If the West goes down and is defeated, it will be for one reason only: internal rot . . . If we continue to spend our lives in jollification, doing less and less work, demanding more and more money, more and more pleasure and so-called happiness, more and more indulgence of the lusts of the flesh, with a refusal to accept our responsibilities, there is but one inevitable result—complete and abject failure. Why did the Goths and Vandals and other barbarians conquer the ancient Roman Empire? Was it by superior military power? Of course not! Historians know that there is only one answer: the fall of Rome came because of the spirit of indulgence that had invaded the Roman world—the games, the pleasures, the baths. The moral rot that had entered into the heart of the Roman Empire was the cause of Rome’s “decline and fall.” It was not superior power from the outside, but internal rot that was Rome’s ruination. And the really alarming fact today is that we are witnessing a similar declension in this and most other Western countries. This slackness, this indiscipline, the whole outlook and spirit is characteristic of a period of decadence. The pleasure mania, the sports mania, the drink and drug mania have gripped the masses.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
The Fall of the United States of Rome
Martin Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) offers a sobering warning from the grave:
Sunday, September 23, 2012
It Matters Whom You Marry
Be careful – a husband can cripple or foster emotional health
Written by Rebecca VanDoodewaard | Saturday, August 18, 2012
So how will your boyfriend do after the vows? Because this is just a sampling of the ways that a husband can bless or curse his wife. The effects are far reaching, long lasting, and either wonderful or difficult. True, there are no perfect men out there. But there are great ones. And it’s better to be single for life than to marry someone who will make your life a burden. Singleness can be great. Marriage to the wrong person is a nightmare.
My husband and I were once with a youth group. There were three kids sitting across from us at a meal: two guys and a girl. The one guy was a computer geek with glasses. The other one was a college student with slightly cooler hair and no glasses. The girl was obviously with him. But while the computer geek was busy serving everyone at the meal, clearing plates and garbage, the college student got angry with the girl for a small accident and poured red juice over her leather jacket and white shirt. She picked the wrong guy, and the juice didn’t seem to change her mind. She is in for some grief if that relationship continues and especially if it leads to marriage.
So to all the young, unmarried Christian girls out there, listen up: who you marry matters. You might think that the way he treats you isn’t so bad. It’s not going to get better after the wedding. You might think that he’ll change. It’s possible, but most don’t. You might think that you’ll be able to minister to him and help him. Possibly, but if you can’t now, you won’t then, and you will be at risk yourself. A husband should lead and cherish you, not need your counsel for basic personality or behavior issues.
Unless someone married is very frank with you, you can’t understand how much a husband will impact your entire life. Next to salvation there is no other long term event that will change so many areas of your life so deeply. Here are just some of the ways that marriage will impact every aspect of living.
1. It will impact you spiritually. If the guy is not a believer, you can stop right there. You have no business yoking a redeemed soul with an unregenerate one, even if he seems open to change. Christ has bought you with a price and it is not an option to give away that blood bought heart to someone who doesn’t know and love your Lord. It will cripple your spiritual development, open up a host of temptations, stifle your prayer life, make regular church going difficult, and cause massive parenting conflict if you have children.
If the guy is a believer, is he a strong one? Will he lead you in prayer, Bible reading, family devotions, and public worship? Or will you be on your own? Is he going to make spiritual growth a priority or do other things come first? Is he going to ask you how it’s going with your soul so he can help you grow in holiness and love for Christ, or will he leave that to your pastor? Is he going to lead the children in this, or will you have to spearhead that? In church, is he going to help the kids sit well, pray, find the hymn, or will you be the one pointing out what is happening next and helping the family keep up? Many women have married spiritually immature men, thinking that it wasn’t a big issue, or that the man would change, and they were wrong. They bear the scars.
The health of your eternity is at stake. Think carefully.
Read more -->HERE.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Holiness in Little Things
Courtesy Chapel Library
The alphabet of Gospel truth is that “Christ died for our sins” (1Co 15:3). By this we are saved, obtaining peace with God, and “access...into this grace wherein we stand” (Rom 5:2). But he who thus believes is also made partaker of Christ (Heb 3:14), partaker of the divine nature (2Pe 1:4), partaker of the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1), partaker of the Holy Ghost (Heb 6:4), partaker of His holiness (Heb 12:10). In the person of his Surety, he has risen as well as died; he has ascended to the throne, is seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6), his life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3). That which he is to be in the day of the Lord’s appearing, he is regarded as being now and is treated by God as such. Faith, in one aspect, bids him look forward to the glory; in another, it bids him look back upon this weary land as if he had already finished his pilgrimage. “Ye are come unto mount Sion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb 12:22).
Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)
The alphabet of Gospel truth is that “Christ died for our sins” (1Co 15:3). By this we are saved, obtaining peace with God, and “access...into this grace wherein we stand” (Rom 5:2). But he who thus believes is also made partaker of Christ (Heb 3:14), partaker of the divine nature (2Pe 1:4), partaker of the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1), partaker of the Holy Ghost (Heb 6:4), partaker of His holiness (Heb 12:10). In the person of his Surety, he has risen as well as died; he has ascended to the throne, is seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6), his life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3). That which he is to be in the day of the Lord’s appearing, he is regarded as being now and is treated by God as such. Faith, in one aspect, bids him look forward to the glory; in another, it bids him look back upon this weary land as if he had already finished his pilgrimage. “Ye are come unto mount Sion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb 12:22).
Surely, then, a Christian man is called to be consistent and decided, as well as joyful, not conformed to this world (Rom 12:2), but to that world to come in which he already dwells by faith. to come in which he already dwells by faith. What manner of person ought he to be in all holy conversation and godliness (2Pe 3:11)?…Certainly, one who is “risen with Christ” ought to be like the Risen One. He will be expected to be meek and lowly, gentle and loving, simple and frank, kind and obliging, liberal and generous, not easily provoked or affronted, transparent and honest, not selfish, narrow, covetous, conceited, worldly, unwilling to be taught…True Christianity is healthy and robust, not soft, sickly, nor sentimental; yet, on the other hand, not hard, lean, ill-favored, nor ungenial…We want not merely a high and full theology, but we want that theology acted out in life, embodied nobly in daily doings…The higher the theology, the higher and the manlier should be the life resulting from it. It should give a divine erectness and simplicity to the Christian character and bearing; true dignity of demeanor without pride, stiffness, or coldness; true strength of will without obstinacy, caprice, (47) or waywardness. The higher the doctrine is the more it ought to bring us into contact with the mind of God, which is “the truth,” and with the will of God, which is “the Law”…We prize the lofty teaching of the Epistles, but we prize no less “the law and the prophets” (Mat 7:12; 22:40; Luk 24:44). We listen to the apostolic doctrine and learn to say, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal 2:20); yet we do not turn away from the apostolic precepts as beneath us: “Putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour” (Eph 4:25). “Let him that stole steal no more” (Eph 4:28). “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph 4:31). “Uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you…Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting” (Eph 5:4). “Put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication” (Col 3:8). “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col 3:9)…These are the commandments of the Holy Ghost, and they are Law just as truly as that which was proclaimed in Horeb amid fire and darkness.
The true question with us…is not whether we are to obey this law or that law, but any law at all. If obedience to apostolic Law be not legalism, then neither is obedience to the Moral Law…The [true] life then is not a life against law, nor a life without law, nor a life above law, but a life like that of the great Law-fulfiller—a life in which the Law finds its fullest and most perfect development. It was so in Jesus; it is so in us as far as we resemble Him in spirit and in walk. It is a thoroughly conscientious, upright, honorable life…[conscientious] in little things as well as great, in business, in the ordering of our households, in the laying out of our time and our money, in fulfilling engagements, in keeping promises, in discharging duties, in bearing witness for Christ, in nonconformity to the world.
The man who knows that he is risen with Christ and h t he is risen with Christ and has set his affection on things above will be a just, trusty, ingenuous (48), unselfish, man. man. He will add to his faith “virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity” (2Pe 1:5-7). He will seek not to be “barren nor unfruitful” (2Pe 1:8). “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report” (Phi 4:8)—these he will think upon and do.
For there is some danger of falling into a soft and effeminate Christianity under the plea of a lofty and ethereal (49) theology. Christi-anity was born for endurance: [it is] not an exotic, but a hardy plant, braced by the keen wind, not languid (50), childish, nor cowardly. It walks with firm step and erect frame. It is kindly, but firm; it is gentle, but honest; it is calm, but not facile (51); obliging, but not imbecile (52); decided, but not churlish (53). It does not fear to speak the stern word of condemnation against error nor to raise its voice against surrounding evils under the pretext that it is not of this world. It does not shrink from giving honest reproof, lest it come under the charge of displaying an unchristian spirit. It calls sin “sin,” on whomsoever it is found and would rather risk the accusation of being actuated by a bad spirit than not discharge an explicit duty…The religion of both Old and New Testaments is marked by fervent, outspoken testimonies against evil. To speak smooth things in such a case may be sentimentalism, but it is not Christianity. It is a betrayal of the cause of truth and righteousness. If anyone should be frank, manly, honest, cheerful (I do not say blunt or rude, for a Christian must be courteous and polite), it is he who has tasted that the Lord is gracious and is looking for and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God. I know that charity covereth a multitude of sins; but it does not call evil good because a good man has done it. It does not excuse inconsistencies because the inconsistent brother has a high name and a fervent spirit. Crookedness and worldliness are still crookedness and worldliness, though exhibited in one who seems to have reached no common height of attainment.
With many of us, the Christian life has not gone on to maturity. “Ye did run well; who did hinder you?” (Gal 5:7). It has been a work well begun, but left unfinished; a battle boldly entered on, but only half fought out; a book with but the preface written, no more. Is not thus Christ dishonored? Is not His Gospel thus misrepresented, His Cross denied, His words slighted, His example set at naught?...Did a holy life consist of one or two noble deeds—some signal (54) specimens of doing or enduring or suffering—we might account for the failure and reckon it small dishonor to turn back in such a conflict. But a holy life is made up of a multitude of small things…Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons; little deeds, not miracles, nor battles, nor one great heroic act or mighty martyrdom, make up the true Christian life…The avoidance of little evils, little sins, little inconsistencies, little weaknesses, little follies, little indiscretions and imprudences, little foibles (55), little indulgences of self and of the flesh, little acts of indolence or indecision or slovenliness (56) or cowardice, little equivocations (57) or aberrations (58) from high integrity, little touches of shabbiness (59) and meanness, little bits of covetousness and penuriousness (60), little exhibitions of worldliness and gaiety, little indifferences to the feelings or wishes of others, little outbreaks of temper, crossness, selfishness, vanity—the avoidance of such little things as these goes far to make up at least the negative beauty of a holy life.
The true question with us…is not whether we are to obey this law or that law, but any law at all. If obedience to apostolic Law be not legalism, then neither is obedience to the Moral Law…The [true] life then is not a life against law, nor a life without law, nor a life above law, but a life like that of the great Law-fulfiller—a life in which the Law finds its fullest and most perfect development. It was so in Jesus; it is so in us as far as we resemble Him in spirit and in walk. It is a thoroughly conscientious, upright, honorable life…[conscientious] in little things as well as great, in business, in the ordering of our households, in the laying out of our time and our money, in fulfilling engagements, in keeping promises, in discharging duties, in bearing witness for Christ, in nonconformity to the world.
The man who knows that he is risen with Christ and h t he is risen with Christ and has set his affection on things above will be a just, trusty, ingenuous (48), unselfish, man. man. He will add to his faith “virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity” (2Pe 1:5-7). He will seek not to be “barren nor unfruitful” (2Pe 1:8). “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report” (Phi 4:8)—these he will think upon and do.
For there is some danger of falling into a soft and effeminate Christianity under the plea of a lofty and ethereal (49) theology. Christi-anity was born for endurance: [it is] not an exotic, but a hardy plant, braced by the keen wind, not languid (50), childish, nor cowardly. It walks with firm step and erect frame. It is kindly, but firm; it is gentle, but honest; it is calm, but not facile (51); obliging, but not imbecile (52); decided, but not churlish (53). It does not fear to speak the stern word of condemnation against error nor to raise its voice against surrounding evils under the pretext that it is not of this world. It does not shrink from giving honest reproof, lest it come under the charge of displaying an unchristian spirit. It calls sin “sin,” on whomsoever it is found and would rather risk the accusation of being actuated by a bad spirit than not discharge an explicit duty…The religion of both Old and New Testaments is marked by fervent, outspoken testimonies against evil. To speak smooth things in such a case may be sentimentalism, but it is not Christianity. It is a betrayal of the cause of truth and righteousness. If anyone should be frank, manly, honest, cheerful (I do not say blunt or rude, for a Christian must be courteous and polite), it is he who has tasted that the Lord is gracious and is looking for and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God. I know that charity covereth a multitude of sins; but it does not call evil good because a good man has done it. It does not excuse inconsistencies because the inconsistent brother has a high name and a fervent spirit. Crookedness and worldliness are still crookedness and worldliness, though exhibited in one who seems to have reached no common height of attainment.
With many of us, the Christian life has not gone on to maturity. “Ye did run well; who did hinder you?” (Gal 5:7). It has been a work well begun, but left unfinished; a battle boldly entered on, but only half fought out; a book with but the preface written, no more. Is not thus Christ dishonored? Is not His Gospel thus misrepresented, His Cross denied, His words slighted, His example set at naught?...Did a holy life consist of one or two noble deeds—some signal (54) specimens of doing or enduring or suffering—we might account for the failure and reckon it small dishonor to turn back in such a conflict. But a holy life is made up of a multitude of small things…Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons; little deeds, not miracles, nor battles, nor one great heroic act or mighty martyrdom, make up the true Christian life…The avoidance of little evils, little sins, little inconsistencies, little weaknesses, little follies, little indiscretions and imprudences, little foibles (55), little indulgences of self and of the flesh, little acts of indolence or indecision or slovenliness (56) or cowardice, little equivocations (57) or aberrations (58) from high integrity, little touches of shabbiness (59) and meanness, little bits of covetousness and penuriousness (60), little exhibitions of worldliness and gaiety, little indifferences to the feelings or wishes of others, little outbreaks of temper, crossness, selfishness, vanity—the avoidance of such little things as these goes far to make up at least the negative beauty of a holy life.
And then attention to the little duties of the day and hour, in public transactions or private dealings or family arrangements; to little words, looks, and tones; little benevolences, forbearances, or tendernesses; little self-denials, selfrestraints, and self-forgetfulnesses, little plans of quiet kindness and thoughtful consideration for others; to punctuality, method, and true aim in the ordering of each day—these are the active developments of a holy life, the rich and divine mosaics of which it is composed…It is of small things that a great life is made up; and he who will acknowledge no life as great save that which is built up of great things, will find little in Bible characters to admire or copy.
One who has “learned of Christ,” who “walks with God,” will not be an artificial man, not one playing a part or sus- sus-s-staining a character. He will be thoroughly natural in manners, words, looks, tones, and habits. He will be like that most natural of all creatures, a little child. Christianity becomes repulsive the moment that it is suspected to be fictitious…The “epistles of Christ” to be “known and read of all men” (2Co 3:2) must be transparent and natural. In living for Christ, we must follow Him fully, not copying a copy, but copying Him. Otherwise, ours will be an imperfect testimony, a reflected and feeble religion, devoid of ease, simplicity, and grace, bearing the marks of imitation and art, if not of forgery.
From God’s Way of Holiness, available from CHAPEL LIBRARY.
__________________
(47) caprice – an unpredictable change of mind, opinion, or behavior; whim.
(48) ingenuous – honorably straightforward; free from deception.
(49) ethereal – heavenly.
(50) languid – showing a disinclination for physical exertion or effort.
(51) facile – possessing a softness of disposition that is easily wrought upon by others.
(52) imbecile – weak-willed through lack of mental power.
(53) churlish – harsh; brutal.
(54) signal – striking; remarkable.
(55) foibles – failings or weaknesses of character.
(56) slovenliness – carelessness.
(57) equivocations – the use of words that have two or more meanings in order to mislead.
(58) aberrations – departures or strayings from the path of morality.
(59) shabbiness – meanness and shamefulness.
(60) penuriousness – stinginess.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)