbers 15

As I have been reading through the Bible this year, the Lord has opened my eyes to see more of His glory and more of the beauty of His Word. Yesterday, part of my reading was Numbers 15 and was particularly full. I will deal with 15:22-41.

Verses 22-29 deal with unintentional sins for the nation and the individual. It is revealed that unintentional sins can be atoned for by offerings so that those committing the sin may be forgiven. Special emphasis is made within these verses on the term "mistake." That is, these sins are atoned for so easily (a simple offering) because they were not committed purposefully.

In verse 30, the thrust of the command is shifted toward those who sin intentionally. Such sins are not considered "mistakes," but are done with a "high hand," having severe consequences for those in rebellion: "Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him" (v. 31). There is a purposeful separation in the text between sinners with hearts desiring to please God in submitting to His word, and sinners with hearts in rebellion against God who fail to submit to His word. In the proceeding section, Moses follows up these commandments by revealing what a rebellious heart kicking against God's commands looks like.

A certain man decided to gather sticks on the Sabbath, intentionally breaking God's commandments and despising His word. Being brought before Moses and ultimately God, this man was rightfully stoned to death according to God's command: "The man shall be put to death" (v. 34).

Ending the chapter is the command for all to make a tassel on the corner of one's garment for the following purposes: "And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after you own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after" (v. 39). The chapter ends with the foundation for following God's commandments, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God."

When reading this passage of Scripture through, it can be really easy to practice a surface level reading and get caught up on why the man was stoned to death. As I have done, you may think, "Really? Stoned for gathering sticks?" But in reading carefully, grasping the flow of the text, it becomes clear that God is after our hearts and rightfully so. For the Israelites, their trust in God and obedience to His commandments was in light of His redemption from Egyptian slavery. They were to trust in Him because of His proven character. He was and is the great I AM. Thus, as vessels of His mercy, they were to show forth His glory in being agents of His grace (redemption) and in reflecting His character (sanctification...or "be holy to your God"--v. 40) .

This was not done by the man who broke the Sabbath. He followed "his own heart," and thus "despised the word of the Lord." He was not grateful for the sovereign grace of God in being freed from the land of Egypt. He had no interest in taking part God's mercy, freely extended to him for his good and God's glory. And so, his sin was not atoned for. It was not, however, the physical act of picking up sticks on the Sabbath that sentenced him to death. For if he unintentionally sinned it would've been forgiven. Rather, it was the self-seeking, intentional act of despising God that gave just cause for his death.

Likewise, we are confronted today with the same "heart" issues. Like this man, God's grace is extended to us. Through the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross we can proclaim, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21). As salvation from slavery came to the nation of Israel through God's providence, slavation from sin is available to all through the providential sacrifice of Jesus for all who will trust in him.

So what shall we do? Shall we go on living self-seeking lives that are devoid of reflecting the character of God? By no means! Rather, we ought to, by God's grace, incline our hearts to Jesus in humble submission to His will. Only then will we (as Israel) follow God's commandments and "be holy to our God."

Welcome!

Welcome to everyone who has come to this blog. With this first post I will introduce you to myself, giving few reasons as to why I am starting a blog and what to expect.

Whoever so wishes can view my profile to know more about my wife and me. Here, however, I will simply provide the basics. By day I am a senior year at Northwestern College in Roseville, MN, majoring in Biblical and Theological Studies. By night, I greatly enjoy relaxing next to my stunningly beautiful wife, Emily Anne Tarter, who is currently 5 months pregnant with our first child (David Benjamin Tarter). I also wash windows part-time, love watching the Dallas Mavericks win basketball games, and am the quarterback on my college’s football team. Above all, I am a sinner who was dead in sins, but have been redeemed by the beautiful, albeit dreadful, death of Jesus.

That being said, I have started this blog for numerous reasons, many of which can be summed up by saying, “I just wanted to.” To give more concrete reasons I give the following:
1) There are many thoughts and ideas that come into my head (as with all of us) that I would often like to share with people but often fade away with time never being said…blogging helps to fix this.
2) I enjoy writing—particularly about theology—but rarely have a venue to present theology to any sort of an audience.
3) I have come to see the benefits of maintaining a practice of consistent writing. Such writing can help one to think through key issues with all their struggles, and prove very God-glorifying in conforming one to His image.
4) This third point is also true in terms of preparation for future ministry. I am currently pursuing the call to the ministry in some way, shape, or form, and believe that blogging can be a very useful tool in thinking through issues and how to best communicate them in the same way one might prepare and think through a sermon, etc.
5) I would be lying to neglect the hint of selfishness in this blog. As with most, if not all blogs, I would like for people to get to know and read of me and how I tackle such issues. To a certain degree I think this may not be too bad of a thing (I could be wrong, in which I appeal to grace), as long as such desires have the right foundation. That is, for example, I would like for people to appreciate how I uphold the name of God. Above all, I want my God to be presented rightly on this blog, and I would like for others to see that and be blessed by it. In blogging then, I will pray that the Lord make more of Himself and less of me while not shirking the element of wanting to be read as I write. To do so would be dishonest.

On this blog there will be a variety of topics addressed. I love the words of God contained in the Bible and one can therefore anticipate a good deal of theology in the forthcoming posts. I also love my wife and baby, and so, will also write quite a bit about my home life. As mentioned above, I also love the Dallas Mavericks, so I may likely track some of their road to the 2009 NBA Championship. Other specifics could be cited, but it should suffice for now to say that there is not a topic outside the range of this blog. One can, however, expect the content to directly flow from all that the Lord is doing in and around me at the moment of writing.

Before ending, my wife thought it would be suitable to make note of the blog’s title. It comes from Luke 19:40 where Jesus is entering Jerusalem the Sunday before the Passover (and His crucifixion). As many give praise to Jesus, the Pharisees, likely quite uncomfortable, express to Jesus that He ought to silence those praising Him. Jesus then says, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (ESV). The point here is that Jesus will be praised! Thus, I pray that I may magnify God through this blog and forevermore because He is so worthy of praise that rocks would not keep silent if human beings do. So let us praise Him, giving the rocks no reason to speak in our place!

With all this being said…welcome yet again to my blog. I hope that you enjoy the forthcoming posts and appreciate your stopping by.