The Logical Outcome of the Christian Faith - Trevor Johnson

This was recorded back in early 2010, the full report is here: http://gccsatx.com/videos/trevor-johnson-missionary-report-from-early-2010/

MP3: http://illbehonest.com/The-Logical-Outcome-of-the-Christian-Faith-Trevor-Johnson

John Newton - If he is a Liar, a Talebearer, a Railer, a Flatterer or a Jester

\John Newton - (1725-1807), Evangelical divine and hymn writer Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven, he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman. Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his "great deliverance." He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, "Lord, have mercy upon us." Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him. For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. "Thro' many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'tis grace has bro't me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home." He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely. In 1750 he married Mary Catlett, with whom he had been in love for many years. By 1755, after a serious illness, he had given up seafaring forever. During his days as a sailor he had begun to educate himself, teaching himself Latin, among other subjects. From 1755 to 1760 Newton was surveyor of tides at Liverpool, where he came to know George Whitefield, deacon in the Church of England, evangelistic preacher, and leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church. Newton became Whitefield's enthusiastic disciple. During this period Newton also met and came to admire John Wesley, founder of Methodism. Newton's self-education continued, and he learned Greek and Hebrew. He decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York for ordination. The Archbishop refused his request, but Newton persisted in his goal, and he was subsequently ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln and accepted the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton's church became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He preached not only in Olney but in other parts of the country. In 1767 the poet William Cowper settled at Olney, and he and Newton became friends. Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and on his tours to other places. They held not only a regular weekly church service but also began a series of weekly prayer meetings, for which their goal was to write a new hymn for each one. They collaborated on several editions of Olney Hymns, which achieved lasting popularity. The first edition, published in 1779, contained 68 pieces by Cowper and 280 by Newton. Among Newton's contributions which are still loved and sung today are "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds" and "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken," as well as "Amazing Grace." Composed probably between 1760 and 1770 in Olney, "Amazing Grace" was possibly one of the hymns written for a weekly service. The origin of the melody is unknown. Most hymnals attribute it to an early American folk melody. The Bill Moyers special on "Amazing Grace" speculated that it may have originated as the tune of a song the slaves sang. Newton was not only a prolific hymn writer but also kept extensive journals and wrote many letters. Historians accredit his journals and letters for much of what is known today about the eighteenth century slave trade. In Cardiphonia, or the Utterance of the Heart, a series of devotional letters, he aligned himself with the Evangelical revival, reflecting the sentiments of his friend John Wesley and Methodism. In 1780 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, St. Mary Woolchurch, in London. There he drew large congregations and influenced many, among them William Wilberforce, who would one day become a leader in the campaign for the abolition of slavery. Newton continued to preach until the last year of life, although he was blind by that time. He died in London December 21, 1807. Infidel and libertine turned minister in the Church of England, he was secure in his faith that amazing grace would lead him home. John Newton - If he is a Liar, a Talebearer, a Railer, a Flatterer or a Jester

Slaves for Christ, Pt. 2 (John MacArthur)

We're going to turn to a subject in the New Testament that as I think about it is largely ignored and overlooked. And I've been made aware of that in recent months. It was not too many months ago that I was flying on one of those jumbo jets from Los Angeles to London, in the process reading a book that dealt with the issue of slavery in the New Testament time and in the New Testament text. It set me thinking in all kinds of directions. I actually finished the book on the flight I was so rapt in my attention to this particular theme.

Being a slave of Christ may be the best way to define a Christian. We are, as believers, slaves of Christ. You would never suspect that, however, from the language of Christianity. In contemporary Christianity the language is anything but slave language. It is about freedom. It is about liberation. It is about health, wealth, prosperity, finding your own fulfillment, fulfilling your own dream, finding your own purpose. We often hear that God loves you unconditionally and wants you to be all you want to be. He wants to fulfill every ambition, every desire, every hope, every dream. In fact, there are books being written about dreams as if they are gifts from God which God then having given them is bound to fulfill. Personal fulfillment, personal liberation, personal satisfaction, all bound up in an old term in evangelical Christianity, a personal relationship. How many times have we heard that the gospel offers people a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

Acid Test of a True Christian Faith - Dr. David Martyn Lloyd Jones

Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd Jones distinguishes the various different conceptions of what is the true Christian but he very clearly identifies the biblical delineation and mark of true Christianity.

Who Are Your Friends? - Steve Lawson

Watch the full sermon "Blessed Purity" Here: http://www.youtube.com/watc... This was preached at Resolved.org

"Don't Waste your Life" Music Video

John Piper - Motivation for Christian Obedience

Battling Unbelief DVD - 'Battling Unbelief: Session 4: Is it Biblical? (Part 2)'

Just Too Soft?

Let's look at these two examples of how believers should stand up and let themselves be heard against that which is an abomination in the eyes of our Lord.

Great News Today! Or Despite Us, the Church is Winning! Or Ten Reasons to Be Happy

John Mark Reynolds @ http://www.scriptoriumdaily.com lists 10 reasons why we should rejoice about what is happening globally right now.

Number 1: The Christian church is booming globally.

Number 2: The global Christian majority has seen our hedonism and is voting “no.”

Number 3: Pope Benedict

A public intellectual as pope is good for all of us.

Number 4: The Rise of Pro-Life Democrats

Number 5: Torture is on the way out.

Number 6: We face disheveled terrorists on the run and not global Fascism and Communism.

Number 7: We live in the golden age of entertainment.

There is bad stuff out there, but there is also the best and widest selection of entertainment ever. This week my family will watch (via our home network) a Shakespeare film we could never have seen when I was a child. “Nobody” wanted to see it and so none of the “big three networks” would have shown it.

Number 8: The monopoly on information and publication is dying.

Number 9: The fact that an African-American will be the Democrat nominee for President is good news. The fact that he can be criticized or supported on the issues is also good. Win or lose for Senator Obama, the nation will be better for having broken a barrier.

Number 10: We have more wealth to use to do good things.

"Everyday Life"

“3 Dangers of Careless Familiarity with God”

Rick Holland preached at the Shepherd’s Conference on “3 Dangers of Careless Familiarity with God.”

Caleb Kolstad @ http://expositorythoughts.wordpress.com noted: "He reminded us that being part of spiritual leadership is extremely dangerous. Holland said, “God has no desire to be part of our lives, His one desire is to be the point of our life.”

Leviticus 9:22-10:7 records the infamous story of Nadab and Abihu. These religious leaders got too familiar and careless with their God and were judged for it in a major way. Holland reminded us that we are often guilty of this very thing ourselves.

Here are the “3 Dangers of Careless Familiarity with God” from the Lev 9-10 passage.

1. Redefining what God requires (Lev 10:1) and becoming overly familiar with God.

2. Underestimating how God responds (Lev 10:2).

This fire consumed the sacrificer not the sacrifice. This was another reminder of the holiness of God. Even as Pastors we often presume on the grace of God.

3. Ignoring what God desires (Lev 10:3).

God responded according to His holiness to show that any innovations would not be tolerated. Stick with what the Word says and don’t try and get cute with God.

The trend today is to treat God as cool, to treat Jesus as your homeboy, and to be as cool as you possibly can before your congregation and culture. This passage is about God’s discipline on spiritual leaders. “We don’t have a higher standard but we do have a higher accountability.”

John Piper - Be Satisfied in the Superior Pleasures of God

Battling Unbelief DVD - 'Battling Unbelief: Session 6: How does it work for holiness? (Part 2)'

Are We Known for Calling Upon Yahweh?

By Todd Wood@ http://www.sharperiron.org

A while ago, a 70-year-old single man took me out to lunch at a fast-food joint. Innocent enough. Yet while I was hungrily munching on my thick Arb’y roast beef sandwich, loaded with special sauce, my friend point-blank asked me how much time I spend in prayer.

The stabbing question caught me off guard. And before I knew it, excuses were running through my brain like wild coyotes. Does he realize how busy the ministry is? And think about this: how many church congregations pay an elder to pray for them?

I shamefully mumbled an answer in the direction of my friend’s intense gaze. “Presently, very little.”

I was no longer interested in my roast beef sandwich. In fact, I wanted to chuck it into the trash can. I felt jarred and off balance. I knew there are two activities a biblical elder ought to give his full strength to: study of the Word and prayer. And I knew that the ratio of my time spent researching and studying and discussing and debating and proclaiming the Scriptures in relation to intercessory prayer for brothers and sisters and unbelieving friends toward the exalting of Yahweh’s glory didn’t really equal out. Did I really think that my concentrated study, my biblical exposition, my organized and carefully prepared words would win the day of accomplishing the work of the Lord Almighty God?

And then my friend asked me why the corporate prayer meetings of our church family are smaller than other church family meetings—another good question and an irritating one.

As I left that day to attend to my regular ministry activities, I knew that I couldn’t forcible change other people’s hearts to get them calling upon Yahweh wholeheartedly with petitions and praise. But God had pierced my heart personally over His desire to hear me talk to Him (mind-blowing that God actually delights in hearing a speck converse with Him). What a fool I was not to.

So today at Berean Baptist Church, we have five scheduled slots each week when church family can come to the meeting house and pray. And I think I have finally come to the point that we can spend two hours in prayer at a time, when I am not thinking so much about everything else I need to do.

Preaching the Word is a farce if I am not a pastor who prays. I am thankful. God is building me in what a true believer does.

<sup>Todd Wood is pastor of Berean Baptist Church (Idaho Falls, ID).

He received his B.A. in Missions, M.A. in Theology, and M.Div. from Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC).

But more than anything he hungers for the A.I.G. degree affixed to Apelles (Rom. 16:10). He also operates a blog called Heart Issues for LDS.</sup>

Confessions of a Would-Be Mary

by Beth Murschell @ http://www.sharperiron.org

As a child, when I heard the story of Mary and Martha, I cast myself without hesitation in the lead role as Mary. Martha (the shrew: shrill and stout with course, graying hair; or possibly lean and accusing with narrow eyes) didn’t hold a great deal of appeal, while Mary (the heroine: decorative and young with large, serene eyes) was graceful and kind and “chose the better part.” Besides, what idiot would choose chores over time with the Lord?

Of course, the story is more nuanced than I knew. The town called Mary “the sinner” (Jesus said her sins “were many”), and later we see her weeping and anointing her Lord’s feet with precious ointment of spikenard and wiping it with her hair, annoying Judas Iscariot with the extravagance of her gesture. She wept at Jesus’ feet when Lazarus lay dead, and she sat at Jesus’ feet at their home in Bethany. Mary “loved much,” and her many sins were forgiven. Jesus told her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50, ESV).

Martha, who reminds me of the prodigal son’s older brother, kept the household running and ran herself ragged in the process. The Lord called her “anxious and troubled about many things” (Luke 10:41). She had her good points, mind you, but who remembers them?

I still want to be Mary, but I’d be cast against type. Any sitting at his feet I should do runs a distant second to the daily Sturm und Drang of parenting and housekeeping. My theme verse these days is Proverbs 14:4—“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean.”

If I had a big crisis like cancer or a car accident or a child in danger, I would not hesitate to seek His face. But it’s hard to remember that the God of the universe is “a very present help” when I’m scrabbling for a clean rag to eliminate various excretions or relocating a lizard or using my psychic powers to tell whether a child is lying. I know I will get credit for giving a cup of cold water in His name, but what if I lose my temper because the child spills it?

I apologized to the children the other day for being cranky. My son said, “I didn’t know adults got cranky.” Martha knew. She had the audacity to tattle on her sister to Jesus. Ouch. And she didn’t have to worry about mercury in the fish supply, hormones in the milk, and lead in the lunch box liners. Some days, the idea of multiple wives even sounds reasonable—at least there would always be a babysitter and someone to talk to.

How do I study for the role of Mary? I’d imagine being forgiven a lot (yes, I have been), always being found at Jesus’ feet (well, I’ll do that as soon as I get off the computer or when the laundry is done or when I get dinner started or when the kids go to bed tonight), and starting to “love much” (about time, too).

Here’s a bright spot: she did choose the better part. The Lord told Martha, “One thing is needful.” Even with chores to be done and help to be given, Mary carved out a slice of her time to sit and listen. And she did not let Martha’s worries budge her from her own seat at the feet of Christ.

Soon enough, my house arrest with four energetic ankle bracelets will end; and the fresh, raw smells and sounds of a young family churning the house inside out will be replaced with a more sedate, peaceful ambiance. I will have time to reflect on what I could have done differently or better had I only done what Mary did: seized the time available to me night and day and spent it with my Lord. “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually” (1 Chron. 16:11).

If I start sitting and listening like Mary now (instead of worrying like Martha), then at the end of the day, “When the hurly-burly’s done/When the battle’s lost and won” (to quote a Weird Sister in Macbeth), I will be able to look back without regrets, and say, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). And maybe when my children hear the story, they won’t picture me as Martha.

^{Beth Murschell is married to Mick, a computer programmer, and they live in Bradenton, Florida. Her master’s degree is in music education, but her past work experience includes industrial cleaning, childcare, bumper factory, fast food, camp work (three different camps), music team, telemarketer, media center, music educator, sixth-grade teacher, maid, retail, writer, and now mother of four. She has lived in Panama City, Louisville, Greenville, Miami, Brevard, Quakertown, and Bradenton.}

Investing in Eternity

By John MacArthur@ http://www.sfpulpit.com

J. H. Jowett once said, “The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money.” He was right. Earthly riches or the lack of them has nothing to do with real wealth. The only treasure that matters is the treasure you lay up in heaven.

Jesus taught, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:19-21). That is a mandate, not a recommendation. Invest in eternity!

What an appropriate message for a culture like ours. People in our society are wealthier than any civilization in the history of man. Sadly, they rapidly squander their blessings on things that cannot last. If our treasure reveals the condition of our hearts (v. 21), this generation is in serious spiritual trouble. Our buying habits show little concern for anything of eternal value.

Americans are spending a significant portion of their incomes on luxury items and recreation—and they are spending it fast. Why wait until you can afford something, if you can charge it and have it instantly? Outstanding consumer debt in this country has skyrocketed, leaving many in financial shambles. They pursue the “good life,” the so-called “American dream.”

But there is no “good life” you can buy no matter how much money you have. The “American dream” is nothing but an illusion and chasing the dream can become destructive. Statistics indicate the more money you have the more likely you are to commit suicide; life expectancy decreases as income increases. Money adds to stress, and that in turn takes years off your life. One study shows that wealth also intensifies moral decline and family disintegration. Marital infidelity and divorce rates rise with income levels. Obviously, money cannot buy happiness.

The apostle Paul was on target when he wrote, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Tim. 6:9-10).

While obsession with money incites crime, destroys families, and wrecks lives, the ultimate price for loving temporal things is eternal damnation. Jesus hinted at this when He asked, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Perhaps the saddest observation of all is that the spending habits of people in the church differ little from those of the world. The lifestyles of most professing Christians are not substantially different from anyone else’s. Too many in the church have adopted the world’s indulgent attitude toward money. Almost every form of materialistic extravagance and excess has found its way into the fellowship of believers. It is as if the church has forgotten Jesus’ mandate to invest in eternity.

When money-lovers creep into the pulpit to steal from the treasury, it’s an obvious scandal. But isn’t the money-lover in the pew — the person who refuses to give at all — just as disgraceful?

One study of several denominations revealed a gradual decline in giving over seventeen years, though average income increased sharply in that time period. Material riches are proving to be a spiritual liability. Christians now have more money at their disposal than at any time in human history, but they proportionately invest far less in the kingdom. The same study further revealed that almost half of all charitable giving in the United States comes from households with annual incomes under $30,000. James 2:5 comes to mind: “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”

Hosea 13:6 sums up this tragic disparity: “Being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore, they forgot Me.” When we become prosperous, we become proud. Then we forget God. Frankly, for most peple persecution is easier to endure than prosperity. In other words, there is a clear connection between your attitude toward money and your spiritual health. Where you invest your treasure reveals where you have set your trust and affections. That is why the Lord had so much to say about money.

Do you want to take your spiritual temperature? Look at your checkbook. Where are you investing your treasure? That’s where your heart really is.

God does not give you riches to hoard, but to use for His glory. True enjoyment of wealth comes not from possessing it, but from investing it as God intended—in things that count for eternity.

The Cross-Centered Life

Tattoos and Body Piercing: What's a Christian to do?

By Sam Storms @ www.enjoyinggodministries.com

On a recent broadcast at DesiringGod.org, John Piper briefly addressed the issue of tattoos and body piercing among Christians. I especially appreciated the spirit in which John took up this subject. He did not come down in a heavy-handed or judgmental fashion, insisting in some legalistic way that such actions are altogether and always a sin. He mentioned the prohibition on tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 and suggested that although there were probably unique historical and religious circumstances in the ancient near east that evoked this prohibition, we should still seek to learn from it. Whereas not everything in the Levitical code is binding on the believer today, we still must ask if there is some underlying principle in the OT prohibition that might find application to us in the present day.

But Piper mentioned two additional factors to take into consideration, to which I would like to add a third. First, he asked the all-important question that every Christian contemplating getting a tattoo or body piercing should ask: “Will this exalt the Lord Jesus Christ? Is this going to draw attention to him or to me? Will his beauty and splendor and all-sufficiency be highlighted in this action? Will the gospel itself be adorned or obscured in what I’m doing?”

Second, John also said that we should carefully monitor our motives for getting a tattoo or body piercing. In particular, he suggested that often times (not always!) people get tattoos in an effort to establish for themselves an identity that they have failed to find in Christ alone. In other words, each person needs to ask: “To what extent does this tattoo or body piercing reflect my failure to find full satisfaction in Christ alone? To what extent is this an attempt to ‘be’ or ‘become’ something that until know I’ve failed to find in who I am in Christ and because of what he has accomplished in grace on my behalf?”

It may well be that the person contemplating getting a tattoo feels fully established in Christ and is keenly aware of who they are in him, and thus the issue of identity simply does not factor into one’s motivation. But it is an important matter to keep in mind.

To these excellent observations, I’d like to add a third. I think a Christian needs to ask himself/herself whether or not the tattoo or body piercing expresses respect for the human body as the temple of the living God. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He abides in us, not in buildings or tabernacles or anything else as the unique expression of his saving and sanctifying presence. The apostle Paul makes this clear on a number of occasions (see especially 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:16-18; Eph. 2:21-22). I think particularly of 1 Cor. 6:19-20 where Christians are exhorted to “glorify God in your body” (v. 20). I’m not saying that people with tattoos and body piercings can’t glorify God in their bodies. I’m not the judge of that. I’m simply asking Christians to think and pray about it before they engage in this activity.

Needless to say (or perhaps it does need to be said), this text in 1 Corinthians 6 would apply to a number of issues other than tattoos and body piercing. I suspect that many reading this article are guilty of gluttony and have become excessively obese. This is only one example of what undoubtedly are any number of activities in which we may fail to glorify God in our bodies. We must be careful, therefore, lest we single out tattoos and body piercing and ignore the many ways in which we might potentially fail to glorify the Lord in how we treat our physical frame.

The fact is, the Bible is not as explicit and unyielding on this issue as some might like. If there were a specific and undeniable commandment in the NT that addressed the point, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation. So I encourage everyone to be gracious and gentle at the same time we give full consideration to the principles set forth in God’s Word. For those who’ve already been tattooed, perhaps the question should now be to what extent and in what ways, if any, can I turn this for the good of the gospel and the glory of God. I’m certainly not prepared (or qualified) to answer that question, but it is one that needs to be addressed.

May God grant us wisdom and patience with one another as we seek to understand how best to glorify God in our bodies.

Living “Under the Influence”

By John MacArthur @http://www.sfpulpit.com

All people like to be happy — to be exhilarated with joy, to feel good, and to be on top of everything. There’s nothing wrong with that. God wants joyous, excited, happy, and uplifted people. The problem lies in how happiness is generated. Some people think they’ll find it in a liquor bottle or in a narcotic. But neither of those is the Christian’s source of joy.

Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation.” Paul doesn’t try to prove that drunkenness is incompatible with Christianity, he simply gives the command. Once a person becomes a Christian, he says goodbye to the life he once lived in drunken debauchery–the party life is to have no place in a believer’s life.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “John, are you going to lecture me on the evils of alcohol? That’s preaching to the choir!” Is it? One study I found said nearly 14 million Americans last year were classified as alcohol abusers or alcoholics–that’s about 1 out of every 13 adults. Millions more regularly engage in binge drinking or heavy drinking and over 50 percent of Americans report that one or more of their close relatives have a drinking problem. With figures like that, do you think some of those people might now attend your church? Were you one of those people?

I won’t lecture you on the dangers of alcohol — you’re no doubt painfully aware of the problem. Drunkenness causes violence, accidents, abuse, and indebtedness, and we pay millions of dollars in tax money to clean up the wreckage. Insobriety exacts a tremendous toll on our society, both directly and indirectly.

The Spirit and the Bottle

So if Christians are not to be drunk with wine, where do they find joy and happiness? The answer is in the second half of Ephesians 5:18: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (emphasis added). Your thrills, your exhilaration, and your happiness should be the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit, not from being filled with wine.

You might be shocked by the language of that verse. It sounds like Paul is saying we should be drunk with the Holy Spirit. In fact, observers of the apostles exuberant behavior at Pentecost mistakenly concluded they had been dipping into the wineskins a little too early in the morning (see Acts 2:1-4, 13-18). But here’s the idea: Being filled with the Spirit results in behavior marked by joy, boldness, and a lack of inhibition. Even a mild person can become bold and unafraid when living under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

That sounds like what happens when a person gets drunk, doesn’t it? But Paul is actually making a contrast, not a comparison, between wine and the Holy Spirit. Wine controls a person completely and works evil in his heart and life. The Holy Spirit also controls completely, but He empowers you unto true righteousness. The Spirit’s influence provides divine fuel for a different, free, uninhibited life lived for God’s glory.

Be Filled

You’ll notice that Ephesians 5:18 has a positive command: “Be filled with the Spirit.” What does that mean? First, let me tell you what that doesn’t mean. Being filled with the Spirit doesn’t mean to be indwelt with, to be baptized in, or to be sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Paul never says, “Be indwelt by the Spirit.” If you’re a Christian, the Spirit already lives in you (1 Cor. 6:19).

Paul never says, “Be baptized in the Spirit.” If you’re a Christian, you were baptized in Him at your conversion (1 Cor. 12:13).

Paul never says, “Be sealed with the Spirit.” If you’re a Christian, you’ve already been sealed with the Spirit (Eph. 1:13).

All three events occurred the moment you were saved.

Instead, Paul’s command has our sanctification in view. Though it sounds a little odd in English, the Greek verb means “be continually filled” or “be kept filled.” He is actually saying, “Be continually letting the Spirit of God — who is already in you — control you.” It isn’t a second work of grace, a one-time experience, or a step up to a higher level. It is the continual, ongoing experience of the Christian life.

Surrender and Submit

To be filled with the Holy Spirit means you are continually surrendering your will, mind, body, time, talents, and treasures — every area of your life — to His control. The context shows that every realm of your life will be affected when you are filled with the Spirit. Notice how the Spirit-filled person submits to others (5:21–6:9). The Spirit-filled wife submits to her husband. The Spirit-filled husband loves his wife. Spirit-filled children obey their parents. A Spirit-filled father doesn’t provoke his children to anger. A Spirit-filled employee works diligently for his employer. A Spirit-filled employer is fair with his employees. All those are manifestations of the Spirit-filled life.

“So,” you ask, “is this a ‘Let go and let God’ kind of thing?” Hardly. Look at Colossians 3:16 for the answer to the question, “How do I surrender?” It says, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.” The effect of the Word of Christ dwelling in you is an exact parallel to what happens when you are filled with the Spirit (see vv. 16-23). It’s all there–singing, submission, love, obedience, gentle parenting, diligence, and fairness. Therefore, being filled with the Spirit is exactly the same thing as letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. As you study God’s Word, as it dwells in you richly, your thoughts become saturated with Christ. You become Christ-centered, Christ-conscious at all times–that’s what it is to be Spirit-filled.

Attitude Adjustment

We’ve already looked at the behavior of a Spirit-filled person, but where is the joy I mentioned earlier? Tucked between the command and the change in behavior is a very important comment on the attitudes of a Spirit-filled Christian. Ephesians 5:19-20 says, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God.” In those two verses, Paul is looking at the fruit of two attitudes that demonstrate vitality of the Christian life — joy and gratitude.

Joy and gratitude will characterize you when you are under the Holy Spirit’s control. Whether public or private, inward or outward, Spirit-induced joy produces singing that comes from the heart. To whom do you sing? You sing “to one another” and “to the Lord.” Keep that in mind the next time you sing in church. Your songs should not be a performance — they aren’t entertainment. Rather, they should be the sincere testimony of your joy in the Lord. When you express your joy in the Holy Spirit through singing, you bring pleasure to the Lord Himself.

Hand in hand with joy is thanksgiving (cf. 1 Thess. 5:16-18). If ingratitude sours and darkens the soul, gratitude sweetens it and floods it with light. Thanksgiving is more than the act of saying thanks or sending a thank you note — it is an attitude of the heart. Without the attitude, the act is mere hypocrisy.

Spirit-produced joy and gratitude are indomitable. When Jesus said, “Your sorrow will be turned to joy,” He used the example of a woman giving birth to a child. Though the pain of childbirth is agonizing, when the child is born, the joy is both unequaled and unstoppable — nothing can drive it away. That’s the kind of change the Holy Spirit produces in everyone who lives under His control.

The Spirit-filled life is overflowing with gratitude, joy, right relationships, and good behavior — quite a contrast to those enslaved by alcohol. You may not be seeking your joy in drugs or alcohol, but are you seeking to be filled with the Spirit? His resources are immediately available and He desires to produce new life in you. What are you waiting for?

We Become What We Behold

By Jon Bloom http://www.desiringgod.org/

Charles Darwin loved his scientific studies. They were his “chief enjoyment and sole employment throughout life.” As a young man he made a half-hearted attempt to become a clergyman, but gave it up because beetles and plants and rock formations held far more fascination for him than theology. At age 22, he embarked on his famous five-year voyage aboard “The Beagle” and his career as a naturalist was established. He spent the rest of his life intensely observing things, reducing them to their component parts and theorizing where they came from and why they behaved as they did.

However, as the years passed something very sad happened to him. He described it near the end of his life in his autobiography:

Up to the age of 30 or beyond it, poetry of many kinds…gave me great pleasure, and even as a schoolboy I took intense delight in Shakespeare…. Formerly pictures gave me considerable, and music very great, delight. But now for many years I cannot endure to read a line of poetry: I have tried to read Shakespeare, and found it so intolerably dull that it nauseated me. I have also almost lost any taste for pictures or music.… I retain some taste for fine scenery, but it does not cause me the exquisite delight which it formerly did.… My mind seems to have become a kind of machine for grinding general laws out of large collections of facts, but why this should have caused the atrophy of that part of the brain alone, on which the higher tastes depend, I cannot conceive.… The loss of these tastes is a loss of happiness, and may possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral character, by enfeebling the emotional part of our nature.

What a devastating loss. All that time in his laboratory abstracting theories from facts had conditioned his mind to analyze to such a degree that he could no longer enjoy beauty just for what it was. A symphony, a sunset, or a sonnet was not designed for Darwin to dissect but delight in. Too much dissection robbed him of delight.

We can learn something very valuable from Darwin here. We condition our minds to value whatever we watch and study and contemplate the most. John Piper has taught me to think of it like this: we become what we behold. What absorbs our interest, what we give our attention to most, shapes our thinking and trains our affections.

We must resist the seductive lie that someday in the future we will give up our workaholic habits or our sinful addiction or our trivial time-consuming pursuits and enjoy God and his creation and his purposes like we should. The truth is that if we spend too much time focusing on lesser things someday we will wake up to find that we have lost our ability to find great things delightful or even interesting.

We become what we behold. This is right from the Bible. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

This is the transformation that God intends for us: to grow, not decline, in our ability to enjoy glory. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the radiance of the glory of God (Heb. 1:2), and in doing so he will reveal increasing degrees of glory to us, which will then shape our thinking and train our affections.

With summer in full swing, and with its unique temptations to draw our attention away from Christ, we want to serve you by pointing you to listen to or read a message by John titled, “Summer Is for Seeing and Showing Christ .” I think you’ll find it refreshing and encouraging.

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This summer take an audit of your affections. Over the last few years has there been an increase or a decrease in your love for God and your awe at his amazing gospel? Do you enjoy his creation, from cell to star, more? Or less? Does that familiar sin have greater or less power over you? What is captivating your interest? Look at what you have been spending your time beholding for the answers.

Let’s learn from Darwin and heed God’s life-giving exhortations: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2) by “set[ting] your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Seeking with you to be transformed from glory to glory,

Sustaining Spiritual Passion w/ John MacArthur