Just the other day, my wife and I were singing Fanny Crosby's Blessed Assurance. There's always one line that sticks out to me:
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Fanny Crosby was blind from the time she was a baby and therefore had no concept of vision at all. That's what makes this line precious.
She is a living example of the irony Jesus spoke of in Matthew 13. After telling the Parable of the Sower he explains to his disciples why he speaks to the people in parables, "Because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." In other words, it was to condemn those who failed to believe for physically seeing Jesus, while failing to perceive spiritually that he was the Christ who was to come.
Crosby, however, is on the opposite side of the irony. Although not able to see, oh how she could see!
Further, it is in this manner that she exemplifies the glory of God in redemption. Paul states it best in 1 Corinthians 1. Take verses 26-29:
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
This is a theme that weaves its way throughout Scripture. Jacob was chosen over his older brother Esau (Genesis 27). Joseph was chosen to save the people of God from famine and all of his older brothers ended up bowing to him (37-50). Jacob then gave Ephraim a greater blessing than the older brother Manasseh, saying, "The younger brother shall be greater than he" (Genesis 48:19). When the office of king began in Israel, David was chosen to be the king by which every other king was gauged, although he was the youngest in his family and a mere shepherd boy (1 Samuel 16).
In teaching his disciples, Jesus makes the same principle clear in terms of the kingdom, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14).
In Crosby, these twin realities of sight and weakness shine forth wonderfully. God called her, weak in the eyes of the world, and transformed her into a beacon of light through her hymns. What is more, it often these very weaknesses that God uses in our live so that we would rely on Christ. As she wrote:
It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.
Although physical blindness is certainly disabling, it was joy for Crosby. Her very life proclaims with Paul, "I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me...for when I am weak, then I am strong" (1 Corinthians 13:9,10).
Praise God for Fanny Crosby, and that her physical blindness gave way to a spiritual sight that has blessed believers for years. May we press on toward Jesus with all the tenacity she expressed in stating, "When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior."
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Qoheleth and the Reality of Death
I have it in mind to one day start a blog on the realities of this fallen world, with particular emphasis on death. But considering my track record of posts on this blog, it would be unwise. Nevertheless, it is a topic that I would like to write about on occasion, and one that I feel is often cast aside in western evangelicalism. As I’ve D.A. Carson proclaim multiple times, death has become the last taboo. We can talk about divorce, religion, politics, sex, and homosexuality as normal issues—but if death is brought up, you can bet that the conversation will become awkward in a hurry.
In a class on exegetical method last year, each student in my class was called upon to study a chapter in Ecclesiastes. It turned out to be a valuable endeavor, and helped to deepen my view of the Bible and of the world. This particular book has often been misjudged, and to the degree that it is, we are missing out on truths that will deepen our root in Christ.
Qoheleth, the “preacher” of Ecclesiastes, has often been viewed as a pessimist. This may be due to drastic statements like these: “And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun” (4:2-3).
The reality is that life “under the sun” is frustrating at best and evil at worst. Yesterday my wife cleaned my son’s bottles so they are ready for today. And today, she will clean them again. And tomorrow the cycle will continue. This is life—and it can be quite frustrating (read chapter 1 of Ecclesiastes). But this confronts the easiest aspect of life. What’s worse yet is that my wife will get older. And, Lord willing, she will die before our son. He will then face life without a mom that loved and cared for him many years. This is not a possibility but a reality that is also part of life’s cycle.
But what’s worse yet, children may die before their parents. Parents may never even hold their baby while they live. Ecclesiastes was written during a time when the infant death rate was 50%. That is, every time a woman went into labor she had death hanging over her head. And surely in a time when larger families were the norm, we can presume that most parents dealt with dead babies.
It must also be noted that this is natural evil. This does not even tap into the particular evil of slavery, murder, holocausts, genocides, etc. In fact, it is this category of evil that leads Qoheleth to make the negative statement above. And is he not right? Is it not better to have already died than to go through such oppression as the holocaust and never receive comfort (4:1)? Indeed it is.
It’s not that Qoheleth views life in pessimism—it’s that life is pessimistic. He sounds pessimistic because he’s preaching of a pessimistic world. We must get our minds around this in order to live rightly for the glory of Christ.
The puritans got this. As my professor for this class proclaimed, “The puritans were not sadists!” Take what Noel Piper wrote regarding Jonathan Edwards:
For Jonathan, the reality of death led automatically to the need for eternal life. He wrote to their ten-year-old Jonathan Jr. about the death of a playmate. “This is a loud call of God to you to prepare for death….Never give yourself any rest unless you have good evidence that you are converted and become a new creature. (This was on pg. 33-34 of Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God. The Edward’s quote is from George Marsden’s biography of Edwards, pg. 412)
Evil is a reality in this present world, and it ought to be recognized for what it is, or else we might miss the call to cling to Christ for the redemption of our sinful souls and the redemption of this sin-cursed world.
In a class on exegetical method last year, each student in my class was called upon to study a chapter in Ecclesiastes. It turned out to be a valuable endeavor, and helped to deepen my view of the Bible and of the world. This particular book has often been misjudged, and to the degree that it is, we are missing out on truths that will deepen our root in Christ.
Qoheleth, the “preacher” of Ecclesiastes, has often been viewed as a pessimist. This may be due to drastic statements like these: “And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun” (4:2-3).
The reality is that life “under the sun” is frustrating at best and evil at worst. Yesterday my wife cleaned my son’s bottles so they are ready for today. And today, she will clean them again. And tomorrow the cycle will continue. This is life—and it can be quite frustrating (read chapter 1 of Ecclesiastes). But this confronts the easiest aspect of life. What’s worse yet is that my wife will get older. And, Lord willing, she will die before our son. He will then face life without a mom that loved and cared for him many years. This is not a possibility but a reality that is also part of life’s cycle.
But what’s worse yet, children may die before their parents. Parents may never even hold their baby while they live. Ecclesiastes was written during a time when the infant death rate was 50%. That is, every time a woman went into labor she had death hanging over her head. And surely in a time when larger families were the norm, we can presume that most parents dealt with dead babies.
It must also be noted that this is natural evil. This does not even tap into the particular evil of slavery, murder, holocausts, genocides, etc. In fact, it is this category of evil that leads Qoheleth to make the negative statement above. And is he not right? Is it not better to have already died than to go through such oppression as the holocaust and never receive comfort (4:1)? Indeed it is.
It’s not that Qoheleth views life in pessimism—it’s that life is pessimistic. He sounds pessimistic because he’s preaching of a pessimistic world. We must get our minds around this in order to live rightly for the glory of Christ.
The puritans got this. As my professor for this class proclaimed, “The puritans were not sadists!” Take what Noel Piper wrote regarding Jonathan Edwards:
For Jonathan, the reality of death led automatically to the need for eternal life. He wrote to their ten-year-old Jonathan Jr. about the death of a playmate. “This is a loud call of God to you to prepare for death….Never give yourself any rest unless you have good evidence that you are converted and become a new creature. (This was on pg. 33-34 of Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God. The Edward’s quote is from George Marsden’s biography of Edwards, pg. 412)
Evil is a reality in this present world, and it ought to be recognized for what it is, or else we might miss the call to cling to Christ for the redemption of our sinful souls and the redemption of this sin-cursed world.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Reintro into Blogosphere
It has been 10 months since my last post. Wow. Although my reasons may not seem convincing, let me explain. On September 10, 2010, my son—David Benjamin Tarter—was born. He has been a blessing in so many respects, but has surely hindered the blogging category of life.
In addition to David, I was entering the last semester of undergrad studies, working part-time, competing in the final season of my football career, and eventually moving from Minneapolis to Punta Gorda, Florida where we now reside. Life was busy and blogging became a non-essential (see my wife’s wonderful blog for all that has occurred in our life lately). Nevertheless, it has not left my mind and I have been perpetually creating ideas for future posts—this being the first.
From here on out, I intend to post once a week…please note the term intend. I will strive for discipline in the midst of controlled chaos, but would not bet my son’s life on it.
That being said, I thought it would be fitting to jot down some convictions impressed upon me during our stay in the Twin Cities:
1) I am NOT “God’s gift” to my wife, the church, or anyone.
2) I am very incompetent in so many ways.
3) I am quite thankful that God uses the weak things of the world for his glory.
4) My wife is very competent in many ways—and there are storehouses of knowledge that I can gain from listening to her.
5) God is the gracious benefactor of all good things, and I am a lowly beneficiary of his grace. I have nothing to give the Lord God Almighty. I simply receive that which he freely gives—this is the essence of Gospel reception.
6) Worship is not truly worship if one does not engage their mind along with their heart in praise and adoration. We are called to take part in the kingdom that worships in “spirit and in truth.”
7) In D.A. Carson’s words, “A text without a context is a pretext for a proof-text.” All of scripture must be read in context—in both the immediate and holistic sense.
8) The Bible is not a topical religious resource, or a mystical self-help book, but the revelation of who he is in all his glory, culminating in the person of Jesus Christ.
9) Any education or knowledge one might gain that is never tied back to God is ultimately superficial. This includes math, science, economics, etc.
10) Being with God in perfect fellowship forever is the “good news” of the Gospel; i.e. God is the Gospel, and heaven is not heaven without God.
This list is surely not exhaustive, but I think it shows the core of what God has done in my heart and mind these past 3 years.
In addition to David, I was entering the last semester of undergrad studies, working part-time, competing in the final season of my football career, and eventually moving from Minneapolis to Punta Gorda, Florida where we now reside. Life was busy and blogging became a non-essential (see my wife’s wonderful blog for all that has occurred in our life lately). Nevertheless, it has not left my mind and I have been perpetually creating ideas for future posts—this being the first.
From here on out, I intend to post once a week…please note the term intend. I will strive for discipline in the midst of controlled chaos, but would not bet my son’s life on it.
That being said, I thought it would be fitting to jot down some convictions impressed upon me during our stay in the Twin Cities:
1) I am NOT “God’s gift” to my wife, the church, or anyone.
2) I am very incompetent in so many ways.
3) I am quite thankful that God uses the weak things of the world for his glory.
4) My wife is very competent in many ways—and there are storehouses of knowledge that I can gain from listening to her.
5) God is the gracious benefactor of all good things, and I am a lowly beneficiary of his grace. I have nothing to give the Lord God Almighty. I simply receive that which he freely gives—this is the essence of Gospel reception.
6) Worship is not truly worship if one does not engage their mind along with their heart in praise and adoration. We are called to take part in the kingdom that worships in “spirit and in truth.”
7) In D.A. Carson’s words, “A text without a context is a pretext for a proof-text.” All of scripture must be read in context—in both the immediate and holistic sense.
8) The Bible is not a topical religious resource, or a mystical self-help book, but the revelation of who he is in all his glory, culminating in the person of Jesus Christ.
9) Any education or knowledge one might gain that is never tied back to God is ultimately superficial. This includes math, science, economics, etc.
10) Being with God in perfect fellowship forever is the “good news” of the Gospel; i.e. God is the Gospel, and heaven is not heaven without God.
This list is surely not exhaustive, but I think it shows the core of what God has done in my heart and mind these past 3 years.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Significance of the "Free Will" Debate
Luther did not mess around when it came to defending God’s freedom in grace:
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:
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
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.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
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:
May we all think of the glory of Jesus in everything that passes before our eyes.
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.
Friday, June 26, 2009
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 22nd 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 26th. 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!
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