The Savior Who Would Be Lord

This past week I've been reading through two separate books, which at the outset I did not figure would have anything necessarily in common with each other.  After all, they were written by two very different authors, in two very different languages, in two very different countries, in two very different centuries.  And yet the exact same parallel point is so stressed in both books, that I could not help being greatly moved and greatly convicted simultaneously.  The two books are "The Godly Man's Picture" by the 17th century Puritan Thomas Watson, and "The Cost of Discipleship" by the 20th century Lutheran Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  The subject that both men expounded on very strongly was the relevance of surrendering to Jesus as not only the Savior of your soul, but as the Lord of your life.

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The phrase "Jesus is my Lord and Savior" is a well known phrase that has no doubt been uttered by every living Christian today, and by all Christians who have passed from this world over the past two thousand years.  Surely every Christian has full confidence in the second half of that phrase; that Jesus is our Savior.  But how confident are Christians in declaring that we have genuinely "died to ourselves" and crowned Jesus our Lord.  The phrase in its entirety is so common on the tongues of us Christians that we tend to speak it with such shallow demeanor as to cause it to lose all balance and weightiness.  For example, we declare the second half with such confidence that we speak the first half without blushing at our own inconsistency of actually rejecting Jesus as the true Lord over our lives.  If we were to be honest, most of us would say "Jesus is my Savior, but I am my own Lord."  I, too, fall squarely into the camp of Christians that literally cling to Jesus everyday as my loving Savior, but rarely give a second thought to following Jesus as my commanding Lord.  Who among us can say they are not infected by that same "Lordship-denying" syndrome?  Even the disciples of Jesus' own lifetime struggled mightily with presiding continually under the Lordship of Christ.  Think about it for a moment; at the most important time Jesus needed His followers by His side - while He was dying on the cross - it was exactly then the disciples (with the exception of John) abandoned Jesus as their Lord and scattered under the lordship of their own fear and disloyalty.  They did not follow Jesus at all times, not even at the most crucial time.  If the disciples themselves failed to follow Jesus physically up to Calvary, how could we expect any different from ourselves about following Jesus spiritually in our own time.

The only comfort I take from this is that the disposition of disobedience is a universal weakness among all believers.  But surely we are not to wallow in self-pity from this pathetic universal confession, but to repent of our disloyalty, seek out Jesus' precepts and commands each and everyday of our lives, and to rely on the Holy Spirit to empower us to truly live as though Jesus is our Shepherd (John 10:11), our Overseer (1 Peter 2:25), and our Lord (Jude 1:21).  It is He alone that is to direct our every step, so that we do not live as shepherd-less rogue sheep who create our own paths.  We are not called to exist as a saved people with no directing Ruler, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ... A Christianity of that kind is nothing more or less than the end of discipleship.  In such a religion there is trust in God, but no following of Christ."

I am not here teaching the false doctrine of "perfectionism" which states that you must become perfect and be without sin in order to legitimately call Jesus your Lord.  The Apostle John declares, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" - 1 John 1:8.  Nor am I teaching the false doctrine of "salvation by works" which states that your salvation depends upon the merit of your own works.  The Apostle Paul declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... not by works" - Ephesians 2:8-9.  I wholeheartedly affirm that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  My works can neither contribute to, nor improve, the completed salvation Jesus has wrought on the cross.  In fact, my works would only tarnish and diminish the finished work of Christ on Calvary by belittling and invalidating the glorious nature and ultimate sufficiency of the atonement achieved through Jesus' holy blood.

"Every pardon is the price of blood." - Thomas Watson

Perhaps the only cure to deliver us from continually rejecting Jesus' lordship over every area of our lives is to continually and consciously live under the knowledge of Jesus' shed blood for us.  Meditate daily on what it took for Jesus to become our Savior by the spilling of His precious blood on a wooden cross, and you would then cheerfully and wholeheartedly submit your life to Him as Lord.  As Thomas Watson wrote, "Christ ransomed us with a price, not of money, but of blood.  Therefore we are to be only at his service.  If any can lay a better claim to us than Christ, we may serve them; but Christ having the best right to us, we are to cleave to him and enroll ourselves forever in his service."  We as saved Christians may be spiritually clothed in the blood of Christ, but how often do we allow that same blood to drip into our daily thoughts and pierce our conscience so as to cause us to give our all to Jesus?  If the blood of Jesus that saves you does not also move you to serve Him, than nothing will.  And since the blood of Jesus covers us completely, may we surrender our lives completely to Him.  Charles Spurgeon concludes, "This fact [that Jesus shed His blood for you] is the most important one in all your history.  That you were redeemed with a price is the greatest event in your biography... Let it exercise the most prominent influence over your entire career.  Be a man, be an Englishman, but be most of all Christ's man.  A citizen, a friend, a philanthropist, a patriot; all these you may be, but be most of all a saint redeemed by blood."

Is it enough to give thanks, but no obedience?  Is it enough to be pardoned, but not led?  Is it enough to be cleansed by Jesus' blood, but not conformed to His image?  Is it enough to claim Jesus as the Savior of our souls, but reject Him as the Lord of our lives?  Jesus Himself answered that question simply and conclusively when He declared in John 14:15, "If you love me, obey my commands."

"Would you as well be ruled by Christ's laws as saved by his blood?  He will never be a priest to intercede unless your heart is the throne where he sways his scepter."

- Thomas Watson

Praying with the Puritans

The Savior

Thou God of all grace,
Thou hast given me a Savior,
produce in me a faith to live by him,
to make him all my desire,
all my hope,
all my glory.

May I enter him as my refuge,
build on him as my foundation,
walk in him as my way,
follow him as my guide,
conform to him as my example,
receive his instructions as my prophet,
rely on his intercession as my high priest,
obey him as my king.

May I never be ashamed of him or his words,
but joyfully bear his reproach,
never displease him by unholy or imprudent conduct,
never count it a glory if I take it patiently
when buffeted for a fault,
never make the multitude my model,
never delay when thy Word invites me to advance.

May thy dear Son preserve me from this present
evil world,
so that its smiles never allure,
nor its frowns terrify,
nor its vices defile,
nor its errors delude me.

May I feel that I am a stranger and a pilgrim on earth,
declaring plainly that I seek a country,
my title to it becoming daily more clear,
my meetness for it more perfect,
my forestaste of it more abundant;
and whatsoever I do may it be done
in the Savior's name.

- Taken from "The Valley of Vision" A Collection of Puritan Prayers

Puritan Library

I personally believe that every Christian who is serious about studying the Bible ought always to have at least one Bible commentary in hand to help guide them through the Scriptures and give additional and helpful insights.  One of the commentaries I use, and would recommend to absolutely every Christian, is by the 18th century Puritan Matthew Henry (an immense 2,000 page volume).  Henry was born in 1662 and died in 1714, and although his commentary on the Bible is now 300 years old, it is still one of the most commonly used and well respected commentaries available today.  Henry wrote his commentary as both a theologian and a pastor, therefore his insights and expositions of Scripture are highly intellectual but at the same time very practical for helping all Christians to apply the Bible to their everyday living.  For those who are looking for an aid to assist them in their studies of the Scriptures, this commentary by Matthew Henry is an invaluable treasure to help lead to a deeper understanding and living out of God's Word.

The main reason I first began using Henry's commentary was because who strongly endorsed it just over 100 years ago; that person being the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon.  Spurgeon had these words to say about Matthew Henry's commentary, "First among the mighty commentaries for general usefulness we are bound to mention the man whose name is a household word, Matthew Henry.  He is the most pious and pithy, sound and sensible, suggestive and sober, terse and trustworthy... he is deeply spiritual, heavenly, profitable; finding good matter in every text, and from all deducting the most practical and judicious lessons."

*Special Note - For those who read the "KJV" there was a brand new Bible released earlier this year called "The Matthew Henry Study Bible" by Hendrickson Publishers, which has Henry's commentary notes spread throughout the KJV edition of the Bible.  The notes are just a concise collection, not all of Henry's notes in their entirety.  Therefore, for those who wish to have just a sprinkling of Matthew Henry's biblical insights (and who use the KJV), this study Bible would be perfect for such a purpose.

"The Bible is a sealed book to every man, learned or unlearned, till he begins to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, that he may thence learn the truth and the will of God." - Matthew Henry

"Lay the Bible to heart, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls." - Matthew Henry

"It is a wonder sinners can ever read the Bible with dry eyes." - Matthew Henry

Guarding Against New Sins

I am currently reading the book "The Mortification of Sin" by 17th century Puritan John Owen.  The book concerns the subject of killing personal sin in our lives.  The first half of the book is very powerful thus far, but Owen mentioned something in chapter 5 that really struck me as something for us Christians to be constantly wary of; and that is to not be so overtly focused on ridding particular sins from our lives that we unknowingly let down our guard and allow brand news sins to slip in without realizing it, and thus still be slaves to sin.  Owen's stated it this way, "He that changes pride for worldliness, sensuality for pharisiasm, vanity in himself to the contempt of others; let him not think that he hath mortified the sin that he seems to have left.  He hath changed his master, but is a servant still."

There is perhaps no other time in our lives when we are more open and susceptible to absorbing new sins in our lives than when we let down our guards after accomplishing the mortification of old sins.  The words of Jesus can and should be applied here, when He said, "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation" - Mark 14:38.  Jesus is not suggesting that we keep an eye on the sins we are currently committing, but that we prepare in advance to be on guard and pray against new sins that we will be tempted with in a future sense.  This command of caution by our Lord was so important that it was recorded and repeated by Matthew in his Gospel as well (Matthew 26:41).

Mortifying particular sins in our lives should never give grounds for celebration and cause defensive leniency resulting in the temporary lowering of our spiritual walls of protection.  May we always be in pursuit of mortifying our old sins, while simultaneously being fully conscious of the real possibility of being tempted and attacked by new sins at precisely the same time of our victories.

"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation." - Mark 14:38

Quoting the Puritans

"If we are in Christ while we live, we shall go to Christ when we die.  Union is the ground of privilege, hence we must be in Christ before we can be with Christ."

Thomas Watson, Puritan Gems, pg 16

"We are to learn of Christ, and we are to learn Christ; He is both teacher and lesson.  His gentleness of heart fits Him to teach, and makes Him the best illustration of His own teaching."

Charles Spurgeon, Sermons on the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, pg 117

"It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that God has declared, by a voice from heaven, that Jesus Christ is His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased, with which we must by faith cheerfully concur and say that He is our beloved Savior, in whom we are well pleased."

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, pg 1287

"Without Christ, you cannot believe in the Father, as in one that will show you any saving mercy, but only as the devils, that believe Him just, and tremble at His justice.  Without Christ, you cannot love God, nor have any lively apprehensions of His love.  Without Christ, you can have no hope of heaven, and therefore no endeavors for it.  Without Him, you cannot come near to God in prayer, has having no confidence, because of no admittance, acceptance, or hope.  Without Christ, how terrible are the thoughts of death!"

Richard Baxter, A Christian Directory, Chapter 1, pg 27

Blog Format

The specific format I would like this blog to take is that of a personal devotional/Puritan promotion blog.  What I mean is, explicitly I hope to share some of my own thoughts and experiences that God may grant in my day-to-day life; and implicitly I wish to use this blog to promote the books and writings of the Christians during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries known as the Puritans.  Since I read the works of the Puritans on a regular basis, it would be nearly impossible to share my daily spiritual experiences without mentioning their important expositions of Scripture and their exhortations of living lives wholly devoted to Jesus Christ.  The uncommon ability the Puritans had to wade heavily through great depths of biblical truths has led one of today's leading theologians, J.I. Packer, to refer to the Puritans as "Physicians of the Soul."

I will be promoting the Puritans on this blog by way of intermittently posting some of their poems, prayers, and quotes, as well as recommending books of theirs that I've read personally.  Such Puritans that I have read and currently reading are: Thomas Watson, Matthew Henry, John Bunyan, Richard Baxter, John Owen, and Charles Spurgeon (Spurgeon is considered by some to be the last of the Puritan age).  Puritan's whose writings I hope to read in the future are: Thomas Manton, Thomas Shepard, William Whitaker, Henry Scougal, John Flavel, and Jeremiah Burroughs.

For those who wish to learn "about" the Puritans before learning "from" the Puritans, I would highly recommend the book "Meet The Puritans" by Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson.  In this book Beeke and Pederson present mini-biographies of over 100 of the most influential Puritans in church history.  I would also recommend the 16 lecture series by J.I. Packer called "History and Theology of the Puritans" which can be downloaded for free on iTunes.  This lecture series is what first introduced me to the Puritan movement.

For those who have not yet had the privilege of reading through the works of our Christian brothers from the Puritan era, I pray that this blog will help give a slight taste of the high degree of spirituality they existed on, as theologian Leland Ryken stated, "By valuing all of life in relation to God, Puritans gave sacred significance to every activity."  And may their unmatched levels of biblical knowledge and godly devotion lift us all up to new heights of love and loyalty to Jesus Christ.